Private WH Elkington 4106

10th RFS 20 Battalion 5th Infantry Brigade

France

19/5/16

Dear Mother,

I am now in my new scope of adventures and am not sorry to leave Egypt. I did not see anything of that land as well, I was not granted leave and were situated in the desert a good way off from any sights worth seeing. Burt Allen is another of my pals he was lucky enough to get a day off and went to Cairo and managed to see the pyramids etc but then only had about 8 hours there so could not see much. We were in Egypt about 3 weeks and then we received our marching orders about 10 days ago. We have entrained the goods train one trip seemed about 100 miles in open wheeled trucks and experienced the roughest, coldest, cramped ride I have ever had on a train however we survived the ordeal and finally arrived at the port of embarkation about 4.30am. We went straight onboard, our transport had sailed about noon that day. We had about a week in the transport and were jolly glad when we landed as we did not fare too well for tucker and on occasion I had to take several holes in my belt as I began to get thin.

We got ‘Burgoo’ for breakfast and bread and margarine constituted the biggest packet of the menu. We got a piece of meat about as big as your thumb about once a day. It was a scratch ship you see, the admiralty only allotted 1/3 a day to feed the troops when being transported from one place to another which may account for the microscopic feasts we used to have. While in Egypt I came across Finkernagel from Bingara who was using the name of King for the present as it seems the old name cumbersome. He is with the engineers to try to get into the aviation corps if he can as a mechanic.

I forwarded some post cards of Egypt to you I hope you will receive them We had calm sunny weather all the time during the day and had a couple of frights from submarines which turned out to be from whales. Our mob used to spend most of the time on the boat deck lying down in the warm sun. I saw the place where Charlie was taken when he was wounded first and I must say it is a beautiful place, very imposing. Well we landed in France a couple of days ago and are now placed in our old place of retirement the quarantine camp because some silly asses went and caught fever on the boat.

I suppose we will be here a fortnight or after that I can’t say what part we will be sent to. It doesn’t seem very long now from when we will be tearing into ‘Square Heads’ in the trenches.

I hear our boys are doing some good fighting also getting a few casualties which is always included in the glory part of the affair. This country is beautiful and delightfully green and with nice lanes and avenues everywhere. It houses belonging to be Ivcaelty? are magnificent white stone and with red tiled roof and nestles amongst clumps of ornamental trees and green lawns and beautiful flower gardens roses from wealthier and many French people granted these all jumbled up together and they look very pretty.

So far the Australian troops have a good name here and the French people show their good will towards by clapping their hands together with the children yell out all the top of their voices about something or other and seem very delighted. The French want trade Australian mining and only give 10d for the 1/- and of course that does not worry me as I have not been paid for months and as yet I do not see any indications of the financial embarrassment passing away.

We can get real good beer for 5d a bottle here and wine is also cheap and good (so they say). I would not worry about sending any billies thanks as I do not think there is any chance of my getting this as the only thing the postal department exercise any care about is the letters. Billy Hookhams brother with the Tommy gets his parcels regularly from across from England but mine would have to come about 15,000 miles and might not get here at all.

Please mention in your letters whether you or Pa is drawing my money or not. You ought to get it from the Summerhill Post Office every 10 days at the rate of 3/- a day. If there is any hitch at all, you call get information about me at embarkation office at Liverpool or Victoria barracks.

I hope you are all well and don’t worry about your old head about me as I am doing all right.

With love from your affectionate son

Walter

19/5/16 France