Papers of Athol Cluny McPherson - Part 9

M B McPherson

Clyne Milton

Horsham

Victoria

RMS Orvieto
Monday Morning

My Dear Father 

As there is a chance to post a letter

I must do so. I was delighted to get your letter

the day I left Camp. So far we have had a tip

top trip. I havent been sick yet & I hope to get

over without, its not to be run after, we

are well treated on board & I eat like

a horse. Im sending Mother [[?]]

newspaper printed on board. [[?]]

hopes that this will catch the [[?]]

to the East. It is raining here [[?]]

I only hope it goes East. Im writing [[?]]

you today as I dont know that Mo [[?]]
letter that I wrote yesterday will go 

we arent supposed to mention anythi [[?]]

at all about our whereabouts or doin [[?]]

it may go alright. It is all physical

drill that we have on board now.

Well Father dear the bugle has just

gone to dress for Parade so must

close. With heaps of love to all at 

home including Marion & Kind

regards to Miss Jenkins The Bevs

& Grays & All Friends. I remain

ever yr loving Son
Athol

CO E Section

5^th Battalion

Military Camp

Friday Night

My Dearest Mother

I must write you a few lines

tonight or you will be wondering what

has become of me. I intended writing

about a half dozen times but to tell

you the truth we have been going so

strong this week that I really never had

time. I was on "sentry" for 36 hours

& last night we had to sleep in readiness

to be called out at anytime. They

reckon we will be leaving next Friday

or Saturday morning & they wont grant

any leave after next Wednesday, I 

would like very much to have got

home to see you all before leaving

but dont think I have any ^no chance

Thank you all very much for all

the nice presents you sent me I'll

write to all the others later on, most

likely on the way home, the fountain

pen was just the thing that I

was going to buy, as one of the

fellows in the tent has one &

it pretty well does the round of the tent

It was very miserable here during the wet

weather, but its nice & dry now. We put

in most of our time now at 'Sham fighting

& the consequence is we put in a bit

of marching. Ill get my photo taken

before I go & get them sent to you

We had our tent taken yesterday

& it is coming out in "Table Talk"

So tell Miss Jenkins to look out for

it as I know she gets it

I think we will be all coming out

in the Australasian before we go, as

they offered to take all of us

free. The Church of E. have a

large tent on the ground here & if they

are holding service in it on Sunday

Im going there, as you cant hear the

combined service in the open for the

way some of the Hoodlums talk

We are getting a band for the 5^th

Battalion, it makes marching so

much easier for the men to keep

in step, although its marvellous

how they keep in step now, we

as supposed to be the Crack Battalion

of the lot, but I suppose the others

think the same. I was pleased

to get the letter from Father last

night, I made a mistake about

the Dr that examined it us wasnt Ryan

Please Thank Jook & Alley for the eggs

they are pretty well appreciated in

the tent. Also Sheila for going to the

trouble of making those bags, they 

will come in very handy & also must

thank you both you & Jook very much

for going to the trouble to do all

that knitting, those woolen things will

be just the thing when we get to

Europe as there will be snow there

then & also the "house wife" I tried

to buy one in Prahran before I

came out but the people looked

when I asked for one.

Father asked me in my letter for

the names of the men in my

tent, before we go, I'll send a list of names

of the men in NT Section there are only about

20 or 25. I was a bit surprised to hear

about Harold Smith getting through, In any 

case hes a fellow I dont go much on.

Dick was out again on Sunday, we

had a good long afternoon together

He brought out a lot of tucker

including about 7 lbs of beef so we were

well off for tucker, Weve had cakes

all the week & those that you & Jook

sent just finished us up. Well Mother

Dear, Ill try & write again tomorrow

Please Thank Miss Jenkins very much

for those lollies, they were bonzers.

With Heaps of Love & Thanks to

all at home & hoping your eczema

will continue to improve.

I remain
Ever yr loving Son

Athol

Monday Night

My Dearest Mother

As we are sailing tomorrow I must send

you a few lines before I go, I may write again

tomorrow, but if I do the letter won't go until after

we go but as the Sergeant is going into town

tomorrow I will give him this to post I was

on guard. Guard from six yesterday until six today

Our Battalion is the only infantry left in Camp

now, the Artillery is going tomorrow morning the

8^th went tonight the 6^th & 7^th on Sunday. We gave

them a send off from the Camp of course they

only go on board & wait for us in the bay

it will look a huge convoy when all of the boats

are together, ours is the flagship as it will

have all the staff on board that is the reason

why we are the last to leave here they have

to see everything clear away first. We They

expect to take eight weeks to do the journey, I

think they call at Albany for the WA lot

& they say we are going by Suez, the reason

why we take so long is that, the limit

is ten miles a day, according to one

2

Englishman that I was talking to. I was

talking to a fellow in Camp last night & he

said something about being in the Boer War

having gone from N.S.W, it turned out

that he was a Private in the same

Co Troop as Bill was Sergeant over, Bill might

know him his name is Harper, he is

a pretty rough sort & says he was one of

a rough crowd, but had a great opinion

of Bill. Im sorry this rain passed

over after all, it must have been a

great disappointment to you all
as Old Hunt seemed to be sure

about it This Camp does seem deserted

now, most of the fellows are out on

trench leave, but thank goodness

I never took that on, we've been here

over eight weeks now & Ive never been

up before the Captain once & hope

I never will. I believe some of the

fellows will be put in the second

contingent for breaking out of Camp

PS. I came over hear here without

filling my pen, so please excuse pencil

My cold is alright now & I feel as

fit as a fiddle

Athol

I believe Im the only one in our

tent tonight out of ten, there was one

in it when I came off the guard

but he spoke of doing a break & I went

away for a while & when I went

back to the tent he was gone

he may only have leave about the camp

but I expect he ducked, he wanted

me to go but I told him it was no

good to me. I hope Dick got the

wire through alright today, he said

he would wire & let you know

that I was going on Wednesday

I knew there was no good in

writ trying to send it from here

as they wouldnt send it. I was

4
glad to see him out on Sunday.

I wish I could get in to see him

again but I dont thinlk think I

I have a chance now. Theres one

thing certain, much as I would have

liked you to see me off I think it

is far better for me to go away without

anybody to see me off. Ill leave now

just as if I was were going on an

ordinary Parade, but it is mighty

hard if there are Parents to see you

off. It is far better for you & Father

to come to meet me if it is my good

luck to return, you may rest assured

Ill com go the right path wher er 

my lot may be cast, Ill keep from

the downward path & above all

drink, Ill die before Ill take

to that, the more I see of life