Trooper J. N. Mackinnon, in writing from Palestine to his relatives at Moonee Ponds, says:-

"This life here will do me. It is "Good 0 !" Pretty hot and sandy, but it is ten times better than Seymour; and, better still, I am not in Australia while the war is on. Jim Tatterson took bad the other day and was transferred to the Base Hospital, Egypt. In the latest reinforcements one of the boys is a local chap named Bill Parker, of Wilson street. I believe he was a tram conductor on the Essendon trams.

Talk about 'crook' weather ! You don't know what it is until you begin to live in this Holy Land. The wind and dust started early Saturday morning, and didn't stop until late Sunday afternoon. Saturday night was the worst that I ever experienced. The dust was that thick that a man could hardly see the man that he was talking to, although standing alongside one another. This weather is not so very trying on us all the same. I have just had a wash and a shave in a mug of water. It is surprising how far one can make a mug of water go when he is put to it. I have often had a sponge over in the same amount. Of course it is only at intervals that we are like that. But at any time if a man has has a wash in, perhaps, a basin of water, it is always understood before he throws it out to ask if anybody else wants the water.

Farmer (Les.) Jordan, who was wounded, expects to be back with us again soon. He is in the machine gun section. The best news I have for you is that we have the Rev. W. Fraser (Ascot Vale Church) as our brigade chaplain. He joined us as we were starting out on the last stunt (fight). He is looking real well. I reckon he is game to tackle this life. I hope he doesn't get ill or stop any lead, because he will do a lot of good here. On this last stunt we started out about tea time on Tuesday. Mal. Jamieson and I on horseback with the bearers.  Mr. Fraser, who rides a horse, went with a party to form a dressing station. Len Cohen went with this party. We rode all that night and next day till midday. It was very sensational for us during the night going over such rough and dusty country. Our horses are wonderfully sure-footed: otherwise there would be some awful falls down the waddies and holes. At one time Mal's horse fell down a hole about 4ft. deep, and  fortunately for Mal. his horse kept his feet and jumped out of it, and Mal still stuck on. I was riding next to him and wondered what happened. It was very dark and dusty from the crowd in front of us. By jingo, we were tired. They reckon we covered between 60 and 70 miles -a pretty stiff ride for the likes of me.

On Sunday, I attended clurch parade, and it was all right having Padre Fraser as preacher. It was just like old times again at Ascot Vale. After the service a few of the boys remarked on the fine sermon he gave. It was good. Mr. Fraser has a lot to do with   the men of the different regiments of the brigade.

My word, when I get home I will never go short of a tasty feed after the experience I have had here. Often we are our own cooks and do our own cooking in a billy made of   a jam tin. I never enjoyed a tin of bully beef as much as the other day. We were coming in from the stunt when Mal. and I shared a tin between us, while we were on the move on horseback. We were very tired, but it was 'Good O!' It is a very common  thing when the brigade halts for a second or two, to see all the chaps fall on the horses necks to get a dozen winks of sleep. I did it myself at the last stunt. I have seen Sgt. Flockhart, of whom the boys say that he is too game, and has no fear of the leaden rain which we have been getting a lot of lately.

Millions of black beetles are here about an inch long, and crawl over one in bed. I think they are harmless. Large scorpions and centipedes are numerous and look like beasts. A chap killed an asp near us the other day. This in a small venom ous snake. The asp is mentioned in the Bible.

I find it hard to realise that Noel Robbie (Robertson) fatally stopped one. Chaps like him are a big loss".

AUSTRALIANS IN THE HOLY LAND. (1917, August 2). The Essendon Gazette and Keilor, Bulla and Broadmeadows Reporter (Moonee Ponds, Vic. : 1914 - 1918), p. 5 Edition: Morning. Retrieved May 22, 2012, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article74603269