Letters from George Alexander Hugh Murray to his family, 1916 - Part 5

I have found no trace of Les yet - though

I have written to him to his last address

and I also wrote to the Record office but

have not received an answer yet. He

may be camped very near me for one

does not see half of the chaps that

are around him.

Saturday 6th was a Public Holiday in

Cairo to celebrate King George's Ascencion

to the throne. Up to date it has been

the stormiest reign for many a long day.

I sent my watch home but it is not

up to much after the salt water got

into it.

With the new lot of Victorians that came

here I did not know one of them

they were mostly in and around

Melbourne. They are not near the

size of the first crowd that left.

You see some chaps & you wonder

how they passed the height test.

All the guard is asleep for it is

close on one oclock in the

morning but I could not rest so I

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took on letter writing.

I cannot think of any thing more now

so I will close

From your loving son

& Brother

George X X X

For God, For King & For Country

Y.M.C.A.

WITH THE

MEDITERRANEAN EXPEDITIONARY FORCE

 

Amongst the flies in

Egypt  18/5/16

 

All at home,

Well, it is really too

hot today and for the last

few days for any one to go out

into the sun and the tents

are like furnaces while the white

sand throws back the heat - just

like you were in front of a furnace

and the only cool place anyone

could find was in the mess

hut. They are made of wicker

They stop the suns rays but

let through and breeze

that may happen to stroll

along, but they are very few

& far between.

I had a [?] party putting

up tents in the cool of the

evening when I met Ted Trew

For God, For King & For Country

Y.M.C.A.

WITH THE

MEDITERRANEAN EXPEDITIONARY FORCE.

 

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and the first thing he asked

me had I met Jim. I never

knew that he was here, but

Ted found me. He does look

well but the heat plays up

with him since then I have

met Hec Clarke xxxx A. Quint

& Bob Levens from Wbina. The

old drummer of the 14th Batt

band. I met Arthur & Bob at

the funeral of one of the

14th chaps. He had a sunstroke

and died from it; but he

is not the only one by far for

there have been dozens that

xxxhave had a stroke of

sun and most of them

have got over it

I have had a letter from

Bess not long ago, but I never

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got a letter from the mail that

was given out today but I suppose

my letter will still go to England

so I can look forward to them

to turn up after I have left

this place.

I cannot get any word from

Les though. I have written to

the Record Office about him,

but from his mates in the

old regiment they have told

me that he has gone to

France with part of his unit

but I cannot find out if

it is correct or not

I am as well as the weather

will allow.

I am run out of news for this

time

So Goodbye

From your loving son & Brother

George.

Still in the desert

Egypt

May 24/1916

 

All at home,

I received a letter from you today

also one from Bess. I have answered

here and will try to do my best

towards this one but there is absolutely

nothing I can say for it is the old same thing,

day after day, but it will have

to change before long for it is getting far

too warm for us. There was a heat-wave

here for a few days and it took

a terrible lot of our fellows out.

Jim is in his camp with one hut.

I have only seen him once for he has

been shifted from his old lines & I

have not found out where he is now,

but of Les I cannot get a trace through

I have written to him also to the Record

Office but cannot get a reply so he

must have gone with his unit to

another country.

It is twelve months today since the

Armistice on Gallipoli. We were inoculated

O Hetta

for cholera today. It is the fourteenth time

I have been done so I think I have had 

my share of them.

There is nothing that I can say

so I will close

From your loving Son

& Brother

George.

Egypt

May 24 - 1916

 

Dear Bess

I received a letter from you today

I had been to England & back here again

I also had one from Hetta and am

answering both straight away.

Jim is in this camp with me but

I have only seen him once for he has been

shifted from his old lines.

Today is Empire Day also the Day of the 

Armistice on Gallipoli. We have a half

holiday but to make up help to remember

[?] day, we were innoculated for cholera

It is the fourteenth time that I have been

done so there must be a lot of foreign

germs in my body.

I cannot get a line from Les at all

though I have written to him & to the

record office but cannot get a reply

There is absolutely nothing I am allowed

to say for things are very strict at present 

It is really getting too hot to do any parades

but we get up at 4-30 drill from 5 till 8

& from 4 to 6 so we miss the hottest part

of the day but the night getting gets terribly

cold.

The letter I received from you had Lester's

Number on it but some one had altered

it to mine so I received it alright.

Well Bess I am at the end of my

tether so will close

From your loving Brother

George.