Letters from Robert Pearce Flockart to his Mother, 1915 - Part 1

Dear Mother / I hope you got a pc from me from Alexandria; by the
time you get this you will know by the papers where we are -of
course I cant tell you anything because the censor would block

it & also because we can only guess where we are going.

We got about six hours notice to leave Mena and we marched

out on Easter Sunday at 3 oclock travelled all night and 

embarked on Easter Monday. This time we are on a troop ship not

a mailer. she is only a small boat, with iron decks, no port holes,

a lot of horses and a minimum of comfort, I am in a cabin with

Erle & Saker but most of the officers have to sleep on deck. The saloon seats

20, some have to eat  by shifts. The first day out was very rough &

nearly everyone was sick. I managed to keep my end up but on

reaching the archipelago the sea was as calm as a mill pond, beautifully

blue & we passed numerous islands. We are now at Lemnos, you

can see it on the map, we arrived today: it is a beautiful harbour. Crowded

with warships, transports & all kinds of craft. The hills all round are quite

green which is really refreshing after 4 months of nothing but sand.

There are little villages of just a handful of houses all round the bay

and scores of windmills, round buildings with their sails. The 

building in the villages are very different from Egypt, they are

more regular & better constructed, nearly all white or yellow with

red roofs. We don't know how long we are going to be here so are

just waiting for orders. We have already made the acquaintance 

of some of the products of the place in the shape of figs & oranges which

are awful good. Another transport has come in with some mail

so we hope to get letters tonight..

We carry sheep & poultry in addition to our horses, so we are not very

modern in the way of liners - no refrigerator on board. The men grumble

at things on the Orvieto but now they can have a genuine ground, altho'

of course everything is quite alright there is good food & plenty of room 

to sleep & eat, but no comforts or luxuries like the Orient line.

All our trunks are left at Alexandria & I have sored some with Cork's

at Cairo & we have 35 lbs of kit including the weight of the valise with

which to go on. I have discarded my big valise and bought a lighter

one that makes a small tent over you by putting a stick at each

end & a couple of cords to pegs in the ground - it is all water proof

& you wrap kit, blankets & everything up in it when you move

& your bed, house, wardrobe & bedding are all complete

2
I saw the big battleship the Queen Elizabeth that did such good work
in the Dardanelles. she is a tremendous thing & the guns are like firing
funnels.- she is a very dangerous looking customer & I wouldn't like
to get a hit from her- The Russian cruiser Askold that we saw at
Colombo on the way out is also about. I sent you a photo of her with
5 funnel by the way  I ordered another photo of the group at the
spynx which must have gone astray at first to be sent on to you
also half a dozen the same as the post cards - it was taken at a
shake down studio opposite our lines in Camp & I think is not
half bad- - i think I mentioned in a letter from Cairo that I ordered
one for [[?]] & one for Daisy Treloar if you wouldn't mind sending them
The rest you can give away.
The mail arrived last night, brought on by another transport, but yours didn't
arrive although I got some local news, that you expected Colin over & hoped to go away
with him for a few days & that Alan had gone to Sheparton or [[?]] I forget which-
So I suppose your letter has gone astray or has been delayed- so I was very
disappointed

At anchor
16.4.15.
My Dear Mother
We are still anchored at the same place from which my
last letter was written and don't know how much longer we
will be, not much I hope as this is hardly a palace to
live in, although the shippy officers are doing all they can to make
us comfortable. We have been ashore here on land, it is awfully
good to march over grass again & we all enjoyed it like a picnic
of course as soon as we arrived the everlasting [[?]] was present
with oranges figs nuts and Turkish delight, all very nice too. I had a look
inside a windmill and saw it grinding wheat, a very effective if
rather primitive method; the women all wear white things on
their heads & the whole aspect of the place rather reminds me of Holland
altho' I havent been there but from pictures & descriptions. We had
a good look at a village, a pretty little place with very irregular streets
& quaint stone houses with red roofs. Saw the ladies of the city doing
their washing, all at a common washing place, beating the clothes
on stones & rubbing them too which looked rather rough treatment-
The children looked very pretty all wearing long skirts & these same
white things on their heads - all the sheep had bells on them & a
shepard minding them,the noise when the moved at a distance
was rather pretty, but a bit annoying too close.
The whole place was a mass of wild flowers, poppies growing
in the crops & yellow & white daisies & all sorts of other flowers-
I have never seen so many growing wild before & the scene was
grand, everyone picked a poppy or daisy as we passed it was,
so different from Egypt - I am enclosing a poppy
I wish I could tell you all about the place because it
is rather wonderful but censorship is vert strict.
I am censor for my company, it is amusing when you are
not busy but a decided bore when you havent much time-
none of them can say very much except that they hope their
people are well as them at present bores me sort of thing.
When we were landing the other day we had to walk over planks
from the boats to the shore & amongst others I managed to measure
my length in the bay before reaching the shore, fortunately I was
not the only one as it was not very amusing for me.
I had a letter from Mrs [[Fethers]] of Elsternwick last week. I dont know if I told you
last time. she enclosed a few flakes of tobacco, which was very thoughtful
as the stuff here is not like what i am used to - Would you ring her up

and thank her as I can't find time  to write at present.

