Papers of Athol Cluny McPherson - Part 6

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Passed
Mrs M B McPherson
"Clyne Milton"
Horsham
Victoria
Australia

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*[to all at

home & hoping all are

well. I remain

Ever yr loving Son

Athol*]

The Pyramids
Egypt Dec 12^th
My Dearest Mother
Just a line or two, to let you know that I am
still in the land of the living & having a fairly good time    
although we have had no fighting so far & doubt if we
will for some time as the Turks dont seem inclined to come
this way, but on the 21^st of this month Britian is going
to proclaim this a British Possession & we are going to
wait & see if the Turks take any action over it, there
will be great doings in Ciaro on that date, we are
all going in on that date to hoist the flag, of course
there may be a row with the people round Ciaro, as
they arent to be trusted. We are camped right alongside 

of the Pyramids & had our Photos taken beside
the Sphnix with the Big Pyramid in the Photo, they
are splendid, photos & I'll send some home in a
few days, it is a very funny place to live this
We are camped right on the edge of the Sahara
Desert & were out marching on it today, it is a
bonzer to walk on. Egypt is a very large place
with some fine buildings. Well Mother Dear this
is written in a terrible hurry to give a fellow, to
post. I'll try & write a long letter tomorrow, it will
probably go with this. Goodbye With Heaps of love 

Orvieto
Nov 29^th 14
My Dearest Mother

As we are landing at Suez tomorrow or next
day & the mail closes at 5pm today, I must send you
a few lines to let you know that I am alright &
likely to have a cut at the Turks in a few days
but it may be a yarn, I only hope that it is true
we ought to be able to hold our own against them
Turks. There is talk of the Turks trying to get
at the Canal to block it, but they will have
their work cut out, if we get in front of them, we
will be about 50,000 strong including the New Zealanders.
There is also talk of us going to E Ciaro
as a Garrison, I believe that is what we are
going to do, but we may have to fight before hand
we expect to be in Egypt about three months &
that will see the winter pretty well over. Egypt is
the place of all that I would like to see, if
I had my choice of a place to visit I would
certainly pick it out, we ∧ought out to be able to see
Mt Sinai as it seems to be right by the Canal & some
of the fellows say we can see Mt Nebo, I hope we
go to where the Pyramids are, it would be great
it we had to go & fight against the Turks at
Jerusalem, it would be a very interesting place
to go through. We will have a little work to
 

do now, even if we dont meet the Turks, weve had such
an easy time on the boat, it will be a bit hard at
first as we have got a bit off on the boat doing nothing
We are away on ahead of the fleet today, we left them
about midday yesterday & are going at a great speed
& did about 380 miles the last twenty four hours, instead
of about two fifty when we are with the fleet, if the
Germans came now they would give us a rough time
We passed a light house just before dinner that
is 390 miles from Post Said, so we should get there
in about 24 hours, it (the light house) is on a
reef of rocks that the waves break on, talk about
a place to live. I am anxious to know if you
had any harvest at home this year, if you did it would
be about hay cutting time now. Captain Dexter
(the Parson) told some of us last night that we
were very lucky to be landing in Egypt, as he
said it was a fine place at this time of the
year. Well mother dear I dont think there is any more
news so will close I'll write again the first chance I
get & let you know our movements. Goodbye with
heaps of love to all at home, including Marion &
kind Regards to Miss Jenkins & all Horsham friends
I remain always your loving Son
Athol C McPherson
 

1

"Orvieto"
Tuesday 24^th
My Dearest Mother
As we will most likely be at Aden
tomorrow & there will be a mail ashore I must
write you a few lives to let you know how I am
getting on. I think if you saw me that you
would think I'm doing pretty well, I reckon I'm
thirteen stone at the least & putting on condition
every day. Im pleased to say there is no censorship
on the letters from here so I can mention what
I like without it being stopped, Im wondering
in you got all the letters that I wrote, it might
have been "bluff" that they were going to read
open ones & keep sealed ones back for two or

three weeks. We have a good easy time
on the boat, but it is dead slow to be for so
long on the water, without putting foot on land
its just about five weeks since we left Australia
or rather Melbourne & expect to be for at least
three weeks yet. Im glad to say we are
going on ahead of the fleet today & it is out
of sight now, this boat has pace if it is let
go, but it has to keep with the fleet as
a rule, we are only going ahead to Aden as
the warships have to keep guard over us
& if they are too far apart the Square Heads
 

