Letters from Fred Leslie Biddle to his Family, 1914-1915 - Part 11 of 19

REGINA PALACE HOTEL
ALEXANDRIE
TELEGRAMMES: REGINA-ALEXANORIE 
TELEPHONE N^o

[*One or two
views taken
by Spurge in
Alex.^a enclosed.*]

Alexandria
14.7.15

Dear Mother
Just a few lines to
say I have just arrived here
for a month relieving Spurge
in command of horses & drivers
not at Gaba Tepe.
He has had no chance of
seeing anything at all so far
& applied for a relief to enable
him to do so.
As I was the only Captain at Gaba

Tepe I had to come away.
The job is considered too big for
a subaltern worse luck
However Col Hobbs told me
he was sorry I had to go & thanked
me for work done in observation &c
& told me the moment things
got busy he would have me
back.
In any case I am only here
for a month.
Have only a minute or so to
catch the mail so more next
week
Love to all
Fred

CABLE & TELEGRAPHIC ADDRESS
"UNION ALEXANDRIA"
TELEPHONE N^o 1221.
UNION CLUB,
ALEXANDRIA,
EGYPT.

Zaherich Camp
29.7.15 

Dear Mother
Just a few lines to let you know
how I am getting along.
You will have received my cable
telling you I am here for a month or so.
Spurge of the 5^th Bty has been here ever
since we found there was neither place nor
use for horses.
He applied for a relief so that he could
see something of the show & so as I was
the only captain at Anzac in this brigade I
had to come down.
I don't like it a bit. Its alright to have
a change & a spell, but this city is merely
a seaport city without any of the charm of Cairo
I scarcely ever come into town.
The camp is situated about 6 miles out in
the sand of course but whereas Mena was 

2

CABLE & TELEGRAPHIC ADDRESS
"UNION ALEXANDRIA"
TELEPHONE N^o 1221.
UNION CLUB,
ALEXANDRIA,
EGYPT.

clean sand, this is dirty & dusty
The great attraction about the place is
that I get a swim every day.
The water is quite warm & one can stay
in for hours without getting a chill.
Everywhere there are hospitals, schools
mansions &c &c full of wounded &
convalescent soldiers including French
& Indian & on every available spot there
is a camp - mostly horses with details to look
after them.
I have 3 batteries, 1 Bde Ammn Column
½ a Field Ambulance & Veterinary Details to
took after, & it gives me plenty to do.
I dont seem to have any time to spare at
all & have only 1 officer to assist me
I rarely have a chance to took round the
horses & have to leave that to the N.C.O's. 

3

CABLE & TELEGRAPHIC ADDRESS
"UNION ALEXANDRIA"
TELEPHONE N^o 1221.
UNION CLUB,
ALEXANDRIA,
EGYPT.

However it's a change & provided
I am not kept here too long I can put
up with it.
We don't hear anything much about
what is doing at Gallipoli & that is the
hardest part, because as an observing
officer I probably knew more about what
was doing at Gaba Tepe than the great
majority of officers.
There is apparently no more there yet.
I lost about 10lbs to 12lbs weight whilst
I was on the job but feel A1. & have picked
up a couple of pounds.
Everybody up there gets a sort of
mild dysentery. Unpleasant for about a
week but by no means severe.
One has to fight the flies in order to
get a meal. The place is simply black with 

4

CABLE & TELEGRAPHIC ADDRESS
"UNION ALEXANDRIA"
TELEPHONE N^o 1221.
UNION CLUB,
ALEXANDRIA,
EGYPT.

them & they are blamed for the dysentery
trouble.
Its amusing to read the piffle that a
lot of men are writing home & which gets in
the papers-mostly ridiculous "skite"
We had a batmen on the Head Quarters
staff who never was under fire & could
scarcely be got out of his dug-out.
I had to censor a few of his letters & this
is the sort of thing he wrote
"As I write there are hundreds of shells
falling all round the valley & a big battle
is going on etc etc.
I just stopped in the middle of the last
sentence because a big shell fell just a
few yards from where I am writing but luckily
I escaped etc".
As a matter of fact the whole thing was lies 

5

CABLE & TELEGRAPHIC ADDRESS
"UNION ALEXANDRIA"
TELEPHONE N^o 1221.
UNION CLUB,
ALEXANDRIA,
EGYPT.

On the particular day no shell fell
in the valley & it had been quiet for
days.
As a matter of fact during the last
six weeks or more it has been so deadly
slow that we were all praying for things
to happen.
There was only a slight artillery duels
morning & evening, & occasional small
diversions.
We are sitting tight waiting on our own time
to move & the Turks have had such a
doing whenever they have attacked that they
don't come on.
They apparently think its our turn.
Well enough of war.
I am glad you liked the brass-work
which arrived so late. I thought you were 

6

CABLE & TELEGRAPHIC ADDRESS
"UNION ALEXANDRIA"
TELEPHONE N^o 1221.
UNION CLUB,
ALEXANDRIA,
EGYPT.

never going to get it.
Hope you are over the knee trouble &
are now A1.
Kindest regards to all friends & best
love to Father, Hollis, Isabel, Noel, Bruce
& your own dear self.
Your affcte son
Fred
P.S. You can tell I wrote this with a
"J" nib. Nuff sed
F.