Typed copy of letters from Frederick William Rowe to his family, 1914-1915 - Part 4

TO OUR ORITIC

FROM AN AUSTRALIAN SOLDIER IN EGYPT

Aint yer got no blanky savvy,

Have yer got no better use,

Then to Fling back home yer inky

Products of your pens abuse

 

Do yer think we've all gone dippy,

Since we landed over here,

Is a soldier less a soldier!

Cause he socks a pint of beer.

 

Have yer got no loving Mother!

Waiting for yer over 'Ome,

Do yer own no smilin sister!

Over there acrost the foam,

 

Do yer thinks they likes yer better,

For yer tales of drink and shame,

Do yer think they'll praise yer action,

In defamin our fair name,

 

One swallow makes no summer,

Three shickers not a force,

Were the few makes it a welter

you condems, the lot o'course,

 

Do yer think yer Gawd Almighty,

Cos yer wears a captain's Stars,

Thinks us blokes is dirt beneath yer

Men of low degree & bars.

 

Say yer cannot be Australian,

Let us say in our defence

Yer can read it on your coinage

Honny soit qui mal y pense.

 

Cease yer wowseristic whining,

Tell the truth & play the game,

And we only ask fair dinkum!

How we keep Australia's name,

 

We're not out to fight the Devil

On a new Salvarmy stunt

To reform the Arabs morals,

While we're waitin for the front,

 

Let me ask you Mr. Critic

Try and face things with a smile,

Don't be finding all the crook-uns

Studying them blokes all the while,

 

Then write home nice and Proper,

"Bout the boys thats all true blue,

And they'll love yer better mister,

This is my advice to you.

 

Tpt. F.E. WESTBROOK

4th Battery, A.F.A.

1st A.I.F. Mena

Price 1 ½ P.T.

(COPYRIGHT)

 

Extra Verse (written by hand)

Let me tip yer mister Critic

Don't take walks along the Nile

Else perhaps yer taste its waters

While the boys look on and smile. 

Mena                  

March [[?]] 13th

Dear Mother,

I received letters from you and Jean yesterday also Table Talk.

It is grand getting the news from home. I am glad you sent the

Table Talk we do not get many papers here that interest us as much

as the papers from home.

We are still in the same camp goodness only knows when we are going

to shift. We hear all sorts of rumours but they all end where they

begin (nowhere).

Things are just about the same here the only difference of note is

that things have gone up in price. I went out to Heliopolis the

other day it has some very beautiful buildings but the town is not

finished yet. It was built for a Monte Carlo. But on account of

the war there are very few tourists about and everything is quiet

there. The Palace Hotel at Heliopolis is said to be the largest

in the world and I am sure it will take a lot of beating. It has

been taken over by the military authorities and is now a hospital.

It is a magnificent building about four times larger than the George

at St.Kilda and inside everything is marble. Some of the pillars

are 3 feet in diameter all marble and the walls and ballustrades

are all solid marble. It is a sight impossible to describe you would

have to see it yourself to realise how beautiful it is. There are

also lovely gardens and lawns around it but these are getting cut

up a bit now. There is a mansion there (more like a miniature

palace than a mansion) belonging to a Belgian. It has statues all

over the place and must have cost a mint of money and is by far the

finest looking place I have ever seen. When Germany demanded the

£8,000,000 to save Antwerp this Belgian gave 2,000,000 so you see

he has got plenty of filthy lucre so you can imagine what the place

is like. There is also a Roman Catholic Church here which in

appearance from the outside takes a lot of beating but is nothing

inside. A feature about Heliopolis is that you see very few natives

there and only the rich live there.

I took a couple of snaps of a French funeral in Cairo the other day

it was the funeral of one of the directors of the Treasury. It was

a very large affair but nothing extraordinary. I picked up an "Age"

that one of the boys received this mail and was looking through the

deaths and noticed the death in Rockhampton Hospital of Syd. McNaughton

from Fyansford he died of Pneumonia. A chap McPherson from

the 6th Battery died on Friday from Pneumonia. He was buried today

with full military honors. His coffin was carried on the gun

covered with the union jack and a firing party fired over his grave.

-2-

I am sending this mail some more photo films that I have taken.

Take care of these Mother as they are valuable to me. Tell Roy

that there might be a couple of snaps worth something to some

of the papers. Tell him that he might be able to make a bit of

pocket money by selling them.

I am also enclosing in a parcel a table centre and a couple of little

momentos for you and one for Jean.

I am sending a packet of post cards to Aunt Emma by this mail, they

are something like the first lot I sent to you only they are coloured.

Has Mr. Bean been sending home any more complimentary letters to the press. He has had a very rough time here and I would not like to

be in his shoes.

I have not been able to find where Florry Davies brother or Len

Aspinal are. I have made several inquiries all without success.

Well mother there is no more to tell so will close with best love

to yourself and Dad Jean and the Boys

Your loving son

Fred

PS Do not pay duty on the parcel I have sent you as everything

is free to soldiers sending goods home. I have addressed

the parcels wrongly the shawl is for Ethel and the table

centre for you. Fred.

