Letters from Geoffrey Gordon McCrae to his family, 1916 - Part 3

No 2 A.G.H.
GEZIREH
10/2/1916
Dearest Mother Father & Helen,
This is my fifth week in bed my temp
dropped to normal for 3 days but much to my disgust
and to Drs and sisters it has sailed back to 101^o again
General Birdwood came to visit us yesterday I was
speaking to him for about five minutes. Dr Leese
whom I have often met at the Luxtons is in
this ward. his wife brought me some gorgeous
roses and some books I am never lacking in
flowers Dr Gwynn Hughes who is also laid up
in here has also a very kind wife who buys
me roses, sweets, and oranges of which I am allowed
to have the juice. We have a new sister in
the ward an Irish woman who has taken me
under her wing and looks after me like an
anxious mother and makes me special dishes to
break the awful monotony of jelly custard. You
can thus gather that everybody's awfully good to
me. The mail closes so the epistle needs must
also if it goes with
much love
from
Geoff.
 

GEZIREH
HOSPITAL
10-2. 1916
1 DRL 427
4/3
 

No 2. AUST. GEN HOSPITAL
To Winifred
GEZIREH 14.2.16
Thank you very much for your letter of the
14th Dec: This is my sixth week here my temp:
is daily wobbling round the normal line on the
chart; so, I am beginning to have hopes of
getting something to eat soon. Sister Gibson
who is a great friend of Mary and Jeanie Martin
is nursing me. She also seems to know you and
Helen; Dr. Lethbridge was seedy a while back
and in the bed opposite me. I didn't make
myself known to him for four or five days.
In the meantime Mrs L was searching the
hospitals for me in response to a cable from
'Rus'. She comes to see me now and again, and
introduced me to Sylvia Weigall who is a member
of this hospital-staff. The Sisters whom I met
at No 3 at Lemnos, come to see me regularly
and always bring arms full of roses, books
and sweets. I am not allowed the latter.
but I give them to the Sisters here. Sister
Joliffe, who is 'special' to Gen Wallack
always when possible gives me some of the
delicacies which she cooks for him, chicken-
- broth etc. I may possibly be sent home to
recuperate
(I)
 

MAOI
 

N02 A15. O HSI

a4
If I do, I shall get what I can with your
£3:- I hear they have increased the prices
here, ridiculously. Howenor, after all I may
not be sent to Australia– General Birdwood
was round here visiting us, the other day
and he told the doctors when they said
I should probably have to go to Australia
that he wanted to keep as many of the original
Officers as possible; so, I may not perhaps,
be given the chance of seeing you
     Never mind, ..."The path of Duty is the
road to Glory."  - I think this War has

 broadened my mind; taught me to be philo

-sophical, and not to kick against the pricks
and generally made a better man of me.
     I hope it's effects may be lastingly im=
-pressed upon me. When you come to live
for months among the dead and see their
noble ranks daily swelling, and never
know at what second you may be numbered
amongst them, you come to consider the
vanities, prejudices and conceit of our Everyday
life, and find how futile and utterly selfish
they are (then) I wish God may grant that (what) was
[instilled into me at Anzac may ever remain and make me

a true Australian gentleman ... ... ...]

[(se)] Geoff
(2)
 

14.2.16.
 

No2 A.G.H.
GEZIREH 15.2.16.
Dearest Mother Father & Helen,
I have just received your cable dated
12th Jan. wishing me happy returns of my
birthday for which many thanks. This
is my sixth week in bed but I am
normal and sub. normal mostly now but
they are not giving me anymore to eat
yet and I am absolutely starving. One
of our officers came into see me the other
day oner passed me not recognising me
I have lost all my browness and I am as
thin as a stick. Sister Gibson from Sydney
is looking after me now she is a friend of
Winifreds and Helen and also seems to be a
great pal of Jeanie & Mary Martin. Silvia
Wiegal is also attached to this Hospital. Egypt
is not itself this year no vivid blue sky
very little sun mostly overcast fogs and
rain it is an exceptional winter so
the local papers say. I wish I could get
some letters once you leave your unit your
mail gets hopeless tangled up odd parcels keep
on arriving but I can't open them as I have
 

nowhere to put the contents.  One came from you
since I last wrote it is sewn up in cloth.
I got a parcel of tobacco and cigarettes from 
Ile Ridgeway Brisbane.  I suppose that
is Moppie's husband. I have no more news
All good wishes & much Love
from 
Your loving son
Geoff

 

feeling a bit weak
Farewell

love from

Geoff

No 2AGH
Gezirch 22/2/16

Dearest Mother Father & Helen
Several more parcels have found their
way here the one with the underclothes & Eucalyptus
and another parcel of sweets. The pin
cushions have gone to my heart you
could, (not) have sent anything nicer. I rejoiced
with great joy when I beheld them
Of course the peanuts are forbidden fruit
as present but when I am allowed solids they
with be devoured with avidity. Godfrey {Irvin?]
came round visiting the hospital the other day
but as I was entrenched behind a screen having
gallons of soapy water forcibly injected into the
posterior of my anatomy by an energetic orderly
I was unable to see him. This watery treatment
comes every second day and I feel like a bit
of chewed string after it-a regular
washout. Here by [?] the seventh
week and the first two nights of it I have
reached 103 (degrees) this seems to be going to run
on ad infinitum.  I am getting very fed
up that is at least metaphorically speaking
In reality I am still be'g starved
 

SCHOUBRA
2.3. 1916.
Dearest Mother Father & Helen
I have been transferred to the above Hospital.
No2 General has closed down. Last Friday a stretcher
made its appearance suddenly at the end of my bed
and I was told I had to go, I was taken off in
a motor ambulance and landed here. This is a proper
hospital built for such purpose by the Austrians.  I
share a room with a Capt Grant, who is a most
lugubrious sort of person, must have been a professional
mourner in the undertaking line in peace time. I don't
believe he knows what cheerfulness means the sisters and
I are always chaffing him. This is an infections
diseases Hospital all the Medicos Sisters & orderlies wear
long white robes in the wards. I am in charge of
a lady doctor, Captain Bennet of the New Zealand Army
Medical Corps. She really comes from Sydney. Her sister
used to boss Winified when she was training at
Queen Alexandra Hospital. I am feeling miles better
since I came here  I get three good meals a day
instead of being starved as heretofore. They consider
that starvation was all that was the matter with
me and I was running a temperature through
sheer weakness. I used to get the shakes and fell
 

as if I could weep my eyes out but now that
is all altered and I can feel my strength
slowly returning. Silvia Weigal broughtme
a bunch of the mast beautiful roses the other
day she takes a great interest in me and I
believe she worries a lot over me. This place
is surrounded by brilliant green irrigated fields
and the main line to Alexandria Port Said & Suez
passes within a few hundred yards of my
window so I see all the Egyptian crack express
trains as they dash past at sixty to seventy miles
per hour. The trains are all lit by electricity and
are very brilliant at night. I have not seen nor
heard of Harry Hamilton, or Keith & Roy since my arrival
in Egypt on 6th January. I have been in bed since
the 7th of that month so I spent a very quiet birthday
Capt Dods of the Army Medical Corps is the man that
got decorated. I have not heard of Arthur Dodd
getting anything. Yes I have enough socks to equip an
Army Corps. I am glad you got the parcel which I
sent with the Turkish bullet and Belt Buckle from
"Lone Pine". This establishment goes in for feeding you
up and is catered for by the Grand Continental Hotel
I am living on fish & chicken stewed fruit eggs in
every shape lovely bread & creamy butter tea coffee
Cocoa and fresh fruit.  Imust thank Helen for her letters