Monthly Archives

June 1915

T.S.S. Ceramic

June 24, 1915

Dear Nona:

I didn’t think I would get a letter from (for?) you before I left.

You are a ?? little girl. This is the boat I am on.

Sailing on Friday

Some of our boys went aboard.

Love Stid

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I am sailing in the morning

June 24, 1915

Dear Daisy

Just a last PC

I am Sailing in the morning on a big 180000 ton boat among about 3000 other men. There are 25 Signalers and we will commence work as soon as we get aboard. So our boats ought to be leading.

Love from Stid

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I had a trip into the mountains last week

June 24, 1915

Dear Maude:

I had a trip into the mountains last week and saw Auntie Claudia, Grace, Bertha and Fell & Grace and Fell came back to Sydney with me. Next time you hear from me I will probably not be in Australia.

Love from Stid

Not heard it officially

June 21, 1915
Envelope to Amy from LIverpool

21

Dear Amy:

I had last weekend around Wentworth Falls. Saw Bertha, two Aunts & Fell. They are all in good form. I am sailing on Saturday next going on the boat & away next day. Not heard it officially. Saw G. Low for a while a night ago & saw Moorehouse last night. Will write again but am in a hurry now.

Love to all

I will send you a Picture of the Ceramic. It’s not a very good one but the best I could get.

Love to all

Stid

Letter from LIverpool

Letter from LIverpool

We are to use periscopes for reading signals

June 21, 1915

June 21

My dear Mother,

I am to Sail on Friday or Saturday. We go to the Boat on Friday but probably don’t Sail until next day we will be a big crowd on the water. We are going on a big boat and are looking forward to the trip which ought to be splendid. I had a trip to Wentworth Falls on Saturday came back Sunday night with Aunt G & Fell. He is doing well. Bertha was there too. I saw Gavin? the other night. He is Sailing with us & Moorehouse came into camp with me. He is looking well. We are going to Egypt. Some of the 5th Brigade are there now. There are others in camp that came from there. We are to have three months there before going on. And probably will lend a hand at the Turks after that. We are to use periscopes for reading signals from the trenches and can use them to send out too. They are only little ones about 2 feet long. I and a lot of others were marched through the city to a theatre party given by one of the big shows on Friday last & had a good time.

Has the grass helped the stock trouble yet? I’m glad if it has. Your letters haven’t mentioned losing stock the last time or two.

G. Hay, a young man in Wentworth Falls is in camp as Captain he sent word round to me to look him up and made an appointment for half an hour. He is a chum of Aunts and nice fellow. We used to write to each other occasionally. He is in the Army Medical Corps. I will send you a picture of the boat we are going on. It is not much of a one but they won’t let people photograph it. So it’s only a postcard. I haven’t it in my pocket now. I have about a dozen knitted socks. And am quite proud of them. They are good too & will be useful in Egypt. People who make them seem to like seeing who they give them to and a lady who gave me one pair is going to send me more while I am away. It’s good of her isn’t it?

Love to All

your loving son Stid

 

Salvation Army envelope

Salvation Army envelope

I am to sail on the Ceramic

June 14, 1915
Church of England Tent

Liverpool.

Dear Amy,

We hear a lot of rumours such as a bad time with the stock- I hope it will soon be a thing of the past.

I am glad you like your new teacher.  I think you could easily get a better one than Miss Quinn.

I am to sail on the 25th inst. on the Ceramic, an 18,000 ton boat.  She is in the harbour now and is the biggest boat that has crossed south of the equator.  It takes 38’ of water to float her and we are going to India to take the place of the Regulars there and will probably train there for another 7 months before getting into the fight.  Part of my brigade is there now. (the 5th brigade)

Love to all, Stid

 

 

Off in the morning everybody is excited packing bags

June 13, 1915
Leaving for the front - image from Liverpool Camp

13 June

N 39 Sig 18th Battalion

Dear Amy

A last time before I

So, off in the morning everybody is excited packing bags and unpacking and seeing what they can do without. Giving things away and exchanging some boys are writing. Some are jumping about. Sparks are flying every where and the tent is on an uproar because we are going to have a bonfire long

Love from Stid

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Love to all & especially your self

June 9, 1915

Sig 18th Batt

Liverpool

June 9? 1915

Dear Amy

Many thanks. Your letters for and for which.

we may Sail soon we hear a lot of rumours about when we are to go but have got no orders yet and may be here for a few weeks We think we are to to to England. Australians I heard are at the Dardanelles in numbers only supposed to be represented there and the allies are there in big numbers, Australia must be represented ever where there is trouble & our officers feel pretty shure (sic) we are going to England first & proably to Europe later. I saw Little Aunt on Saturday & Sunday last. Spent weekend there with her & Aunt Grace.

Didn’t see Fell. He has a young lady who Aunt Grace thinks occupies most of his spare time.

Love to all & especially your self.

Stid

We have been signalling from trenches with the helio

June 8, 1915

Sig 18th Battalion

June 8

My Dear Mother

I expect we us & Co will Sail on or about the 20th and we think now that we are going to India to do some frontier work (for a start at any rate) Fell came up to camp some days ago. He is a Lieutenant in some force or other and carried a star the same as the Officers here. The men about camp were Saluting him. He must have felt pretty big.

I spent Saturday afternoon or Sunday at Wentworth Falls with the Aunts. The mountains are really great as usual and we had a good bright day and could see the country around Liverpool and was a bit inclined to ask the O.C. when I came back to find a Signalling Station up for practice. Some of us are going on a three day jaunt to a hill that is visible from here to signal back. Per Helio this work is getting more interesting the more I get on at it. The Officer listed some of us Yesterday and I was pleased because the speed was 3 words a minute faster than is necessary to be classed as 1st class.

We are to sail on the Ceramic on 18000 ton boat. She is cooling in the Harbour now.

Per Your new teacher via Aunt ?? sending you a photo you probably have it by now.

We have been getting a good bit of practice on a buzzer that makes the same sound as the wireless expecting to get wireless work later on the flag? is a quick method of Signallers but on account of leaving will not be used in getting ready.

We have been signalling from trenches with the helio too by putting one instrument up on the bank and reflecting the sunlight on to it with another so the operator is under cover.

They give us a good lot of this so to get us quick because of the time spent in sighting. The top one leaves us exposed. On account of getting night work with one of the camps we get the weekend off. I hear the ranks don’t get leave now for fear of them deserting.

It’s rotten having to off poor stock each day. But guess it won’t be too long now although the grass grows slowly in winter. That old grass in the reserve ought to help the new to come along quickly.

We are going to Egypt

June 1, 1915

Dear Mother,

We are going to Egypt- some of the 5th brigade are there now.  There are letters in the camp that came from there.  We have three months there before going on.  Probably will lend a hand at the Turks after that.

I have about a dozen knitted socks and am quite proud of them – will be useful in Egypt.

The lady who gave me one pair is going to send more while I’m away.  It’s good of her, isn’t it?

Your loving son, Stid.

 

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