AUSTRALIANS IN EGYPT.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 144670, 3 May 1915, Page 4

AUSTRALIANS IN EGYPT.

LETTER FROM A NEW ZEALANDER Writing from Aerodrome Camp, Heliopolis, to his mother in Now Plymouth, a Maorilandcr who left with the first Australian reinforcements and is now a member of the Fourth Australian Infantry Brigade, says “We bad a splendid trip across, but were not allowed to land at all, although stops wore mndo at Aden and Port Said. The boat 1 was on. tho Ceramic,

is the largest passenger steamer that has ever been in Australasian waters.

The place where we are camped now, Heliopolis, is about seven miles from Cairo. Tho town of Heliopolis is only about 200 yards from the camp, and has some very beautiful buildings, all stone and granite. Tho Sultan of Egypt's mother lives quite close to the camp. It is winter time here now (February), but it is still a lot hotter than 1 have felt it in Australia. I don’t know how we will fare: when the summer comes, but it is stated there will be a change of location or else our drill, mostly attacks, will be done in the night time. 1 have been to Cairo once, hut cannot say that 1 care for the place, it having a style peculiar to itself. There are a couple of beautiful hotels here, one con- j taming 3000 rooms. Fruit, considering ! the barrenness of the country, is very I cheap. Tomatoes, eight big ones for ; 2Jd (one piastre) and oranges the same.,! Vegetables are very plentilul and cheap. ; especially celery, which is grown on the hanks of the Nile and conveyed on the backs of camels to the camp. Jl is quite a sight to see them pass the. camp laden with the green stuff and lucerne. The military are only paying us 2s a day whilst here, considering that enough forms to jog along on. ami leaving 4s a day deferred, .so if we are here for any length of time I ought to have quite a big amount. The tram service here is very line, and is considered to be one of the best in the world. Have not yet visited Ibe Pyramids, but can see them from Heliopolis. Am going next Sunday.—a bad day on account of the crowds, but the only one available on account of leave. Them ■ has been a terrible lot of sickness I

amongst the troops here (the first contingent) and a lot are being returned I to their homes. The New Zealand sick . are camped next to us.” In a further letter, dated March 21, I he continues : j ‘‘l think we will be leaving here | shortly, hut whether to Franco or the j Dardanelles I am unable to say, bur. !

anywhere is preferable to here.' The ■ continual drill day after day gels very j wearisome, and most of us are pretty I tired of it. Jt is oyer six months since 1 joined; and expected to be in the I firing-line long before this, but the : authorities s;*y we are not advanced enough in training. The Now Zealanders are attached to our division, and we have been doing sham fighting together. This means that SOUO men are engaged, and it is a sight to see. I can tell yon. The great thing lately has been bivouacs. We leave camp perhaps at 4 o’clock in the afternoon in full marching order, march’ten or twelve miles across the desert, and then bivouac for the night. At 2 o’clock in the morning, we are roused up, and march perhaps another two or throe miles until we arc stopped by the enemy—the New Zealanders—who have 'entrenched themselves' there some hours before we_ arrived. Then the light starts, and we have about four hours’ strenuous work, doubling over hills and along gullies till wo'.arc almost done. This happens about twice a week, as they want to get us acquainted with night work. Yon need lutvo no fear as to my clothing, for we are well supplied in that direction, and are said to he the best equipped forces in the field. I have seen almost all there is to be seen ii'ere now, and will not be sorry to leave. ' The dust is playing up with’all of us, : and gives everyone a sore throat. Tim ' whole division is being inspected by the General to-morrow, so wo expect something to happen very shortly. I have met several Now Plymouth boys here, ; One of my tent mates died the other day. He suflorctl from fils occasionally, ' and after taking one hero, the first since lie joined, ho was sent to the hospital, where he was operated on, hut died. Ho was buried with full military honours in the soldiers’ cemetery in Cairo. ' 1 was one of the pall-boarors. He was a nice young fellow who came from Scotland, and the only relative living is a sister there. YVe all put in a shilling, and have had a headstone erected.” ’ i I AUSTRALIANS IN TRAINING. | AT LIVERPOOL CAMP.

An ex-Xew Plymouth man in training Jit Liverpool Cjuuy», New South Wales, ha.s soul tin? following Jotters to hi.s people here:— “Tile Colonel informed us tins morning (March that the end of May would see us on the water. We weio a little disappointed at having to wait so Jong, hut perhaps it is just as well, as training here would be much preferable to Egypt. Tell I got top score in our company and third in the battalion at the range last week. 63 out of do, so ho can put that in his pipe and smoko it. Of course, 1 was not fully extended, could have reached the possible, but thought of and his records and managed to miss the bull'seye ior once. Life in camp is now getting quite passable. The Sydney people seem to vie with one another to sec who can give us the best concert. Wo, have two or three at least a week. The Church of England is holding a week’s mission during. Lent, and it is surprising how soon the marquee is filled with really earnest men, and how they sing* tho hymns!—Jove! I guess there are some bullock-drivers among us. The 1 Archbishop of Sydney is holding a confirmation service next week.” Writing on April 17, the same soldier says:— •‘Things are getting rather interesting hero; we arc being fitted out in uniform. etc., and it is great to see how proud the boys arc, and how much keener. I tell you wo look very well on parade. At a distance the faces look quite copper-coloured, so brownfaced have w© become. Next Satur-

I day is going to bo a day of all days in Sydney. Wc are getting our sendoff. although wo don’t leave for two or three weeks later, and 5000 of us aro to \ march through all the principal streets. Tho authorities say they arc determined that it will surpass anything in the way I of a farewell that has ever taken place in Sydney, so that is saying something. Special trains aro coming from everywhere around, and the papers aro full of details ro ‘the great march.’ Our Colonel told us yesterday that wo will probably go to England tor two months* training, and everybody hones it will he so, especially tho ‘pommies.’ Wc are very keen on seeing tho ‘Old Dart,’ as you can imagine. Wo aro all looking forward to our throe or four days’ final leave, for il will ho quite a holiday/’