and Culcairn Shire Register (NSW)
9 June 1915
Henty Lad in Egypt
In the course of a letter just received by Mrs Graham from her son Reg, with the Expeditionary Force, he says:—
We have just come back to camp after doing a fortnight's police work in Cairo, and I can tell you that we did not like coming back to the flies and dust after having a good camp in town. Karran el Nil barracks was the name of the barracks we were camped in, and they are about the biggest in the world, and were built by Lord Kitchener. There were a lot of 7th Lancashire Fusiliers camped there too, but they moved away to the front yesterday.
During the fortnight that I spent in Cairo I saw a lot of things and places that never thought were in Egypt. I can tell you that I cannot give Cairo a good name by any means, and I believe it to be one of the dirtiest places in the world. Well, anyway, I don't want to see a dirtier place.
The garden fete which was got up for the Belgians was one of the prettiest sights I have seen. We were on duty in there one day from 1 o'clock until 1 o'clock, and from 2 until 4 o'clock was for the ladies of the harem only, and we had to keep all others out But the best time was at night. Everything was lit up with electric lights of all colors, even on the trees out along the limbs and branches. It was a sort of Luna Park, with a lot of stalls of different kinds of things, and racing games. It was on Saturday and Sunday. But the people, did not seem to turn up until about 11 o'clock, and then it was all the heads that came. There were four bands present, and they played in turns; as soon as one finished the other started. There was one French band, two English Tommies' bands and one Egyptian band, and I can tell you it was a pleasure to sit and listen to them.
Bob Carroll and Chummy Kemp are here with us, and have been all along, and they seem to be doing alright. I have met a good many over here that I know from different parts. Rochow left here about a fortnight since; he went with the rest to the Dardanelles. I was talking to Jack Garrett the other day, and you can tell Mr Williams his brother is my sergeant. Charlie Stibbard is here, and he is doing tip-top.
Soldier Identified: Trooper Reginald Graham, Service No: 408, 6th Light Horse Regiment and 4th Division Artillery, A.I.F. Killed in Action 5 August 1917, Belgium.
Brother: Sergeant William John Graham, Service No.: 1225, D Company, 28th Battalion, A.I.F. Returned to Australia, 8 April 1919.
See also (letters):
Pvt. Willie Graham, 28th Battalion, 1915 (brother)
Egypt c. 1915. Members of the 6th Australian Light Horse Regiment shoeing their mascot, a small Syrian donkey bought in Cairo for three shillings. (Courtesy: Australian War Memorial)
Sources:
- Henty Lad in Egypt (1915, June 9). The Henty Observer and Culcairn Shire Register (NSW : 1914 - 1950), p. 2.
- Egypt c. 1915. Members of the 6th Australian Light Horse Regiment shoeing their mascot, a small Syrian donkey bought in Cairo for three shillings. Australian War Memorial
No comments