I also had a note from [[?]] Madders from Queenscliff. I have
had several letters from her /
Sunday 18^th
I had a most pleasant surprise this morning, your belated letter of 8/3/15
that I should have got a week ago turned up, It had been delayed sometime
I was awfully glad to get it I can tell you /
As we have so little room here we had a voluntary church parade
today, the men sitting in the rigging and on the sides and anywhere at all.
The band instruments are of course at the base except the bagpipes which
are with us, so the ship dug up 2 violins which was 2 of our men
played & we had a good church.
This afternoon I went ashore with the chief officer & Erle to the
largest village - on this part of the island, it was most interesting.
There is a good sized Greek church which was open so we went in

and a christening was in progress- the place was full of incense

& lighted candles, no chairs except round the wall but the
greater part seemed to be taken up with altars & things - the chanting
& bowing, reading & lighting candles & blowing them out to general
noise & chatter didnt look much like a church - but the
queer long haired priests & the peasants - the incense and all were
very interesting - The village itself was very clean -houses
built everywhere & streets put round them. And like Cairo, little
Cafés & eating houses with all the customers sitting outside - one
gentleman playing a fiddle & people dancing in the street. The
picturesque though dirty men looked grand, & it is wonderful
to see these people after  reading & seeing pictures of them, that somehow
you accept as being real & think no more of them, but to see them is
awfully good - their sheepskin coats, & baggy trousers look like
characters on the stage only more natural.
I am awfully glad to hear that you intend to go away for a week or
so with Colin & Jeanne it is all over by now but I trust you had
a good time.
I hope Alan's new job is more congenial than the last which
didn't seem to suit him too well.
Just about 10 [[minutes?]] before we left Mena Jack came over, I only
saw him for a few minutes. As we were just going away
he looked very [[?]] & has only
been there a couple of days.
 

3/
I was surprised to hear of Mr Wesley's
death, it was awfully sudden.
he always seemed strong enough.
Fancy Walter Berry thinking of coming
what about the butter, etc?
I haven't got any sox yet, the only
parcel being from [[?]] & [[?]]. So
perhaps they are following it.
So you got the photo of the [[?]] on
Xmas Day. I was afraid they had
gone missing., so had another one done
as I wouldn't like it to get lost.
So Randall Berry is coming on [[?]], if
the Kaiser hears of it he will give in at
once I am sure, so don't talk about it
or we won't see Germany.
I saw [[??]] today on another
boat, he is looking very well & fit.
We are eating plenty of figs which
seem to be a good [[??]] to [[?]]
more pleasant to take, so [[?]] feeling
in the best of health & spirits in [[fact?]]
I think everyone in the [[???]]
[[??]] and [[?]] & change of
[[?]] I am always ready for
[[?]] bed & never [[?]] except to
 

4
turn out at the latest possible
moment.
Most spare time now I am censoring
these fellows are terrible  the number
of people they write to. Mothers & Fathers
Cousins & Aunts, half a dozen [[families?]]
& all say the same thing, that they
can't say much because of the 
censor.
I hear that a mail leaves today so
will close soon. I expect the next
letter will be some little time, as
when we land [[?]] letters will
be out of the question for some time.
Remember me to Mary & Fraser, to
all the neighbours, best love to
[[?]] & all at home.
from your loving son
Bert
I was just closing this up as I got
another letter from you & one from Colin
Many thanks Glad he got home alright.
Bert
 

28.4.15
At Sea
My Dear Mother
I am at Sea again, but on the way back to
Alexandria; we have had our first fight & I am
thankful to say we were successful as you of
course know by the papers, & I am going back to
get some minor repairs to my face as I caught a
schrapnel bullet in the cheek, which is still in there & knocked out a few of my back teeth. I am
thankful to say that it was not worse - only today
I found that the bullet was still there, I thought
that my jaw was only swollen as a result, but the
swelling has gone down a bit & I can feel the
wretched thing there quite well & it will have to be
taken out. I am going to send you a wire as soon
as we get to Alexandria, as my name may be in the
Cables as wounded. We are on a captured German
boat called the "Lűtzow"which is full of wounded
for the hospitals.
Of course you know about poor Erle, we were
standing quite close together, in fact he almost fell on
me,got a bullet near the xxxx collar bone that
evidently went right into his lungs, he only gave a
gasp and went right out, poor chap. he was one
of the best & one of the few who couldn't be spared.
We were close together too when I got my hit, then
we separated & when I saw him again he had got a nasty one in the leg. He was killed on the first day
just about mid day.
The papers of course will tell you all about the
show together with a lot of nonsense, but there is no
doubt that it was a good show & for us all to be thrown
into such a big important affair right off the boats was
no men xxxx achievement, especially as we
couldn't land artillery & the behaviour & discipline of the
men was beyond reproach & beyond my wildest expectations
 

