Photostat copies of letters from Major Frederick Harold Tubb to his family, 1914

Good Luck to all at St. Helena

Hello Mother Hello Father

What ho. the girls & Geoff.  Fred

Mena Camp

7th battalion A.I.F.

Cairo 

Egypt

Has-el-Nil

Barracks

Cairo

Egypt

8.12.14

Dear Mother and all.
I am sitting in the Hasr-el-nil Barracks

Cairo writing this.  Here we are out

camped under the Pyramids (in a desert of

sand).  We reached Cairo on Sunday

night last & marched out to Mena, where our camp

is now nearly erected, the Camp is 10 miles from

Cairo, where Eller & myself have just come in to

see about getting our wagons out the Camp.  Frank

& I are well & doing tip top.  We are very tired

having had busy times since we got off the Hororata

at Alexandria Sunday morning last.  We from the

boat went entrained horses & all for Cairo reaching

the here at 8 o'clock (pm) thence to Camp (where we

bivouacked) at 12.30am Monday. The horses are

looking well we lost only one. The country from

Alexandria to Cairo & from Cairo almost to the

Camps edge is magnificent _∧from the Nile (a  splendid  ruin)

are irrigation channels, somewhat like Goulburn Valley

& the soil & cultivation is the best I've ever seen

fruits, dates, bananas, cotton, lucerne, etc, etc, etc,

magnificent.  It is winter here. the climate is

grand (like our Autumn) cold a bit at nights &

genial in the day time.  It is not bad sleeping

on the desert sand. I have sent you my diary

as I wrote it, I hope you have received it in sequence.

You would all be interested in the country. the

natives of all breeds, their ways , manners, customs

donkeys.  Arab ponies vehicles etc:  their cultivation

& irrigation of gardens could not be beaten. the buildings

of the larger places are large & well built. Many

aw show signs of prehistoric times.  the architecture,

of the best places is antique. Puts me in mind of the

Bible & Israelilish times, I have had a good look

around Cairo.  drove through it in a Cabaret, through

Egyptian, Turkish & other bazaars, the streets are

very narrow in places & full of life the gaily coloured

dresses, the different veils worn by women, & the distinctive

cast symbols, & not forgetting filth and stench in

the lower quarters make scenes creating impressions

I had lunch yesterday in Shepheards Hotel with

Lieut Eller.  It cost us 42 piasters about (8/2) the

Hotel is magnificent, oriental, & expensive but

first class.  The Barracks where I am writing are

splendid, large & every convenience.  The Manchesters

(Territorials from England) are quartered here now

they have been here for over 3 months they are

a bit disconsolate at not getting called to the front

ere this they say we wont get there for a long 

long time yet if we ever do.  There is possibilities

of trouble here. Cairo etc is under the suizerionily

of Turkey.  The English flag is going to be hoisted

here on Dec 21^st.  We may get some scrapping

here before long.  We expect to get quickly into hard

training very soon.  There are a lot of Australians

not yet disembarked  they are still coming into

Camp.  Our Camp will be about 50,000 strong

there are two other Camps not far from here beside

Indian troops & territorials besides the garrison

in the Barracks.  I hope you got my several

accounts of the Sydney Emden fight

The 9th Manchesters from Lancashire under Colonel Wade

are in these Barracks.  I have just been told by their

officers whom I just had afternoon tea with.

Sugar Cane, rice & other fodders grow here

luxuriantly Mother dear.  I hope you are all well

at home, Many happy returns of your birthday Mummy

& the same to Elsie Lucy. Kind regards to all friends 

Father would like to see this country. Take care of

yourselves all of you. Love from Fred.

Officers' Mess.

Mena Camp

Cairo

Egypt

7th BATTALION

2ND INFANTRY BRIGADE

A.I.E.F.

Xmas day.............191....

Dear Mother and all                     
I am writing 

you all as I write this the best of Xmas

greeting. I wonder how many of you are

at home, where Charlie is, & if you have any

visitors, How are you all, I suppose

some of you went to Church, Mother stopped home

to cook the dinner as usual eh? Father &

Geoff had a walk round in the morning

Hey!  what did you get in you stockings?

I never got nothin coz I never hung them

up.  Ive been  bit sick but am getting

better fast I'll bet Dais & Luse & the

other girls are talking some then comes

all home together without me to steady them

will be as much as you can stand eh Mother

& Father?. I wonder if you have got all 

the different letters and diary notes Ive sent

home I hope you have.  Ive one or two cards

from the Pyramids etc that I'll send home first

good chance I get other I think will reach you safely

Officers Mess has just gone.  I will not be going

into dinner -  Have been into dinner after

all. & had a real good one the tables were

laidout in keeping with the occasion

 

Officers' Mess.

2        

6TH BATTALION

2ND INFANTRY BRIGADE

A.I.E.F.

Xmas Day.......191.....

wines cider etc etc  almonds, raisins, followed

the turkeys puddings etc. It was a great feed

(& though not too good (myself) did justice to the

splendid menu. I intend now lying

down for the afternoon to recuperate.

Mother I suppose you are often

wonder how we are doing Frank 

and I are getting along splendidly

the climate here is splendid this

is a great country & will improve

now further under British control.

I hope to get hold of a number of photos

that my bro officers take when I do

I will send same home. We

are getting quite used to camping near

the wonderful (truly) pyramids &

their surroundings. The officers and

men are all enjoying themselves in various

ways. Going to the Pyramids & visiting

interesting places etc. No more now Mother

hoping that you all have had a happy Xmas

& that the drought has broken etc. Looking

forward to getting letters of all home doings etc.

Love to all, Take care of yourselves  from

Fred