Thomas Whyte Collection - Wallet 4 - Part 8 of 10

133 
lying near us, a most peculiar looking  
ship. From the front she looks something  
like this [[tiny drawing]] The decks except a narrow top one must be all covered  
in. Probably she is designed as a protection  
against aircraft The sloping sides would cause  
the shells to richoch ricochet off harmlessly 
To day comes news of the sinking of a Turkish  
Cruiser by in the Black Sea & an account  
of some irregular Bulgarians attacking a  
Servian blockhouse. If Bulgaria comes in  
it may materially affect the part we are going  
to take.  All the nations seem to have turned mad. 
We [[m] The Ionian moved in nearer the 9^th  
this evening quite close to the Nizam Suffolk  
& Malda. The Navanah came over later so the  
fleet is altogether. 
Wednesday It has been as calm as a mill pond  
to-day. The Malda came alongside & some of  
the A.M.C. with medical stores were transferred  
The brigade headquarters staff went over this morning  
so it may mean the crew being dissolved,  
They started shipping horses  on one of the  
other boats yesterday. 
 

69
Most had blue stockings showing  
beautifully shaped calves.  The umbiquitous  
donkey was also in evidence.  They could  
speak very little English, the natives I  
mean.  One had been in Egypt and America  
 He knew more Arabic than we.  They are  
starting to charge a bit for 'stuff but it  
is our own fault for it is only human  
nature to get the all you can if the buyer  
is fool enough to pay it. 
The tower windmills are peculiar affairs I cant   
very well describe them They are something 
like this [small drawing] 
The little triangular patches at the end of the wings are  
like little canvas jibs.  They are all used  
for grinding corn & flour.  There must be  
hundreds on the island. 
It was quite pleasant to loll about the  
grass you see there was none in Egypt  
Every inch of land was cultivated so it  
was really the first grass we had been  
on since leaving Australia. 
There is a kind of Cognac made on the  
island.  It hasn't an unpleasant taste  
& is very mild.  By the bye the Colonel has  
come to light with a pint of beer both

132 
What do you think of Beans latest 
effusions It is not a climb down 
it is a horrible tumble. A typed copy 
of his cable of March 1^st and an letter 
explanatory article he wrote has been 
posted up. Even now I expect the wowsers 
will still moralise. Some of the articles 
& letters I have seen in the Australian 
papers fill you with disgust especially 
the one in the 'Mail' by a parson  
with the forces. He doesn't know what 
he is talking about.  
Tuesday The wind dropped sufficiently to allow 
the crew to take some orders ashore this morning 
we had another trip to the Nizani & Malda which 
are lying nearer the 9^th jetty than before. 
Each man has been served out with 150 
rounds of ammunition. It balances the  
pack better so won't make be felt much with  
the load. The Franconia is expected back in  
a day or two. The warships keep going & coming 
One of the latest French battleships is 
  
70
days which goes very well.   
There was a typed sheet of war news posted 
up to day covering from the last week. 
It proved rumour No6 on page 64 wrong 
& 7 correct. It mentioned that owing to 
the situation in the Dardanelles the troops 
at present training in North Africa 
were to be ready to leave at a moments 
notice. Well all the troops there will not 
be used. Perhaps the Aust 2^nd contingent 
may be but there is bound to be a  
garrison kept there. I believe a force 
of 40000 French will arrive within three 
weeks With 40000 Australasians & 20000 
various the rumoured force of 100000 would 
be made up. I dont think there is much  
in this rumour though 
A I had a very interesting chat to one  
of half a dozen sailors last night.  
They have come aboard from  the Lord  
Nelson to man a steam furnace leant 
 to tow the boats ashore. This chap was 
a real cockney & a fair nut. It is 
the Lord Nelson we mistook for the  
Queen Elizabeth which came in today 
The 'Nellie' took a very prominent part 
in the bombardment of the Dardanelles 
The [[Tar?]] told me a lot about it

131 
harbour. They buried the poor fellows 
that were entombed in the watertight compartments 
on Thursday. I don't know whether they  
had been drowned or killed beforehand 
the latter I think.  The boat has been  
canted down on her stern with the bows 
in the air. I don't know what the they are 
doing from the tug alongside. 
I have just read Crowhursts description 
of the 3 days routemarch & bivouac It covers 
7 pages so I wont copy it in here. Besides  
it will in all probability appear in the papers 
It makes me wish I had been there.  
Having nothing to-do to-day I have read  
'Babs the Impossible' by It is interesting  
on account of the conversations & Babs  
who as a child character is too impossible.  
To day it has been drizzling all day.  
Some days it is sunny & quite clear just like  
an Australian Autumn day.  Others are  
misty & the surrounding hills just visible 
quite like I imagine an English atmosphere 
Bean ho 

