At Sea; December 1, 1916

My Dear People,

Just a few lines to let you know I am well, we left -------- Wednesday afternoon, it is a lovely place, the prettiest I have ever seen, but it was very hot while we were there, a sultry sort of heat we felt it a good deal in our heavy uniforms. The niggers there are very amusing, they go bare-foot & their feet must be as hard as nails, the rickshaw boys trot along on the metal & take no notice of it. I do not know how they stand running around like they do, pulling two or three passengers, but they say they only last about seven years. They wear horns & feathers on their heads and have a regular harvest overcharging our soldiers when they go there.

We thought fruit would be cheap, but we must have been too early as I saw grapes at 1/6 a lb, & other fruit was pretty dear. There is a Y.M.C.A. flat there & they give meals very cheap, tea a penny a cup & sandwiches a penny each that you would pay 3d. for in Australia. There is another place called the Wesley Hall where they give soldiers refreshments free & the girls sing good songs, it is a very nice place. The women & girls are much the same class as those in Australia.

There are electric cars there, double-deckers & soldiers ride free on them, but when you get on top they are pretty rocky, it would not do to go the pace in them that they do in Adelaide. I never saw the train service but I believe it is rather slow. I sent some post-cards to friends & some silver-leaves to mother I hope they get through alright. It is just about fall in now. So I must close, hoping you are all well.

I remain

Your Loving Son & Brother,

Tom.

At Sea, November 24th 1916

My Dear People,

Just a line to let you know how I am getting on during my sea voyage. I am still very well and enjoying the sea splendid, we have had a lovely fine trip so far and we have not called anywhere since we left Adelaide, but we will be making port for coal within the next three or four days. I don't think the censor will allow me to say what port. 

Some of the fellows are very keen on getting off for a run but I don't care much, this ship will do me very nicely. The general health on board is very good, a few cases of mumps etc. but nothing serious. We had a dinner and concert in the Sergeant's Mess last night. I am enclosing the program and menu. On the menu area lot of gags at different Sgts in the mess. The concert went off very well but it was very hot here, it has been hot today - like Summer. We have mass on board here every Sunday, there are quite a lot of Catholics on board.

Saturday 25th. 

We are still going along, it is lovely and warm again today. Our mail closes tonight. So I suppose we will strike port tomorrow or next day. Some of the chaps have written thirty or forty letters since we left so I guess there will be a considerable mail. I have only written one letter card to you and this since I left, some of the stuff on the card might be struck out by the censor. When we were going through Pt. Adelaide, the little girls were holding up pieces of paper with their address on and instructions to write. I got four, but I won't write till I get to our training ground. We have drill parades on the ship but you cannot do a great lot, as there is not much room. But we do a good deal of lecturing. 

I suppose hay-making is in full swing over at Mt. Bryan by this. We have to put our watches back about twenty minutes every day; they alter the time on the ship at midnight so we get that much longer in bed. I do not know whether you will get this by Christmas or not but I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a happy New Year. Hoping you are all well and enjoying yourselves as I am. 

I remain

Your Loving Son and Brother, 

Tom. 

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This is one of our ordinary breakfast menus, so you see it is our own fault if we do not live well. We have stewards waiting on us and generally live at about second-class mail-boat standard which does me very well. The corporals do not get many privileges on this ship. They have to eat with the men, of course this would not trouble me but some of them do not like it much, seeing that it is only bad luck that they were not allotted as sergeants. 

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A19

SS Afric                     -                    25th November 1916

Oatmeal Porridge

Smoked Schnapper

Jacket Potatoes

Grilled Mutton Chops

Boiled Cambridge Sausage

Mashed Potatoes

Irish Stew

Rolls

Jam - Tea

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S.S. Afric. Sat 11th November 1916

My Dear People,

Just a line to let you know how I am getting on.

We left the Outer Harbor about Midnight Tuesday. I was well asleep. Next morning the sea was lovely and smooth but after we passed Kangaroo Island we struck a long slow swell which of course turned up a considerable number of our men, but, as I anticipated, I am a good sailor and love the swing of the old boat. Yesterday it was windy and rough but it is fine to-day.

Soldiers waiting to board the HMAT Afric

There are a lot of men on this boat, about 900 N.S.W. men and 600 S.A.s, besides the crew. I do not know whether we will call at the West or not, but a small boat might come out and take the mail. We are being well treated here and I am enjoying the trip splendidly. We saw some whales in the distance this morning. We have only seen one ship on the trip, a steamer making for Adelaide. Hoping you are all well as I am.

I remain

Tom.

Mitcham, November 7th 1916

My Dear People,

Just a line to let you know I am well, we are not sailing till this afternoon as the transport was delayed.

I saw Mrs. Cahill Saturday night and took her and Ethel to the Dandies. It was Mrs. Cahill who was looking for Kathleen in town, she left a note at Grants' for her, but I suppose they did not give it to her. I went and saw Nell Simmons last night. I am to get two pounds ten embarkation pay before I go, so I will have plenty of money. There is no other Quinn in this unit now, as the other chap has been transferred somewhere else.

I must close now as we will soon be off. Hoping you are all well. 

