Letters from James Joseph Augustus Sweeney, 1918-1919 - Part 1

57353 SprJ Sweeney    4th G.S.R ^__N.

Anzac Mounted Division Abroad

22 August 1918

My Dear Mum,

I hope these few lines

will reach you find you ^and the rest of the family in the best

of health and spirits; We have had

a glorious trip so-far although I

have been a bit sea-sick but

am in the best of health now

Mum the coast of Australia 

that I have seen is a very

fine sight and one a formation

which I least expected to see,

but now as we have travelled

further, nothing but a huge

volume of water is in sight.

The Troops on board are

the finest fellows in the world, We

are getting splendid food and I can

assure you I am perfectly comfortable

and happy, and I sincerely trust all

of you are the same Mum

turn over

Well Mum you can see I

am stuck for news, and will

write you a long letter when

I get to the other side.

So Good-Bye for the present, Mum

from you loving Son

Jim (Sweeney).

Mum how did my Photos 

come out dont forget to

send me one of the proofs

and tell Bess xxx not to forget

to send out the Photos to 

the addresses I gave her

abou also send ^on to Clarice Reilly

 "Retlaw"

 20 West St

Hurstville

Bessie knows her She was at the

Boat to see me off (or better

Mum give it to Nell English to give

to her)

 Good Bye mum

Dont forget to      X X X X X

give my love to my dear old Gran.

PRO4772 (item 1)

At Sea In care of the World

(1)

57353

Spr. J. Sweeney    4^th G.S.R.N

Anzac Mounted Division A.I.F. Abroad

3^rd Sept. 1918

Dear Mum,

 Again I have an opportunity

of writing you a short note before

completing my sea travelling.

Well Mum how is things 

in Kogarah is Dad, Gran Yourself

and the rest of the family in the

best of health. Mum How is Joe; look

you would hardly credit it but

I only have a faint idea of what 

she is like so if ever you have

her photo taken dont forget to

send me one.

Mum I am as fit as a

racehorse, although life at Sea

is a bit dead at times, on the 

whole we are having a pretty

grand time; we have sports on

Board, and the day we went over

the Equator nearly everyone who

(2)

had not crossed the line

before was dipped in a tank of

salt water, at the orders of

Father Neptune, and believe me

it was a very funny procedure.

Mum, Gran can probably explain

it to you more fully than I

can on paper but I can tell 

you it was very amusing.

On our way across we

called at Albany but as we

only stopped about 12 hours while

she coaled we were not allowed

off. So I could not get any

post Cards to send home, but

the xxxx Harbour with King

Georges Sound xx the xxxxxx

at the Entrance is a most 

butiful _∨beautiful Sight.

Mum when you are

writing back send me [[Nan?]] Troy's

address. I must write to her I

have had my Photo taken on

board and if it is successful

I will send it home, I have

only short trousers, shirt and

white shoes on, and from that

you will see how we knock

PRO4772 (item 2) p 1 of 2

(3)

about on board a troop ship 

for when we got in the

tropics it was as hot enough

to burn water.

Well Mum I think I will

have to draw to a close.

(Expect a long newsy letter

next time, for the next time I

write we will be landed I hope,

and I will have something to

tell you.

Give my love to Gran

Dad and all the rest not

forgetting yourself,

from your loving Son

Jim

 x x x x

Mum tell Bess to tell Nell English or

any of the Girls from the Tennis Courts

she might see that I will write

when I get to the otherside.

Good Bye.

Jim

22^nd Sept 1918

Dear Mum,

At last I have arrived in

Egypt after a fine trip over, and

am camped at a place named

Moascar, it is very hot here

with nothing to see but sand

in fact you wake up in the

morning and have to get some

one to dig the sand away from

you, but however Mum we will

be leaving here in a couple

of months when we have finished

our training, and perhaps then we

will see some sights.

On our way over we called

at Albany (W.A) our next stop

was Colombo where I spent

a fine day; First of all we went

round the town in "Rickshaws"

then four of us took a taxi

Cab and went about fourteen

(2)

miles out of town, through

native villages & Plantations 

to a place named Mount Lavinia

We then had a beautiful dinner

at Mount Lavinia Hotel,

a magnificent building right

on the waters edge, and most

butifully furnished all the 

furniture is covered in silk

and believe me the Australia

Hotel is not in the same street

as this place, and whilst here

there I had some [[fam_∧ⁱous]]

Indian Currie together with

about a dozen other Eastern

dishes, and I do not think

I ever ate a bigger feed in

my life. Then we drove round

the villages to see the Temple

a very pretty place all

carved and engraved by the

(3)

Natives. We then went back

to Echlan Barracks Colombo

where we fell in and marched

down to the boat just about

an hour before she saⁱled.

Fourteen days more at 

sea fund us at Port Suez

where we disembarked and took

train to Moascar and landed here

about 10 o'clock at night.

Mum still address my

letters the same except where 

you used to write A.I.F Abroad

now put A.I.F Egypt.

How is Gran & Dad

Yourself & the rest of the

family keeping. I hope they

are in the best of health

How is Jack doing with

Arthur Parr.

Well Mum I think I will

(turn over)

have to draw to a close

With Love

from Your Son

x x x

PRO4772 (item 3) P3 of 3

Postcard

11^th Oct. 1918.

Dear Mum,

I am writing

you these few lines on

this pecular paper merely

as a Keep Sake of Egypt,

I have not had an

opportunity of buying

anything to send home yet

as I have not been

to Cairo yet, and will

not get there until I 

have been in the 

firing line three months