13/4/1915
Dear Everybody,
Again you will notice that I am writing on a Tuesday & I suppose you will wonder why. Well it is roughly this, just 8 days from the time I am writing this I was sent over here to the Palace hotel, a very fine building, with that awful & seeing incurable disease MEASLES. It happened this way, I was detailed to take a party of 30 men to the Citadel to put ammunition into clips, & feeling very queer before I left, also a slight rash on my forehead I thought I had better report to the doctor before going. The upshot was that he was not quite sure, & said he would waite further developments, so I proceeded to Citadel. Such a day I put in, it was a boiling day, & what with sore eyes head & goodness only knows what else I had a merry time, at anyrate I knew perfectly well what was up. Arrived home, straight way reported to the doctor, & his verdict this time was HOSPITAL at once, & very profuse apologies for letting me away in the morning. Well I did not come here without grave forebodings as to what would happen while I was here. The infantry were starting to leave the next night, but head-quarters were persistent in saying that Mtd. troops were not going. Well that eased my mind a little, but we being Divisional troops I thought we would be the first to go, & as a consequence did not like going. However orders are orders
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in the army, & of course (obey & trust). well I landed here about 7.30 P.M., & realized from the jump that I would not get out in a hurry. I received no word from camp for 7 days & I began to think that things were going very well but no, a messenger out of breath & perspiring in great stile arrived about 2 o’clock P.M. with word that the regiment leaves tomorrow night 10. P.M. Well that was finish for me, I knew at once they would not let me go from here, & that I would have to remain at the base & let Mr Perry take my place. However I thought never venture never win, so I appealed to be allowed to go, but no, it was like driving your head against a stone wall they would not take any heed, & of course I had perforce to bow down & be content. Well it went ____ hard at first to think that the object we have been striving for for 8 months was well within my reach & then to be laid low like this. It would not be so bad had it been anything but the measles, they seem such a trifling thing to be down with. They have frome now only 4 hours to go, & I can well imagine the state the camp will be in. Everybody is as keen as mustard to be off, all are full up of doing nothing, I am sure they will make themselves felt the first time the get up against something. I only hope they do not get cut up or too heavily engaged for a start, just a nice little brush to stiffen them up a bit.
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Here it is Wed morn, just 9 days since I came in here, & I am on my feet for the first time this morn. From what I can gather it will be at least another 9 or 10 days before they will let me out. I feel all right except a little top heavy with lying in bed I suppose. So far as I can remember it is the longest spell I have ever had in bed in my life. Our parson has just come over from camp & was telling me the lads all went away all-right last night. He like myself is keenly disappointed at not getting away also, but I knew for some time past that he was not getting. As a matter of fact only 6 parsons in the division are being allowed to go to the front the rest have to remain at the base, which for the time being is going to be Cairo. there is not knowing when the rest of the mounted troops are going, there is no word of them shifting yet, & I think they will not shift until the Dardanells have been forced. The reports that we get are to the effect that there is no scope for mounted troops where operations are taking place. Most of the positions for a time at least will be fixed. we do not know for certain, but indications point to the fact that our regiment has gone as escort to the artillery, & as such I think they will have a very interesting time, certainly more so than what I will have. The camp will
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seem pretty quiet when I get back. The only troops that are left are the base details from the main-body & the 3rd reinforcements. The infantry all being away makes a big gap i our camp. So funny, I had arranged to go out with George Menzies on the Monday night for tea, all went well until he arrived at my tent, when we suddenly remembered that the place we had decided to go to had been put out of bounds for the day; on account of some demonstration of the natives in that particular quarter. Needless to say we spent the night in our tent, when much to our surprise & delight a mail arrived bringing four letters for his noble self. Ultimately we arranged to go out to the same place next night. Again everything went well, but when George arrived I was in the middle of packing up my gear prior to being sent over here, so that settled matters for good, he was destined for the front the next night, & I, well of course you know. We said our good bye’s there &then & of course wondered when & where or if ever we should meet again. He is looking tip top quite fat for him, you would hardly know he was the same fellow, & he is as fit as it is possible for anybody to be. All the lads are pretty fit, Jack McIlwrick & Hugh Crawford, & very keen to be off. I have not seen Crawford for some time, he has been in a different
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camp for quite a while, a remount camp about 3 miles from us. They have been looking after the remount horses as they came over, I think they have about 3000 there just now. He came back to our camp just a few days before the regiment left, it would never have done for the regt. to have gone without him, he would have been keenly disappointed if it had. Very funny when you sum it up, Bob Tapper has had a bad throat & been in hospital with it, in fact he has been in twice. Had he stayed in the first time he was in, he would in all probability have been all right, but he heard the regt. was off, & so feigned he was all right & was discharged, got back to camp & the regt was still there. However he did not give in, but did his weeks turn of orderly Sergt, & then a few day of ordinary duties, then things seemed pretty quiet again & they must have persuaded him to go back again. Back he went, & dash my rags if he is not left behind also, pretty hard is’nt it. Then Sam Hoare, who you will remember is a Lance Corporal now, had a relapse of measles & he is another that is being left. We are a gay crowd of fighting men aren’t we. Thornbury will be well represented in the firing line with 100% of us left behind. I got another mail since I came over here, letters written on the 9th of March. I was surprised to hear of Aunties