Mena

March 27, 1915

Dear Mother

Your welcome letter dated Feb 22. I received yesterday. I

am receiving them fairly regularly now so cannot complain.

We are still at the pyramids and are likely to be here for some

time yet. We were to have moved off early last week but orders

come through cancelling the move indefinitely so we do not know

how long it will be before we get a wriggle on. Today is the

worst day I have ever experienced. The temperature is about 115°

in the shade and there has been a sand storm all day. Thank

goodness it is Sunday and we do not have to go out on parade.

You cannot imagine what a sand storm is like till you have been

in one. You cannot see five yards ahead of you and your face

feels as if it is cut to pieces. We have got our kits in the tents

and have tied the tents up securely and when you go into the tents

you find the kits covered up with sand, it is impossible to keep

it out.

I am sending home some more films of views I have taken here. I

am not sending prints but you can get a print off the negative

in Melbourne. Jack McCormack sent some photos home to his sister

and she has been selling them to the Australasian. Roy might sell

some of my prints to the different papers. Tell him not to sell

the films. Jack McCormack only sold prints.

Tell Roy not to take less than 10/- each for a print (McCormack)

got more than this. If he happens to sell any he is on half the

money. You mentioned in your letter about gambling. You have

nothing to fear I have not seen a card since we left the ship. One

cannot afford to gamble in a place like this. Bert Richmond comes

across a good deal and we often go to the pictures together. He

wished to be remembered to you.

Fancy Wal Howson divorcing his wife. She must have been a bit of

a nut. Well Mother it is a terrible day to write a letter and

there is very little news so I will close with best love to all

including Ethel Fred and Jean 

Your loving son

Fred

Mena

April 4th

Dear Mother

Just the usual weekly and probably the last letter I will be

able to write to you for some time as we are moving off this week

and I believe all our messages home will have to be written on

active service post cards so you will not receive very much news.

Last Monday all the troops in camp here at Mena were inspected by

Sir Ian Hamilton.  It was a grand site to see us all massed

together in our different units.  He came down the lines and

inspected unit and section separately.  We had a march past.

You could see the Light Horse about 50 in a line marching past

as straight as a die then we marched past eight guns in a line

the wheels all in a line it would have made a very good snap shot

but of course I had no chance to take one.

Talking about photos I will be taking to the front with me over a

hundred films so I ought to be able to take a few snaps. I have

about 50 films that I have taken but not been able to send

them home.  I hope the ones I have sent home arrived all right.

A lot of the chaps here who have sent photos etc. home say that they

have not reached there so I am going to stick to the ones I have

got and not risk losing them.

One of our chaps a driver named Charlie Newman died on Tuesday

morning from Pneumonia. He went into hospital on the previous

Wednesday. On the Tuesday evening he was well as could be and

we were all larking and singing but about 9.00 he said he had a

pain in the chest so he got one of the boys to rub it for him

and he then went to bed. About two or so in the morning he woke

up moaning and in pain so one of the chaps went for the doctor and

he ordered him to be removed to Mena House but it was no good he

never rallied and collapsed about 3.00 am the following Tuesday.

He was buried with full military honors on Wednesday.  He was in

my Sub and we had the coffin mounted on our own gun and the harness

of the horses were draped with white, the coffin was covered with

the Union Jack. The whole battery turned out to the funeral, also

a lot of old South African soldiers who were chums of his at the

S.A. War. The order of march was the 5th Inf. Band then came the

firing party followed by the gun carriage then the pall bearers and

the battery following. It was a very impressive sight and I shall

never forget it for a long time. He was buried in the Military

Cemetery which is situated in old Cairo.

The Battery is erecting a tomb stone on the grave costing about

£13 which will be a very decent one for that price here. Yesterday

all his wearing kit was sold by auction and realised £15 odd. Of

course we bid ridiculous prices and the money that is received is

-2-

sent home to his little daughter his wife being dead. His mother

is alive bit is very old and those here who know her are afraid

that she will collapse when she hears the news. One does not

know who he is going to meet next in th[is?] crowd. I went to the

Brigade Guard tent to hand my pass in on Goodfriday night and

ran into Percy Reed from the Ford. Roy knows him very well and

he wishes to be remembered to Roy. He is in the Fifth Battery

F.A. Well Mother there is very little news to tell so I will

close with best love to all.

Your loving Son

Fred

 

6th 1915

Dear Mother and Dad

We are leaving Egypt tonight and are going to do our bit

for King and Country. We do not know where we are going but it

is only going to be  a short sea trip and I suppose by the time this

letter reaches you we will be well in the thick of it.

All I can say Mother is that I am very happy and well contented and

am one of 6 in our sub section who will [ ] the gun

detachment when we first go into action.

It is the first time Australia has ever been represented in any

war with Artillery so we have got to make a name and God grant

that we do so and one that will not be forgotten for many a day.

I am in the best of health and am fitter for a rough time than I

have ever been before so you have nothing to worry about. Well

Mother I am just sneaking the time to write this as we are busy

packing up so I will have to close wishing yourself the best of

health also best love to self Dad and Roy Jack Jean Ethel Fred

And Baby.

