Brendon Ely

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…

Private E. H. Ely, of Harcourt, who sailed with the first force, and has been wounded on two occasions, was recently invalided to England. Prior to leaving, Malta, he wrote thus to his relatives in Harcourt. :— Tigne Hospital, Malta. July 25th. Just a few lines to let you know that I am getting along splendidly. I think I will be going to St. George’s Hospital or Pembroke Camp this week for a week or two. We are getting looked after well here, plenty of good food and fruit, the fruit, consists of water melons, apples, pears and plums. It. is on the small side, but sweet. Yesterday evening (Sunday)…

Private -E. H. Ely, writing to his relatives at Harcourt from Tigne Hospital, Malta, on July 20th, says:— You will see by this address where I am anchored at present. We arrived here in the harbor on Sunday morning at 7 o’clock, and got off the hospital ship on two barges to be towed ashore at midday. We got a good reception when we landed. Several officers’ wives were there to give us cigarettes, matches, chocolate, biscuits and a glass of lemonade, which we were very pleased to get. From there we were brought in motor ambulance to this hospital, 1 1/2 miles from the wharf. This is a flat…

Private E. H, Ely, writing to his relatives at Harcourt, says:— June 30th.—I am using my last envelope, so you may only get cards after this, until I can get more writing paper and envelopes. It is as hot here as summer is in Australia. Through the daytime we lie in our dugouts with our blanket or water proof over us for shade. Taking it all through, we are having a fair time of it. We can go for a swim nearly every evening, so have no trouble to keep-clean. Captain Janes is in Heliopolis, Egypt, so I won’t see him for awhile yet. We are pretty comfortable here. If…

Writing from France to his relatives in Harcourt, Corporal E. H. Ely says: It’s about ten days since I last wrote I think. Our mail does not go till the 17th this month, and that’s a few days off yet. Our next will be 30th May, and the next about 6th of June, so you see my letters will not be as frequent as usual. We have not had any Australian mail for three weeks. Since last writing have moved up another four or five miles and are now only two miles from the firing line, We have been right in the trench two or three times on |e work.…

The relatives at Harcourt of Private E. H. Ely were notified by the Defence Department yesterday that he had been wounded for the second time on July 6th, but is not reported seriously wounded. Pte. Ely (whose letters frequently appeared in the “Mail”) was wounded just, after the famous landing, and returned to the firing line about six weeks ago. He is having his share of wounds, but everyone will be pleased that he is not seriously hurt. He left Victoria with the first force for Egypt.

The following letters have been received by his relatives at Harcourt, from Pte. E. H. Ely, who was wounded at the Dardanelles: Zeitoun, May 12th.—Just a few lines to let you know I am well at present. As you will see soon by this, I am still in Egypt, although by the time you get this I expect to be back at the Gallipoli Peninsula. Some of the boys went, to a convalescent hospital for a few days it is about 28 miles from here. Bert Biggs was one to go. I did not go, being completely cured. I want to get back with the next lot, and I thought…

Lance-Corporal E. K. Ely writes as follows from France, on April 7th, to his relatives of our experiences, Serapeum. Suez Canel. We marched away from there at 4 p.m., on the 25th March, and we had a march of nearly two miles before we entrained at 7 p.m. We were in open trucks, and were travelling all night, arriving: at Alexandria at 5 o’clock next morning. It was a very cold ride down, and we not sorry to get out of the trucks. We went on board as soon as we had breakfast. Left Alexandria next morning (Monday. 27th) at 10 o’clock, en route for Marseilles. We had a very…

Private E. H. Ely, writing from Mena Hospital, to his relatives at Harcourt, says :— May 2nd :—It is just a week since we were in what we can only describe “as hell let loose.” I mean since we were under shrapnel and rifle fire. Since then we have come a good many miles; just on 1000. It is nearly 1000 miles from the Dardanelles here; it seems a long way to bring the wounded, but it has to be. We have over 500 in this hospital, and we are only slightly wounded. Our casualty list is very heavy, nearly all of our officers are wounded; some killed. Pompy has…