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might get a knock at us. We have 44 prisoners
off the Emden on board, they seem to think
the Syd men used their quns to perfection
& they are very high in their praise of the
treatment they have received by the British
& say they are glad the Japs never took to
them as they would have killed them all
I've been on guard & twice over the Officers
there are three of them & Bills Nephew, they
are five working fellows bar the Captain & I
dont like his face a bit. I look upon it as
a bit of an honour to be guard over them
there are only three in one relief & I was
put on the single one both times I was
on, the first day we were on the prisoners
they said it was the best run guard
they had had, there are about 37 of us taken
for the guard about a dozen posts working
two hours on & four off for 48∧ 24 hours. I
had a bit of a goo joke with a couple
of Officers (Cptns) the first day I was on
when, I took over the post the sentry that
I relieved told me not to let anybody along
the deck, but a few particular Officers
& I hadn't been there more than a couple
 

3
of minutes before a Captain came along I stopped
him & you can imagine he was a bit surprised
when I told him he couldnt pass & walked
on, but I told him it was no use he would
have to go back, so back he went, but at the
same time reckoned there was a mistake
In a minute along came another with the
same result & said he was sure there was a
mistake as he had half of his Coy on each side
of me & couldnt get from one to the other, he was
still talking & telling me my best plan would be
to call the Sergeant of the guard, when he came
along & fixed it up, it seems that it was after
six at night that they were to be stopped.
After dark an A .B. signaller came along
& came to a sudden halt, he snorted & told
me he had an important message, I told him
that had nothing to do with me, he said
he would report me & I told him it was
the best thing he could do I knew where I 

was safe I never heard anything more
about it, last night the officer of the guard came round & asked me what I would do
if an officer asked me for my rifle when
on guard, I replied "I wouldnt give him it."
 

4
He said - "Suppose he demanded it," I said I
wouldnt let him have it if he wanted it he would
have to fight far it."- he was satisfied & walked
off, it is a game of theirs to test a fellow, of
course he has no right to give his rifle up
to anybody & whats more I wouldnt. This is the
calmest water I ever saw for a seas & dont we
have sun rises & sets they are bonzers. We dont
know yet where we are going when we get
to Europe, we are only stopping a day in Aden
according to what they say. I sent Father
an account of our doings sence we left Colombo
Melbourne, I took it out of my pocket book
so there isnt much else to tell, Its funny
to see the way the sailors scan the horizon
for the enemy, they stand up on the top of
the mast of the Hampshire, on a crow tree two
at a time, they must have nerves. We were
very close to the fight between the Sydney
& Emden, the Melbournes & Japanese Cruiser were
in sight all the time & by all accounts they
were watching the fight most of the time.
I just got this far when we had to get up on deck
through the fire alarm bell going, they always
ring it about once a week to get us to turn out
 

5

with life belts on. I'm wondering if you
got any harvest at home this year, we expect
to get mails at Aden as they make out
the osterley left her mails there. I wrote
home from Al Colombo & wonder if the
letter went alright. I used to mention
in letters that I posted open that it
was getting hot as I guessed you would
know we were getting near the Equator
There is talk of us going straight ahead after
we leave Port Said, it wont take long to get
there after we leave Aden. Well Mother
dear this is about all the news I have
so must close, With Kind Regards to all
Hostham friends, including Bevs & Grays
We had a bonzer Church Service last Sunday
the C.E Parson preaching. We were right up
against him for a wonder, hes a fine Preacher
Mr Dexter is his name, we always have
Eternal Father Strong to Save, as one of the Hymns
Good bye dear Mother With heaps of love to all
at home & Kind Regards to Miss Jenkins &
Mr & Mrs Ralty
yr loving Son
Athol C. McPherson