MENA CAMP – Mon 12 Apr 1915

In letters to his relatives at Harcourt Private Ely says

February 9th.- We have not had a turn in the trenches yet. Tomorrow we go for a swim. It is not too bad sleeping out. It is nearly a fortnight since we had any letters. They will be very irregular coming through if we get much shifting about. We are having it easy now, 4 1/2 hours drilling. We get to bed at 6 or 7 o’clock, and up 6. I can’t tell you much about

Ismailia, but it is one of the prettiest I have been in: lovely gardens. We saw a couple of palms with ivy clinging to them to a height of 25 feet. We also saw a hedge, ivy with a very sweet smell. We generally have a heavy dew here of a night. The days are fine and warm, but not hot. I am very doubtful if we will have any fighting here. We are anxiously waiting for a scrap.

February 13^th. – We are back at Mena Camp again, and as there is no censor on our letters I will tell you of our travels. We left Mena Camp at 10.30 a.m., on February 3rd, fully loaded with equipment and ammunition. We marched to Cairo, nine miles away, getting there at 2.30. You can say we were footsore with walking on the hard road after being used to the sand. We left Cairo station at 6 o’clock en route for Ismailia arriving there at midnight. I think it is a little over 80 miles away. We had no tents to sleep in, but it was grand sleeping out; just like an Australian autumn night. The first day we just lay about on the sands watching the trains go through; some with Turkish prisoners on. The second day the Battalion had a march through Ismailia. I was on guard so could not go, but I had leave the next night and B.B. and I had a good look round. First we went to the banks of the Great Bittern Lake. We could see the cruisers out in the Canal. From there we went along the beach and through some of the most beautiful gardens I have ever seen. We saw one creeper to a height of 40ft over some framework it was a mass of bloom; a dull purple flower, something like a fox-glove. It was too dark to get a photo of it. On Sunday we had church parade (without the band) in the morning, and after that we practised entraining, marching about 1 1/2 miles to a little station near Ismailia. This is a list of what we had to carry. In our pack were overcoat, soap and towel, shaving outfit, mess tin. 3 days provisions, and on top of the pack were a waterproof sheet and one blanket. We were also carrying ammunition. If we are not strong after this we ought to be; when I get back I will be throw my cases of apples about like empty boxes. On Monday we did 4 1/2 hours’ drill. There were aeroplane sheds close to us. They used to go out scouting away across the Canal every morning. On the Tuesday we went for a swim in the Great Bittern Lake on the Canal. We could see hundreds of Indians camped along the Canal; also Egyptian and British soldiers. We went for a swim again on Wednesday. We were orderly company and had to stay in camp in the morning, but the rest of the Battalion went out and had a look at the trenches, two miles away. Two platoons of the 7th and two of the 8th Battalions were out in the trenches for a couple of days, but there was no fighting while they were Top of Form

there, the Turks having retreated. On Thursday the 8th Battalion came to Mena, and on Friday, the 12th, we came back. We left Ismailia at 7 a.m. and arrived in Cairo at 11.30. We then marched out again, arriving at Mena at 3 o’clock. It was alright for a change, but we were disappointed at not having a go at the Turks. Ismailia is one of the prettiest little places I have ever been in, though at present it is very quiet owing to a lot of the inhabitants leaving because of the Turks being close. Today it was our holiday, so seven of us went into the Zoo. I got five letters last night and five today, with a “Weekly Times”, two of “Punch” and “Mount Alexander Mail.” The one you sent me with Mr Arthur’s death in has just arrived. Jim Knight has just arrived with the reinforcements. Did you expect the war to finish on Xmas Day? You want to look forward to next Xmas. Day, when we hope it will all be over, and I will be back with you all again. You have no need to worry over us. We take things as they come, and are enjoying ourselves as much as if we were at a picnic. This is a bonzer climate here fine warm days and cool nights. The night before we left for Ismailia we were to go out for a night attack, but it was so stormy they had to cancel it. There were a lot of locusts in the wind travelling at a great rate. They were just like grasshoppers with wings. We are all in good health and enjoying ourselves. One of the letters I received this week was dated November 4 so the old letters are gradually finding their way to us. I expect to have to be vaccinated this week; my arm did not take on board, and the doctor examined us all, and those that did not take have to be done again. One of the kangaroos we brought over with us was presented to the Zoo by the Australians. Some of the maiden hair fern is the best I have ever seen, and the grotesque is very marvellous in the Zoo. We spent about four hours there, but I have not time to describe all we saw.