Letters from Geoffrey Gordon McCrae to his family, 1916 - Part 1

HM.T. EMPRESS OF BRITAIN

4.1.1916

Dearest Mother Father & Helen.
We are on our way back to Egypt and I 
am Thankful to get away from the cold wet and
mud of Lemnos where we have been since the
evacuation of Anzac. Our Battalion had the honor
to be one of the last to leave the latter place I

am not permitted to give details of that great

operation, which I think has not its parallel

in history. I have been very unfortunate as

regards my personal effects. Our baggage was

sent away from Anzac before us and mine

was amongst a lot that was looted by the

Greek sailors on the transport who went

through our bags took what they wanted

and pitched the remainder over board.

Now in this move from Lemnos I was detailed

as Embarkation Officer for the Division

my duties kept me at the pier all day for

two days. The Battalion went away on the

first day so of course my tent was left

lonely and unguarded. When I went

back to it in the evening of the first day

I found my blankets and my pack gone

In my pack was my diary. I have kept

since the beginning of  things, all my letters

I was written to you since early in December

at which time they stopped our outward

mail. Also Twenty five of our Battalion

Christmas Cards already in addressed

envelopes. All my shaving and toilet

gear a change of underclothing and

some curios. I have made every endeavour

to trace the above but have now given

up the lot as gone for ever. When I came

to this ship I was the last to come on board

and no one had thought of getting me a cabin

I however fell on my feet and got a State 

room to myself it was reserved for Genl

Godley but he went by another boat.

I will have to get a completely new

outfit when I get to Egypt but alas

nothing will replace my diary  I haven't

the heart to commence a new one. I may

be able to get some more cards printed if so

I will send them along as soon as possible

I do not feel in the mood for much writing

So will close with

Much love

from

Geoff.

HMT EXPRESS OF BRITAIN

4.1.1916

Dearest Helen

I must thank you very much for
your many letters from Sydney 
during October. You will see by mater's

letter that the answers to them have

met a sad fate. I managed to procure

a few of the Battalion Christmas Cards

to-day and hope they will go through

alright. We had the Colonel back with

us for a couple of weeks just before

leaving Gallipoli he however had the

misfortune to sprain his ankle the day

previous to the evacuation and had to

be sent away. I was on observation work

again but this time I had a lovely safe

station well behind the firing line but in

a very commanding position and over

looking the whole of the left of the Turkish

position and the country beyond from

Gaba Tepe to Kirthia and Ache Baba

across to Khalid Bahr Ranges. The station

was a young fortress, overhead cover, steel

loopholes and sand bags galore.  I had two

of the finest telescopes so mens actions 3 or 4

2

miles away were easily discernable.  I had

six observers under me who worked in

shifts, and every man and beast's movement

in sight was noted time, position on map 

etc. At night I used to compile a daily

report from these notes and make any

necessary sketches and send these on  to HQ.

One morning early we discovered an enemy

gun firing at a destroyer from a new position

the artillery were notified and in the

afternoon there was very little left of the

gun or its emplacement. The day of

evacuation was marked by a two

hours bombardment by a new 14" gun

the Turk's had been sometime getting into

position. the put in 28 of these high

explosive shells which did little

damage beyond making huge craters

in the ground 15' x 8' You could hear

these coming some twenty seconds before

they hit and then if you happened 

to be looking in the right direction

you could actually see the shell and

then up would go a solid column

of earth which would be dropping

about hundreds of yards away for

3

thirty seconds.  One big junk I could

just carry came fully 400 yards so

you can guess ^how glad we were they received this luxury
for a send off and never got a casualty

Of the evacuation I cannot say

more. Christmas and New Years passed

very quietly There was no elaborate feeds

we were living in a very hand to mouth

fashion for we were expecting to be moved

each day. I got a billy can filled with

very excellent things from Mrs A J Cesswick

and a pudding from some lady in Backers

Road. I can't thank her again cause I have

forgotten her name. Christmas eve night

was a trial on my nerves they all blew

off to the Hospital for supper. I didn't want

to go so I walked across with them and
came back by myself. Just as I got

back to camp the moon broke through

the clouds and turned the still waters

of the harbour into a sheet of quick

silver upon which the hundreds of

silent anchored transports looked like

a vast flock of sleeping water fowl

Over the water came the distant notes of

carols being sung by the Tommies and

(4)

in the distance a
band commenced

"Christmas awake" and

all the old Christmas Hymns.