71 
Eighteen forts had been demolished      
when they left. He was one of the crew landing 
the marines that were cut up. This fort had 
been settled some days previously but  
bad weather had prevented any landing 
party. In the meantime the Turks & Germans 
had taken full advantage of the time  
& entrenched themselves very strongly        
besides having snipers in every available 
cover, ruins etc. Evidently the [[reconnoitering??]] 
seaplanes missed this. The Marines couldnt 
see where the firing came from even 
alot of their shells dont explode & the firing 
is not very good. The 'Nellie' (nickname for 
the Lord Nelson) had no difficulty in silencing 
a fort with 14 inch guns though her biggest 
are 12 inch. He was particularly funny 
describing this fort. "All at wance them  
Turks stahrted comin' aht of that fort 
in hundreds rahght on top of a hill. We  
gave em a salvo at abaht 8000 & gawd 
blimy, when the dust cleared we had 
shot the grawnd they was on away." 
Somebody asked why they came out of  
the fort. 'Guess it was gettin too  
blamming hot in there' 
The Marines caught one Turk gouging 
out the eyes of one of the dead.  They caught

130 
this reaches you.  
Easter Monday  Another gale blowing from the North.  
The last mail has not gone yet and we are 
off on Friday.  That's a precis of to-days news.  
Things have started to move  One blanket 
each was packed up preparatory to putting 
on the Malda which will carry the first 
line transport.  Everything in the shape of 
waggons ammunition etc goes in the first 
line transport.  Kit bags are left at a base 
which in our case will be the boat for 
until a safe land base is established at 
any rate.  Horses will be reembarked tomorrow.  
I wonder what the next fortnight will bring 
forth.  It looks very much as if we will 
be in it before then.  I would give anything 
to be able to express my thoughts to you 
but it seems impossible.  I only hope 
I won't show all the cowardice I am sure 
I will feel.  Oh well I suppose there will be 
plenty in the same box. 
The Irresistable Inflexibile is still in  
  
  
72 
him before he got away, stood him  
up against a wall and literally shot pieces 
out of him. 
Two mine sweepers have been settled.  
They are only trawlers and drag for mines 
with wire ropes.  Naturally they take 
a tremendous risk.  There are half a 
dozen in harbour here.  
A French General arrived yesterday & 
inspected the camp of the 9th 
We have started Bridge again.  There 
is to be no stake.  I ought to be something 
of a player when I get back.  
All our horses are going ashore to-morrow 
We have about 40 on board.  
No word of the 2nd or 1st Brigade yet nor 
of any mails. 
I have had to rearrange my writing kit  
I can get this book with a few postcards 
and paper in my haversack nicely.  Your 
photo is in wonderfully good order.  The 
cardboard covers of the book keep it from 
getting bent.  Three of the corners are gone a little 
but the photo is as undamaged as the day 
I got it.   Do you remember how shy you 
were about showing the proof?  The tissue 
envelope I still have.  I like the hazy glimpse 
I can get of you through it.  I always 

129 
There was to have been another route 
march this week but the news comes out 
tonight that it is cancelled.  There are 
rumours that we are moving on Friday.  
Something is doing this week I think.  
Warships of all descriptions come & go.  
We don't know half their names.  
A big French hospital ship the 'Canada' 
came in Thursday and went out to-day.  
Nothing out of the ordinary has happened 
lately.  We are enjoying the [[ca et]] fresh meat, cheese 
& jam. Plenty of potatoes & onions in the 
stews make up for the lack of vegetables.   
We have found raw onions sliced with 
cheese make good sandwiches.  The onions 
are pinched from the stack near the 
galley.  It certainly has its disadvantages 
the onions I mean.  
I forgot to tell you those letters you couldn't 
find They are probably in the wooden case 
but I expect you will have found it long before 
  
  
73 
have it on the back of the previous page 
when I am writing I never get tired of 
looking at it.  I am afraid I have neglected  
the profile one.  That is in my kit bag 
with your letters.  I don't like it half as 
well as the one Freda called affected 
The best light to look at it in is artificial.  
It looks most natural then.  I feel awfully 
ashamed  I haven't had a decent photo to 
send you yet.  
Thursday March 11th  We have had quite a pleasant 
day.  This morning we took the Colonel & party 
ashore near the 9th camp for a court 
martial.  I was quite surprised to find 
round a little point a tiny jetty. Quite
a decent sized village.  We can see part 
of it from the Ionian but most is 
hidden by the little hill that runs out to 
the point.  The 9th camp is on the hill  
The heads were away for several hours 
so after we had lunch we had a stroll.  
A well made road led from the jetty 
winding through the group of 50 or so houses that 
formed the village.  There were two or three 
cafes where you could get Turkish coffee, 
Cognac, a dark sour weak wine, rum & 
English lager beer.  Needless to say we 
sampled the Tennants Lager and found it

