Letter - 25 April 1916 - Anzac Day

Athol writes home to Mother exactly one year after the famous landing at Anzac Cove, Gallipoli.

Still stationed at Sollum on the far western coast of Egypt, Athol receives more parcels from Adah in Melbourne. He takes a tour with the Armoured Car Corps and meets Captain Mangles the Officer Commanding that unit. Athol encloses an annotated clipping from a magazine, the Windsor.

Sollum
25.4.16

Dear Mater,

Thank you for two parcels and also the one of (Aunt) May's and enclosed clothing and food dated 6.3.16.  All our letters I suppose now go to France so I expect it will be some time before we get any more.

Nothing ever happens here. Our C.O. Lt. Col. Smith VC (image at bottom of this post), came down last Thursday and had a look at us. He didn't say much so I suppose he was satisfied. On Friday I got the armoured car people to take him and me out for a run. We went to Aziza (sp?) about 20 miles. He went away to Matruh that evening to see No.3 Camel Company.

On Saturday I went out in the cars again to try and get some of the Senussi soldiers but we drew blank. We went 52 miles in all, over some very rough country. The cars are wonderful. The armoured cars are Rolls Royce and weigh 5 tons. They have one machine gun. There are also a lot of Fords to act as tenders. The tyres they get through would break the heart of a private owner.

Lieut Goldenstedt went away yesterday on his map-making work. He is away nearly all the time.

Please thank Mrs Price for the socks, I've got them on now. 

The weather has been very patchy here lately. Dust and wind and it looks as if it might rain tonight. We have made ourselves pretty comfy. We four officers live in an EP tent (a marquee) and we have a two-roomed hut for our mess. Another is going up for the sergeants. Each section has three bell tents but as we allow them to build humpies there are only about four men to a tent.

I just trod on my pen and so it doesn't work too well so excuse patchiness.

Capt. Mangles, the O.C. Armoured Cars here is out of the XXth Huzzars and is very interesting. He got shot in the face in France. He's about the best shot with a revolver I've seen. He is talking about moving his camp to near us. Hope he does as he's a fine chap.

My love to Aunt Puff, Pater and also all enquiring friends.

Yours lovingly,

Athol

PS. Enclosed picture I found in an old 'Windsor' magazine. It might interest the Old Melbournians. AGA.

Athol's annotations from top right "Windsor magazine, No240. The others look like Freddy Grimwade, Cleveland and Little Dad Austin." On the left is "Solum 25.4.16" and the bottom three lines read " This group includes Donkey Lloyd, Billy Farming, Little Puss Catani, Clive Currie, Yat Smyth, Wingrove.
"Must have been taken at the P.S. camp at Geelong about '08."

_____________________________________

Lieutenant Colonel Clement Leslie Smith VC

Commanding Officer, Imperial Camel Corps

Image ref: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clement_Leslie_Smith