Letters from Alfred Sydney Burvett to his Family, 1914-1916 - Part 1

QUEENSCLIFF
VICTORIA

A. S. Burvett. Esq.
3 MacKenzie st.
Melbourne.
Victoria.

QUEENSCLIFF
VICTORIA

A. S. Burvett. Esq.
3 MacKenzie st.
Melbourne.
Victoria.

(2)
There is some talk of us coming back to town,
for the last eight days but it is not very
probable. Last night I saw. one of the troop
ships passing through the Heads with several
escorts. The searchlights. flashing on them.
It was one of the most beautiful sights
I have ever seen, absolutely natural.
The light as I said before is very poor.
so I must close with much love to you all.
Your loving Son
Sid.
I hope you are all in good health.
Write if you have time and break the monotony.

(1)
No Stamps.} very scarce
No Cash.}

"B." Sub Command
64^th. Infantry.
Military Camp
Point Napean.
Sunday 18^th 14

Dear Dad,
Just a few lines to let you know
I am having a real good holiday
I wrote to you on Thursday, but in
a great hurry.  How is Irenes.
Hope she is better and out of bed.
Thank Mrs Walsh for the nice lunch
and tea she cut for me.
The light at present is very bad and
I can hardly see the lines, candles
are not issued until eight. The
weather is splendid and I will
come back very brown.  The work
down here is very easy and easier
still to (duck-shove).  We had
another medical exam to day.
(Farce).  I have not communicated
with Bert yet but will be
doing so tomorrow very likley

QUEENSCLIFF
VICTORIA

A. S. Burvett. Esq
3 MacKenzie st.
Melbourne
Victoria.

Mrs K. P. Burvett
11. Ripon St. N
Ballarat
Vic

"B.” Sub Command
64^th Infantry.
Military Camp.
Point Napean
26-10-14.

Dear Dad.
Received yours of the 20^th with postal note.
I thought my letters had gone astray.
Thanks very much for the 5/- and stamp.
I am very well and hope to keep so.
There are a great many things I would
like to tell you but they will have to wait
until I get home.  I want you to let
W & H. know that we do not leave the
point before the Thursday at the very
earliest.  We are having very fine weather
here with the exception of Saturday
which was a beastly day.  I saw Uncle
Sam won the cup and was sorry and
surprised you did not back him.
St Carwyne will win the Melb Cup.
One of the chaps in our lot had a
6^th share in a ticket for "Tats" 1^st prize,
he gets £830 out of it.  On the day I
got up a sweep up 20/- to 1/- he actualy
had the luck to win it.  I drew the thing you backed
St Carwyne, but I wanted the other.  We were sitting in
the tent and I got a feeling that Uncle Sam would win, I
told all the boys.  At the present time I am having 2 shifts
of 2 hours each during the night then I am off all day.
I miss my hot dinner each day very much.  Our

meals consist of one piece of fat supposed to be
chop for breakfast, two slices of bread with a teaspoon
full of jam in the centre for dinner and stake as hard
as iron for tea with all meals tea or coffee, it is
getting worse.  I could do a plate of Rost beef
and spuds now.  No such luxury, a man from
Portsea with peanuts and lollies is rushed at
by a howling mob of dirty greasy soldiers: of
course I join them but with reluctance. It is
the 26^th today. eleven months since Mum died.
I am pleased with tent mates, a jolly mob.
Oh well I must close. hoping you are all
well.  With love to all.  Remember me to
Mrs Walsh and tell her to have a feed for me
directly I come back. even at 2 in the morning.
Your loving son Sid.

QUEENSCLIFF
VICTORIA

A S Burvett Esq
3 MacKenzie St
Melbourne
Victoria.

Mrs K. P. Burvett
11. Ripon St N
Ballarat
Vic

(1)
The Young Men's Christian Association
WITH
H.M. Mediterranean Expeditionary Force in Egypt.

From L' C’pl Burvett.
24^th Batt 6 Reg't A Coy.
June 19th 1915.

