[Archivist Note: Letters 21 and 22 were posted together in the same envelope]
Zeitoun
30.1.16
Dear May,
Am enclosing another batch of photos – most of them require no explaining. Albert took a photo of F. Marshall, G. Moffitt & I & I am sending three prints of it. If you think they would like them you can hand one each to their people. I snapped them also as they went out but it was too early to get good results. George has come out best & I enclose 2 of his. Will send all the negs later. Last Sunday we went to old Heliopolis to see the tree & the well where the Holy Family are said to have rested. The tree has nearly all fallen & the only branch that is left is propped up or it would be down too. There are thee sakyehs working in the well now, raising water for irrigation purposes. We sampled the water but it has rather a peculiar taste. Just beside the well a Church has been built & I have a couple of snaps of it too. About 1/2 a mile away there is an obelisk standing, said to be the only part of
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old Heliopolis now above ground. It is a solid block of granite about 55 feet high & although the hieroglyphics are almost worn out in places the obelisk looks as if it is good for as long again. Heliopolis is supposed to be the oldest town known to have existed in Egypt & it is very much older than the Karnak & Luxor ruins. I ran out of films the day we were there so most of these are Alberts but I intend going there again to get a few more. Yesterday Albert & I went in & had a full day in Cairo. The most notable part of the trip was a climb to the top of the highest minaret of the Sultan Hassan Mosque. We had a great view of the town & took each others photos up there. I have sent the negs in to be printed & if they arrive in time I will enclose them. Had a great bit of sport in camp about a week ago. I think I told you things were not going too harmoniously with the 8th. The old Major had been getting more & more unpopular until he was hated by the whole force. Several times there was a temporary improvement just in time to keep the crowd from turning sour
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at last he ordered all huts to be tidied up & then went round & inspected them & took the names of all those whose beds were not arranged to his liking. A bottle of ink on the shelf at the head of the bed, or a pipe stuck in the wall was sufficient reason for a man to go up. Next morning he awarded them all 3 days C.B. Of course the whole crowd took it badly & the C.B men were great heros. They just drilled as usual but in addition had to do an hours pack drill from 1.30 to 2.30 & answer roll call at 6, 7, 8 & 9 P.M. At 6 o’clock they marched onto parade with about a dozen followers to watch the fun, at 7 o’clock the crowd was bigger & cheered them all the way & at 8 o’clock the crowd was rather bigger & much more hostile & had to be ordered to go back to their huts. When the bugle went at 9 pretty well the whole crowd rolled up & about 50 C.Bs marched up to the orderly room singing “Here we are again” & “Are we down hearted” and “When the roll is called up yonder we’ll be there”. The roll was called & they were dismissed & all marched of playing & singing “The Galloping Major” etc but they were just back to the huts
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when the bugle sounded “Defaulters at the double.” Everybody started to laugh & pretty well the whole of the 8th Infy turned out to see the fun. An officer came out & lectured them on their behavior & told them that they were not to treat it as a joke and then dismissed them again but the crowd mobbed round & demanded that the Major be brought out. Several officers tried to quieten things but the crowd were going to see it to a finish. They sang all the songs they could think of & the units of the reinforcement took full advantage of the opportunity & we spent a very lively evening. They brought up all their troubles & yelled them out & called the Major most dreadful names. They sang out that they were soldiers not housemaids & when an officer tried to say something about keeping up the 8th’s reputation someone said “That’s why we are sacking the Major” & others yelled something about soft soap, “We won’t go home till morning till Major Ross appears” was a favourite with the mob & parodies were made on the spot. The favourite words for the chorus were “So send the Major out, So send the Major out. For he’s a _____ For he’s a _____ & so say all of us.
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After about 3/4 of an hour the “fall in” was sounded, at 1/4 to 10 pm & word was passed round that the battalion was to fall in & the “Major would appear”. The crowd slowly broke up & after falling in were marched to the parade ground & the Major rode up & addressed the men. He got a fair hearing but there were a lot of stinging interjections. He didn’t improve his position any & finished up by saying “Major Ross (he always speaks of himself as such) is in charge here & is afraid of no man nor no body of men”. A half-screwed bloke called out “Oh you brave man” & the whole mob laughed. The Company commanders took charge & marched us back to our huts & gave us a short lecture about how to have things put right & said if any one had a grievance to put it on paper & hand it in next morning & they would see that we got a hearing. Next morning pretty well every man in the reinforcement either put in a complaint or sent a delegate requesting the Major’s removal. The next night when orders came out it was announced that Major Saunders having returned from some other camp will resume command of the battalion tomorrow. In the meantime Major Ross grew very
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benevolent & smiled on every one, all the huts were a credit to the men & to the force & he had decided to give a prize of £5 to the hut that was best kept for a week. All the C.B’s were “pardoned” & 8 men who were awaiting trial were also dismissed. Their offences were rather amusing. The old Major used to take them for a route march & would ride in front & make the pace & on one occasion they wouldn’t keep up but just kept up a steady march & let him get away ahead. Then the crowd started to sing “The Galloping Major” with the result that he took all the names of the 2 front fours & would have made them pay the penalty if things had gone as he expected. I don’t know where he has gone to but Major Saunders is now in command & everything is going smoothly. The row had to come & it is just as well to have it over. He has never been popular & eversince we came on the boat has been issuing unreasonable & fussy little orders just to show his authority. At one time he was a solicitor’s clerk in Welltn & was an officer in the special mounted police the time of the big strike. So far we are still in the same place & there are rumours that we may go to France but then
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there are reports that we will never see fighting outside of Egypt so that when we come to cancel out all the contradictory rumours we find we know nothing. However I think it is safe to say that we will be here in this camp when this letter reaches you. Holmes, Frank & George all left for another camp last Sunday. Everybody here is mad on collecting badges & buttons of different regiments & I have just made a start but I gave away all I had before I got this far so am having a little difficulty in getting any thing to swap. If you can get hold of a few old Volunteer or Territorial buttons you might make a little parcel of them & post them to me. Very few of the Exp. Force have brass buttons & we can get off some good swaps with them. Of course it is only a hobby & you need not go to any great trouble in the matter. Possibly we will be ready to return before they arrive. I don’t think there is anything else to write about. We are still enjoying the job & are all quite well. Got a couple of letters tonight but none from home. Several papers have been posted to me but so far none have arrived. Hooray just now.
Love from
Len
P.S. Was fortunate enough to get a supply of films last week. I have now got 13 spools. The supply only lasted for 3 days in Cairo.
