22/1/1916
Dear Everybody
Well here I am back in Egypt, & at the present moment still on board the transport ship Briton, which brought us away from good old England. We are lying alongside the wharf & are expecting to disembark tomorrow morning sometime. As a matter of fact all the other units that were here with us went off this afternoon, leaving only the N.Z. draft on board. The infantry, in fact all other arms of the service other than the Mtd men of the
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draft we have, are going off at 11 P.M. & heading for the canal, some 344 men all told. The Mtd men are leaving for Cairo in the morning. So you see I will be back in the old hunting ground again by this time tomorrow night. Am not looking forward to it very much, would much rather have gone straight to the real thing. Of course there is no saying, we may not stay in Cairo very long. It is practically certain now that our next field will be the canal, horses & all. No for the surprise packet. As we sailed into the harbour yesterday morn
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the first ship that caught my eye was the hospital ship Marama. Guess my excitement & pleasure when we dropped anchor just 100 yds astern of her. With the aid of field glasses & semaphore signalling I was in communication with Kate in ten minutes. Owing to our having measles cases on board I was not allowed to go over to her. Signalling this across to her she at once got permission to come aboard our boat & within half an hour we were talking things over in the lounge of our boat. She brought a Sister Barker with her, & the C.O. asked me to ask them
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to have tea with us. Needless to say it was accepted with a great deal of pleasure. She came on board about 3 P.M. & I took them back about 6.30. Of what we said & what we talked about I must leave you to guess. Kate I thought was a little thinner, but in very good form & seemed to enjoy herself thoroughly. All this took place in the outer harbour, but when I came to take them back their boat had gone inside the inner harbour & it took us an hour & a half to pick her up. Of course I did not mind & I do not think they did, and to make things more interesting I was out with them against
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the express orders of the C.O. However I got them back safely and had the pleasure of 4 hours off the boat & the C.O. was none the wiser. This morn we came alongside and I managed to get in communication with her, but they were so busy taking patients on board that she could not come along, & as we were standing by expecting orders every minute I was not allowed to go ashore either. However
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this afternoon I again took the “bull by the horns” & flew round & saw her for about 10 minutes. They were just about finished taking the patients aboard & were expecting to be off to good old England in a few minutes. I am awfully pleased she is getting a chance to see round there. Needless to say I gave her my few directions & orders in the short time at my disposal. She told me they were to have a fortnight leave there, isn’t that just splendid! but I hope they will get a little longer. I wrote to the Hoopers yesterday & if she can get in touch with
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she will get a good time. Well now I must be off as these troops are falling in. Of our run out I need not say much, but that it was most enjoyable. Hugh Crawford is with us & also Sergt Kans Lottie, he wishes to be remembered to you. We sighted a submarine, & had to go for our lives, just about 60 miles outside Alex. Well now I really must. Au Rêvoir for the present.
Your loving
Brother
E.S. McI
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P.S. Let Mr Diack know of my doings. Will be too busy to do much writing for a day or two now.
E.S.
