20 March 1916 At Sea
[Envelope]
Postmark: SUEZ
[marked in pencil at a later time, but this is clearly not correct]
June or July "At Sea"
Mrs C. W. Satchell
"Macclesfield"
Livingstone St
Burwood
Sydney
New South Wales
Australia
[Page 1]
"At Sea"
20th Mch 1916
My dearest mother,
Once more you will notice that I am at sea, and though this trip we have bunks and a nice clean ship I am not comfortable, she will pitch so and a pretty big swell too. It is wonderful how chaps will look after one another when there is a lot of sea sickness. It seems only natural that they should think to bring a piece of bread or mug of coffee from the mess when he is too sick to come below. Though we are a pretty rough crowd in some ways I don't think you could find a better hearted lot of chaps anywhere.
I've left Moascar Camp Ismailia on Friday night about midnight and the train left at I think 2 o'clock. The cars we travelled in to Alexandria had no roof on them, in fact they had the rings to which they fasten the horses, so you can see we don't always have a comfortable train journey. It took about 8 hours to do the trip and of course it had to rain on and off for a couple of hours, just to give us something to think about you know. We left port yesterday afternoon, Sunday.
Everything on board is prepared for a submarine attack, we must carry our life belts with us no matter where we go, and we all have our stations allotted to us. Needless to say that the gun on the stern is ready for immediate action. Exciting travelling these days over here isn't it? I have a letter of yours here mum dear. Wait till I see what you have said again. I notice you mention that the mail will be rather irregular now, it is a bit of bad luck, but it's no use worrying. I have been very lucky as far as receiving mail and parcels are concerned, some poor chaps to me seem hardly to ever get a letter.
[Page 2]
I must tell you the words of a little song we sing
"Pack up your troubles in your old kit bag
Smile! Smile! Smile!
Pack up your troubles in your old kit bag
Smile boys that's the style.
What's the use of worrying
It was never worth while
So pack up your troubles in your old kit bag
And smile smile smile."
You ought to hear the emphasis and pause on the word "So".
I did thank you before mum dear for Roy's photos. If not I do now very much, it is a good one and what a shrewdy he looks and how well the uniform suits him. I have to keep it in my pack it is too big for my wallet even if I had it cut down. It is a pity for it is likely to be knocked about a bit at times, but can't be helped.
The Sunday before we left camp we had a big church parade, the chaplains from the 18th and 20th Btns took the service. Brigadier General Holmes was present and we were greatly honoured by the presence of General Birdwood. A bonza fellow he is mum and spoke to the whole Brigade after the service. When he speaks to you he doesn't give the impression of a General speaking to a private but he speaks more as man to man. He calls us boys for one thing and two or three times he brought in some Australian slang. He was speaking to us about what we had done etc and told us not to get "swelled heads". One day he noticed one of our chaps standing in the street "just anyhow" and General Birdwood chipped him about it and asked him to look more like a soldier. This chap said oh! I'm not a soldier. I'm a fighter!
[Page 3]
The General told him he would be better back in Sydney if that's all he was! What a dirty one for the chap.
I had another little photo of myself taken in the desert out from the canal mother dear and the other day I received it. I don't know whether it is a good one or not but Una will no doubt show it to you and you can judge. Did you get the other little snaps I sent you?
I believe I am over the worst part of the journey now, I feel much better and had a good dinner. The sympathy one gets from his mates is very funny. A poor fellow will be fighting hard against being sick and another chap will ask him how would another nice fat piece of bacon go now and all other greasy things you can think of. One poor fellow was over the side when a chap came up to him and asked him where his life belt was, as if the sick chap cared.
Well mother dear I must stop now thank you so much for many happy returns, I hope you received my letter wishing you the same. I will enclose some more cigarette cards for Ronnie. Give my love to all and keep plenty for your dear self.
I am
Ever your loving son
Wilf
Thank Dad for his nice letter. WS
Postmark: SUEZ
[marked in pencil at a later time, but this is clearly not correct]
June or July "At Sea"
Mrs C. W. Satchell
"Macclesfield"
Livingstone St
Burwood
Sydney
New South Wales
Australia
[Page 1]
"At Sea"
20th Mch 1916
My dearest mother,
Once more you will notice that I am at sea, and though this trip we have bunks and a nice clean ship I am not comfortable, she will pitch so and a pretty big swell too. It is wonderful how chaps will look after one another when there is a lot of sea sickness. It seems only natural that they should think to bring a piece of bread or mug of coffee from the mess when he is too sick to come below. Though we are a pretty rough crowd in some ways I don't think you could find a better hearted lot of chaps anywhere.
I've left Moascar Camp Ismailia on Friday night about midnight and the train left at I think 2 o'clock. The cars we travelled in to Alexandria had no roof on them, in fact they had the rings to which they fasten the horses, so you can see we don't always have a comfortable train journey. It took about 8 hours to do the trip and of course it had to rain on and off for a couple of hours, just to give us something to think about you know. We left port yesterday afternoon, Sunday.
Everything on board is prepared for a submarine attack, we must carry our life belts with us no matter where we go, and we all have our stations allotted to us. Needless to say that the gun on the stern is ready for immediate action. Exciting travelling these days over here isn't it? I have a letter of yours here mum dear. Wait till I see what you have said again. I notice you mention that the mail will be rather irregular now, it is a bit of bad luck, but it's no use worrying. I have been very lucky as far as receiving mail and parcels are concerned, some poor chaps to me seem hardly to ever get a letter.
[Page 2]
I must tell you the words of a little song we sing
"Pack up your troubles in your old kit bag
Smile! Smile! Smile!
Pack up your troubles in your old kit bag
Smile boys that's the style.
What's the use of worrying
It was never worth while
So pack up your troubles in your old kit bag
And smile smile smile."
You ought to hear the emphasis and pause on the word "So".
I did thank you before mum dear for Roy's photos. If not I do now very much, it is a good one and what a shrewdy he looks and how well the uniform suits him. I have to keep it in my pack it is too big for my wallet even if I had it cut down. It is a pity for it is likely to be knocked about a bit at times, but can't be helped.
The Sunday before we left camp we had a big church parade, the chaplains from the 18th and 20th Btns took the service. Brigadier General Holmes was present and we were greatly honoured by the presence of General Birdwood. A bonza fellow he is mum and spoke to the whole Brigade after the service. When he speaks to you he doesn't give the impression of a General speaking to a private but he speaks more as man to man. He calls us boys for one thing and two or three times he brought in some Australian slang. He was speaking to us about what we had done etc and told us not to get "swelled heads". One day he noticed one of our chaps standing in the street "just anyhow" and General Birdwood chipped him about it and asked him to look more like a soldier. This chap said oh! I'm not a soldier. I'm a fighter!
[Page 3]
The General told him he would be better back in Sydney if that's all he was! What a dirty one for the chap.
I had another little photo of myself taken in the desert out from the canal mother dear and the other day I received it. I don't know whether it is a good one or not but Una will no doubt show it to you and you can judge. Did you get the other little snaps I sent you?
I believe I am over the worst part of the journey now, I feel much better and had a good dinner. The sympathy one gets from his mates is very funny. A poor fellow will be fighting hard against being sick and another chap will ask him how would another nice fat piece of bacon go now and all other greasy things you can think of. One poor fellow was over the side when a chap came up to him and asked him where his life belt was, as if the sick chap cared.
Well mother dear I must stop now thank you so much for many happy returns, I hope you received my letter wishing you the same. I will enclose some more cigarette cards for Ronnie. Give my love to all and keep plenty for your dear self.
I am
Ever your loving son
Wilf
Thank Dad for his nice letter. WS