Letters from George Alexander Hugh Murray to his family, 1916 - Part 4

Corporal George A. H. Murray
Returned to duty
Somewhere in the desert
Egypt 18/4/16
All at home
It is up to me to write again but what
I am to say is a mystery for all letters are
heavily censored now.
I went to look for Les and found out that
he had left with his regiment for some
place unknown. I wrote to him but ho am
not likely to receive an answer for this
is the third camp I have been in since
landing and are moving tomorrow for
another place. It cannot be much
worse than this one for it is about
a hundred miles from nowhere and
all you ever see is soldiers niggers sand
& flies This not too bad considering.
I met Jack Ryan a couple of days ago
and he told me the first news of his
brother's wife (Min Burke) having died
It has been a sweltering hot day & was
easily 115° in the shade & it will continue
for days at a time, but during

night and especially towards the morning
You require all the covering you can
get for the cold is intense.
We are now encamped on the ground
where Kitchener fought one of his Egyptian
battles & the grave yard is not faraway
It gives all their names. A few of our
own chaps now lie amongst those
old soldiers.
I am getting as brown as a berry for I
only wear a singlet & a pair of shorts
nearly to my thighs. The sun played up
with me for a start but it takes no
effect upon me now.
I have had no letters since leaving England
& will not likely to for some time now as
I am always shifting from one place
to another.
Before this letter I reaches you I hope to
have found Les and then he can tell me
the news. I am quite well & happy
Hoping & praying you are all well
I remain
your loving brother & son
George
xxx 

Corporal George A. H. Murray
Returned to duty
Egypt
22/4/16
All at home,
Again Easter Sunday has come
round twelve months ago (by the time date)
(not to me) we marched out of Heliopolis
for our baptism of fire. Not many
of the first lot that left are alive
today for hundreds gave up their lives
gallantly for a good cause.
The 25th April is set apart for us to
celebrate the first Anniversary of our
landing on enemy shore. Sports are
to be held on that date.
I was walking through an old military
cemetary a few days ago & I saw
the t names of Murray & Gunns' who
belonged to the 74th Highland Light Infantry
They fell in one of Kitchener's large
battles which was fought not many
miles from this camp on the 23rd
September 1882 I have been wondering
if they were some of our relations 

Since lasts writing I have found out
that Les has gone away with his regiment
where I cannot find out but I
may come across him later on.
I have put in for a transfer to another
unit but have heard nothing further
about it yet. I found out that there 
was no chance of getting back into
my old unit for it is far over strength
now.
Easter Saturday was very hot but when
I woke up Sunday morning there was
a very heavy fog over the whole
country so that is some thing of the
kind of weather one has to put up
with
I have had no letters since leaving
England & in this place one near never
hears much of how the war is
progressing but a lot of us will know
more about it before long for they
wont keep us too long in this
country so we have some more
to look forward to 

I am going to write to Alex Gunn as soon
as I have finished this
I cannot think of anything more just
now.
So I will close
Hoping you are all well
I am your loving son & Brother
George
I broke my watch Glass & spring &
have no chance of getting it mended
so am sending it along with my original
numbers & colours x 

Egypt
May 1st 1916
All at home.
My watching & waiting for the home
letters has been rewarded at last by me
this morning receiving three also a card
from Ray Marchant. They were returned
from England so took some time to
find me but better late than never
One was from Bess another from Lena
& the other from home. They are the first
I received since I left England &
you can bet how I rejoiced to when
I got them
When in guard a few days ago I ran
into Wallie Marchant. He was very
much surprised to see me. He told me a
lot of news about Warrack for he gets his
mail regularly
I have kept a diary of my travells since I
left Kent and when it is full I will
send it along
I am on Quarter Guard to day for the 

old chaps have no need to go through the
same training as the new arrivals so all
the duties falls to us. It is far better doing
Guards & Fatigues than going on Parades
for y  they only do the same work
as we did eighteen months ago & it is
not too nice doing that kind again.
I have written to Les but do not know
his correct where abouts so I wrote
to the Record Office but have received
no answer yet.
HeToday is a bit cooler than the ordinary
run of weather for there is a nice cool
breeze blowing.
A chap out of the old 14th Batt told me
that he met Uncle Dan in Melbourne
last February.
The writing paper that Lena sent me came
in very handy for I was running pretty
short and not much likelihood of getting
any more for some time.
The mess hut are the only cool places
one can get into in this camp. They
are made of rush mats. All right for 

3
hot weather but no good when the
dust storms come along, although I
have not seen a good one since I
returned, but it come up pretty dusty at
times.
The Y.M.C.A. are a very good institution
The best thing that was ever invented
for Camp use, and there are a few
in this outlandish place for we are
now dozens of miles from nowhere
and are camped out in the desert
too.
The bag Pipe Band & Brass Band are the
only music one hears from day to day
but one gets used to this kind of life
after he has been at it for some time
and some would be sorry to leave it.
I cannot find out any thing about
Ken Hutchinson though I have asked
many about him but none of his
battalion does not seem to know
what has become of him.
Tell Bess I will write to her next
time for there is not much that we
are allowed to say but I would 

4
tell a terrible lot about the doings &
happening in and around this camp
but then the letter would never reach
home so she must remain censored 
till I see them in person
I am quite well & am contented
I cannot think of any thing more this
time So goodbye for the present.
While I remain
Your ever loving Brother & Son
George 

Egypt
9/5/16
All at home
I received another bundle of letters
today, they were returned from England
I got a couple of old ones written
months ago they must have got off the
tract and wandered about on their
own. That what dad said about the
Red Cross is quite him
I am doing guard tonight and feel
far from well, infact I have not
been able to do much since I left
England. I can hardly carry my pack
on account of pains in the chest. They
have been there for weeks & seem that
they cannot be lifted, but worst of all
is my eyes. They are going from bad
to worse and this desert climate does
not improve them
I have a couple of old mates in my
tent of J. Ryan is one of them. He does not
seem to weather the drilling too well.