Letters from James Joseph Augustus Sweeney, 1918-1919 - Part 2

I am now going 

through the fix a Riding

School, and it is very

hard work, for when you

are Not riding you are

working cleaning your

gear, in fact it took

the Sgt. Major 1 ½ hrs. to

tell us what we had

to do then, he finished

by saying you can have

the rest of the time to

yourself.  So you can

see, we are not sleeping

all day long.

Mum, War News is

very good over here and

in fact on all fronts

and the general opinion

of everyone over here is

that the War will be

over very soon and

We will be back

again in Aussie.

Mum, I heard that

Ned O'Meara left

Moascar the day I arrived

here, it was stiff luck

I did not see him, but

however, I know he is 

in the 1st Light Horse

and as soon as I

get to the firing line

I will fish him up.

How is Jack (our

Village Smith) faring at

his trade I hope he has

settled down, it is very

little use enquiring

about Vince I suppose

he is just the same

as ever.

I hope Gran, Dad

yourself, Lip, Joe, Grace,

Francis and poor old

Bess is keeping in

the best of health.

Mum I intend getting

a table centre with

my colours on as soon

as I go to Ismailia

again to send home to

you, also tell Bess & Gran

I will buy something

for them when I go

to Cairo, as the things

here are not much good.

Well Mum I think

I will beat it to

my tent and get to bed

because we have to

get up at 4 o'clock every

morning now over here

and I tell you I roll

over 6 or 7 times.

From you loving Son

JimX X X X X X

(damaged envelope)

On [[?]}

No Stam..

Mrs. J. Sweeney

Herman St

Kogarah

N.S.W.

Australia

^_________

1

18th October 1918

Dear Gran,

I received Mums first letter yesterday

together with the two thoughtful notes from Grace

& Francis, for I tell you it is a great thing

to hear from Home, and to know that everything

is alright.

Well Gran, I suppose you have

learnt by this time that I was admitted to

No. 2. Stationary Hospital for a few days

suffering from my old complaint Tonsillitis (get

the way I spell it) but I am _∧was in no way

bad, and am now fit again, and in fact

feeling much better for the short rest.

I received letters from Aunt Min,

Aunt Mary., Nell English, & Rosie Harrison.

Nell English also sent me my Photo, taken

on Horse Back by Clarice Rielly one Sunday

Evening at the Tennis Court, I think it

turn over

3

is a very fine Snap Shot, She says

she is going to send you one, I think

it is very thoughtful of her, don't you.

At all events Gran I intend having one taken

over here Mounted and will send it home to

you.

I think within about a weeks time

I will be sent to Base Details where I

will try to get in to the 1st Light

Horse Regt.  (This is Ned O'Ryan's Unit)

and from what I can hear is a very

fine unit my colours then will be

Blue & White, some colours eh.

Well Gran my training is now

nearly over and it was the hardest month

ever I put in, in my life, and would

sooner go working on the roads for

6 months than go through another

month of it.

It came as a bit of a shock

PRO 4772 (item 5) P 1 of 2

3

to me to hear of the Marriage of

Frank Schneider, but I suppose these boys

will be foolish eh;  has Joe left for the

front yet I suppose he just mist the

families eventful day, bad Luck.

Well Gran, I suppose I think I

will have to shoot off to bed.

Again hoping yourself, Mum, Dad &

the rest of the family are in the best of health

from your loving Grandson

Jim

________________________________

5/353 Lpr. J Sweeney

4th G.S.R.N.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Rxxxxxx Egypt

___________________

2nd December, 1918.

Dear Dad,

Your letter, together with

three from Bess dated as late as

7th October, 1918 found me in Palestine

at a place called "Ruchon", I 

am attached to the 1st Aust. Light

Horse and my address now will

be as follows:-

57353  Lpr. J. Sweeney

R C Troop, B. Squadron,

1st A.L.H. Regt.

A.I.F., Abroad.

We have a beautiful camp here,

right between four green hills

as a matter of fact the

whole of Palestine is covered

at the present time with beautiful

grass, which provides a good

2.

change of food for our

horses, which are now

beginning to look well

and if we are here for Christmas

I think I will be given leave

to Cairo for a week.

Of course you have

read the news as regards the

war, and know more details

of the proceedings than we do

over here, and up to the present

we have heard no news of our

future movements, we may stop

 here in Egypt or we may be

sent to some other front ^__ there

is no telling, but if everything

goes on as they have been doing

we all ought to be back in

Australia by say next June, however

that is common talk over here.

PRO4772 (item 6) p1 of 4

3

Before I left details

camps in Moascar I met

Ned O'Meara, who is looking

very well, he had just returned

from Hospital after having

a pretty rough time with

fever, which I must say has

been very bad on this front

lately, he told me he had

a letter from Bess; I had a

long chat with him the

night before I left for the

lines, which proved very handy,

for when I left him I knew

the ropes as well as many of

the old Soldiers.

You mentioned in 

your letter that all at home

were well, except for Tip and Joe

who, Bess says have had

4

Influenza, that complaint I

think comes from over here,

it is called over hear

"Spanish Flu".  It is a remarkable 

thing I heard it was going about

in Aussie, and immediately I

thought of poor tip, so you

see I was not far of out.

I was so sorry to hear

of M^r O'Meara's illness also of the 

death of poor old M^rs Young, you

might ask Gran to carry my

deepest sympathy to Miss Power.

Dad I received that Christmas

Card from M^r Gunarsen, which

I have answered to-night, I also

received a letter form Aunt Min

telling me of the News regarding

the Flemings, and of the illness

of Jack Troy in Melbourne.

PRO4772 (item 6) p 2 of 4