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 readable blame the
inventor of the bagpipes for I am writing on my poop deck &
one of the mess - orderlies is playing for all he’s worth
It often recurs to me how I uesd to remark that
having two crowns on my head I was bound to travel
I little thought it would come true 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 hurst
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 Mr Marks sent the wire. Ours is a fine ship
one of the Blue funnel single class line. & she is flagship.
The 14th man is 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.
We steam in divisions & on the leading ship of each
there is a naval officer, yess the naval authorities do
all the transporting
We were 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 hundreds
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 AE2 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 wiseacres said ‘Wait
till we are in the Bight’, but fate was good to us
& we passed that dread 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
islands 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) & lost 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 to this convoy, & the
sea was just right when off that point.
Once we rounded it our course was set straight for
Colombo & we are now about 500 miles from it & expect
to reach there Wed 13^th ult. about noon, We will all be
pleased as it is very monotonous to 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 the crew 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 ‘tween decks numbers sleep out &
one has 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 - slung a hammock
slap up against an 18" port hole. I did not sit at mess just
there & had to ward off many attacks but did so
successfully. Now that we are meeting these nightly
showers I have returned to the mess decks but they are
very stuffy.
We are in the forward 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 after end
are finding it warm.
Each day at "rounds” – the hour of inspections by the
master, O.C troops, chaplain, doctor, & satellite – comments
are 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. From
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 lecturette given us re the necessity for scrupulous
cleanliness especially in the hot regions. Having no desire
to have sickness on the deck. I magnified the dangers & retaile
it to the orderlies & hence the commendation. By stating
when being complimented within hearing of them that the
credit was due of these men, they are all as pleased as much
over 
 

as possible so now I come down here & write whilst
they work without a word from me.
The bugle has blown the warning that the rounds
party is approaching so goodbye for present.
Heaps of love to all
Your ever loving son
Eric 

[* 1^st Letter
& so on  2
Jan 11^th *]
 

Jany 22^nd 1915
My dear Mother,
portion  My day of birth once more. We are now in that
portion of the Arabian Sea leading up to Aden & are due at the
latter port about 11am to-morrow Sat.
Having my attestation papers 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 to me & 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 a 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 in stretchers, taken straight to our fine hospital
& carved up We now have with us besides the 13^th & 14^th
M.O’s, a lt - colonel in charge of the 4^th Field Ambulance
& he was the king pin. He is only a little fellow - Breston
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 diminis 
 

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
losing 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 over crowded as
several of her complement have died. When stopped this
morning the M.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 troops fall in & we stand to attention
until the Last Post is played. It is certainly most
impressive, & the sound of the bugle ringing out across the
deep, makes many a wild spirit a little quieter.
Today is a little warmer but it must be so near the
dreaded Red Sea. It seems uncanny that we should come
these 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 destination. Egypt is freely 
given but the source is not authentic. All rumours here are said
to come from when the Brigadier’s orderly (batman) or the
Principal Transport Officers cabin - boy. Some are very funny
Our doctor has freely told us Egypt is our destination & given
two lectures on the diseases commonly met 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 a one-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 two present
companies are formed as one, with one O C to be mounted &
promoted to major the other O.C. being known as Second-in-command
The four subalterns are retained as commanders of platoon
Now we come to the N.C.O's. One colour has a job as
quater-master sgt, & the other as a sgt-major. As second
in the command of each platoon is to be a platoon
sergeant, & as eight Sgts will be available, & only four reqd.
there will sure 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 showered on me.
The swelling ran right down my wrist & both ankles had a
kick at it each & then all was right. On two successive
parades the colonel & majors stopped to admire & commiserate
& that must have ached as balm as all trouble was soon over.
After a fortnights steam we reached Colombo on the Wed. 
 

(13^th) & spent two days here. We could see the Galle 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 Quay & protected by a mole How they
crammed in. If boats packed in Sydney as we were there
the Harbour Trust 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 stem 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. We
were all vastly amused & keenly interested – the state 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 sights & hills but not from
having the inevitable ricksha ride at the rate of ^d6 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.
14-2-15. 
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 10^th 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 the 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.F. – the Expeditionary part being deleted, & I will
again ask you to inform all & sundry.
When we start to tune up the enemy, 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.H are attached. They have
been here some three months & are a fine lot indeed
You mention no news of me. I wrote from Albany &
you should have received it early in January.