Letters from John Wesley Hetherington to his Family, 1914-1915 - Part 1

1  
Somewhere off South Australia.
Don't know where.
Wednesday 21st Oct/1914

Dear Folks at Home,
As you will perhaps have learned til now we left Sydney on
Sunday afternoon about 4pm and got outside the Heads at 5pm.
The weather was very dirty outside, with a heavy swell on and
we got right into it. And then we became a real ragtime Army
flying around any old road, and hanging on to the rail for
dear life. There were sick men all over the ship, and the first in
were not attended too well you may be sure. I didn't go under
A good while after leaving but was pretty squeamish all the next
day. On the Tuesday we had lovely weather with the sea like a
mill pond and most of us recovered, and today we are having
a bit roll but not too much. We are bound for Albany first
I believe for coal and to meet the other troopships. This old tub isn't
too fast and the "Afric" leaving after us left us behind on
Monday, We expect the "Euripides" to pass today. There isn't any
land in sight and as they don't see fit to paste up a chart
we "dunno where we are". The quarters are fairly roomy and the
2^nd Battn have the whole ship to themselves. The tucker is rough
but fairly good and if I can get ashore at Albany I'll buy in a 
stock of biscuits, etc. The canteen here is simply rushed for cigarettes
etc, and I believe they are already sold out. The men are limited to
a pint of beer a day and they must play for that too, so by the time
we get Home some of them will be all the better for the limitations.
Gambling is pretty rife, in spite of the raids by the C.O and other
officers. I heard of one chap losing £17 yesterday.
The hammocks are comfortable to sleep in, and they are all labelled 

with a man's number etc. The arrangements for bathing etc are
very limited and you've got to be up before the Sun if you want a
good wash. One thing is certain many of these men will be all
the better for the trip and it will open their brain boxes a bit.
The officers are a pretty decent set, the C.O. get the name of being a
"wowser" he stopped the wet canteen in camp and is death on
the gambling schools aboard.
They are also taking pretty good care of the cleanliness of the
men, as we had another medical inspection yesterday, that
makes the fourth for me.
I looked out on Sunday all the way down for Fred & Wal but
was unable to spot them greatly to my regret
There are several Geordie's aboard, the ships carpenter's mate is
A Hebburn man, and knows Fraser & Ridley well He was at
the Geordie Assn the last monthly meeting when I was absent.
We had a bit of a concert aboard last night & I gave off a few
lines, after which he came up & spoke to me.
We have practically nothing to do all day and the men will get
fat at this racket. I have heard that they will put them
ashore for a parade or route march at Albany.
I have been helping to unpack the different comforts sent for
the use of the troops and got down on some of the parcels
for socks, soap, etc. There are pipes, tobacco, matches & all
sorts of stuff. so I think we'll do all right.
Must now conclude will write as often as possible
Yours with love.
Wes/. 

2
On board Transport "Suffolk"
A23.
Nearing the Equator
Nov 10/1914
Dear Ones at Home
I expect you will be anxiously watching for letters from
me. We haven't had any opportunity to send any so that
will explain long spell. We left Albany on the Sunday following
our arrival there so that we were exactly a week in the
port. We had to wait until all the transports put in an
appearance. The New Zealanders were last of all and I wish
I could give you full details but we have been notified that
we must not give any information of such so you will have
to be content with bare news. We have had a splendid passage
so far and I've only missed a day at the mess table. We had
some excitement yesterday Monday 9th as the news was sent
to us that the "Sydney" had "got" the Emden. We learn today
that we had a close squeak as the "Emy" passed within
20 miles on Sunday night, and might have done some
damage had she passed astern. We noticed considerable
activity on the part of the warships re Monday morning and
very shortly after we got the news. Of course we cheered some,
and parades were dismissed for the day, lime juice being
served out instead of tea. Our C.O, is a strong teetotaller,
the men, however drink his share over & over. We are all feeling
the heat now, tomorrow we cross the line and I guess there'll
be something doing with so many new chums on board.
There is a bath on board made of sail cloth and it 
crowded all day, it will be of service too when
crows comes aboard. I am continuing my letter
13/11/14 

