Papers of Edgar Sydney Worrall - Wallet 2 - Part 5

A. Company
23th. Battalion
6th. Inf Brigade
(Australia)
East of Suez Canal
EGYPT  17.2.16
My Dear Father,
I have just come in from
outpost duty out in the deserts and as the
mail closes tonight I am hurrying this 
through the lunch spell. Right out here 
in the desert away from everywhere we
manage to keep Melancholy away. A
stadium has been cleverly erected out of 
sand bags and blankets and twice
or thrice a week a concert is given. We
have some talent here, and these crude
concerts are always enjoyable to everyone
concerned. Then also a football is continually
being kicked about and falls
that would bring grievous hurt on anything
but sand, are thought nothing
of. Walter Gamble lent me his camera
before we parted last - some three weeks
ago so I shall be able to perpetuate
our doings here. As a corporal I am

receiving 10/- per diem. Of this 1/6
is deferred pay, 2/- I am drawing NS 
6/6 being allotment. I shall make out
a new allotment form as soon as possible
so shortly you should be able to draw
the 3/- extra. All this is shown in
pay book so nothing will be lost when
the squaring up comes. I had letters
from yourself, mother, Toto and [[?]]
The latter is evidently surprised at the
splendid organization shown in ther

Evacuation of Anzac. It certainly was 
a brilliant piece of work - carries out 
without a hitch. All the facts will not
be told until the boys return - and then
what stories! I cannot imagine how 
I forgot to erase "I am being sent to 
the Base" It was an error on my part
for I was there to the last and in 
fact have not yet been a day off duty
for sickness.
[* Glad to hear you all spent a good Christmas and hope
Norman will [[?]] suitable occupation. Did I tell you
I saw Harold Ponsford while on leave in Cairo?
Very best of wishes to all
Your loving son 
Edgar*]

28th February 1916.
Mother Mine,
The mail bag has just been
opened and letter from the [[?]] Norma
Harry and Isabel were contained therein.
We have been issued with new colours
so I am sending the red and white
divisional - our Battalion colours - which 
we wore on Gallipoli. These colours
- symbolic I think of place crowing
a time of bloodshed - have quite a
history behind them. - [[?toen]] Camp,
Alexandria, Mudros Bay, Gallipoli
(Lone Pine & The Perniple and Evacuation)
Mudros West, Lemnos Isle, Tel-el Kebir
Ismalia Suez Canal and lastly 
here. Not a bad record for so short
a period. As you will have seen
our colours are worn on the upper
arm - the white over the red.
I have just been reading Capt

Pearn's report of the Evacuation of Anzac
I seemed to lie living that great
night and morning over again. I
see he calls the rear guard the "die
Hards" , and it will be one of my
proudest boasts to be able to say that I was one
of Anzac's "diehards."
THere is nothing else to report here
still the same dull routines of duty, and
waiting, waiting, waiting. Did I tell you
I saw dear Harold in his cozy office
at the Pay Office. He wore a worried
look as if all the burdens of Empire
were placed upon the shoulders of his
clean immaculate tunic. He was longing 
to get away to fight. Poor Chap!
All are well at home I am glad to
learn and Harry is still doing well  We 
hope to meet soon.
Best of love to all, and to you
brave mother my tenderest blessing
Edgar

Mother MIne,
There is not much to tell.
We are east of the Canal waiting for
the Turk. Until now only rumours
of their approach have assailed us. We
all wish they would hurry up and
give us a chance to pay back some
of what we got on Gallipoli. When
we have finished this job I suppose 
it will mean France. Let us hope so.
I think we ought to get a chance
somewhere where the odds are not
quite low to one against us. I may
even be lucky enough to run against
Harry. What a reactions! I heard nothing
here except ourselves , sand and camels,
but in spite of all we manage to
make a little amusement out of life
although we are in the midst of the
desert. I can now say Ive soldiered

In Australia, Africa, ^ Asia and Europe.
Not bad for one so young. America
is still left untouched. I am bigger
and stronger than ever, and with all
the Battalion am eagerly awaiting the
coming bout.
Jim Rowlands wished to be remembered
to all. I think he's getting a
bit livlier. Millie will now be well
advanced in her nursing studies, Dorothy
and Edie back at school and Gallery.
Norman and Isabel I suppose are 
still as proud of Doreen as ever.
And father and yourself I hope
are in the very best of health.
Best of love to all
Your loving son
Edgar 

Reply to A Company  10th March 1916
Stationed at with A.I.F.
On Active Service.
W C Godfrey
Mother Mine,
We are back once more from the
eternal sand and are in a concentration camp
at Moascar. It's great to be back again from
the African sands and in a place where water
is not measured out in teaspoons and where
a swim in the Canal is not longer a dream
but a matter easily accomplished. Tuesday
last saw us setting out with full packs up
and nearly fourteen miles of desert to traverse.
Talk about perspiration! Well that
was one. Tired! Yes a little. Thirsty? ---
We camped the night on the bank of
the Canal and next morning proceeded
by a beautifully paved road to our camp.
On the trip I came against Frank Mountjoy.
He is still with the Naval Bridging Train and

is looking extremely well on it. He is wished to
be remembered to you all at home and especially
to the pastor. [[?]] of Windsor came across to 
see  me yesterday and seemed surprised at
the size I had increased to. The life seems to  
be agreeing with me in spite of all the hardships.

The weather is beginning to get fairly hot
here again, but shorts and light shirts make
life bearable and the almost total absence of 
flies is a relief after the swarms we were
used to in Lone Pine.
We are looking forward to a move
very shortly, - back to the firing line - is our
fondest hope.  Anyway I am brushing up my
German in anticipation and looking forward 
to an opportunity to air it.

Very best of love to all
Your loving son
Edgar
W C Godfrey 

EGYPT 17 March 1916
France 5/3/16
[*June 9 1916*]

My Dear Dad,
Your letter from Sydney came
to hand Sunday last. Hope that trip down
the St coast was a successful one. Some
how I can't imagine friend Alday down
on his back in the dirt trying to fix up
his automobile; although I will admit
his witty (?) conversation would make
the trip a lively one. What price Mr H -
last time you did the trip! Did you impersonate
him again?

I daresay you have heard of the epidemic
among soldiers for writing f verse Some
of it is so bad that I am often thinking
whether "verse" was originally German
for "xxxx" In Hunland the pronunciation
would be the same. Some ^ attempts again are german.
Turning through the pages of my
autograph book I come across the following
lines written by one of our own company in 

Lone Pine, during a particularly warm
spell when the stench was nearly, if not
quite as bad as Harold P's paybook.
Here it is.
"I'm sitting in a captured trench,
Where once the swarthy foe did lurk;
The zephyr waft a deadly stench,
From some deceased unburied Turk
The world seems made of flies & dirt
And vermin frolic in my shirt"
Perhaps hardly classical but it describes
out situation to a T.
Where we are going next of course
is not known for certain among us but 
we make a good guess and our hearts rejoice
accordingly. Where ever it is I doubt it
if it can be worse than Gallipoli. The
very state of [[???]]
could hardly exist elsewhere
Today of course is Erin's day but
[*the only arguments I have heard so far are of a
decided [[??]] character.
Best of love to all.
Your loving son
Edgar

[[???]] *]