128 
budget I will read them over again in 
the morning for the 4th time.  Goodnight 
my lovely wife. 
Sunday    I am getting lax in my journal 
entries.  Most of my spare time has been 
taken up reading SA papers.  You have no 
idea how interesting we find Observers 
& Chronicles.  It seems to bring us much 
more in touch with home.  It is a wonderful 
sight on mail day.  Everybody gloating 
over letters at first & then over papers  
There is a sort of competition as to who 
gets the most letters  Some ran into 
30 this time.  I am quite satisfied with 
my lot though.  
Nothing of any importance has happened.  
The 3 coys came back from the route 
march in good heart.  They seem to have 
had rather a good time in spite of their 
heavy loads.  They got to Castro in easy 
stages & formed a guard of honour while 
the Greek flag was hoisted.  I wish I had 
gone.  They described the scenery as beautiful 
  

74 
very refreshing.  Most of the houses are 
two storeyed & well build of stone.  A peculiar 
shaped tile forms the roof.  The tiles are 
semicircular and are laid like this   
There was the same variety of dress.  
The women were all of a clear cur similar 
type & wore the white cloth round their 
heads ears & chins looking for all the world 
like a corpse with the chin tied up.  
The old women are nearly as good looking 
as the young.  Babies were very numerous.  
A finely built Greek Orthodox Church 
looked magnificent among these rural 
surroundings  Some of us went inside  
The Greek priest in his funny cap &  
gown gave us a taper each which we 
lit & stuck in an urn containing 
sand.  The thing that one noticed most 
was the absence of seats or pews.  The interior 
was richly decorated in blue tints with plenty 
of well painted panels of the saints.  A tall 
beautifully carved preaching desk (I forget 
the correct name) was particularly noticeable  
On a specially carved lecturn was a painting 
of the Madonna & Child that looked very 
old probably medaeval?.  I don't know 
what the burning of the tapers signified 
at any rate we didn't show our appreciation

127 
for the period of the war & 4 months after 
the declaration of peace.  That is necessary 
because sometimes the declaration of peace is 
not the conclusion of war. Take the last 
Balkan war.  But of course if the peace looks 
alright & there was no chance of the allies
disagreeing over it as in the Balkan war 
they wouldn't keep you mobilised longer 
than they could help.  
I would never have believed it possible that 
any woman could have resisted the temptation 
of looking at a bankbook.  You are certainly unique  
If you only knew what pangs that mention 
of peaches caused. What wouldn't I give for 
a luscious ripe peach.  I haven't seen one 
since last year.  
I'm hanged if I know which is my favourite 
Romulus, Remus, Phyllis or Daphne I would have 
to touch them all to tell you. 
I like that about your first love letters.  What a 
cheek.  It hurt me awfully at the time to think 
you could let me have them & tear them up.  
I feel sorry I have got to the end of your wonderful 
  

75
by placing anything in the alms box  
which was in a prominent position.  
The villages are really out of bounds but 
of course the Colonels crew would be excepted. 
 Over the other side of the hill on the beach 
below the 9th camp is tiny quaint brick 
church about 8ft x 12 ft by 7ft high.  It is 
evidently dis not in use.  A niche in one 
wall evidently formed the altar.  The rafters 
were very old and wormeaten.  There was a little 
glass bowl in a bracket with sanctuary 
oil & floats in it.  On the other side was 
an iron spiked arrangement with bits of 
rags on it.  I wonder if it is a superstition 
similar to one often seen in Ireland near 
wells? 
The harbour is very busy.  Super Dreadnoughts 
Cruisers, Destroyers, Torpedo boats, Trawlers 
(for mine sweeping), Submarines, Supply 
ships (coal, oil & provisions) Pinnaces & 
Picquet boats and a dozen or so transports.  
There are 5 boats wi for the 3rd Brigade  
[[*c3403
S.A.R.
EXPEDy. FORCE
MORPHETTVLE 
TO
ADELAIDE 
2nd RETURN 
Free of charge 
S.A.R. 
EXPEDy. FORCE 
ADELAIDE*]] 
The Ionian, Malda,           Nizam & Davanah. 
There are 6 'Castle' lin        with Royal Marine 
Light Infantry & s            etails and 
a couple of French Transports.  When we 
were ashore we saw of party of Frenchman 
with their greenish khaki blue overcoats

c3403
S.A.R.
EXPEDy. FORCE
MORPHETTVLE 
TO
ADELAIDE 
2nd RETURN 
Free of charge 
S.A.R. 
EXPEDy. FORCE 
ADELAIDE 