 

We left Lemnos on Saturday night at 11 p.m. and went to
the rendezvous off the Turkish Coast covered by warships.
We were all up about 3 a.m. & it was most impressive to
see the ships in the half light creeping into the coast
all darkened. The 3^rd Brigade which landed first got into
destroyers and went close inshore then were rushed in
small boats on the beach where they just swept everything
in front of them up the cliffs. The warships opened fire
& so the show commenced & from then onward it was
as hot as it possibly could be. It simply rained
schrapnel, which was the most deadly of all & I got my
ration about 11 oclock & as my teeth came rattling out
it reminded me of the "Three Rubes" - the pantomime gentlemen
You remember where one kicks the other in the face &
xx he spits teeth all over the stage - so I tied it up and
hadn't a chance to go back till about 8 p.m. where I
met the Colonel & things seemed quieter. I thought it
was only a cut & intended to come back to where men
were digging in for the night, but I met Jim Black
& told him that I wanted it dressing & he said he couldn't
do it, that I must go to a hospital ship. So I was bundled
off to this packet & havent been back to my company yet -
having seen 12 hours of active service [[?]] Turkey - I couldnt
have done any good by remaining on shore as I couldnt
possibly eat biscuit, which is in our ration - I can only
manage soup & potato & gravy. I felt an awful cad
leaving my company with Luxton - I dont know
how many are alive or anything about them & it is a
great disappointment to have to leave them even for
a few days - as I hope to soon get back again.
Ray [[?]] is on board too, he has got a bullet
in the shoulder - and of course none of us have any
kit, having come with what we were actually wearing
& some with much less than that.
The German pen and ink have given out, so must
use pencil.
 

3/
A lot of the wounded were taken off to the warships
for treatment before coming to the different troopships
& they are all full of praise for the sailors, how splendidly
they worked & helped them. The men on this boats
too are New Zealanders and are just an odd few
grooms & batmen to look after things when
the troops left & they have turned to as orderlies
& first aid men in a grand fashion.
At present I have only a vague idea of how
our people stand, there are all sorts of
rumours as to officers & men being killed
but only the official lists will show. I know
that Oakes got a hit in the leg & came back but
again after being dressed. I saw Bill [[Mangar?]]
go over & I don't know yet what has happened
to him.
The country where we landed was very rugged
& covered in low thick scrub which made
movement very difficult and helped them to
conceal themselves so that we couldn't see them
at all, but the way our fellows went into it was
splendid., nothing would stop them, however
we all sincerely hope that we wont get another
day like Sunday & in fact we shouldnt now that
we are established on shore & have our own field guns
for it was the want of guns that [[?]] us so, the
schrapnel just burst everywhere & we had nothing
with which to reply, the warships did put some
batteries out of action where they could see but
those which were hidden just had it their own way.
 

4/
The poor chaps on here are very good & patient
and are as cheerful as possible despite some
awful injuries. I have found a couple of my
company here, fortunately like myself not very bad.
Everybody on board this boat who has seen any fighting at
all in any campaign says that Sunday beat everything - they had
never been near anything half do strenuous. Of course those of us
who got our baptism of fire didnt' know whether it was full strength
or extra or medium, but from my knowledge of books & others experiences
I thought it was rather warm but taking it all round I was not
very surprised at what it was like, because you cant study & practice
it for years without forming a very fair opinion. I was kept
very busy all day but on one occasion I managed to have [[?]] with my
revolver at a Turk's ugly visage. At one time we got some [[??]]
of us. I saw the bird having a pot at me over a bush, so I had one
at him, but don't know whether I got a score or not. it is so difficult to
see in the scrub.
I don't think I told you in my last letter from Lemnos that poor Frank
[[?]] fell down on of the holds and got concussion of the brain &
instead of coming with us he had to be sent to the [[?]]
he is a very nice chap and is reported to be very clever.
May 1^st
I arrived at No 15 General Hospital on Thursday night. it is so well
equipped & everyone is awfully good. It is a big school on a high bit
of ground, overlooking the sea in places [[?]] admirably suited for
a hospital. It is practically all Australians with British doctors
nurses & orderlies.
I had a shave on the side of my face this morning & as I hadnt
had one for a week it was not much fun & I had an ugly
black fringe round my face, but it is removed now.
Everyone is remarkably cheerful & we are all waiting to get back
again as we hear that everything has been most successful.
I see by the Egyptian papers today that patriotic songs have been
sung in the Houses of Parliament & other places which is very
reassuring & nice to know, but it is rather a pity that a few
of the singers didn't do a bit too./ I think I will close & see if there is a mail
for Australia. I sent a wire on the 30th so hope it is not long before you get it. Love to all
at home [[?]], and [[?]] for my safety.  Your loving son Bert