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

Dear Mother / I hope you got a pl from me from Alexandria; by the
time you get this you will know by the paper 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 [[Menn?]] 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, [[?]] [[?]] decks, no port holes,

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

[[?]] [[?]] but most of the officers have to sleep on deck. The [[?]] seats

so, some have to eat  by ships. 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 horses all round the bay

and scores of windmills, round buildings with [[?]] [[?]]. 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 mailing for orders. We have already made 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 [[?]]

at things on the [[?]] but now they can have a genuine ground, altho'

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

to sleep [[?]], but no comforts or luxuries like the orient line.

All our trunks are left at Alexandria & I have sored some with corks

at Cairo & we have 35 lbs of bit 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 [[?]] by putting a stick at each

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

& [[?]] [[?]] but blankets & everything up in it when you move 

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

I saw the by battleship the Queen Elizabeth [[that did [?][?][?]]

in the Dardanelles- she is a tremendous thing