under some difficulty. Neptune is timed to arrive in half an hrs
time and they are searching the ships for "sheep" to dip.
They are like a lot of Indians on the warpath and you run the
risk of a ducking whether you've been "over" before or not.
I am writing this in the fear and hope of a ducking and
the dodging of same. Neptune has already come aboard and
inspected the ship. The Bosun is Neptune, and the Doctor in attendance
on Nepⁿ is the Major. The fun has now begun and Captn Wallack,
Adjutant, is the first to be put through then follow various other officers even
the second in command. You could generally tell when an officer
was popular or otherwise by the amount of soap he had applied to
his head & face. Everything taken in good spirit however. I managed
to escape a ducking. I'm afraid you'll find my letters scrappy
that comes through writing at various times whenever I find a
few minutes to spare. I was inoculated for typhoid, makes your
arm feel as if you had been hit with a chopper, and itch
like anything. The New Zealand contingent have steamed on
ahead to Col/bo to replenish stores, we expect to make there on
Sunday. Sunday seems to be one port day, we left on a Sunday
Albany on a Sunday, left ditto, & now our next call, Sunday.
Sorry to say I had my thermos flask broken this morning for
me a chap pulled it down with a jacket he grabbed & broke
it. He had not business there at all and I didn't tell him off
not much. I shall try & get a new bottle for it as it has been very
useful & I shall miss it very much. The weather is splendid for
these parts quite cool and showery and we have got over a good
stretch of water in safety. Lights have been darkened only once
since we left. That was after we heard of the proximity of Emden.
We often have concerts on board with fancy dress items etc. 

Indeed it is a fancy dress parade all day, all sorts of dress, 
pyjamas, jerseys, etc, some with no dress at all, and as for
keeping your clothes together it's the hardest job that ever was
They'd steal the tear from your eye some of these chaps, towels, shirts,
etc are at a premium and your only consolation if you miss
anything is the fact than you can go & do likewise
When the dungarees were issued many of them wanted them
dipped in salt water to fix the blue they said, so the easiest
way to do so was to tie them on a line and tow them overboard
The natural result was that often when the line was pulled in a
few threads & a button were all that remained of the dungarees.
One thing we teetotalers growl about is that we can't get a decent
drink of anything palatable. The drinking water is rotten,
warm and yellow, whilst the beer ohs, get cool beer
served up to them at a mess table. Of course they are charged
3d a pint but we can't get a decent non-intoxic of drink
ever for that sum. I understood when we left Sydney that
we would be able to purchase cocoa but havent seen a sign
of such on board.  If you see Mr. F. Wilson just mention it to him.
Many never took beer before they came aboard and have almost
been driven to take it for the sake of a cooling drink.
We have only had lime juice once.
There hasn't been much sickness aboard, and the only death we have
had among us was a horse. There will be a big loss in horses I
expect before we reach home there have been a good few put over
from the other ships. We have only 7 with us, some of the New Zeal^d
ships appear to have a lot on board. The N.Z. ships are all
painted qrey like the warships. I forgot to say that there has
been quite an epidemic of sore throats. I've had one and there 

are three or four others in my mess.
I manage to get fairly good meals, with the assistance of various
ways & means. I can eat cheese & pickles good oh now, we
have fish on Friday mornings. Had rabbit once not too
popular however. The meat is good, though often spoiled in cooking
and the tea is simply villainous, dish water.
Still we are all in good health and there isn't much to growl
about taking it all in all. The ships are all mixed up in the
lines, Victorian, Tasmanian, etc following each other, the N.Z^drs
all hang together though though I'm not allowed to show
you the formation of the lines nor give you any particulars
of the warships.
I finished my jam a day or two ago and Ive just had
some of the loaf for tea. It is a bit, dry of course but
with a bit of butter and cheese it is "bonzer".
I hope you are getting the money OK and that it is
sufficient for you. If not you can draw on the big account.
I am wondering how you all are. I do hope Mother is
keeping well. Has she had her holiday yet?
I am sorry I can't write more as this must pass the
Censor & he may rule it out.
However I'm very well and contented, and we are
all looking forward to reaching the far end.
with love to you one & all
Wes/. 

To Mrs. Hetherington
"Allendale"
Shaftesbury Rd.
Burwood.
Sydney
New South Wales. 

