Aust & N.Z.
Base Dêpot
Monte Video Camp
Weymouth
9/12/1915,
Dear Everybody,
When writing last I did not expect to have another opportunity of writing from this quarter of the globe again, however one never knows these days where he is going to be. Have spent a very quiet week, & really have nothing to write about. Up to time of writing have not received this weeks mail. Am expecting a heap when it does come. We are still under 48 hours orders, that is, we expect every day to get orders to be off in 48 hours. We have been like this now for 13 days & to all outward appearances looks as if we will be for another 13. This is not the most pleasant spot in England to be in, & we do not care how soon we get off. However we are also aware of the fact that England would be a rather better place to spend Xmas than the trenches. Beyond this fact we have no desire to be here any longer than we can help. If we were to leave here 48 hours from now we would have to be pretty slick to be off the boat by the 25th. Rumors are getting pretty persistent that we are not going before Xmas, & I am beginning to think there is something in them. At the same time orders came out last night that troops holding themselves in readiness for overseas were to have no leave granted them, whether that mans anything or not remains to be seen. One thing is certain if we should happen to stay & that order is not cancelled, our Xmas
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might be rather a dull one. However to build castles in the air, I had a letter last night from the Hoopers again asking me to spend Xmas with them if I should happen to be in England. They are coming down to a place called Bournemouth for that week, & want me to join them over there. As this place is only an hours run by train from here, the thing is quite within the bounds of possibility even if the order is still in existence. Anyhow wherever I am I will think of you all having the best of times & rest assured I will make the best of it wherever I am. The weather here is beyond the limit altogether it is raining in grat style again today, in fact there has only been one fine day since I wrote you last, making a sum total of 8 fine days & 10 wet ones, not a bad record, pretty nearly as good as Southland eh! I can quite understand this will be a pretty place in the good weather in summertime, but under present conditions, it is as bleak as place I have ever been in. If by any chance we go in 48 hours time we can look for a good tossing as soon as we get into the open sea. Knowing what a good sailor I am you can imagine how much I am looking foreward to it. The whereabouts of our men we are not very sure of, but one of the lads had a letter
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written on Lemnos on 7th Nov, & this man said that they expected to go back on to the Peni on the 8th or the 9th. So if that is any criterion I suppose I can take it for granted that they are all-right. This man also said that our regt. was 90 strong with only 3 officers. If that is the case I think the sooner they push these drafts up the better, we would be doing more good there than eating our heads off here. I forgot to mention in my last letter that G Menzies & myself had had one or two sociable evenings together. He certainly is in good form, & were it not for his knee which makes him walk a little lame he is in as good form as I have ever seen him. He is working in the orderly room down here, but is to go back to N.Z. someday. He was supposed to leave here on the 11th but is so keen to stay over Xmas that he wangled it somehow. He does not care how soon he has to go back after that. H Crawford is the only other man here that I think you know, & he is in splendid form. Remember me to the Menzies Lottie. By the way, I suppose you will be home long
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before this reaches you. I am sorry Kate is having such a rough time of it, but I am afraid she will get pretty hard graft if she gets away with the force. It would be descent if she got away with the next hospital ship. Well now I think I had better put a peg in & say Au rêvoir again.
Your
Affectionate Brother
E.S.McI
