LETTER FROM EGYPT.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVII, Issue 2, 1 May 1915, Page 2

LETTER FROM EGYPT.

Writing to a member of the ‘'Stratford Evening Post” staff, from /eitmm Camp, Egypt, on March IU, a Stratford trooper says “1 don’t suppose we will be here mu,e!i longer, and by the time this ! reaches you we will all be where theie lis something doing. No doubt you will have heard from some of the I other Stratford members of the force j before this, although there is hardly ■ any need for our letters to appeal in 'your paper, as our doings will ot (known in every household in Stiat'ford. so well is that patriotic little town represented. I haven t had au.\ I news from the place for about two I months, hut 1 am fortunate in getting all the happenings from one or 'two of my townies, and to-night f had a copy of your paper given to jme dated January ‘iblh. The first 'thing I noticed was “An Australian’s 'tragic end.” On reading it 1 learn’t 'that it was an extract from a letter written hy a Christchurch member of 'the force. I wonder why an Austra‘linn :■» And where did this Christchurch ■fellow receive his information ! J I have heard men who were in South Africa say htat the first news they received of battles that they didn’t actually take part in was in papers they had sent them from home. Well, it seems that we have to get papers from New Zealand to learn what is going on around us. although 1 haidK think such au incident as our Christchurch friend writes about could have happened without every soldiei in Egypt knowing about it. No doubt, some higher authority will have contradicted his rash statement long before this. 1 have beeli in Cairo many ;times now, and considering the mixed population, and the conditions of things generally, and the number of troops that congregate there, . I think the behaviour of the men is line; the only trouble I have noticed is where a hawker has been robbed of an article he lias been trying to sell for twice its value. The place is overrun with this kind of person; one can hardly move along the street without them wanting to clean your boots or sell you something, and the only way to get rid of them is to give them a sharp crack with a stick. Of course, there are all sorts m rumours in the camps heie, but if half of them reached the New Zealand papers our relatives and friends would never lie able to .sleep. Now, just a line or two with regard to our training here, which has neen very solid, and anyone at home who may think we have been having a good holiday in Egypt is very much mistaken. It wasn’t so bad when we first arrived here, but now that the weather is so hot, and I might add that we haven’t been issued with light clothing to meet the occasion, we are having anything but a picnic. Wo arc going from 5.30 until sunset, ami then for those who are attached to the mounted branch, there are horses to he looked after. To make matters more unpleasant, all our training is done on the desert, which would not be quite so bad only for the strong winds we have every other day. A drop of rain here would be a great treat, 1 often think what would 1 give for a good old Taranaki downpoui. It has "only rained on two occasions since our arrival, and then only foi a few minutes. I don't think there is a member in the whole iorce who will not he pleased to get out of it, wherever our destination might he. We have no idea where we are going, hut we hope to ho away before this time next week. In spite of the consistent, training the force is undergoing in Egypt, there is still a ilittle time for recreation. Saturday afternoon is recognised as a haltholiday, and there is generally a football match played on that day. 1 here have also been some very successful boxing tournaments hold amongst the troops. Theie are some of New Zealand’s best performers of the noble art with the force, including Hegarty and Allan Maxwell. I hope to have something more exciting to tel) you about before long.”