JOURNEY TO ENGLAND – Fri 26 Nov 1915

Private E.H. Ely in letters to his relatives at Harcourt thus describes his journey from Malta to London:

Well I am on board ship at time of writing on route for England. We have been lying in this harbor for 5 days. I don’t know what the delay is, but I think we move on tomorrow. You will wonder why I am going to London. Well, I told you I had broken my teeth, and as the dentist at Malta could not get us new plates, a lot of us were put on this boat to go to England to be fixed up. I did not know we were going till the morning we left Malta, 1 received a couple of letters from England the day I left Malta. W. Said that if I arrived in England they could get me work in the shipyards at D—– but I came away to fight, although work at something else would be a change. Gibraltar is far different to what I expected I anticipated a barren rock, with tunnels and caves. Our first view of it was the south side; this side is just a steep cliff with a little vegetation on it. But when we came around to the west side it is different. At the foot is the small town, truly a magnificent place. The barracks was easily picked out. Far up the sides could be seen a few guns, evidently dummy ones. On the top was the wireless station and a few building. I did not find out what height it was, but I should say it, is about 900 to 1000 feet. It is hard to say how many guns there are on it: the general rumour is that there are 1000. We see them at practice of a morning. First a tug goes out towing a target representing a submarine. This is taken well out to sea and the big guns shoot at it. The shells go over our head as we lie in the harbor. There is no mistake about the British shooting they can get very close every time. This place well represents its name – the key of the Mediterranean. It will be about six or eight weeks I expect, before I get back to the Dardanelles again. I am writing this on the chance of getting it away before we leave here. It is about, three months since I received letters from home. I expect it will be a week or two before I get any as they will follow us about wherever we go, although the postal arrangements are very bad.

Third London Hospital, B.C. Ward. Wandsworth.

I left Malta August 26th, and arrived at Gibraltar Sunday 30th. We anchored in the harbor till the following Sunday, then set sail for England, arriving at 10 p.m. on Saturday, 11th. We had a very fine trip across as regards the weather. The Bay of Biscay was very calm, but the ship was badly fitted up, the food being especially bad. I will try and describe our trip from Devonport where we landed. We came up through Devonshire, Exeter, Salisbury, etc. We had a nice run from Devonport up through some of the most beautiful country I have ever seen. It was nearly all cultivated, and the paddocks were a lovely green. What made them more picturesque were the hedges in places of fences, it was not often we would see a fence.

Up through Devonshire we passed some lovely orchards. Though not looked after like ours in Australia, they were a picture. The ground is not ploughed or cultivated, and the trees with their heavy crops looked like weeping willows; nevertheless it was a sight for sore eyes, and I can tell you they made my mouth water. Well, as the Irishman would say the fences were all hedges, and mostly hawthorn. Up near Exeter we passed through some heavily timbered country. Along the streams and around the black berries could be seen rabbits, partridges, pheasants and quail. The cattle were the best I have ever seen, and the sheep were a darker brown than our Australian. The towns we passed through looked very clean and healthy, the houses were mostly two storied and slate roofs, the majority of them had ivy clinging from the front of the houses, and even round the chimneys. Coming nearer Loudon, at St. George’s Hill, we caught a glimpse of the famous Motor Racing Track. We arrived at Waterloo Station at 7.10 p.m., the journey up, a distance of 226 miles, taking about nine hours. We were meet at the station by the Motor Ambulance and driven about 12 miles to this hospital, just at Clapham Junction. When we arrived, we had a hot bath, and a chop and a cup of cocoa.

Monday, September l0th,-

I left off writing this yesterday to go to church: It was the Church of England, and it is situated in the ground just at the entrance to this hospital; it reminded me very much of home, especially when the organ began to play. It was good to hear it again, in the afternoon we walked round to the entrance, and watched the visitors come in, they had to have a pass to get in, and there were hundreds outside who could not come in. The people here are very good. Two ladies came and took our names with the intention of finding relatives, friends, or wounded mates. One lady from Sydney brought us some Australian papers, which you can guess were very much appreciated. I forgot to tell you what I had for dinner yesterday. It was roast beef, cabbage, potatoes, and pudding: It was good to eat a meal of meat and vegetables well cooked again. We get a fortnight’s holiday and all money that is due to us. I will visit both Portsmouth, and Dalton-in-Furness I expect. I found out that Cecil Odgers and Bubs Corbett are in the hospital at Epsom, not far from here. I have not found out yet what hospital Ben. Biggs is in; he left Malta three days before I did. I have just been given a nice ripe pear, a William Bon Chretian, it is grand to be able to get plenty of fruit again. September here is just their autumn, and fruit is not gathered yet. The weather is splendid, just like spring.