Egypt 12/3/16

Melbourne per Orsova Transport A 67

Dear Mother.

I managed to drop you a small note on sailing yesterday per one of the launches and I hope you receive it.

Well Ma, we were roused up at 4:30 yesterday morning at the Showground and put our own packs and sea gets the axe on our backs and moved off via Woolloomooloo midst mush hand shaking and enthusiasm generally. We were jolly glad when we got to No 1 Wharf as our kit bags were rather heavy and we had our own sea kit bags too. We call the roll and not one of our fellows was missing although several were drunk and went on board at 7:30.

When we were all settled on board, they let the crowd into the wharf. Also 2 bands played rather lively music and had the effect of cheering up the wives and sweethearts. It was a rather good sign when we moved off from the wharf as hundreds of people had streamers from the boat to the people on the wharf. These broke when we got too far out and floated about in the breeze and looked very pretty. The people cheered and the bands play and altogether it was a very impressive sight. We anchored near Garden Island and then they yarded us and gave us the number of our mess and our hammocks and also our breakfast.

The tucker is not too bad at all. We have sausages liver and bacon rice pudding plum duff potatoes cabbages and soup etc so that we ought? to live well enough. At three o’clock we steamed out of the Heads and of course it was rather a rotten sensation as we watched the land get further and further in the distance. We did not lose sight of the land until it about dinner time today. It has not been the slightest rough so far and in fact I don’t reckon it was any worse than going to Manly (so far). Last night we all got our hammocks up on deck and slept in the open air as it was very stuffy down below just yet. When we sleep on deck, we have to be off in the morning at 5:30 as the crew swabs the decks down and don’t stand on ceremony at all.

We pass Gabo Island this morning at eight o’clock and I don’t know where we are now at 3 o’clock as we are out of sight of land altogether. We have passed quite 30 ships by, big and small so we don’t feel lonely yet. They say we will be in Melbourne on Monday at 10 o’clock when we will probably get off and go into Broadmeadow for three days. If you were to send a letter by a return mail, I believe I would get it before sailing again. Nothing much has happened so far in this voyage. The sky has been overcast all the way and it sprinkled a bit at Gabo Island. We have rows of magazines to read and four gramophones to torture us also plenty of cards quoits dominoes etc so we do not find the time dragging so far. This morning we had a church parade and we were assembled on the poop deck. Things went all right until someone sighted a school of porpoises and that finish it. All the boys were excited and rushed to the bulwarks to see them and the parson nearly had a fit. You see, the boys have never seen porpoises before. First of all they called for a voluntary church parade and only one ass stepped out so you also that we are not very religious either.

I wrote to Pa and told him to give Gig 25/- out of my first pay, which will be in a fortnight. I think that money is drawable at the Summerhill Post Office and that someone has to go and get it. Anyhow, if Pa finds it difficult to get the money he can find out particulars at Liverpool by writing to be an Embarkation Office there at the camp. The Orsova is a beautiful boat and they say she can steam 18 knots so that I am going to back this ship if the submarine chases us.

Please don’t worry about work the slightest bit about me as I am quite happy to have not felt even squeamish yet. Give my best wishes and thanks to all those who gave me the cigarettes and fruit on Friday. I was not in a position to say much at any of thanks as we were in a bit of a mess in the March.

So long now I will write again at Fremantle.

With love from your affect son.

Walter 12/3/1915