13 February 1916 Egypt
[envelope]
postmark:
PASSED BY No 2972 CENSOR
5th BTN BGE FIELD P.O.
17-Fe-16
13th Feb 1916
Mrs C.W.Satchell
Macclesfield
Livingstone St
Burwood
Sydney
Australia
[page 1]
13/2/16
My dearest mother
Last night I received another nice letter from you dated 9th January and was sorry to hear that Roy is sick again with the mumps, poor kid I do wish he was stronger in the way of fighting off different sicknesses.
I have now three letters of yours in front of me dear and will just have to make up a letter from them, there is absolutely no news to tell you, except that I am still in the very best of health - which I daresay is the best news of all to you.
I can quite understand you being worried about me after
[page 2]
the evacuation of Anzac, but long ago I hope you received my cable from Egypt saying I was well. You would miss getting any letter from me for some time owing to the evacuation but my cable would set all fears at rest I am glad to say.
Yes mum I do miss Bruce very much things can't be helped though it hurts to see so fine a fellow with only one leg. I went to see him every night as soon as I found where he was and I don't know who was the better pleased. One day I came from Tel-el-Kebro to see him, but the sentry stopped me from going in the usual
[page 3]
way. Wasn't his fault he had his orders and told me that he was being watched. I went round to another gate but was stopped again, but at last I squared the sentry at a back gate and walked into the hospital as a friend of one of the other patients, who was outside.
No doubt about it, poor old Dad has a rough time with the weather, it seems too bad that just at the time he could do with hot weather it is nearly always cold. Surely the luck must change soon.
In a letter from Clara this mail I received a photo of Roy, it is a splendid one and looks more like himself. That
[page 4]
other one nearly knocked me over when I saw it. They send me such a lot of photos and I do like them, in fact I did not think that I had such true friends in them until I left on this job. The girls write every mail and they are good letters too, written in a far better manner than some of their cousins, from an educational point of view I mean, yet that has nothing to do with me, they are all the same in my eyes.
Ossy is a peculiar fellow as we have remarked to one another before I think, but though he likes being a soldier in the National Reserve he evidently
[page 5]
fears to face a few bullets. Its not bad you know being a soldier if you can get home for a good tuck in every night, and sleep in a warm bed, with drill a few times a week. He must have cared a lot for Lois(?) and I am glad that things are off between them. This other girl is a relation I think (cousin) and I am not a bit surprised at him taking her to B's, that family of his is noted for hide or carcase will I call it. So sorry to hear that poor Ev Watson has been sick, I must write her another little letter soon, have a soft spot for women like her, and I suppose you pay for a good many others too, only
[page 6]
it is a different kind of respect.
Well mum dear I must stop. Give everybody my love and a kiss for little Ron and hope he likes the cigarette cards.
I am
Ever your loving son
Wilf.
[note below this]
Billy is a fine boy and getting on splendidly. I think a world of him.
G F Badly
[only the 'G' and the 'adly' are clear, the same signature appears on some of the envelopes, perhaps his sergeant]
postmark:
PASSED BY No 2972 CENSOR
5th BTN BGE FIELD P.O.
17-Fe-16
13th Feb 1916
Mrs C.W.Satchell
Macclesfield
Livingstone St
Burwood
Sydney
Australia
[page 1]
13/2/16
My dearest mother
Last night I received another nice letter from you dated 9th January and was sorry to hear that Roy is sick again with the mumps, poor kid I do wish he was stronger in the way of fighting off different sicknesses.
I have now three letters of yours in front of me dear and will just have to make up a letter from them, there is absolutely no news to tell you, except that I am still in the very best of health - which I daresay is the best news of all to you.
I can quite understand you being worried about me after
[page 2]
the evacuation of Anzac, but long ago I hope you received my cable from Egypt saying I was well. You would miss getting any letter from me for some time owing to the evacuation but my cable would set all fears at rest I am glad to say.
Yes mum I do miss Bruce very much things can't be helped though it hurts to see so fine a fellow with only one leg. I went to see him every night as soon as I found where he was and I don't know who was the better pleased. One day I came from Tel-el-Kebro to see him, but the sentry stopped me from going in the usual
[page 3]
way. Wasn't his fault he had his orders and told me that he was being watched. I went round to another gate but was stopped again, but at last I squared the sentry at a back gate and walked into the hospital as a friend of one of the other patients, who was outside.
No doubt about it, poor old Dad has a rough time with the weather, it seems too bad that just at the time he could do with hot weather it is nearly always cold. Surely the luck must change soon.
In a letter from Clara this mail I received a photo of Roy, it is a splendid one and looks more like himself. That
[page 4]
other one nearly knocked me over when I saw it. They send me such a lot of photos and I do like them, in fact I did not think that I had such true friends in them until I left on this job. The girls write every mail and they are good letters too, written in a far better manner than some of their cousins, from an educational point of view I mean, yet that has nothing to do with me, they are all the same in my eyes.
Ossy is a peculiar fellow as we have remarked to one another before I think, but though he likes being a soldier in the National Reserve he evidently
[page 5]
fears to face a few bullets. Its not bad you know being a soldier if you can get home for a good tuck in every night, and sleep in a warm bed, with drill a few times a week. He must have cared a lot for Lois(?) and I am glad that things are off between them. This other girl is a relation I think (cousin) and I am not a bit surprised at him taking her to B's, that family of his is noted for hide or carcase will I call it. So sorry to hear that poor Ev Watson has been sick, I must write her another little letter soon, have a soft spot for women like her, and I suppose you pay for a good many others too, only
[page 6]
it is a different kind of respect.
Well mum dear I must stop. Give everybody my love and a kiss for little Ron and hope he likes the cigarette cards.
I am
Ever your loving son
Wilf.
[note below this]
Billy is a fine boy and getting on splendidly. I think a world of him.
G F Badly
[only the 'G' and the 'adly' are clear, the same signature appears on some of the envelopes, perhaps his sergeant]