Letter - 15 July 1916 - Athol attached to the Australian Flying Corps

Athol writes home to mother. After leaving the Imperial Camel Corps, Athol is attached to 'A' Flight of the Australian Flying Corps which is stationed out in the desert. Taking the train from Cairo he travels south, following the Nile, to Upper Egypt and Luxor. He then takes another train and travels 100 miles west into the desert to Sherika (map at end of this Blogpost).

Prior to learning to fly, Athol's position in the AFC was as an Observer. He notes that some of his new colleagues were also from Melbourne: Sheldon, Ellis and Jones - all pilots. In their recreation time, they have the use of a pool surrounded by date palms (photos of the pool are in the next blog post).

You might note the red triangular stamp on the top right hand corner of the envelope which indicates that the letter has been passed by the Censor. The letter is written in pencil.

Write to No1 Squadron

A.F.C.

Egypt

"A" Flight

1st Squadron. A.F.C.

Egypt

15.7.16

Dear Mater,

I've run away from my letters again. This time right down south nearly due west of Luxor about 100 miles west of the Nile. Objective: the same old Senussi. I am attached, at present, as an observer and hope, if the transfer goes through alright and I'm reported on satisfactorily, to get my pilots wings in about 5 or 6 months. 

I suppose VHA (that's Athol's older brother Harold who had left for the UK to train as a pilot with the RFC) will be a pilot long before that as they turn out pilots by the dozen, in a few weeks, in England. I only got here on Thursday night having reported to Major Rutledge on Tuesday and leaving Cairo Wednesday. Friday morning I had one hour in the air and today 45 minutes which is A1 as in some places one won't get that much in a fortnight.

We fly at 5am, as it is too hot during the day. Generally about 110F maximum.

Captain Sheldon (portrait below), brother of 'Shack' of MCEGS about 1910 & 11 is Officer Commanding here and the other pilots are Ellis, late Scotch College, and Jones also of Melbourne. All good chaps and I think they'll put me in the way of as much flying as possible.

This is a pretty good spot. There is artesian water here, just the faintest little bit of sulphury smell and we have a swimming bath 4 metres by 10 and 1 1/2 deep with some young date palms round it just high enough to shade it but without long trunks. [Photo in next Blog-post].

They are also building one 80 feet x 20 for the men. There are not many troops here - mostly yeomanry without horses and also No1 Company ICC is in this district.

No more news.

Love to all,

Yours lovingly

Athol 

Captain William Sheldon

Australian War Memorial ref: DAAV00006

This portrait was taken by Darge Photographic Company it is an image made from a glass original half-plate negative in March 1916 not long before his embarkation. Captain Sheldon travelled with the 1st Squadron AFC in March 1916. He was Officer Commanding of Athol's unit and an Old Melbournian about 2 years senior to Athol. Sheldon would probably have been in the same year as Lt V. Harold Adams (Athol's elder brother). 

You can make out the embroidered badge with his pilot's 'wings'.

Map showing Sherika where Athol was based with

'A' Flight, 1st Squadron A.F.C. in July 1916

From Australian War Memorial digitised Official War History

https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/RCDIG1069787/

Volume VIII - The Australian Flying Corps in the Western and Eastern Theatres of War,

1914-1918 (11th edition, 1941).