MENA CAMP – Tue 30 Mar 1915
Writing from Mena Camp to his relatives at Harcourt, Private E. H. ELY says :_
January 24th – We are waiting to have our kits checked, so I have a little time to spare while waiting our turn, so i will write a few lines. It is Sunday morning and we have just come in from church parade. We have had I pretty solid last fortnight. Some mornings when we had to go our shooting we had no time for a wash. We have a shortage of water on account of our reservoir bursting. It is fixed up now, and we are getting on better again. They were giving us an extra hour a day, too, and we are working Thursday afternoon (our half-holiday), also Sundays. But that has been cut out now, and we are now to be in by 3 o’clock, and there is to be no more work of a Sunday after today. It was getting too solid to last. We were into a spread on Thursday night, our lieutenant got us all off together (No 11 platoon), and we went to the Metropole and had a bonzer time. It cost us 3/ each. I broke one of my front teeth eating a bit of chocolate, and i broke one eating a biscuit on the boat, so I am going to get them fixed up tomorrow. We have a dentist of our own here; they fix our teeth for nothing, so it is just as well to get them fixed up quickly and give them something to do. We were out on a 10 mile march again yesterday; I took my camera and took a few snapshots. I have run out of film otherwise I would get some views. I am going over to “Mena House” to see Les. Chapman this afternoon, so I will try and get some then. This camp is getting like a large town, there are several boxing stadiums going up, also a large picture theatre made of weatherboard. By the look of the buildings one would think we were here for some time. The Artillery were out the other day, a couple of miles from here shooting. We could hear them fire a shell and about 8 seconds later we could hear the shell burst about 5 mile away. Well I will “ring off” as it is dinner time. I am keeping in good trim, and the Germans will have to run to catch me.
Sunday Night. – Just a line or two before “lights out”. I have just come in from church in the Y.M.C.A and have only time for a few lines. I went to the Mena Hospital this afternoon and saw Les. Chapman, he is getting on grand now. This is a fine big hospital with every convenience. We had an easy day today, the first for a fortnight. We had kit inspection after church parade, and they took a list of anything we wanted. Well lights out has gone, so I must close.
January 27th – We don’t always get our evenings to ourselves now, last night we went out at 7.30 and got back at 12 o’clock. We had a half holiday today. It has been very dusty, the second windy day since we came here. I took my camera and went across to the Mena Hospital and near the Pyramids and got a few photos. There is a rumour around camp tonight that we go to the Suez in a day or two.
Thursday Morning. – I am on quarter-masters fatigue duty today, so have a good deal of spare time. The band and 24 men have gone to a funeral today. A young fellow from Bendigo died yesterday from pneumonia. He had been ill for about a month with influenza and pneumonia. We go out for a whole day tomorrow and won’t be back till midnight, then on Saturday we don’t go out till 7 o’clock. I will finish this on Saturday night.
Saturday night – Since I started this I have got a few more letters. They are dated November 19th, and have been to England. Thursday off being on quarter-masters fatigue we had to get the stores up for the store depot, about half a mile away. I had charge of a native and two camels to bring up the chaff and green feed. I had my photo taken sitting on one of the camels, a Corporal Walker in charge of our section took it with my camera, and then I took his with his camera. The two of us do a good bit of photography together. He has been at it before so I get plenty of help from him. I will be sending on some views next week if I can get printing paper. On Friday night we went out at 9 o’clock and did not get back till 10 at night. It was not hard work though, it was mostly night attack. Today we went off and viewed the work done the previous night. We got back at 3 o’clock so that was not too bad. The General gave the non-coms, to understand that we will be here for a couple of months yet. I don’t think they intend to send us to Germany. I think we will be kept here. It will be pretty hot in the summer time, we can notice the days lengthening out. I see the Turks are only 20 Miles off from the Canal. We may be called over to defend the Canal, but I think they have enough troops over there now.
February 5th – Just a line or two as our letters are censored now. We have moved from where we were when last I wrote. We had six hour journey by train, and are now camped about three miles from the firing area. I expect we will take our turn in the trenches in a day or two now, it is not to o bad sleeping out at night, we can keep warm enough sleeping together. The second contingents have arrived, although we have not seen many of them yet. We see a good bit of aeroplane work going on, they go out scouting every morning from here. You need not worry if the letters are very irregular now. We just get a few lines through when we can. We are keeping in good health. We expect to have a shot at the enemy in a day or two. I believe we will be in good trenches, so out casualties should be small. Well I could tell you a lot but it will be keep till the censorship is off again.