Zeitoun
21/3/1915
Just a short note, to let you know that we are still in Egypt, but that there is another move scare afoot. At a confab of the G.O.C.s for all commanding officers, he told them that “in a fortnights time we would be rubbing shoulders with the flower of the British army.” Where that will land us I leave you to guess, & ten to one your gess will be nearer the mark than mine. If we are to be in the firing line in a fortnight, it must follow that we leave here sometime next week, for the nearest zone of action is a weeks sail from here. There is absolutely no indication of where we are going, we are absolutely in the dark. In this mornings paper we see that the action at the Dardanells has accounted for three ships, & one badly damaged. However we can not complain, they have done very well to get as far as they did without loosing any. When we consider that these forts were considered to be impregnable, it would not be feasable to think that they should get through without severe loss. At the time of writing this, they are supposed to be at the heaviest fortified part of the straits, & that should they succeed in reducing these forts the fate of the Dardanells is practically known. Not only will the Dardanells fall but Constantinople will be at the mercy of the Allies also.
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The last letters I wrote were hardly in the letter box when I received a little budget from different parts of the N.Z. I wrote on the Saturday afternoon posted the letters, & went to church in Cairo on Sunday night, & when I returned all this pleasing array awaited me. I received one from Annie & Lottie from Queenstown a P.C. dated Feb 4th. one from Mr Diack Feb 7th, one from Kate Feb 7th, a letter card from Jessie Feb 10th & one From Jeanie Feb 8th, not bad for me was it. Then on Tuesday I received the long looked for box, packed on Dec. 28th. It must have gone right home to London all right. At anyrate it does not matter where it went to so long as it arrived all right, & it did arrive all right, everything was just splendid, you would not think it had travelled any distance at all, by the condition of the cakes. The short-bread was excellent, & the cake is in tip-top condition also. The other tent mates wish me to thank you for sending it along, they appreciate it very much. It is the first home made eatables we have tasted since the cake I had on the boat went done. George Menzies is coming to my tent to day at 1.30, & we are going out to have a look at some more of the historical features of Egypt. George is in fine trim, & as good a fellow as you could to meet anywhere, he is looking better now than I ever saw him look in N.Z. All the others are in good form also. Well now stables are sounding & I must be off. Should you not heare from me again for a while you will know the reason. However I will
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endeavour to drop you a line on a P.C. the day we leave. Remember me to all the folk, not forgetting Mr & Mrs Peters, & all the kiddies at cornation. Let them know that I meant to write them again, but time would not permit. Au rêvoir for the present.
Your Loving Brother E.S. McI.
