THE FIRST CONTINGENT – Mon 1 Mar 1915
In letters to his relatives at Harcourt Private E. H. Ely says
December 17th. We have had an easy day, and we have just come back from having a swim. There is a good bath down at the end of camp, at the tourists resort. The resort is a fine big place, once a hotel, now used as a hospital. I should think there are about 100 rooms in it. It is situated about a quarter of a mile from the pyramids. Round about the resort are planted a good many blue gums, and they seem to do well. Also acacias something like wattle. We had this afternoon off, and J.N. and I were sitting in front of the entrance to the Pyramids when one of the guides fell down and broke his arm and got his head badly cut open. He was about 40ft up when he fell. It was very pathetic; his brother was there, and saw him fall. One of our doctors was there and attended him.
Saturday Night. We have just finished getting ready for tomorrows event. It was postponed until Sunday. You will see by the papers that Egypt has been proclaimed a British Protectorate, and henceforth will be defended by Britain. We are to get up at a quarter to four in the morning and march into Cairo, and we are due there at half past nine to take part in the parade. It is one of the greatest events in history. We are getting just as much at home here now as we were at Broadmeadows. You have no need to worry about us, we are getting on fine. We had roast beef tor tea last night. We are getting better now.
December 22nd – Just a line to let you know how we are in this sandy hole, but this is better than the Canadians have with the mud and snow. We went into the ceremonial parade on Sunday, the 20th. It was a feather in our caps, being a battalion picked to represent Australia; so you see the Harcourt lads have had a say in the world’s history. We left the camp at a quarter to five to march to Cairo, each man carrying 20 rounds of ammunition. We arrived there at 8 o’clock, and marched from the barracks to the parade ground, and here we lined the street on each side with bayonets fixed, while the Sultan and party drove through. After that we marched back to the barracks and had bread and cheese and a bottle of lemonade.
Apples are 1 1/2 piastres a Pound here. We are on leave again on Wednesday night. I think I will go into Cairo. It cost too much to go often, and it has cost us about 1/ a day for food up to now. but we are starting to get our full supply now. How is cricket going? Have only had one letter from Victoria since coming here.
December 25th (Xmas Day). – We have been here just on three weeks and have had no letters from home up to date. How are things there? I could imagine you all sitting down to Xmas dinner. I suppose you were wondering what 1 was having for dinner. Well, 1 will tell you how we spent the day. We were up at a quarter past five, the earliest I was ever up for a Xmas morning I think. Then marched onto the parade ground, and stood there until reveille went at a quarter past six. For breakfast we had boiled eggs and bread and butter also tea. Then fell in for church parade. After that was over we were dis-missed for the day. We lay in our tents reading till dinner time. And this is what we had. Roast beef (cold), boiled potatoes and cabbage and plum pudding, also cake. So you see we did not do too bad. We could have had turkey if we had liked to buy it ourselves. The first thing we heard this morning was the bands playing Xmas carols, and they sounded very well. We got a half day on yesterday for washing parade, so I got all my dirty clothes washed.
December 29th.—1 received the cable on Monday night and you may be sure I was very pleased to get it. I received yours a little after six o’clock on Monday. It left Harcourt at ten o’clock and allowing about six hours difference in the time here and Australia it took about 14 hours to reaching me. It makes a chap feel like he is not so very far away from home after all. We have chummed up with a couple of Lancashire lads. We were in to see them at their barracks in Kasr-el-nil, Cairo, on Sunday night and had tea with them, then had a look around the barracks. I would not mind putting in a few weeks there. There are 14 men to a fine big room, and each man has a stretcher to sleep on, and has a table out on the balcony to eat at, eight men at each table. It is a fine big three storied place and holds about 2000 men. We had a very pleasant evening together, and may go through again some night. Monday night we were inlying picket, and on Tuesday we went out for a Bivouac, and came in about eight. o’clock this morning (Wednesday). We got back for breakfast at eight o’clock, then had the rest of the morning to ourselves. At half past one o’clock we had to fall in for the parade before Sir George Reid. He addressed us and wished us God-speed and good luck. Then we marched pasted him 16,000 of us, and the 7th Battalion held pride in the marching. That was not bad out of 16 battalions. I don’t know if we get a holiday on New Year’s Day. I suppose we will go into Cairo again. We have not received any letters yet, but believe there are a lot being sorted, so expect we will get them in a day or two. We will be able to sit down to the table for our meals in a few days now. They are erecting our great big mess rooms for each battalion.
January 1st – I am writing this instead of going into Cairo. We had yesterday afternoon off, so went for a ramble to the Pyramids and ruins and back through Mena village. There is a post office, barber’s shop, chemist and photographer’s there so I got all I wanted. Last night (New Year’s Eve) is one I shall never forget. Things were fairly quiet until about twelve o’clock, when the band went through the lines. They then gathered up near the officers’ tents and sang “Auld Lang Syne.” It sounded like the sweetest music I ever heard, after that they played the Regimentals, and then the National Anthem. It was grand. It was after one o’clock before we got to sleep. From today the battalion consists of four companies. E and F go together and are called platoons. We were out this morning on fresh pontoon drill, and came in about 11 o’clock to listen to an address by the Brigadier. He gave us a great lecture. He drew a contrast between the British soldiers in the trenches who saw the New Year in amidst bursting shells and German bullets, and the Australian soldiers, some of whom saw the New Year in with smuggled whiskey. He said we were the luckiest soldiers of the British Empire, being able to finish our training under such favourable conditions. He said we were here to get fit, and it was up to us to get fit as soon as possible, and be ready for the front. He spoke out very straight as man to man,
January 3rd. – We have just come in from Church parade, so I am finishing this before dinner. We are on guard tonight, so I won’t get time to write then. We are getting new jackets and caps issued tomorrow. Last night we received a tin of chocolate and a pocket knife from the Australian War Contingent in London. The knife has one big blade and a tin opener, and will be very handy. We have not seen or heard anything of the list of things that the Harcourt Committee sent. There must be a lot of items for us somewhere. I have not received any from home since we arrived. Port Said. We all hope to get everything before this time next year.