I tried to shut the sounds
out only having to go and

listen again. In my imagination

I could hear old Herbert's church bell.

The exact tone as if it was there in

actuality. I thought of these better and to

me wasted years my hopes of becoming an architect

are daily becoming fainter.  I am tired of things

military. My thoughts were bitter and I was homesick

to the core. They are taking us now to somewhere

in Egypt and each day sends me farther from

Maude as I will have to begin from the beginning

again, _^if I get home and it will be an uphill fight for a

chap of my age. Surely the God of war must be

satiated by the slaughter by now. Jackson and

I do not get on well together and for months

our attitude towards one another has been

that of an aimed neutrality. I am

sorry but I feel quite incapable of

making any overtures whereby

we might come to look upon

each other more amicably

So thing drift one from

week to week

I met old

Retallick the

Sydney

(5)

doctors one

day at N^o 3 

General Hospital

he was what we

call "well oiled"

St Vincent Welch is now

a Colonel. put I don't think he'll

last long.  I missed seeing poor old

Jimmy Burston he lived two miles

from where we were camped but it was

too great an expenditure of energy to wade

that distance through the sticky mud. From

accounts his military efforts have been equally successful

on active service as they were in peace. I am afraid

I must be getting a liver all the pleasant things!

am here recording so I will cease all this

humour leads me to further indiscretion

Anyway much love to all

from 

Geoff

GHEZIREH PALACE

14.1.1916

Dearest Mother father & Helen,

I received your letter of 6th Nov for which

many thanks. 3 G S Wagon loads of mail arrived as

I was leaving for the clearing Hospital. I got my boy

to get as many letters as he could before the train

left for Cairo. I am living hopes they will

send the rest on. I have been _^since the 10th with

influenza nothing serious. my temperature is a bit

erratic and stay about the hundreds at nights

and descends very  near the normal mark during

the day. I certainly dont feel very ill now but I

felt awful before I came in. We arrived from

Lemnos last Friday and were put in trains at Alex

at 10.30 that night and we were travelling until 6 next

morning at which time we arrived at Tel el Kebir

our new camping ground on the historic

battlefield whose trenches and bleached bones

still bear evidence of the fight. Keith & Ray's

Battery has gone down there I hear so I will

look them up when I return. I am sorry you

have not been getting my letters regularly but

I assure you the fault does does not lie with me

but the postal people.  I am glad to hear

is so full of blooms I wish I was

back to look after it,  mais alas!  I suppose

my time of exile will not cease until

Wilhiem throws in the sponge. I am

being very well looked after here. I am in

a room with a ceiling some 35 ft in height

and floor space of about 40 x 30 it is decorated

with gilded beedings & numerous gold sways

as a friese.  On the walls are huge mirrors in

massive gilded frames hideously ornate in

elaborate design. From the centre hangs a

chandelier composed of gilded flying cupids &

scroll work.  This room I expect was  the scene

of many a festive gathering of Tourists before the

War turned the World's pleasure palaces in the

chambers of pain. There is indeed very little

to write about. I have not visitors except one

old girl a Mrs Millar whom I met at Cypress came 

in this morning and left an English literary

magazine with me

Much love to all

from

Geoff

N^o 2 General Hospital

GEZIREH. 18.1.191`6

"For we'll sing & shout

Until we're all tired out

For its my birthday"

I don't think! for the last eight days I

have been living on beef tea jelly & custard

and its getting fairly monotonous. We have

a great Doctor to look after us Col Gordon

he never does anything unnecessary he was

at the Clearing Hospital at Anzac from start

to finish. When he comes round and looks at

your chart and sees you are doing all right

he walks over says nothing. The other day

another medico was admitted as a patient

a thorough fadest and as finicky as they're

made. When he is not moaning he is criticizing

the running of the hospital as attempting

to prescribe for the patients in the ward but

most of the sisters shut him up and tell

him if he has any suggestions to make as to

our treatment he's better tell Gordon. This same

blighter insists on having the windows & door

shut and also he possesses a wife & an aenemic

child who sit by his bedside morning & afternoon