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death, because the last time I heard of her she was supposed to be keeping so well. However it is a great release for the poor old soul, I do not think the latter days of her life have been very pleasant ones. After the way she has been watched & expected to drop off any time, to think she should slip off without anybody being near her. You also said you had a number of entries at the Riverton show, well I am wondering if you had any luck. I am looking foreward to the next mail, it will hold a lot of interesting news. The results of the show, & also a little of Spanish Princess’s doings at Gore, am expecting to hear that she landed the bacon there. It is a bit annoying the way our mail comes in & goes out here, we have to have our posted by 1.30 PM. every Monday & invariably we get yours the same night or on Tues. What great luck you must have had with the mill this season, & what a great price produce of all kinds seems to be. The crop of grass must have been pretty light, but the price very heavy, must be a record for grass. If everything keeps like that I should not be surprised if oats is 3/8 before the season is out. I see by the papers where some bullock or another brought £31 at Wallacetown sale, an isolated case, yet a great price for one beast. We heard that sheep had dropped considerably, on account of not being able to get transport for the frozen mutton, is it true? Then your account of Marshells sale sort of
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the report. Strange how you find out things, I knew for some time that that sale was likely to come off, but always forgot to mention it in my letters. This man Watson Comes from Central Otago, & one of his sons is an officer in the 5th Squadron, & I happen to know him very well. He asked me one day if I knew a man Marshell at Fairfax, & when I told him that he was our neighbour he got quite a surprise. I think they are pretty well off. This fellow was telling me that the deal was likely to fall through on account of Marshell wanting to couple some place about Invercargill on to it. I understood him to say that the transaction was sort of an exchange, but it must have turned out a straight out sale, that is if Marshell’s are going to Omaru as you stated in your letter. By jove the price if what you state was true, £20/ was a bit of a stunner wasn’t it. The place certainly wont owe him anything, but I think it will make the other beggar work. A bit risky I think taking it on at a time like this, there is bound to be a big Slump when the war is over, it is impossible to think that the present fabulous prices can last much longer. Amongst everything else you have never yet said what the oats are like this season. Rolly told me in one of his letters that you had been loosing horses, he said it was Topsy & her foal. Well if that is true it is pretty hard luck. You have not said lately whether you are still getting my allotments all right, but I suppose you are.
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I expect you will have noticed by the papers that the Turks have had another shot at the Canal, & that they were as before unsuccessful. There were none of the N.Z. or Aust troops there, the Canal is all protected now by home Territorial & Indian troops. There is nothing to fear from that quarter. Just been out & had our photos taken in our rig-outs. I do not know if I will ever get one but I should very much like to, to let you see what we look like. It was one of the sisters that took it. I brought my camera with me but like a fool I left all my films in my kit bag & as a consequence am not able to take any photos. We notice by the papers, & by your letters also that they are sending 50 more nurses from N.Z., & by jove they are needed. When you get a look into the inside of things it would amaze you the amount of sickness there is. Of course a great number of the cases are only minor troubles, but never-the-less the men are off duty & in hospital. This hospital was fitted with a staff for 500 patients & I think there are something like 750 in now. Of course there are a number of orderlies but even then the sisters are kept going. The most serious trouble here is penumonia & it seems to be a very bad form of it. Quite a number of the measles patients get it. Instead of the N.Z. Gov. sending 50 nurses they should send about 150 & then they would be sending none too many.
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This place is capable of holding 2000 beds in the height of the tourist season. So now that the forces are off they are preparing it for the wounded, making the total beds up to 1300, but how they are going to nurse them beats me to know. They say they are going to send the N.Z. nurses on to England, personally I do not think they will ever see England. They are needed more here & as a matter of fact they are sending a few more nurses from England out to nurse their own Territorials here. This is not a good place for troops now, the weather is much too hot for them. It was 116 here in the tents one day & 110 another, I suppose it will average 105, day in & day out. The beautiful mild weather we used to have when we arrived here, is all gone now, & we are face to face with an Egyptian summer. I can tell you it is very trying, & this sand make it fifty times worse, you can easily feel the heat through your boots. Then we very often have hot winds of the desert, & by jove they are the limit, it is just like a dense fog with the dust, & you can always depend on never raining afterwards to clear the air any, but it just goes on with its scorching, life here in summer is absolutely intolerable. Now I think it is time I put the peg in. Remember me to all & sundry
Yours Sincerely
E.S. McI.
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I have opened this again just to add a little more of what might prove interesting. The date is now Sunday 18th & we have been shifted from our little tents into a big skating rink which has been fitted up as a hospital. We had rather a good time in the tents quite private & the sisters were not too strict. However the interesting piece is that some 300 wounded are expected to arrive here any time. I believe they are all from the 1st division should such be the case they will be all Australians. Where they are coming from we do not know for certain, but think it is from the vicinity of the Dardanells. The doctor here said he saw the first telegram that came & he thought they were coming from Syria. Should such be the case it will go to prove that we are going to have troops in Asia Minor as well as in Europe. Should they be from Syria there is not the slightest doubt they were sent there to cut off the Turks that were moving on to the canal. Now I hope I have not said too much. Do not yet know when I am going to get out of here, should be within the next 5 days at the most. Au Rêvoir
E.S. McI.
