Palestine
12/3/18
Dear Folk
Just a few lines now there is nothing fresh to write about but there may not be an opportunity for some little time but one never knows. Since writing last we have been kept fairly busy what with drill inspections & the other jobs of a standing camp. There has been several very warm days and if a forerunner of what the summer is going to be like it will be some hot but we won’t have the glare of the desert. Some windy days also were a little uncomfortable being very dusty & sultry. A few days ago I posted off the few little things I said I was sending, from Jerusalem. Of the small ones you will easily recognize the “Star of Bethlehem,” another has the “Holy Sepulchre” inscribed.
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Of the others they are made from Olive wood the one having the views of Jerusalem, & flowers as we have seen them recently in quite unexpected places, in fact our road through was practically a mass of scarlet anemone on either side. There was a very fine lecture in the Y.M.C.A the other night on Jerusalem which will benefit one a good deal if in there any time in the future. During the lecture we found out that amongst the other places we were in was what is known to us as The Wilderness that itself being close to Jerusalem. The Plains of Sharon also were crossed passing also the place where David slew Goliath although none of us knew just the exact spot where this happened. Not having received any more mail since that I got at Bethlehem I am
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like the others getting anxious it’s such a long time since we had a decent one & there must be some about. I had one from Kate a few days ago at time of writing she was having her leave in England & was evidentally not feeling very bright. From the way she wrote I gather she has had a finger removed or was it only the nail, she did not make it very clear. Lottie I presume must still be in Featherston at anyrate I have not heard of her having sailed. She sent me her overseas address but I have mislayed it so you can forward it in case she has sailed in the meantime. I hope she will be able to forgive me for not writing her but I have not done so expecting all the time that she would have sailed and so missed them however I guess she will get these as long as she is in N.Z.
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Our football team yesterday suffered defeat by the fifth Light Horse Regt. We certainly cannot make any excuses for being beaten for it was fair & square. Afterwards they treated us to a dinner so it was fairly late before we got back to camp. After saying we are kept busy you will say where do we get the time for football, but we are excused other jobs, other than stunting, on these occasions. Now I think I had better ring off as the mail goes out very shortly. Hoping this finds all as well as it leaves me.
Your Affect Brother
Charlie
P.S. Fred Weir was telling one the other night that Norman Gallow has arrived in Egypt again with the Australians of course. Ch.
