Letters from Geoffrey Gordon McCrae to his family, July - September 1915 - Part 2










Cpt
GG McC
1st Australian Stationary Hospital
17.7.1915
Dearest Mother Father & Helen
My face is rapidly
assuming its normal condition
again and I don't think I
shall even be marked. The
Doctors consider it was a miracle
that my eyes were not seriously
damaged. The Great God has
shown me great mercy in this
campaign and I trust he shall
hear our prayers and bring me
safely back to you all. When
you are continually facing death
day after day week in week out
you begin to realize the futility
of human conciets and the our
utter dependence on the Almighty
The sun has scorched up
the beauties of this island
and now where there used
to be a blaze of brilliant color
naught but dust is found.
68
Last night Dr Levrck who
was down at the South
Pole with Scott gave us
an illustrated lecture on
his experiences it was
a most cooling sight to
look upon the scenes of
ice & snow and most
refreshing midst this
heat & dust. We have the
two giant Cunard Boats
Aquitania and Mauretanian
in Port. Nothing to tell
you more
Much love to all
From Geoff
1DRL 427
4113
Cpt
GG McC
1st Australian
Stationary Hospital
19.7.1915
Dearest Mother Father & Helen
Colonel Bryant is
sending me down to Alexandria
To recuperate my faced is
beginning to assume its
normal lines again I am
feeling pretty fit physically
put not quite up to standing
up to shell fire yet. but I
shall be set right up after my
trip. They gave me a little
send off by inviting me into
their Officers mess last night
we had a very fine dinner
I really have nothing to write
about but just thought I let
you know what my
movements were I enclose
a cutting from the "Times"
in which is announced
70
my first wound Poor
old Perenuzel had one leg
so shattered that it had
to be amputated and
Flockhart had his head
smashed I doubt if he
will live. Here am I
still hanging on having
had two narrow escapes
I wonder what next will
befall me. Although life
is very boring it is wonderful
how you long to cling to it
but it is not our present
life we hang on for it is the
life of the future if we
ever return
1DRL427
4113
General Hospital
ALEXANDRIA
25th July 1915
Dearest Mother Father & Helen
I am almost myself again with the
exception of my internal economy which has
not yet quite righted itself. I was a week
up there in the Field Hospital and had a
beautiful trip here in a Hospital ship. This is
an earthly paradise after Gallipoli I am sleeping
out in a tent on the square it is beautifully airy
and kept spotlessly clean and the meals are simply
gorgeous after what we have been accustomed to.
The Sisters and nurses are awfully good to us
my face is alright except it is pockmarked
where the skin was torn away. I shall probably
always bear these marks as a memento. I am
sending several things home by Major Blizard which
I hope you will like I am being sent to Cyprus for
a holiday. Yesterday I went for a sail on the
Harbour which was "par exellence." Day before yesterday
I was acquainted with the beauties of the Egyptian
summer gliding through shady avenues of brilliant foliage
along Canna bordered canals in a huge magnificent Rolls
Royce then dashing out along the Cairo Road through crops
of maize and sugarcane and groves of bananas
and date palms then through the magnificent
Huza Garden out to San Stefano and back
through the fashionable suburbs of Victoria
and Ramleh which are composed of beautiful
dwellings set in lavish gardens such as the one
seen in the setting of Photo-plays.
everywhere in this vicinity is there evidence of
wealth & opulence. I much prefer this place to
Cairo the heat is not so terrible it is exactly
like summer in Sydney. I have had to fit
myself out with a summer kit seeing everything
I brought away was winter clothing I have found
as Helen has done before that new clothes are as
good as a tonic. In the old things I came down
from Gallipoli in I was often taken for a private
and rudely ordered from places reserved for officers
until I drew attention to the crowns on my
shoulder straps, which brought confusion and
abject appologies from many a pompous & officious
N.C.O. Nothing more of interest just now
Will write again when I have
Much love to all
From
Geoff
CONVALESCENT HOME
MT THROOD05. CYPRUS
4th August 19145
Dearest Mother Father & Helen
A thousand thanks for your letters and
congratulations of 29th June. I have come up here
to get fit and one could not imagine a better
chosen spot. We are 6000ft above sea level in
a pure forest there is a most glorious drive up
here a distance of 40 miles climbing over hills
all the way there are altogether 964 turns in the
road. Which in many places hangs on to precipitous
cliffs by its eyebrows and as the cars run along
here at about 50 miles an hour its fairly
exciting far more so than Gallipoli, you dash down
a steep incline and the road seems to end in
a cliff face and just as you think you are about
to be dashed into eternity you find the road
suddenly swings back almost in its' own tracks
and the ^car sways and almost collides with its' own
back and dashes on along the next stretch only to
repeat the performance times out of number ever
getting higher and the scenery more magnificent.
I am shareing a tent with a chap called Bruce from
Christchurch New Zealand. an awfully nice fellow
we chummed up in The Alexandria Hospital
And have knocked about together ever since. This
is the summer resort for the Government
Officials of the island and Egypt; there are
lots of them up here now with their wives
The Governor gave a garden party yesterday
but I did not go. Most of the women look
prematurely old I have not met any of them
yet but they are awfully good and give
three concerts a week. There is a good tennis
Club here and the life appears to be
exactly similar to that you read of in
stories about the Hill-Stations out in India.
I ^am writing this out on the verrandah of the
Mess House. which looks out over mile upon
mile of pine covered mountains and deep
ravines, here and there the sombre green
of the pines is relieved by the bright
vineyards. The atmosphere is marvellously
clear and you can see the whole Island
from the summit of Mount Olympus.
No more news
Much love
from
Geoff,
Cpt
GG McC
MT.TROOD05
CYPRUS. 14.8.15
Dearest Mother Father & Helen
I am sending you
some photos I have Taken
during my stay here. I
am quite well again and
able to leave here after a
stay of Ten days rather than
a month as originally
intended. I have been
playing very strenuous
Tennis and Hill climbing
a lot. I lunched with
the Governor at Government
House yesterday. No time
for more
Much love
from Geoff.
S.S."SURADA."
Mediterranean
16.8.1915
Dearest Mother father & Helen,
Having become perfectly fit I am now
en route for the Peninsular once again. I have
left Cyprus with it's beautiful scenery and air,
it's sour wine and cliquey community. I am
very glad to have been there, as it is out
of the general run of places one expects to
visit during the ordinary course of one's life,
and I have been able to get some ripping photos
which will give you some idea of the island,
I had the priviledge of dining one evening
with the Kings Advocate for Cyprus: he had a
most luxurious cottage in the fastnesses of
the pine-covered mountains furnished with
exquisite taste; The dinner was equal to
that served i the best of restaurants and
the most glorious Madeira I have tasted. It
was a most pleasing surprise to find oneself
in such comfort after an hour's mule ride along
a rocky trail through the dark pine forest. Thus
this learned bachelor spends his summer months
in the wilderness. I also lunched with the
Governor at his pretty summer residence. He has

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