I remain

Your Loving son and Brother 

Tom.

Maylands, October 13th 1916

My Dear People, 

Just a few lines to let you know that I am quite well, I am writing this from Jim Griffen's. I got a letter from Nell, this morning but the post card Annie sent me last week has turned up missing. I don't know where it got to. It was a holiday in camp Wednesday but I did not go out anywhere as I had some studying to do. 

What did your wool bring or did you hold it back? Mr Dare got a good price I hear 17 1/4. 

I suppose there is great excitement over the calling up of lads up there. There is down here, but I do not see much of it and I don't have time to read the papers much. They tell me that the Government has sold half a million tons of wheat, so if that is a fact it will clear away a bit of the old season's wheat. 

We have been pretty busy with our drill and lectures this week, we are ready to go out for a sham attack before the school is finished, it generally takes the form of trying to block a convoy supposed to be carrying ammunition or something, we will very likely have to sleep out a night and cook our own meals (good fun). There is a good many men at Mitcham now; the biggest parade I have seen here since I have been at Mitcham and I hear there is about 900 in the Exhibition. 

Jack O'Rielly came down the other day. As to that stove part it is the hinge part like I got before. I will try to get it if I get a chance. Wishing Father many happy returns on his birthday and George too, I must close now hoping you are all well. 

I remain

Your loving Son and Brother

Tom.

G.P.O., October 5th 1916

My Dear People,

I got your letters this morning. I will not be able to get leave on Saturday morning as they are giving us instructions in Field-cooking and I think it will be the only day we have on that. So I will not be able to meet the train on Saturday morning and I suppose Father will want to go straight down and see his wool at Port Adelaide. I will meet him at Grant's Coffee Palace between half past 5 and 6 o'clock Saturday evening. If he can not meet me there I will be at the G.P.O. between half-past ten and 11 o'clock Sunday morning. If he is not coming down, try and let me know before Saturday morning, you will have to send letter by Friday's train. 

I was very surprised to hear Poor Mrs Richards had died, it will make it very bad for Mr Richards and the boys. Hoping you are all well as I am. 

I remain

Your loving Son and Brother

Tom.

Cheltenham Camp, September 21st 1916

My Dear People,

Just a few lines to let you know I am getting on alright. It is very wet down here tonight, it's been raining all day, but it has been pretty fine down here the last week or two. I am still learning things about rifles and the way they throw bullets about, but I haven't done any shooting yet. I expect we will go down to the ranges early next week. The musketry school will finish up next week sometime, about Thursday, I think. There is a terrible swag of Citizen Force fellows down here now doing their fortnight's training; there must be about six hundred of them but they all say they won't enlist till Billy Hughes puts the hammer on them. I haven't got any mail yet the P.O. fellows at Mitcham evidently didn't send it on. I might go out and get it tomorrow night if it is fine. I went out to Gare's with Nell Simmons on Sunday and saw Bert's sister. They are very nice people, but Miss Lilley is not a bit like Bert, either in manner or looks. She is a famous flirt and like most flirts seems rather proud of it. By the way, I hear that another young lady who was in M.B.C. for a while lately is inclined the same way, been engaged two or three times but keep it dark.

I suppose you were getting on nicely with the fallowing during the fine weather but if it was as dry up there as it was getting down here you will be glad to see this rain which I assume you are getting. We have a good lot of writing to do here every night, we get a lecture in the afternoon and have to write it up at night but we only have another lecture to come. We get leave here on Friday nights but there is no guard or anything to prevent you going out if you like only you get behind with your writing and study, so I don't go out. I don't know where I will go Sunday yet, I might go to Glenelg. It is now just about bed-time so I must close now. Hoping you are quite well as I am. 

I remain 

Your Loving Son and Brother

Tom.

Friday Night G.N.O.

I went out to Mitcham this evening and got my mail and was glad to hear you were all well. Many thanks for chocolates and birthday cards I got a card from Kathleen too. I went out to Jim Griffen's just now but they were not home, so I guess I will go back to camp pretty soon. There was a good lot of rain last night and today but I think most of it is over now. A lot of soldiers went away yesterday. How is the shearing going, do the backs ache same as ever and what sort of a clip are you getting?

I think that is all for this time.

Tom.

Cheltenham Camp September 15th 1916

My Dear People,

Just a line to let you know I am well. I came down here Tuesday, it is not a bad camp, but the mosquitos are as big as blow flies. There are a lot of citizen force lads here training; they have put up a wireless station here and can send messages to Gawler. The results of the bombing school came down to-day. I got through with 79 points, the top of the school was 92 and seven men failed. The work here is very different, I do not know yet how I am likely to get on, you have to get over 50 marks in everything to get a pass. I hope to get that. You have to judge distances up to 1,500 yds and must not be over 20 percent out to get a pass. 

I have not got any mail this week yet, but it is no use addressing anything here as I will only be here another week or so, they should send it on here from Mitcham. I ordered a top for the windmill from Metters the other day, let me know when it gets up there and I will finish paying for it when I get my pay, it is a little Toff 7.10.0 and there is an automatic gear to be sent with it for 30 shillings but it will be very handy for out there. When it comes, take it out to A.V. when you get a chance and if I get leave I can go up and set it up. I was glad to hear you had nearly finished fallowing the block, you must have knocked along pretty considerable.

