LETTER FROM EGYPT.

Taranaki Daily News, 24 March 1917, Page 6

LETTER FROM EGYPT.

FROM A TABANAKI BOY. The following interesting letter, dated December 2f>, 11)10, has been received by Mrs. Lepper, Hurford road, from iter son, Lance-Corporal J. Lepper, who was recently awarded the Military Medal for bravery on the ligvption battlefield. He said:—"l suppose you have seen by the /paper that we made a bit of a move and captured a few more Turkeys, lmb they looked too tough to cook for Christmas dinner, so -we had to have bread and bully-beef and onions instead. Wood is very scarce, so we are unable to do much cooking. This i,s the first day for a week that we havo not been' on the move. We sleep anywhere, and do a shiver the biggest part of the night." "27th.—I did not have-time to finish this letter at the last place, and have been moving about ever since. We put our bivouacs up three times and have had to shift them, but I think we are settled here for a wecek or so.

"ft has rained for the tost three nights and our gear is anything' but dry. It is not a warm ruin, as one would expect in this country ( but more like a snowstorm. It rains on and off during the day. You know what it is like there when you get the southerly busters. Well, it is just the same. The water is quite fresh here within fifty yards of the sea. There is a dry river close by. f don t know how long it is since water ran down it, but by the loqk of some of the floods there must have l>een heavv rain some time or other. There is also a native village close by, the first one we have come across on this route. We bad the pleasure of watching about two thousand prisoners march past yesterday, most of them being very ra"»ed but one can give them credit, as "they can march well in the heavy sand. ] suppose tlvey arc well hardened to it. "We received some Australian gift stuff, which came in very handy. We are expecting some mail in to-day. The weather is a little brighter at present, hut one never knows when a storm is going to break. The} break like a mail train coming into a station very .suddenly.. I suppose by the time vou net this the summer will be wearing off there and starting to come on here. 1 think we can give the war another year yet. It will take us nearly that timo to get to Berlin this way round. It puts one in mind of the longest way round is the sweetest way home although old Joe Turk won't think so by the time we finish with him, that is if he doesn't throw it up soon. I think if he bad much of a. say in the matter he would throw it up to-morrosv."

NEWS OF TARANAKI BOYS. Writing to Mr. T. Buchanan, under date of January 30, from "on the cdac of Sanai desert," Trooper Tapp O'Neill says: "Cliff Tate has just reminded me that ii is my turn to let you know how ihest? two 'desert coons' are progressing. Sufficient to say that up to date no complaints, and, by the way, he has just come into the tent (yes, we now have tents, the first for nearly four months), with a huge piece of cake which he lias dug up from 'somewhere,' and very nice it, is. I am assisting him to put it awav down south. "Since our recent meeting with Jacko wc have been having an easier time; in. fact a sort of a rest, only attending to the horses, giving them some exercise, a little drill, rifle shooting at range, etc.. which we manage to do in the mornings, having off from lunch until about 3.30, during which time we indulge mostly in football and swimming. Jt's quite a relief to get away from the incessant night work of patrol, picket outposts, etc. "As regards football, the old : eow puncher' team is still unbeaten, wc having a ding-dong team. Cliff plays as goo;! a game as of old. Yesterday Wellington played Auckland. Result, a drawn game, which was very strenuous —in four inches of sand, the ground being within 200 yards of the seashore. The Auckland Band have just come up here, and played during the day on which the match was played. Reminded'me of New Zealand, as we had the seaside, the band, the promenade, but the one thing missing was 'the girl,' they being to lis here 'only memories.'

'"As regards our future work in the field, the Xew Zealand papers no doubt will keep you posted. However, we do not expect anything doing for a month or so, until developments are completed hereabouts; but, possibly before Easter, you may hear of us operating in a land famous in the Bible, according to latest minors. I hope we shall be as successful as in the past few dust-ups. "Needless to say, the bovs here are tickled .at the results of the ballots, of which we have seen the two first. The Appeal Boards seem to have the right men on them, as I notice they turn down DO per cent, of the excuses put forward. I don t think there is any chance of us being home before Christmas, should we be among the lucky ones to return, as tlie gradual scheme of demobilisation will take twelve months before the -hist Anzac returns after peace has been declared, and I fancy we will give Germany 'pieces' before that time. However, you will know more about that than we do. "Last week we unexpectedly obtained leave for Cairo. I was one of the lucky ones to draw a marble, and have just returned from that, ancient city of sin, sorrows, sand and flies, after spending tivo enjoyable days there. It is 200 miles from here, rail all tlie way. On hitting Cairo my first meal was: Ten fried e»gs, some steak (evidently off just behind the horn, as it was 'slightly tough'), besides several pieces of brca'n and some -good old Australian butter—tlie first for many months. Needless to wiy, it was a shame what I did. Went to the different hospitals to see the pals tliat were wounded in the recent engagement, and am pleased to say they are all doing well. Also went to the theatres and movies that time permitted. Had a good laugh at Charlie, Chaplin, who seems as humorous as ever. Cairo is very i|itiet to the old days, in fact quite a model city to what it used to be. On returning to camp we found we had been lucky in getting tc Cairo, as leave was only intended for Port Said, where all (lie boys are now going in turn. "Have just been reading some of the Taranaki papers, so as to be able to keep in touch with the doings of tlie old place. "The lflth and 20th Reinforcements have arrived at our base" camp on tlit Canal, also the 13ths, who had five month T good time in England. Who says 13 is unlucky? Tlie Sths got more than their share of casualties at Mag-, duba and Rafa. It is now getting late, so must wind up the clock and put the cat out. Kind regards to all." Cliff Tate adds a few lines that he is 100 per cent, all well, Football is keeping them all well and frisky.