Adress. Ewshot Barracks,
Fleet, Hankts, England.
Ewshot Barracks England
Fleet. Hants,
England.
July 18th 1918
Dear Mary
I have arrived in Old England at last, we arrived here this afternoon, landing at Southampton early this morning from Sherbourg in the north of France where we stayed at an English Camp there for a couple of nights and a day after a most interesting trip overland from “Taranto” in the south of Italy the journey took us 7 days & nights (a whole week) we were put into closed in trucks like the ones which I used to load cheese into there were about 24 of us in each of these vans so we had very
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little room to move about in; we just like a lot of pigs in a nest when it came to sleeping time; but I think it was worth the discomfort to get seeing so many new sights. We left the Suez Camp in Egypt on Wednesday evening a fortnight ago from last night, we travelled of course by train overland to Alexandria this little trip over Egypt would have been very interesting in day light but as it was we saw very little of the country; we crossed over the Nile bridge sometime about midnight but I happened to be asleep at the time so I did not see anything of that famous river, and it
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was only during the last hours of our journey in that country that I saw anything of the land under irrigation. We left Alexandria (5 transports) under escort of 7 destroyers arriving in Taranto 3 days later after a smooth & uneventful trip. I understand that we were the first N.Z.’ers to come through Italy & France. It was very interesting indeed to see some of the ancient City’s with their Cathedrals there were dozens of ancient Villages built on the top of a hill with the old Cathedral in the centre. I would liked fine to have been able to see through some of the Towns & their sights
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though the smell about these foreign Towns is not at all enticing owing to bad sanitation, but the country is a perfect garden from one end to the other grapes, grapes all along the line other fruits were principally Olives, Almonds, Walnuts & also a lot of Mulberry trees on which the Silkworm feeds, most of the grain is grown in narrow stripes between the rows of trees from 1/2 to perhaps 2 chain wide; they were busy of course with their harvest when we came through the women doing the most of it. France was less interesting than Italy more especially the Southern part where the country is fairly poor and rough, the north of France & the south of England are so far as I have seen something similar as far as the country is concerned, we didn’t come through any very big City’s on the way, perhaps there was some reason for that. I think the most interesting Towns we past through in daylight were Monte Carlo, Menton, San Remo, Nice, all those along the water front
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between those two countrys, those places are very flash indeed they seem to be specially set up to for holiday resorts and such like; they are right along the water front and the tail end of the Alps lay right against them from behind; we could not see the Alps proper but what we did see were pretty ruggid but quite bare of any snow. This country looks allright so far and there seems to be an abundance of rainfall just at the present time. It was quite a treat to ride in a 3rd class railway car after the tugging and jarring of the trucks coming across the continent these 3rd class carriages in England appear to be as good as 1st class ones in N.Z. (cushioned seats & backs). I am keeping pretty well only that I have a bit of a cold which I caught coming over from Egypt in fact I had one in Egypt and it freshened up again with exposure in trucks & on the boat. I find it difficult to get rid of
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of a cold so long as I am travelling but I hope to get rid of it pretty soon now that I am settled down again, you were asking me to let you know if there were anything I would like sent me; I sometimes wish I could get some lollies especially when I have a cold a few blackballs; or peppermints would be allright just now to keep down this tickle in my windpipe. I don’t as a rule appreciate lollies a great deal, but sometimes a have a bit of a craving for them and of course out here sweets of any kind are a scarcity so I wouldn’t mind if you could send me a few now & then. I like the common boiled lollie as well as any but a few peppermints or blackballs would be alright to have on hand in the event of having a cold for a fellow can’t treat himself to hot drinks etc. out here the same as home. I don’t think there are many lollies on sale in this country at least I haven’t seen any so far except chocolate. I don’t know what else you could send me, the coupons may be alright one can always buy tea & cakes or biscuits at the canteens & they say they even have the canteens at the front. biscuits
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are pretty dear to buy here as compared to what they are in N.Z. we have had dog-biscuit & bully-beef sometimes when moving along, these dog biscuits get me beat they are fearful hard Im afraid they will soon play up with my bridge when I get over to the front; we will probably be going over to France in about 6 weeks time, from what they are telling us here, there are such a lot of fellows here whom I knew at Awapuni some of them were still there when we left but have beat us on the way owing to our stay in Egypt. This is supposed to be the best camp in England as I can till you it is like a home to us after our knocking about lying on hard boards, sandy desert etc.
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and the food here is excellent and plentiful too so far; we are sleeping in huts and they are just alright too each one accommodates about 34 men. I received your two letters, one dated April 8th (mistake for 28th) and the other one May 12th. but I haven’t got received any Farmers so far I’m afraid the violets won’t be much use now; the idea of numbering the letters is a good one. there were nine of them waiting here for me, two of them were business ones, the latest of them were written about the 12th or 14th of April so there ought to be some more arriving very soon, I hear some of the fellows saying that there is a mail in now so it may be along anytime. It is a pity that Uncle Willie has got so hard up but I suppose it is not to be wondered at in these times, the money which Bill and Andrew has sent him will be a considerable help. If I had known his position
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before I left N.Z. I could have arranged to assist him a little also. I got £20. sent on to me in London from the Bank at Edendale but I suppose I will require the most of it when I go on leave but I could get more sent on if I required it. We will probably be getting our draft leave of 4 days in a week or two’s time so I will go and see Uncle Willie then as it will be my only chance of seeing him before I go over to France. There was nothing in the rumour about us putting back to Wellington though another transport which left 2 days later than us did put back owing to some leakage so that would be the cause of the report, but so far as we were concerned we never encountered anything to frighten
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us the whole of our journey over. I would like to have sent you a cable saying I have arrived here safely but cablegrams are so uncertain nowadays I hear so much about them taking 6 & 7 weeks to reach N.Z. unless by paying something over 2/- per word they are supposed to reach their destination in 3 days but don’t always do so, so I thought it would be hardly worth while since you would have heard from me in Egypt and you are sure to see in the papers about our arrival at destination so I don’t think that you will be feeling at all anxious about me, I am glad that you saw Kate so soon after arrival, and the winter is setting in pretty early this winter surely. I hope the Sawmilling Coy are successful in selling up the concern it will be a great job pulling the place to pieces. I am glad that Ivy is pleased with the brooch I sent her.
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I was sorry to hear about poor Jim Jenkins, Mrs. McKenzie always hoped to see him come home to Glenham, things seem to be pretty lively at the front again just now but latest reports state that the Germans have been pushed back again. I saw a good many of the American troops both at Southampton and Sherbourg they have over over a million men across in France & Italy now & expect to have another million over by Sept. I expect it will be next summer before they get going properly they talk about training a army of 14 million altogether so they seem to mean business.
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I will have to write to Anna and find out if she is still at Brockenhurst I may probably get a weekend off sometime and go down & see her; Brockenhurst is on the far side of Southampton from here, there will probably be several people close by who I know if I only knew where they were. I have just bought a box of caramels at the canteen they cost just on 1/2d each pretty dear but I was glad to get something to suck at I have about finished my stock of news I will write again soon. I must get one away to Aggie as soon as I can I will try and get a map of Italy & France and show you the route on which we came through. Well, I will say goodbye again hoping to get some more letters soon & trusting you are all keeping well.
Your affect. Bro.
Jack Hall