Dear Dad
I have arrived safely in Egypt after 
very successful trip, leaving Melbourne on the 8^th May
and disembarking on 12^th June at Alexandra.
We reached Albany on the 13^th May, Colombo on the 25^th
Port Suez on 2^nd June, Port Said on the night of the 3^rd.
On the whole it was a very slow trip the reason for that
was we had to keep pulling up for the other boat which
was the Flagship.
We did not land at Albany and of course were dis-
apointed but were given to understand that we would
have a route march at Colombo.  There was a great
deal of excitement when we dropped anchor, niggers
running mad all over the place and trying to get
all they could out of us by selling their coins,
then when they had enough of that they brought
the fruit to light and by jove their was a scramble,
oranges being the chief thing they started off by
selling them at 4 for 1/- then they gradually came
down to 12 for 1/-  a while after that you could buy
about a case for the same money.
At this time the Colonel became very ill and orders
came out that there was to be no landing, that
got the fellows wild and fed up with boats and
salt water.
I did not mind I knew we were stopping at

(2)
The Young Men's Christian Association
WITH
H.M. Mediterranean Expeditionary Force in Egypt.

June 19^th 1915
Colombo all night so I got a couple of chaps to join.
me in a venture to touch land, we got a good
rope and made it with the aid of another small
piece, long enough to touch the water, then the next
trouble was to get one of the niggers to take us in
to the pier, we eventually got one and he said he
would take us in for a 1/-, we rushed that not
knowing that that was 6 too much but when we got
into the boat and away from the rope the rotter
wanted 5/-, it seemed rather too much for about a
half a mile so we agreed on 3/- each, there were
three of us so we gave him half a quid and asked
for 11/- change and got it, when we got out of the
boat we tipped him 2/- so he got off light after all.
We landed on a small coaling jetty a mile or so
from the town, half way up this jetty we were stuck
up by a big nigger and about a dozen or so kids
the nigger said he was guarding the jetty and we
could not pass (imagine how we felt) and the
boat had gone back and no chance for another.
We had to do something so we tried to push pass this
nigg and the kids the big bloke pulled out a
great big pig stabber and the kids grabbed lumps
of coal and held them ready to aim them, then the
nigger said he would let us pass for th if we gave him a 1/- each
we were just handing out when we heard a 

(3)
The Young Men's Christian Association
WITH
H.M. Mediterranean Expeditionary Force in Egypt.

June 19th 1915
loud smack and saw a white man hit the
nigger on the head with a big ships frying pan
they all bolted then and the chap, who was one
of the crew from the other boat told us it was
all bluff and we should have clouted him as
soon as he spoke to us.  From there we went a
little further on and came to a rickshaw stand, hired
three rickshaws and had a good spin round
Colombo, of course it was night and we could not
see anything like what there was is to be seen, but we
enjoyed ourselves and got back quite safe at
about 12 o'clock, getting up the rope was the only
drawback of our little trip but that was nothing.
There were a lot of chaps who were getting off onto a
coaling barge caught, sentenced to 10 days C.B.
fined 1.0.0 and known as Colombo tourists who
never reached Colombo.
Two chaps died at Colombo and were buried at
that port but that was not all we lost another
six between Colombo an Port Suez mostly real
good fellows and fine big soldiers.  I will never
forget the call they play while a buriel is taking
place it seemed so often and would come
without a warning, a man is lucky to be safe
and sound here after so many dying, 8 on our boat
and. 9 on the other. 

(4)
The Young Men's Christian Association
WITH
H.M. Mediterranean Expeditionary Force in Egypt.

June 19th 1915
It is not often I write 4 pages but I have such
a lot to say, the worst of it is I can't explain just
now everything I have seen already.  Port Suez is a
very nice place that is, the better class quarters,
some parts are very dirty, the best sights of all
were along the Suez canal.  I will tell you about.
it next mail.  Port Said is a fine city I never
landed there but it is a good place for a look
round.
Alexandra, the port we disembarked at is a
fine place but the best of all is Cairo.  I am going
there with some mates tomorrow from there round
the pyrimids, we will have all day it being Sunday
I expect to see Bert any day now he will be alright
as far as weather goes, I know I am.  You have
no idea how hot it is here we are well in the summer
and even the chaps that have been here all along
are going right under to it, our sick parade is enormous
every morning and after drilling in the sun for
a while you see the fellows going right out
to it like flies. only one death since we have been
here he was a quarter master Sgt and died of
sunstroke.  The drill hours are from 6 in morning
till 9 then breakfast, lecture till from 10.30 to
12, dinner at 1pm. drill from 4.30 till 7.30. tea.
We are camped on the edge of a desert and
border of a town called Heliopolis which