Letters between John Simpson Kirkpatrick and his Mother, 1914 - Part 8 of 9

The Australian Imperial Expeditionary Force 
(W. A. CONTINGENT ) 
20.12 1914 

Dear Mother 
Just a line to let you know 
that we arrived in Cairo last  
week. We were 42 days on the 
trip and we had a very fine 
trip right through We are  
camped about ten mile out of 
Cairo at the entrance of the 
desert you can see nothing 
but sand, sand, sand. We 
have got two pyramids about 
3 hundreds yards from our 
tents it is a terrible long 
climb to the top of one of  
the pyramids There is 100  
thousand troops in this  
camp that is with English 
troops and Indians They are 
expecting the Turks to  
advance on Cairo they are 
building a light railway 
across the desert to reach 
Cairo

I wish that they would hurry 
up and come for every body 
is getting impatient to have 
a brush up with the Turks 
I am afraid that when they do 
come they will get a pretty hot 
reception. when they do come 
they will find every thing ready 
for them. Now Mother from the 
25 of October you should have been 
drawing 2/- per day I am getting 
6 shillings per day 5 shillings per 
day and one shilling deferred pay 
and I am drawing 1 shilling per 
day for pocket money and I am 
leaving you two shillings per day 
to you and I am having two 
shillings per day to my account 
in the Commonwealth Bank in 
London. The grub in this camp 
in very bad. We have to buy 
nearly as much as they you 
would think that they were 
feeding a lot of sparrows

The Australian Imperial Expeditionary Force 
(W. A. CONTINGENT ) 
...............................191..... 

instead of hungry men Now  
Mother, I hope that you and  
Annie are keeping well for I  
am keeping in the best of health 
It will soon be Xmas and 
a pretty miserable Xmas here 
by the looks of things Now 
Mother I think that I will 
now draw to a close hopeing 
that this will find you and 
Annie in the best of health 
and with Love to you and 
Annie 
I remain 
Your Loving Son 
Jack 
P.S.  My address is 
Private Jack Simpson 
C Section  
3rd Field Ambulance 
Australian Army Medical Core 
Mena Camp
Cairo