3

Mena Camp..
Cairo
Jany 2nd/1915
Dear Ones at Home.
This is the 2nd letter I have
started since we landed in Cairo. The first page of the previous
one happened to get badly torn and I was a long time in getting
a start on again, in fact I think I have almost "slept the caller"
Well we are settled in the land of the Pharaohs as you doubtless know.
and so far, we are not at all discontent with the change. To have
gone straight on to Engd would have tried us severely and certainly
some of us would have retired to hospital early.
We are camped right at the foot of the Pyramids, within half an
hr of the Sphinx and 8 miles from the City. The car face is 2d but the
cars are very slow. I shall delay a description of the City until I tell
you of the trip overseas. We waited a week at Albany until the
New Zealand troops arrived. It was very slow work waiting as we
had to be out in the harbour and were not allowed ashore at all.
The only feature of interest was the arrival daily of steamers joining
the convoy. There were 28 Aust ships 10 New Zealand. Our ships
including the Argyllshire, Euripides Shropshire, Ascanius Hororata
Hymettus Katuna Miltiades, Purab, Star of England etc
The ten New Zealand ships were not named but bore large
numbers on their prow. They made a fine picture as they steamed
into Albany with the four attending warships. A Japanese
warship led them in closely followed by the British Ships
This Jap boat went to Colombo with us later, and also the Minotaur
(British) The boat Aust^lans joined us off Freemantle with the Ascanius
and another. We left Albany on the Sunday morning in three
divisions passing the New Zealand ships on our road out, and
there were cheers and counter cheers between they and us. We steamed
straight out to sea until we got formed up. The N Zealand came up
behind us, and. 

our departure from Albany was quite picturesque and worth seeing.

We kept in order something like I show under with a certain distance between

each ship and each division. We steamed at a rate of about

10 knots and chafed at the slow speed very, very, often.

Diagram ship formation ~ see original

Nothing much of interest happened until we got orders

to screen all lights, and then we heard of the precautions

to be taken on account of danger from the Emden.

Naturally, we had a touch of excitement when we

heard of this and on the Sunday morning when we

were off the Cocos Island we observed unusual

movements of the warships we knew there was something

doing. We saw the Sydney dash away full rip and

and then we wondered what she was after. Well you

will know the rest of the story ere now. We got the news read 

out to us on board and all parades were cancelled for the day,

and we did cheer some. Then we saw the Empress of Russia steamer

go past full speed on her way to take the wounded aboard.

They passed in the early morning on the return to Colombo, and

we were awfully disappointed at the time that we had not a

chance to give them a cheer but we learn now that we had 

been arranged so in order that our cheering wouldn't disturb

the German wounded. When we drew near Colombo we saw the

Sydney in the Harbour there. We went lay outside during the

stay there. The New Zealanders were ashore & played up some. They

had not been allowed beer or cigarettes on board their ships and 

when they heard the Aust^lans had, they went sore and took revenge

in Colombo by painting the town red. At Colombo we saw a big

Russian 5 funnelled warship, and the Aust^lans warships left us

Only one British warship accompanied us now, so it was evidently 

safer after the Emden was potted. She almost bumped the Convoy.
 

the night before she was sunk and if she had crossed our stern

that night instead of crossing ahead she would have got some

of us as we were showing lights visible astern. The Senior Officer

in Command sent a message next day calling attention to this

negligence and telling as how near we had been to extinction. We

were very lucky indeed. Suez ADEN was only interesting in so far that

we had only the arrival of the Indian transports to occupy our

attentions. They were returning empty from Port Said. We had very

cool weather up the Red Sea quite a change to anything we had

expected. The arrival at Suez was made interesting from the

fact that several troopships from India arrived at the same

time, carrying Imperial troops the Inniskilling Dragoons, etc,

and also Indian troops. I never saw such a gathering of ships

in my life before, there must have been nearly 60 or 70 troopships

anchored together with warships French & British. A French

cruiser escorted the Indian contingent to Suez. We in the Suffolk

thought we would have to wait until last to get through the Canal

but fortunately we were sent away early passing the Imperial

and Indian ships on the way into the Canal itself & talk about cheering

it was worth the trip to hear it. In the canal itself we were
rather surprised to see Indian troops stationed with sand bag
and barbed wire fortifications. There were also East Lancashire 

Territorials encamped near there. All the way up the Canal there

were Sikhs, Gurkhas and white troops and at Port Said there were

Gurkhas guarding an aeroplane shed. We coaled again at

Port Said and we learned we were booked for Cairo. So we set

off once more for Alexandria and arrived after 12 hrs trip.

Here we lay tied up for a few days until we could get a berth

alongside the wharves, and didn't we growl some. However it