Papers of Athol Cluny McPherson - Part 9

M B M^cPherson

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 anything

at all about our whereabouts or doings

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 mut 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 06 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 lie 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 we

weather, but its nice & dry now. We put

in most of our time now at Plane fighting

& the consequence is we put in a bit

of marching. Ill get my photo taken

before I go 7 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 so 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 his wrist Ryan

Please thank Jock & Alley for the eggs

they are pretty well appreciated in

the tent. Also Sheila for going to the

trouble of making the bags, they 

will come in very handy & also must

thank you both you & Jock 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 surprise to hear

about Harold Smith getting through, In any 

case he's 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 4 lbs of beef so we were

well off for tucker Weve had cakes

all the week & those that you & Jock

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

Dearest Mother

        As we are sailing tomorrow I must send

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 seven today

Our Battalion is the only infantry left in Camp

now The artillery is going tomorrow morning

[[xxxxxxxxxxxxxx?]] photo. It is Sunday. We gave

them a send off from the Camp [[?]]

only go on [[?]] & wait for us to see the way

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 her they have

to have 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 crows, but had a great opinion

of Bill. Im sorry this rain passed

over after all, it must have been a

great disappointment to be so sure

about it This Camp does seem deserted

now, most of the fellows are out on

French leave, but thank goodness

I never took that on, we've been here

over eight weeks now & I've 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 her here without

filling my pen, so please excusse pencil

My cold us alright now & I feel as

fit as a fiddle

              Athol

I believe Im the only one in our

tent tonight out of a few, 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 have leave to be out 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 Lines out on Sunda

I wish I could get in to see him

again but I dont think think I

I have a chance now. Theres one

thing certain, mush as I would have

asked you to see me off I think it

is far better for me to go away without

anybody to see me off. I'll leave now

just as if we are 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 when is 

my lot may be cast, Ill keep from

the downward path & above all

drink I'll die before I'll take

to that the more I see of life