Tel-el-Kebir
12/5/16.
Dear Everybody.
Just a hurried note to day, hulloah! The mail for N.Z. closes this morning at 11 A.M. & it is now 9.15. Having a few spare minutes, I want to get this off. We are as busy as bees here just now, receiving reinforcements from N.Z. & pushing them off to France again. All means a great deal of clerical work, & keeps us going pretty steady, without ordinary routine. Hours here are very long, revellie 4.30 A.M. & lights out 10 P.M. If we are lucky we get an hour or two off in the middle of the day, but on the other hand if there is a rush we have to carry on. The men however do not do any parades between the hours of 9.30 A.M. & 3.30 P.M.
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Have had no N.Z. mail yet, do not know where it can be going. The 11th reinforcements arrived all safe, but were only, at least about 60% of then, in here for a week when they were sent on. Lucky beggars. There is some talk that all this camp will be away from Egypt by 12th of next month. Whether I will get away before that or not remains to be seen. We have heard various rumours of what is going on in France. The latest is to the effect that the British made an advance of 15 miles on a 90 mile frontage, & had 50000 causalities. It has never appeared in the papers here, but it is quite possible for it to happen, & the authorities would not allow it to be published in this country, they muzzle everything here very well.
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We also heard there had been another flutter across the canal, & that the N.Z. Mtd Bde had taken part, & had 200 casualties. Again it is a case of not being sure we have received no official report, & consequently are not attaching much importance to it. Have had no word of Kate yet, if they are to return to N.Z. in the six months, it will be nearly time that they were getting away from these waters. The 1st N.Z. General hospital moves to England on the 14th, so that looks as if we are destined to move from here soon. Fancy a war in Ireland, too funny for words. Up to time of writing there have been 7 or 8 of the ring-leaders shot, & I should say there are quite a number left
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who will receive the same fall. General Maxwell is in command there; it is only about 2 months since he relinquished his command over here. Well time is my greatest enemy just now, & it is making itself felt at this moment. Our average temperature here at mid-day is about 102°, couple that with the plague of flies & you will have some idea of how we describe life in Tel-el-Kebir. Cheer oh! & best wishes to everybody. Au Rêvoir for the present.
Your Affectionate
Brother
E.S. McI
