PORTSMOUTH – Wed 8 Dec 1915
Private E. H. Ely writing from Portsmouth on September 18th, to his relatives at Harcourt, says:- I left No. 3 General Hospital for our depot in Victoria street on Wednesday. I drew 8 pound, and obtained 13 days furlough, so I am having a good look around. Four of us went out on Wednesday night and enjoyed ourselves immensely. Next morning we went and had a look through Westminster Abbey and attended morning service. Then we had a look around before going to our depot to obtain our railway pass. The give us a free ticket to where ever we want to stay. I tried to get two, one for Walton-in –Furness and one for South Sea, but could only get one, so i paid my fare down, a distance of 70 miles and it cost 6. I am visiting many places of interest here and having a good time. Mr and Mrs —- are fine homely people, and have made me feel very welcome and treated me like a son. I got up at half past 3 this morning and went down to the early morning market. Pater will quite understand what they are like. They have no market place here that is the only thing they are behind the times in. They hold their sales in the street. I would like to spend a few weeks in England after the war is over. I am very much struck with it. I was looking at some postcards here yesterday, and I saw some of Harcourt views that Jack Horton had taken. They made me feel a bit homesick, especially one with Pater pulling in alongside of the crane, also Jack, my dog, by the side of the wagon.
Walton-in-Furness, Lancashire, Sept. 21st:- You will see by this i have arrived at Dalton. I left Portsmouth at 8 o’clock on Wednesday morning and arrived here at 20 past 8 the same night. It was nice scenery, but not as pretty as through Devonshire. The main stations we came through were Stafford Grove, Manchester, Liverpool, Preston. Etc. I had a very pleasant stay at Southsea, they took me out Gosport, Southsea Common, Old Portsmouth Hill, and showed me many places of interest. I saw the Solem and the Spithead, where the great naval review took place in July, 1914. The Isle of Wight is about 40 miles away from Southsea, you can see very plainly from the pier, I would have liked to have gone across to have seen it. One can’t see all England in a fortnight, so I will be content with what I can see of it. It is now nearly four months since I received any of your letters, so was glad to hear from W—- that you are all keeping well. I have had no news of the Harcourt boys for a long while. Bert Biggs is in England somewhere, but I have not seen him since I landed. I have to report back to the depot in Victoria Street on 30th, to go to the base at Weymouth. I don’t hear how long i will be there. I see on the casualty list that Sam Lazarus and Joe Conroy are both wounded, also Irish Brown, a young fellow I was sharing my dugout on the peninsular for weeks. I am in splendid health again, and the left hip is giving me no trouble. When at Portsmouth I had the pleasure of visiting the dockyard and place where the grand Queen Elizabeth was her sister.
Monte Video Camp, Weymouth, Dorset, October 3rd. I left on Wednesday night at 20 past 8 and arrived London at 4.20 next morning. I had to report at the depot at 10, and then left for Weymouth at 2.13, arriving at 7 o’clock. We are about two miles from town, and are camped in wooden huts. We are fairly comfortable, there are about 30 each room, and we have a stove with plenty of coal. We all went before the doctor this morning after we got here. He marked me down as temporarily unfit, so I suppose I shall be here for awhile yet. I met Darby and Lou Lazarus here in this camp. They are both down to leave for Australia by the —- next week, and by the time you get this I expect they will be nearly home. Darby has lost one eye, and Lou the end of the left arm. I am in the next tent to Darby. Les Chapman has just arrived in England and is in the hut with us. I had a splendid time at Dalton. Cliff had a day off last Tuesday and we went to Lakeside (18 miles) by train, then up Lake Windermere ( mile long) by steamer, It was a lovely day and the scenery was beautiful. If ever you want a good day come over to Dalton.