Correspondence from George Leslie Makin to his family, 1914-1915 - Part 4

Egypt
16/1/19145
Dear Mother
I have just received a bunch of letters and
Christmas Cards. They are apparently the first lot you
wrote as you say in one, that you hoped I would
get it before we left Fremantle. Just fancy it has
taken over two months for them to get here. It seems
that they went to England via America. However
our altered plans upset all arrangements, consequently
I received the letters that you wrote a month
afterwards a week before the first lot.
However I was jolly glad to get them & the cards
are just lovely & I will always carry them with me.
I also got two letters from Harry, one of which was
delayed just the same.
There is no fresh news this week. We are working at
fever pitch. Our latest news is that we are going to
the canal in three weeks time. Our officers expect, that
we will be in the thick of it in a months time.
But of course, you don't know one day from another
here, what's going to happen.
There is no more news dear mother, except that I am
quite well & strong.
Love to all
from Les. (Plenty next week
P.S. Excuse short note as I have hardly a minute to spare 

Egypt
Sunday 25/1/19145
Dear Mother & Father
I received your letter dated 24/12/1914
and was glad to hear that you are all well.
Since I last wrote, things have not changed much.
We have no idea when we shall leave here. One hears
so many romours, that we never count on anything
untill it actually happens.
We are still working very hard. Too hard in fact, considering
the food we get. We only have meat once a
day.
We have a long route march every week. Yesterday we
did 12 miles through the sand in marching order.
Not long back 5 miles was quite enough.
Last week we fired a musketry course. I went right
through, and am now a qualified marksman.
A marksman has to pass at every range. Grouping,
Snap Shooting, Rapid Firing, Range Finding etc. There
is only about 14 marksmen to a company. After that comes
a first & second class shot, with fails at one or two ranges.
I have just heard that we have a very solid week
ahead. There is to be two night operations.
By Jove if hard work makes a soldier, this force ought 

(2)
ought to be unbeatable.
In spite of plenty of exercise & indifferent tucker, I
continue to fill out. People who do not see me
regularly continue to make remarks about the good time
I must be having.
I would like Papa to see me now, as he often used to
call me an awful scrag.
I am rather proud of the fact, that my name has never
been on the doctor's list since I joined. An honour
that very, few, if any of my company can claim.
I would like you to have seen Mena before this
encampment and to see it now. Nothing like it has
been seen in Australia. There is are miles of tents. In
addition to this, there is all our mess rooms. And tradespeople
have put up places in scores.
We also have three picture theatres, several church rooms,
YMCA buildings and a boxing Stadium almost as
big as the Melbourne one.
The only trouble is that we are generally too tired to
do anything but sleep, after the days work. You will
hardly believe that the only place I have visited is
the church, which is quite up to date.
At Broadmeadows we could not get leave. Here it goes
begging. The boys will not go to the trouble of getting
ready. Besides it is an hour or more each way on 

(3)
tram. And anyhow there is very little to do in
Cairo at night. We get no day leave at all.
I did not get a letter from Harry by the last
mail. I expect he is very busy at present.
I hope everybody enjoyed their Christmas holidays.
I'll bet Mother did not have a holiday.  A trip to
this country at this time of the year is very much to
be reccommended.
I was glad to hear that Perce had won his scholarship.
It is to be hoped that he will be as successful as his two
brothers were.
Well dear people I think that is all the news at
present, besides our band has started to practice about
three feet away and it is impossible to write any
more.
Best love to all
from Les.
P.S.  I forgot to say I received the Punch alright.  I
recognized several friends in the second force.  They
ought to reach here in a few days.
P.P.S.  I have seen Alick P. a couple of times.  He is very
quiet and has nothing to say.  I think he is repenting
at leisure
Les.

Picture - see original  document FIRST CLASS HOTEL ELECTRIC LIGHT LIFT Telegrams EDEN CAIRO LIEBER'S CODE USED

Eden Palace Hotel Cairo (Egypt) Full South Magnificent Situation Opposite The Esbekieh Gardens

Cairo 31^st January 1915

Dear Mother & Father

As the mail

closes to-day I am just scribbling you a few

lines.

I am in Cairo on picket duty, so I cannot

write as usual.

I received your letter dated 30/12/1914 and was glad

to hear that you were all well.

There is very little news from here. It is always

the same routine. Work, eat & sleep.

There are all sorts of romours about our going

to the Canal, but nothing definite yet.

The Turks are getting a bit more active, but

they will be very sorry, if they attempt to 
invade Egypt. They will be made suffer for

all our troubles in the desert.

The weather is getting hotter every day.

I am sure I don't know what we shall do if

we are here in the Summer.

They cannot work us very much. Even now

it is really too hot. for strenuous work in

the sand.

I expect we will be like the owl & work at

night.

I received a letter from Harry last week, but

I will not be able to write to him till next

mail.

I think that is all the news this time, so

will close with love to all

from Les.

