Letter - 31 August 1916 - Observer qualification

Athol writes home to mother. Adah has sent him some photos and he thinks the one of his step-father, whom he calls Pater, makes him look thinner and his mother fatter. He lets Adah know that the ICC have been in action near the Canal and that he has qualified as a Observer as of 25 August 1916. He takes a 4 day camel ride out into the desert to drop some supplies.

No1 Squadron

A.F.C.

31.8.16

Dear Mater,

Two letters 53, 55, two Australasians, two Bystanders, one parcel of clothes and one of socks dated 12.6.16 to thank you for this time. Also 1 parcel of mosquito nets.

This letter will be worse than usual as there is a deuce of an argument going on and I have to have a spoke in now and then.

The snaps you enclosed are good. The one of you and Pater make you look quite fat and Pater a lot thinner. The kitchens at Royal Park are a bit different to the Broadmedows ones of our time. The refreshment stall is really quite imposing.

I can't place the 'D' Company man you mention unless it's Backhouse.
Say I didn't know that Aunt May was sick and have been wondering why I hadn't heard from her and last week I wrote a rotten letter to her about it. Hope she's better by this.
I wrote and acknowledged the birthday cables a long time ago.

The ICC (Imperial Camel Corps) got a bit of a show in the last scrap on the Canal. Only one Australian Company in it, No 4 and did A1 from all accounts. I believe Capt Langley and Lt Cashman did fine work. Miss Adamson knows Capt Langley. She sent me a couple of Heralds by this mail. Please thank her.

Did I tell you that one of our pilots who has just come from the CFS in England met VHA. Hawkins* who served bow in the crew with me is an Assistant Instructor there and will push him I expect. There is a lot of esprit de patrie among Australians when we get into a bunch of Englishmen.

I've been in orders as a qualified Observer dated 25.8.16 so now it's only a matter of a couple of months with ordinary luck. I expect VHA will be a pilot by this and will probably be in France by the time you get this.

Last week we had a long reconnaissance to do and I was sent out by camel to a place about 50 miles out on the desert to fix an advanced landing ground and take out extra petrol etc. It took me four days there and back but next time the same reconnaissance is on I hope to get the job on the bus. 

Give my love to the Aunts and Pater - also anyone I know.

Yours lovingly,

Athol

* Capt. Henry Rupert Hawkins
Henry Hawkins paid his own way to England in order to enlist in the RFC. He was not eligible to enlist in the AIF as he was a medical student. After undergoing a course of military training at Oxford, he obtained his commission and was promoted to Captain on 1st August 1916. It seems he also became an instructor whilst with the RFC in England. He arrived in France in December 1916. On 26th April 1917 he was shot down and taken Prisoner of War. He was detained in Karlsruhe, Strohen and Holzminden Prison Camps until the Armistice. Henry return to Australia in July 1919.