Letters from Eric Roland Cotterill to his Mother, 1915 - Part 3

5/
The Cairo Young Men's Christian Association
WITH THE
British and Colonial Forces in Egypt.
all were asleep.
To day Friday is usually a heavy one.
We were up at 5.30 & ready to move off
at short notice. We were not called out
till a little later than noon, so we
had a much easier day than the rest
of the division. Our turn will come
next & we will be all here. It is a great
saying of some of my men, when rounded
up for slackness. "Oh! we'll be here
when the whips are cracking."
Those storms must be rather rough. We see
enough dust here to be good judges of it. but
so far have struck nothing worse than a 
whirlpool.
I was wondering you did not mention a
word from Albany. Now the first has
arrived you should have received some regularly.
6
Feb 28th

All the chaps express their thanks for your

message & wished to be remembered to you

We are split up more or less now & dont

see so much of one another but when all

are together we [[both?]] usually hangs

round Rosehill or Liverpool. We are all

satisfied that the latter place spoils

us for this life, it was too enjoyable &

we are in the habit of taking it as a 

standard.

So the group photo arrived. Mark & I had

one taken by the Sphinx, so there will be
another for the wall. You will be able to
dispense with a wall of me if we become any
vainer.
We have had one look at the Pyramids
but it was only hurried. There seem to be
[[about?]] numbers of them, one group being a
good distance from Cairo. The big ones
[[T?]]
 

7/
as you know are only a few miles out.
Near the Sphinx is an old temple, built
mainly of huge granite columns & alabaster.
One piece is sixteen feet in length & made
a fine showing under a magnesium wire
flare. We saw all the tombs etc in the
precinct & started in to see the interior of
the Pyramid. Entry is made through a
passage worn smooth by countless feet so
we had to remove out boots. It is a
downward slope so we had plenty of
fun accentuated by the fact that half
the soldiers in Egypt seemed there. After
entering the first chamber & meeting
some who had been the rounds & were
dripping with perspiration we cried
off till some other day & went aloft by
the outside. I had never dreamt that
they could be climbed, picturing the
8/
surface as smooth. One of them has its
outer case removed - to build an
obelisk I am told - & has only been
climbed by a few including a couple
of the first lot.
There is plenty to see & our leave is
limited but we had to see Mena whatever
else we missed. Just fancy being in
Egypt & not seeing the Great Pyramid.
One little incident before closing. After
our very heavy day, of which I wrote
last week, our band came along soon
after breakfast during 'smoke oh' on the
desert, & struck up a Scottish jig. Such a
scene must be unique. We were all dead
weary, but were suddenly transformed &
one & all were at it. "[[?]]" & stepping
it [[?]]. We were like a pack of
laddies at the sport, - this will serve to show
the spirit we are in. Thanks to all for
birthday greetings & love to the outfit from
[[?]]
 

Heliopolis
8.3.15
My dear Mother
How much longer we will write this name at the
head of our letters we cannot definitely say, but if the Aust. & N.Z.
division of which we are part is not out of Egypt within three
weeks from date we will be unpleasantly surprised.
Rumour was busy for a day or two & then the move commenced.
Going out to Mena last weekend a huge procession of transport
passed us & the same afternoon two battalions were "played out"
They formed the advance party & all they knew was that they
were to proceed to Cairo, camp at [[Karem?]] el Nil Barracks that
night & entrain next morning. To-day's [[?]] is that they are on
board at Alexandria & that Australia's third force arrived there
yesterday. All the [[?]] battalions at Mena are ready to quit at
short notice & we have been ordered to discard all kit not
provided for in the regulations. Away with my beloved text book
the companion of many a leisure hour in the last few months.
We have had orders to [[grind?]] bayonet so it is them [[that?]] will
do the work not "How to Become a Soldier in Three [[Acts?]]"
All are agog with excitement & nearly every country in Europe
is named as our destination. In view of recent bombardment at
Constantinople that city is a first favourite but personally I
think a few rounds from heavy naval guns will impress
the humble Turk a whole heap more that thousands of rounds
of small arms ammunition. My fancy is either south of France
or better still to the south of England for a couple of weeks & then
across to Europe with Kitcheners' army in the Spring.
 