Dear Jim

I hope you enjoyed your holiday &

trust you are benefited by it.

I am sending you some views of Heliopolis

which is the flash Suburb of Cairo

All the wealthy people live there. Some

of the buildings are magnificent.

There is a Luna Park similar to our own.

The Railway is 2 miles long

Les 

[* 1DRL 473*]

[*PS. Please tell

Harry [[the?]] news as

I cannot write to him

this week. I had to

scheme to write this.

P.P.S. We have received

no mail this week.

Les*]
Mena Egypt

3/2/1915

Dear Mother

I am just scribbling you a few lines in a hurry.

Our brigade has received marching orders at last.

The 7^th & 8^th left here this morning. They are going to Ismailia

on the canal. We are following them as soon as possible.

Word only came through at midnight last night, and at

10.30 A.M. this morning the 7^th & 8^th had gone.

I think it was rather smart work. They only left a few

stores, which we soon found.

The second Force is reported to have arrived in Egypt, but

we have not seen anything of them yet.

The first batch of medically unfit, was sent back to Aust.

today. That is to say, they left here to-day. The hospitals

are having a very busy time. There seems to be a terrible

lot of appendicitus cases.

Norman Spence has been operated on for this, but please don't

mention it to his mother yet, as he will be out of hospital

in a week & will write himself. His mother would only

worry & he is in no danger at all.

Well dear Mother, I expect we will go into the trenches next week

& I dont know what arrangements will be made for letter

writing, but you know I will write at every opportunity.

Love to all

from Les.

Mena Egypt

14/2/1915

Dear Mother & Father

Since I wrote last week, the unexpected has

again happened. The Turks have retreated from the canal

so we were not wanted. The 7^th & 8^th have now returned

to camp.
They arrived there just as the Turks were retiring, so

had nothing to do.

There is a lot of Turkish prisoners in Cairo now. As

these letters may be censored I wont say much about

that.

The second force arrived last week. They are camped at 

Heliopolis. Egypt seems to be one huge camp now.

Everywhere one goes, hes sees tents or barracks. There is

also a large force at the canal.

The reinforcements, who came over with the second force

have now been drafted into our force. Phil Bradley of

Harold St is in my company.

It appears that the members of the Second force were told

by some scandal monger that the first force had made

the pace hot in Cairo. They were quite surprised to

find us quite respectable. Indeed the behaviour of the

Australians has been, up to now really wonderful.

You could see twice as many drunks in Melbourne

(2)

on Saturday night, than you would see in Cairo in

a week.

As a matter of fact, very few have enough money to

buy drink. As you know we are only allowed to

draw 2/- per day whilst in Egypt.

As the food here is very dear, nearly all our pay goes

in tucker. You cannot get a decent meal under

about 3/6. Even that is without tea & extras.

It takes us all our time to buy tobacco. I am at present

stony broke. My teeth have cost me £4/10/- altogether. It

was a hard knock. Most of the chaps are cabling for

money, but I am determined to make mine do.

Had we landed in England we would have saved a 

lot of money

There is no fresh news from here. The work has slackened

down somewhat as I think we finish our training on the

19^th of this month. We now get a whole holiday per week 

as well as Sunday.

The latest romour is that we leave here about the middle

of next month, for the concentration camp at Marsailles.

There we equip for the front. As usual this is unofficial.

I was pleased to hear that I am an uncle & will never be

satisfied until I see my little neice. I am writing to

Harry to congratulate him. My word, I can imagine 

him as a proud father.

(3)

I see Alick Phillips every Sunday morning at church.

I expect that sounds funny to you, but never the less we

never miss.

He is very quiet but cheerful. I have never heard

him complain. He is looking remarkably well.

I am still in the best of health & keeping up my

condition. All the boys are well & happy.

N. Spence is now fully recovered. I have not seen him

for over a week, as I have been doing a few days

defaulters' which means confinement to our own lines.

I got four days for being late from leave for which I

thank the tram sercice, which is worse that rotten.

Well dear Mother I think that is all the news this

week so will close with love to all

from Les

Mena Egypt

14/2/1915

Dear Harry

I received your letter safely & was overjoyed to 

hear that the great event has happened & that all is well.

I am very proud indeed to be an uncle, but my

feelings must be insignificant as compared with your

own as a father.

As I told Mother, I will never be contented until I see

my little neice, I expect to hear regularly of its wellbeing.

As you know, the Turks have saved us a trip to the

Canal, by their retreat. The poor devils who got near

were either mowed down or taken prisoner. They are

a very scraggy lot. There are hundreds of prisoners in

Cairo.

The 7^th & 8^th have returned to camp. They arrived

too late to see any fighting.

The latest romour is that we leave here about the

middle of next month & proceed to the concentration

camp at Marsailles. We reequip there for the front.

Of course this is unofficial.

The work has sla_^ckened off now. I think we finish

our training on 19^th of this month.

We now get a whole holiday every week as well as

Sunday. This gives us a chance of seeing the