Your loving son

Fred

Alexandria

Sailors Home 

Dear Mother 

We have loaded the Ship the S.A. Karroo A.19 and are

moving off tonight. We do not know whether we are going on

by ourselves or whether we are going to anchor out a little.

We have no more idea where we are going than you have but I

suppose it will be the Dardenelles.  I have just received

the mail it was brought onto the ship for us and was very

sorry I did not receive a letter from you. I received one

from Florry Wilson she is a nut.

I received the Australasian it is grand to get some of the

news. Jack McCormack is unlucky he had to go into the hospital

yesterday with appendicitis so he will not be able to go into

section with us. Well Mother I have only got ½ hour and I

want to scribble a line to Ethel so will have to cut this short.

I will not say goodbye just Au-revoir so I hope to see you all

again. Remember me to all my friends who you know and best

love to yourself Dad Jean and Jack.

I have just been called out as we are moving off at once. Cheer

up Mother do not worry I am confident that we are coming through

all right.

I will not be able to write to Ethel & Fred so give them my best

love and tell them that I will to them every chance I get.

Your loving Son

Fred

(This letter has been censored, but I am fairly certain that I

can read what has been crossed out)

April 22nd

Dear Mother,

Today I received a letter from you dated March 16th. I

also received one from Jean. I am glad you are receiving my

letters alright. I had not missed a mail up to the time we

[-] and on the night we departed I scribbled a few

lines to you but had to cut off suddenly, a Sargeant coming

in the Sailors Rest where I was writing and telling us that

[-] was on the move almost at once.

I did not waste much time getting back and as it was they had

the gangway up and had to lower it to let us on board.

Geoff Sheppard missed the [-] but picked us up a couple of

days later.

We are still on the ship doing the usual work that has to be

done when horses are [-] Duties and fatigues are very light

and we are all in the best of spirits. When we first came onto

the ship some of us suffered with our feet. I suppose it was

the hardness of the deck compared with the sand which always

gave under ones feet.

We are getting very decent food on board this lugger and is a

bit too rich for us after the stews we used to get at Mena.

We are a bit crowded but I can always find a place to lay down

and have a snooze so am contented. I will not be able to send

you any more long letters for a while but will write to you

whenever it is possible to do so. You must not worry if you

do not hear from me for two or three weeks at a time as there may

not be a mail or it may be impossible for me to send any news.

I am glad you are keeping well and have got over bad turns.

The attack of pleurisy must have settled them.

It is getting late Mother and light out goes at 9.15 so I must close

this brief note with best love to yourself and Dad Jean and the

Boys

From you loving son

Fred

Give my love to Ethel Fred and the Chip

May 12th 1915

Dear Mother

I received your letter and papers yesterday and also a

letter from Ethel. I was very glad to get them and glad to

hear that you are all well.

Had a bit of bad luck today got right in the way of a piece

of shrapnel and of course stopped it, as luck had it it went

right through without striking a bone. I got it through the

thigh it it not serious and I will be back with the Gun in

a few days.

I hope you got the rain in time it is what we do not want

here. Sandy wishes to be remembered to you and Jean also

Stan Lister. Arthur Mann has been slightly wounded but I

suppose he is back with the the Battery now.

Well Mother there is no news so I will close with best love

to yourself and Dad Jean Roy and Jack, also Ethel and Fred

Your loving son

Fred.

R.M.S. "Mauretania" stationery

Parts of this letter has been censored, but

I have managed to decipher what has been written

Mudros

Lemnos Island

June 6th

Dear Mother,

I have been going to write to you this last week but kept

putting it off. I am going to Gallipoli today my leg

being all right again now. We were to have gone back yesterday

but no ship came in for us so we had to go back to hospital.

I have had a bit of a spell on this island but it is only a one

horse town so we do not see much life here. We had a bit of

excitement here about a week age a German Biplane flew over the

island and dropped a couple of bombs. Neither of them did any

damage. The aviator must have had a very poor eye. He was only

about ½ a mile off the target.

The s.s. Maurentania has arrived here with troops on board. I

went aboard her the other day she is a beautiful ship. I did not

have the chance to go right over her but managed to a see a little.

I have been trying to trace Len Aspinall but without any luck.

Noone seems to know where he is.

Jack Orr has been killed he died of wounds received on the third

day. He is the son of Orr the Grocer in High St. Prahran. I

have been asking after Harold Seeley but can get no news of any

kind about him. Well Mother Australia has played the game it is

grand to hear the way the sailors off the battleships speak of our

boys they cannot say enough. I am not going to say anything about

the deeds the infantry have done only that they did in 20 minutes

what they were told would take 3 days.

It was a terrible landing they were under shell fire and gun fire

from the time they left the ships. Each boat held 40 each and out

of the two boats I know of only nine reached the shore. The men did

not wait for the boats to get right in but jumped into the water

above their waists and waded ashore. When they got on the sand

off came their packs and with fixed bayonets they charged the hills.

It was a great feat and will remain in history for years, The six

bob a day tourists have made a name for Australia that will live

for ever. I am not in a good writing mood so will close wishing

you the best of good things and trusting that you are enjoying good

health also Dad, Jean and the boys, and give my love to Ethel & Fred

Your loving son

Fred.