2/
I don't for one moment think we will stay here much longer for
the enemy is quiet about the Canal & putting twos & twos together
it is more than likely how on or about the 23^rd [[?]] we will
set out after Kaiser [[Wit?]].
What a lot had occurred about [[?]] figure. My own age, & every
first step has been taken near that time of the month so to keep
the ball rolling it is essential that we move on about [[?]] date
[[?]] if put before the Brigadier he would give it consideration.
To-day under separate cover I sent by registered post from here
3 photographs taken here. It was much more economical under
one cover, so will ask that on arrival you will send one to
[[?]] & the other to Laura Horn. This [[?]] do for the
lady mentioned to hang in a prominent place with the photos
of other victims - myself a willing one to her cooking. How a plate
of jellied peaches or piece of ^[[?]] brown cake would be relished.
The third photo of course is for yourself. How vain your son
is growing, mother mine. You have more of me on the wall now
than ever before.
Everything is going along swimmingly. Plenty of field work &
plenty of time to do it. The lads were getting a little stale so
we [[???]] afternoon & all work better for it.
To-day is to be a big day, right out to the third [[?]] on
Suez road, about 10 mile. We are the company for duty & as I
am Sgt. of the picquet to [[?]] up the shops in town to-night
& the early hours of to morrow, we did not go [[??]] all keen
to do so, as these [[days?]] are very popular but the [[?]] would
be too heavy. The brigade marched off at eight this
 

morning & probably will not return till that hour to-night so
they will have had a fair days work.
Last Sunday morning I was reading the local two sheet paper &

read a para stating that a new hall was to be opened as a Methodist
Church. There was a good chance to hear my mother tongue spoken
by people not in khaki so off I went at 6.30 pm when it started.
The feeling has been growing in me lately that a country wherein
English is not spoken is of little interest to me, & as we seldom
if ever see an Englishman here, I fairly rushed the chance of this service.
Soldiers - [[?]] & our own easily outnumbered civilians & we had
some rousing singing. We had 'Lead Kindly Light,' 'Jesu Lover of
my soul', & 'Art thou weary' amongst others & we made the rafters ring.
At the organ was x actually a resident Englishwoman who had 
one of those sweet voices [[??]] are so fond of. To her own
accompaniment she sang a classical rendering of "Abide with me" It
seemed the sweetest thing imaginable to us all for we had not heard
a feminine rendering of a solo for months.
One of our chaplains then [[?]] the work leading up to this
opening. The hall had been one of the many [[?]] of Cairo closed by
the police but it had been transformed into a nicely decorated hall.
Of course this had cost piastres & an appeal for funds followed which
[[?]] us. I [[?]] everyones soft spot as all good [[?]] sons do he
mentioned the beggarly pay of the 'terrier' & raised the smile by calling
us the miserly Australians. Was quite [[?]] compared to the other 'tommies'
who often look askance at the way Cornstalk spends his money.

There will be an awful slump here when we move for the
[[?]] must be raising money now from our fellows.
 

It is now the next day & a rest morning after yesterdays march.
My subaltern, Lt. S.L. Perry of Auburn, one of the nicest gentlemen I
have met, told me it was really fine & I was sorry to have missed it/
We had a lively time on picquet. In the [[?]] with 16 men I
set out for the barracks to escort back to camp all the rowdy ones
in Cairo the night before. They were a choice lot in the worst of
temper having had nothing to eat, a hard floor to lie on, & a
couple of drenchings with a fire hose to subdue them. Next to
dropping the butt of a rifle om a prisoners toe, or onto his shins,
a heavy shower of cold water is the best to quieten them.
I am fully posted in all these 'old soldier' dodges now as
they are useful. Seeing we found most of the lads had had plenty
to drink & we had an anxious time preventing them from
rushing for some [[?]] cafe. The same thing at night
beating up the [[?]] & then subduing them. It is quite an experience
some have to be coaxed & humoured, others bullied from the jump.
We have to size them up at a glance & act accordingly.
No letters have arrived from the other members of the family,
excepting [[?]], & that means they can't have written within a
few weeks after departure.
[[?]] following the good health road with no complaints
Love to all from
Eric
Considering this has been written on the [[?]] of my [[?]]
on the ground, I don't expect to be complimented for the writing.
 

 
Heliopolis 17.3.15
My dearest Mother
No wonder you can't find our resting place on the
map for it is now only a suburb of Cairo. Once it was important
for it was the city of the sun-worshippers, and in the vicinity of the well
& [[?]] where the Virgin Mary rested when journeying to the Nile.
I was pleased to read that your baby boy was successful. He has
a good prospect of further success at Fort St & I hope it is his. He
is, as you say the last of the boys to leave you & strike out on his
own, but that, you will recognise is the best for him, & will
help to ease your mind.
Two outstanding features here are the receipt of two mails within
five days & rain. Which caused the most surprise & joy 'twould
be hard to say. The mail arrived after a hard day & when
returning to camp the next day clouds banked up & opened when
we were two hours out on the desert, so we fully enjoyed the
experience of a tramp on the desert without the [[?]] dust. It was
quite nice as a change, but we get to the other side we
will be as likely be sighing for the dust of the desert.
Letters I had were two from you, two from May, & one each
from [[??]] & Ryde. My best thanks to all but we
are going like the deuce & will [[pray?]] of all to accept this as a
general reply. [[Marjorie?]] has sent me three so the others had better
shake themselves up [[?]] they will be out of the running.
Arthur asked me to give a message to Sam [[Kiss?]]. he is attached
to us now, so I easily saw him & delivered the goods.
What a rotten run of luck they do have at Prospect Village
 

