Letters from Eric Roland Cotterill to his Mother, 1915 - Part 1

                                    At Sea - In the Tropics

                                     11^th January 1915

My dearest Mother

         Should this letter be not read we blame the

inventor of the bagpipes for I am writing on my hoop deck &

one of the mess orderlies is playing for all his worth

      It often recurs to me how I used to remark that

having two crosses on my head I was bound to hand

I little thought it would come here so soon, but here

we are across the line & in the Northern Hemisphere.

We crossed early this morning & by so doing defeated

all the promised attacks. We were all disappointed but

room is scarce & some of us may have been hurt

in the rough & tumble.

       I think I informed you fully of the rumoured date of

departure. Well it all came off to time as you will

know if Dr Marks sent the win. Ours is a fine ship

one of the 3 funnel single class line & she is flagship.

The 14th men in C.O. Troops, the master has his little lot

to command, & over all is Commander Brevis He is the 

one with title of Chief Transport Officer.

The steam in divisions & on the leading ships of each

line is a naval officer. Yes the naval authorities do

all the transporting

The men well favoured by the weather on setting out - made

a fine run to Albany. We were by ourselves & rolled off

300 miles a day but with the rest of the fleet we have only

done 248 some days. We had a good send off but if I start

to write it up properly it would take more time than

allowable. Just to mention it I wrote several cards for

postage at Albany. Did any of them arrive. As hundred

were written & each had to be censored if necessary a 

large numbered were held over for postage at the next port

Colombo presumably.

The whole of the convoy had collected in a day or two and

under the escort of AF2 we steamed on our way for a

non stop run of close on 4000 miles. This stretch is usually

about 10 or 11 days but will take us just a fortnight.

before touching on it I will revert to the run along the coast

The motion of the ship was grand. A gentle swell was

all we experienced at first. The wiseacies said that

till we are in the Bight, but fate was good to us

& we passed that head area with but little

inconvenience. The roll became considerably longer & slower

but worried only a few. Under these conditions we spent

Xmas & it was made as home like as possible

We awoke on the Sunday in Albany. There are several

island at the entrance & we anchored off them so that we

did not see the town but only the long wharf The

country around was very hilly bushy & rocky, but

Sydney was like that once.

We left Albany on the Wednesday (30^th) & last sight of land

the next day, the last of the Year. Whilst at anchor it

blew a gale & the sailors predicted a rough time off

the Leeuwin but the fate are kind for this convoy & the

sea was just right when off that point.

Once we round it our course was set straight for

Colombo & we are now about 500 miles from it & expect

to reach there [[?]] 13^th net about noon. We will all be

pleased as it is very monotonous to and land lubbers to

be out of sight of land for so long.

We have not had a really nasty sea to contend with

so far wherein we are lucky. Conditions would be far'

from pleasant on a crowded 'trooper' were the sea to be

particularly unfavourable.

Naturally steering as we are it gradually became hotter

& the first few days in the tropics were sweltering. The

wind dropped & the sea barely moved. Then the glass

dropped & we noticed [[?]] a new busy with awnings. Soon

they were required for we struck a tropical downpour.

I had often read of them, but this was my first. All

the other ships were blotted out in an instant & remained

so for some time When at last the rain ceased the sea

looked very strange but the air was cooler.

Owing to the stuffiness [[?]] decks numbers sleep out &

one ha to be very careful picking a track through

huddled forms. I went with the mob but have now given

it over. In these blessed regions it has poured each

night about 2 am & getting drenched each night soon

lost its novelty.

The first night I hopped in early - stronger hammock

slap up against an 18" port hole. I did not sit at mess from

there & had to ward off many attacks but did so

successfully. Now that we are meeting these nightly

showers have returned to the mess deck but things are

very stuffy.

The one in the favoured end of the ship & with the aid of

wind shoots do not fare so badly especially as a head

wind is usual in these regions but the 14^th in the other end

are finding it warm.

Each day at "rounds' - the hour of inspections by the

master O.C. hope plain doctor & satellite -comment

one freely passed at the rush of air down the shoot into

my deck. We are right in it. The O.C. told me mine was

the cleanest deck in the ship & could not be bettered than

the kick-off. I have never bullied the orderlies & am now

reaping the benefit. They are good fellows & at one word will

do anything that has been overlooked. What set me thinking

was a lecture given us re the necessity for scrupulous

cleanliness especially in the hot regions. Having no desire

to have sickness on the deck, magnified the dangers & relating

it to the orderlies & hence the commands now. By stating

when being complimented in their hearing of them that the

credit was due of these men, they are all as pleased as much

                                                                                         over

as possible as now I came down here & write whilst

they work without a word from me.

The bugle has blown the warning that the round

party is approaching so goodbye for present.

Heaps of love to all

                      Your ever loving son

                                 Eric

 

                                           Jan 11^th

                                 2

                                    Jan 22nd 1915

My dear Mother

fortune    My day of birth once more. We are now in that

portion of the Arabian Sea leading into Aden & are due at

the latter port about 11am tomorrow at.

  Having my attestation paper in his possession Sgt Marks

had put the others wise to the fact of my birthday & each

came this morning with a hearty handshake & greeting It

appeared in a new light house. I felt when wished many

returns the great sincerity & significance in their wishes

Not having many chances to give a supper or a dance I

gave them a most prized object on this ship - a good cigarette

each also c cake of English butter scotch. These I had

procured at Colombo when the fact of it being near the 22^nd

had not occurred to me.

