20/10/1915
Dear Everybody,
Oh! I wish you could see me now. Am at last away from Dundee & rather loath to go, but all good things come to an end sometime. This place, namely Hattonburn is some place I can tell you, what with a mansion for a house countless numbers of servants, & by all appearances no end of money, these are just the people to give one a good time. At time of writing there are 3 other officers here besides myself, & how many there was before I came I do not know. Mrs Montgomerie is a N.Z. but has not been in N.Z. for 20 yrs. She is a very kindly woman, but is very fond of style & likes you to know just exactly who she is & what standing she has in the
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country. I am having a rare good time so it hardly seems fair to speak like that. However I enjoyed myself at Broughty Ferry & felt more at home. Here there is no end of a good time, but after all you feel that they are only acquaintances, while on the other hand I have made some friends in Dundee. Very funny that when I should arrive here there should be another Macintyre here, he is in one of the Indian Regts & has been in France. Any kind of sport you like is to be had here, however I will not be able to go in for much of it, as I am only going to be here a few days. I came here on Mond. eve. & am going on to Edinburgh on Friday. I am wishing now that I had more time to put in here, for it is just possible that I might go farther & fare worse. What with 3 motors & horses there is no end to our tripping about, a rare good chance of seeing Scot.
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& I think by the time I get out of it I have seen as much of it as most. Have not received the N.Z. mail this week yet, it will in all probability arrive here tonight, however I can not wait til then or I will miss the mail altogether. Have had another letter from Geo Menzies, he has got a job in one of the Depot offices at Weymouth, he was saying that his knee was still troubling him a good deal, & that he did not think he would be able to go on service again, so took on this work rather than go back to N.Z. just now. That is satisfaction for me at anyrate, I will be able to see him when I go to Weymouth. I will have to go there before going back to Dards or Alex or where I am sent. Just saw in the paper a couple of nights ago, the report of Lieut. Howie’s
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death, he having died of wounds. Have not yet heard anything more of Mr Perry, but am very much afraid he has gone to the great beyond. Perhaps he has been reported as killed before this, but if so I have not seen it. There is a rumour going around here that we are likely to be sent to Serbia. I think I said last week that the N.Z. & Aust. Division was resting & re-organising, well I should not be surprised if we should be landed somewhere else, perhaps Enos, & perhaps Salonika. Only hope they do not get a move on before I get out there. When in Edinburgh I have been asked to go & stay with Mr Hutton that is Bertie Hutton’s brother. As I am only likely to be in Edinburgh I am thinking of accepting. If I stay in Edinburgh over this week end it will
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leave me 3 weeks to have a look round London. I would like to run down to Brighton before leaving England, will in all probability go there on my way to Weymouth. I have got Ireland into my head this last day or two, but I am afraid I will not have enough time to go there, unless I only put in a fortnight in London; we will see how things go on. Well now time is again running on, & I must be off. Give my kindest regards to all who might be inquiring after me. Trusting that you are still in the midst of good weather, such as we are here. There have been storms running around here but I have never managed to be in the area yet. Au rêvoir just now
Your Affectionate
Brother E. S. McI.