It would shake the faith of many in a well known saying. If
I can do so I will rush a letter through for I don't like to
hear of their troubles without a word from me.
All the chaps from the New Guinea crowd can't be physical [[?]]
for Geo. [[?]] has a cousin who joined for Europe with the
next lot immediately he arrived. [[?]] I am not sorry I dwelt
a while & [[?]] them for I thought of that lot a good deal
before deciding not to volunteer. I hope Jim Fowler came through
O.K. I wouldn't be a bit surprised to see him yet over here.
Maybe one of the brothers would see Mr Fraser or J.Grant at
[[?]] & find out his whereabouts for me.
I can't strike Minnies' brother or Capt Thompson. Our slack
days seem the clash & thus prevent us. We are not out of the wood
yet & will have ample time to look them up.
[[?]] Wickhams send me the "Times" each week & I saw an article
therein by J.C.Leeks in refutation of some charges. These have
been a great topic in the line & I hear fellows heatedly
quoting John Norton & Bean the correspondent as accusers. The
article in print I can't see but there was the refutation. This
I'll say. If Johnnie Norton did one day such as we do six
in each week, he would everafter be a physical wreck. It is
easy to sit down with a dictionary by the side & pick out
alliterative headlines, but it is best to be sure of the facts
first. Undoubtedly a certain class of the first force did
behave badly & disgrace their uniforms & others but why should
the stigma stick to all our force. It has done a deal of harm
here, & if that alliterative bounder is the man we think he is
 

he will not be there when the overseas forces return. There are plenty
of reckless but honest & upright men with us who would as soon [[?]] him for his article as shoot an enemy.
"Two bob a day tourist soldiers" is the term said to be applied
to us. Did you even hear of a tourist setting out at 8.30 pm fully
laden to start an action at dawn after an all night march
[[?]] leaving his bed at 2 a.m. the night following to do something
similar. Going by when we are at work, [[?]] parts of our
nights would be days. - the days are still days just the same.
Chewing this [[?]] is a favourite pastime now, we would give [[?]]
two [[?]] the time of their lives if they would call on us after
a day such a yesterday.
Reveille at 2 am., a handful of floury biscuits & then a four
hour's march, say 11 mile, in the dark. Walked for about an hour to
eat our chunk of bread & bully back on an imaginary
attack on Cairo while the N.Z division was defending. The
country was rather open about 3 miles from their positions, so
we advanced in open order, & over the last mile by short rushes.
One platoon  fire at the enemy to make him duck & another
rushes like mad for the next cover, over rock & holes & thorny
bushes. We fought a good hard fight & set out for camp arriving at
2.20 pm. just [[?]] Johnnie's on [[five?]] biscuits, wee things, a face
of bread & beef doing a stunt like that. We do it with ease, also
a [[?]] parade this morning & a bivouac and fight all day
to morrow. I wrote that last week was probably the [[?]] but
this week has been a [[stretcher?]]. It seems they can't find out our
limits for we do all asked of us & come up [[?]] for more.
 

What oh! Arthur as a sodjer. His moustache should assist him there.
I expect to see him with a straight back, when I return to
put him through his paces. [[?]] is in a movement at Newtown
he says it is an awful show doing turns by numbers. Poor old
chap. he would like to be here with me but is too well balanced
to leave his people. When writing a short note to him [[?]]
the paper, I said that only for that training we had my present
position would have been beyond my reach. Maybe it will be of
help to me yet. There are 62 in our platoon now & they take some knowledge
to look after.
It is S^t Pat's day & all the Irishmen have cut loose. Our battalion has
delayed pay scenting trouble but the other one having a lively time
A procession headed by some pipes & green banners went the
round at breakfast, & things are very merry just now.
It has occurred to me that you might detail someone to keep [[?]]

[[?]] posted with my doings, this address is [[?]] Victoria [[?]]
[[?]].
I have had a 'Bulletin' from Ted. The drawing of the [[?]]
of our fellows on the Pyramid [[?]] much amusement
Herewith a permanent apology for the writing of all my future
letters. I am too restless & want to rush from one word to
another too quickly. It is a sign of the times I expect.
Still well & fully content with my lot. Don't fret over your
boys we're all right mother. Fondest love to you & dad then
everyone else within the [[?]]
[[??]] Australian
Eric