There were two stoppages this morning. The first was for

transferring two cases of appendicitis from another transport

to us This was done in an open ^boat, the sea was gently swelling

so that little inconvenience was caused. They were hoisted

up the side on stretchers, taken straight to our fine hospital

& carried up We now have with is besides the 13^th & 14^th

M.Os a lt. colonel in charge of the 4^th Field Ambulance

& he was the king pin. He is only a little fellow I reckon

by name but is a regular "seed" & very popular

      The other stoppage was unfortunately sadder. They are

becoming very frequent of late & are not likely to

now we are about to enter the Red Sea. It was to consign a poor

fellow to the deep. It was on the Themistocles, the boat that is

having the most. She has a degenerate lot on board her -

the fellows picked out as not up to standard as reinforcements

for the first force. They must be overcrowded as

several of her compliment have died. When stopped this

morning the Os from other ships went aboard her,

maybe it is an epidemic & the staff is insufficient.

When a death occurs all the engines throughout the convoy

are stopped the hosps fall in & we stand to attention

until the last post is played. It is certainly most

unpleasant & the sound of the bugle ringing out across the

deep makes many a wild spirit a little quicker.

Today is a little warmer but it must be so near the

dreaded Red Sea. It seems uncanny that we should come

those thousands of miles & not see an angry wave Probably

it would never occur again over the course we have come

Although a month out from Melbourne last Tuesday we

are still in ignorance of our destinations. Egypt is freely 

given but the source is not authentic. All rumours here are said

to come from when the brigadiers orderly (batman) or the

Principal Transport Officers [[?]]. Some are very funny

Our doctor has freely told us Egypt is our destination & given

his lectures on the diseases commonly not with there for which

we were very thankful. We have been medically fortified

against three of the worst & hope to dodge the minor ones

Each day we have an hour lecture from either the doc

the adjutant or a company commander & they are very interesting

It is rumoured that the new platoon organisation of the Imperial

Army is to be instituted when we land. If so his present

companies are formed as one, with one O.C. to be mounted &

promoted to major be other OC being known as second in round

The four subalterns are retrained as commanders of platoons

Now we come to the NCO's One colour has a job as

quarter-master sgt, & the other a - a sgt-major. As second

in we command of each platoon is to be platoon

sergeant, & as eight sgts will be available & only four reqd.

here will sure to be some heartburning. Each platoon is

in turn divided into four sections, so the remaining sgts

will have to ^be section commanders. The platoon sgts will have

a very responsible position, in command of 60 men should

the subaltern be bowled over.

They held over vaccinations till just before Colombo, &

I passed well. I did have a beauty, that discharged

very very freely & frequently When the arm began to swell

it did that well too until the elbow was immense I feel

quite nervous from the congratulations honoured on me.

The swelling ran right down my wrist & both ankle had a

kick at it each & then all was right. On his successive

parades the colonel & majors stopped to admire & commiserate

& that must have ached as [[?]] as all trouble was won over

After a fortnights steam we reached Colombo on the Wed

(13^th) & spent two days here. We could see the Gall Face light

the night before we sighted land which we did at daybreak.

There was a haze around but we had an interesting

run into port. It is not of much size, only a bay about three

times the size of the [[?]] & protected by a nole How they

crammed in. If boats packed in Sydney as we were there

The Harbour Qmaster would go silly. The place looked full when

we arrived but in we went one after the other until there was

no room to move. The harbour is full of buoys in lines & the

boats moor to these stern to stern with a distance between 

each of about 30 yds, usually occupied by lighters. There must

have been about 60 steamers in port, so you could imagine

the bustle. The niggers were everywhere gesticulating wildly the

were all vastly [[?]] & keenly interested - the slate armed

at as largesse flow more freely when in that happy mood.

I was lucky enough to be sent ashore & so set foot in Ceylon.

So little time had I to prepare that I was unable to

address letters I had written & was forced to leave them

altho posting plenty for others. Duty prohibited me from

getting out of the town into the sight & Hill but not from

having the inevitable rickshaw ride at the rate of 6 per hour

It was all very picturesque & bizarre but would be awfully hot

in the summer.

I am still able to write "All well & going strong"

Love to all the clan

          from Jummie

                                             Heliopolis

                                               Sunday

                                                 11-2-15.

My dearest Mother,

               Yours was the first letter I received in Egypt

& I experienced much pleasure in realising that it was so

Dated Jan 4. It reached me on the 1oth Feb so that given

a clear run about three weeks will elapse from date of

writing to receipt of our mail. This morning the registered

packet also arrived & we had a great joke. The notice

given me was similar to the one received in Melbourne

when a tin of cakes was sent, & all the lads were

chaffing me that you had sent cakes to Egypt for your

boy. I guessed it was the mittens so had to laugh on all.

Many thanks to Doll for her labour.

You guessed right for Cairo & here we are.

Ere I forget we are now B Coy, the rest as before, i.e.

ii A.I.O - the expeditionary part being deleted, & I will

again ask you to inform all & sundry.

When we start to tune up the new look for the doings

of the New Zealand & Aust. Division under command of

Major General Sir A.J. Godley for he is our divisional

commander, & we form part of the Australian & N. Zealand

Army Corps with Lt. General Birdwood as G.O.C.

So you will see we are not to fight as Australians only

but have our N.Z. friends with us & also some English

Territorials. The first lot of A.L.A are attached. They have

been here some three months & are a fine lit indeed

You mention no new of me I wrote from Albany &

you should have received it early in January.