127 
for the period of the war & 4 months after 
the declaration of peace.  That is necessary 
because sometimes the declaration of peace is 
not the conclusion of war. Take the last 
Balkan war.  But of course if the peace looks 
alright & there was no chance of the allies
disagreeing over it as in the Balkan war 
they wouldn't keep you mobilised longer 
than they could help.  
I would never have believed it possible that 
any woman could have resisted the temptation 
of looking at a bankbook.  You are certainly unique  
If you only knew what pangs that mention 
of peaches caused. What wouldn't I give for 
a luscious ripe peach.  I haven't seen one 
since last year.  
I'm hanged if I know which is my favourite 
Romulus, Remus, Phyllis or Daphne I would have 
to touch them all to tell you. 
I like that about your first love letters.  What a 
cheek.  It hurt me awfully at the time to think 
you could let me have them & tear them up.  
I feel sorry I have got to the end of your wonderful 
  

75
by placing anything in the alms box  
which was in a prominent position.  
The villages are really out of bounds but 
of course the Colonels crew would be excepted. 
 Over the other side of the hill on the beach 
below the 9th camp is tiny quaint brick 
church about 8ft x 12 ft by 7ft high.  It is 
evidently dis not in use.  A niche in one 
wall evidently formed the altar.  The rafters 
were very old and wormeaten.  There was a little 
glass bowl in a bracket with sanctuary 
oil & floats in it.  On the other side was 
an iron spiked arrangement with bits of 
rags on it.  I wonder if it is a superstition 
similar to one often seen in Ireland near 
wells? 
The harbour is very busy.  Super Dreadnoughts 
Cruisers, Destroyers, Torpedo boats, Trawlers 
(for mine sweeping), Submarines, Supply 
ships (coal, oil & provisions) Pinnaces & 
Picquet boats and a dozen or so transports.  
There are 5 boats wi for the 3rd Brigade  
The Ionian, Malda, Suffolk Nizam & Davanah. 
There are 6 'Castle' liners in with Royal Marine 
Light Infantry & sundry details and 
a couple of French Transports.  When we 
were ashore we saw of party of Frenchman 
with their greenish khaki blue overcoats

126 
I am glad you received the d'oylies allright 
I was frightened the collar would not be
fashionable but it was the only sort they had
Perhaps it could be altered or try your hand
& passing it off on someone at a good price.
I will keep a look out for some more d'oylies.
Now when I come home I want you to meet
me the first place you can. I will be looking at
everyone on the wharf until I see you. I suppose
there will be some mad procession & then
you can wait for me on the Rug. I think I will
always write it with a capital R. 
Thank you very much for the Cornish ash tray, but
you mustn't go spending money like that. 
I had arranged about a Xmas present for you
but something must have gone wrong so never
mind.
I laughed over your worry of infection. We always
have our own blankets. Nobody has ever used mine
since I joined nor have I ever used anybody elses.
There isn't the slightest mark of infection
about [Feo?] saying the soldiers will be kept
on 6 months after the war. The attestation
paper you sign states that you are signed on 

76  
& ugly French military caps.   
War boats are constantly leaving and coming 
& it is difficult to keep count of them 
The most noteworthy are the Queen Elizabeth 
the Inflexible (of Falkland Island fame) 
the Lord Nelson, Indominatable & AE2 
Submarine from Australia. 
There is an are two Admirals [?], a rear & a vice 
Today the French General & a couple of  
his staff paid an official visit on board  
The only gaudy thing about him was his  
cap all gold & red braidwork & lace fancifully  
coloured. His only decoration was the 
Legion of Honour medal & ribbon which 
he seemed very proud of. We turned out a  
guard of honour & the band. 
Friday March 12 I was called away last night  
at 8 when I was writing. We went round  
to the Brigade boats with the orders for the 
brigade training to-day. When we came back 
there was a mouthful of whiskey waiting  
for each of us. 
A mail left yesterday. I was able to get  
much more th in than should have by 
getting Captain Green to censor it instead 
of my own Corp. Commander. I can't  
relish Beaver censoring any of my letters. 
From C3 you may be able to gather that