I missed the train to go to Mrs. Tothills Sunday. So went up and had dinner at Kellys and then went out and saw Nell Simmons, she is going to take me out to Gare's on Sunday. I went to Birkenhead on Saturday. Pat and Mill are getting settled down again; poor Pat had a bad time while his wife was away. I went out to Jim's on Monday night, he is still on the trams. It is quarter warning now so I must close hoping you are all well as I am.

I remain

Your Loving Son & Brother 

Tom.

Mitcham Camp, August 31st, 1916

My Dear People,

Just a few lines to let you know how I am getting on.

I got John's letter today, my word you must have had a great turn out at the concert it must have been a great success. I hope the tree you named after me grows alright. I went out to Sandfords last - night it is a very nice place. There was no one home only Nell and the other girl. So I had a good look round. We are still at our writing and drawing and some of the fellows can draw splendid but mine are generally pretty rough drawings - never was a strong point of mine. I do not know what sort of an examination we have here but I think you have to go out and draw a grenade or something on the board and explain it to the class, there are a lot of different kinds and we have got to know a good bit about all the explosives used in the army and navy.

We only parade two nights a week here in the bombing school so you can clear out at five any other night if you like. A T. Penglase is in the class but him and a lot more do not sleep here at all. I have got down onto the good old boards here - no straw. You can get straw if you like but I didn't bother, but I sleep colder here than at Exhibition but you soon get used to it, there are very few men left here now.

Friday night. I got a letter from Sis this morning. I just came up to town and met Poor old Jim Griffen and he told me his mother was dead. I was so sorry and surprised I never knew she was ill or anything. I will go to her funeral tomorrow. Stewart Sommerville had a bit of bad luck he broke his arm the other day as he got thrown off a horse. I must close now hoping you are well as I am.

I remain

Your loving Son and Brother

Tom

Exhibition Camp August 25th, 1916

My Dear People,

Just a line to let you know I am well and doing alright. I just got a letter from Nell enclosing one of Bert's too. I never saw Mr. McBride Monday so I suppose he did not come down. We had our educational exam Tuesday. I am enclosing the papers we had and we also had dictation. They would not allow us to put our names on the papers we had done but just gave us a number the papers were then sent on to headquarters at Keswick and examined, there were 38 put up here and 36 passed, at Mitcham 123 put up and or 40 passed and they had the same papers as we had. We went down to Mitcham by train this morning for our practical exam but as there were only 76 candidates and they want 80 for the School they didn't test us at all, so we will go into the School Monday. I am pretty sure to go to Mitcham for bombing first and then to Cheltenham in about a fortnight's time for musketry but you can still send my letters here.

After Dinner. They have given us leave so I am finishing this in the G.P.O. I think I will go and see Mrs. Kelly this Afternoon. We very nearly had to sail on Monday the orders came through that we had to go to Mitcham last Thursday morning to help fill up the transport on Monday but they got enough Privates without us N.C.O.s so the orders were altered but it gave some of our fellows a great shock to be banged off so sudden but I didn't care. I haven't  seen Mat or Ralph yet it was a pity they gave Mat two watches. I hope your concert is a success Saturday. It is Violet Day down here today but soldiers are not allowed to wear anything on their uniform, so I bought a bunch to carry in my pocket. I haven't seen Jack O'Reilly yet but there are a lot of fellows coming in this week. I must close now hoping you are all well.

I remain

Your Loving Son & Brother

Tom.

_____________________________________________________

NON-COMMISSIONED OFFICERS' SCHOOL No. 14

EDUCATION EXAMINATION

22nd AUGUST, 1915

A R I T H M E T R I C 

10.05 - 10.35 A.M.: Time allowed Half an Hour.

INSTRUCTIONS TO CANDIDATES. 

Full working must be shown. Answers alone will not be accepted. 

Read over all the questions carefully before you begin to write any answers. Questions may be answered in any order. 

Put your examination number at the top of each paper. 

When you have finished read over your work to see if you have omitted anything. 

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1. After spending one fifth (1/5) of his money, a man finds he has L567/13/8 left. What was the original amount?
2. What is the value of one million penny stamps?
3. If a half crown weighs half an oz, what would be the value of one ton of half crowns?

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C O M P O S I T I O N.

Write on one of the following :-

1. How to keep fit.
2. A Sea Voyage.
3. Aerial Navigation.

Exhibition Camp, July 14th, 1916

My Dear People,

Just a line to let you know how I am getting on. I don't find it too bad down here at all. I get plenty to eat and we have four good blankets so I sleep as warm as toast up in the grand stand.

I was inoculated yesterday. It never took much effect on me but it knocked five other blokes out soon after they were treated. It has been lovely weather since I have been in here we have a concert or pictures here nearly every night. My address will be C/O Y.M.C.A. Exhibition Camp. I saw N. Tiver, P. Degidan and Tom Stagg and S. Sommerville, here. Hoping you are all well as I am.

I remain, 

The bad boy, 

Tom.