OUR SOLDIERS

The following are extracts from letters by Pte. L.M. Morgan, dated January 17th and 31st, 1916, from "Tel el Kebir":

Here I am again in answer to the lot of letters, papers and parcels I have received within the last fortnight. I suppose altogether I have received close on 50 letters--that mail was 3 in 1. You will excuse me not answering all your questions, as we do not get too much time to ourselves. We are now at "Tel el Kebir," about 60 miles from Cairo, 20 from a place called Zag-a-zig, 22 from Ismalia, a place we visited in the early part of last year, and where I had my first experience of trench life.

I will let you know how I spent Xmas.- We evacuated Dec. 20 (my birthday was next day). I did not leave until 10.15 p.m. the last night. I was on the last gun of the 8th Battalion, and there were not many after us. I suppose you have seen the list of honours won by Australians. Our lieutenant,  that is, of the machine guns, has gained the military cross. He was one of the very last to get off, he having to stay behind with the last machine gun of the 1st Division. I can tell you things were pretty lonely at that time, as all was clear, at 4.15 a.m.

We went to Lemnos. There I got a billy, packed and sent by Mrs. Weir, of Deniliquin, N.S.W. It contained - Cake of nut milk chocolate, butter scotch, lead pencil, pad and envelopes, mouth organ, safety pins, pair socks, wash towel, bootlaces, tin sardines, cherrywood pipe, tin tobacco, handkerchief, tube of soup tablets. Not bad, was it? We also got one pudding between two men; Christmas Eve, a concert; Christmas Day, a holiday dinner - stew and pudding; Boxing Day, invitation to sisters' mess at hospital. Dinner at 2 p.m. consisted of roast turkey, green peas, ham, potatoes, cabbage, plum pudding, jellies, nuts, lollies, and plenty of soft drinks --- a splendid turn-out, given by the Batman. I admit I feasted so well that I was contented with a cup of tea and cake for the evening meal. On December 27, I was again at sisters' mess for tea.  This was my last trip over there. We left Lemnos, January 4th, on Empress of Britain, a beautiful boat with about 5000 troops aboard.

I see you have put another birthday flag on my photo; it must be a real decoration. It shows how much you are thinking of me and the rest of the boys; but one thing I hope you are doing, and that is, thinking of us with happy thoughts, and of the time when we will all arrive back in Melbourne. The roll of honour in Essendon Town Hall must be very nice. I received the programme all right, and it was good to see a programme of that sort again, so all the boys whom I showed it to said. I often wish I could get a fortnight to myself just to do what I like in, but I am content to wait, for I know I will have it when I arrive back in dear Australia.

Well, Mother and Father, I can do no more than thank you for all these loving thoughts and articles for birthday and Xmas. I hope the next will be spent at home.

*******

Pte. L. M. Morgan was at the send off at Essendon Town Hall, left with the first lot, was at Ismalia, the landing at Dardanelles, Cape Helles, and has been right through to the last night at Anzac without having any serious illness or being wounded.

OUR SOLDIERS. (1916, March 23). The Essendon Gazette and Keilor, Bulla and Broadmeadows Reporter (Moonee Ponds, Vic. : 1914 - 1918), p. 4 Edition: Morning.. Retrieved January 27, 2012, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article74592368

Leslie M. Morgan, another brother, No. 343, 8th Battalion, landed at Port Melbourne on the 3rd inst., with severe foot trouble. He is probably the first (certainly one of the first) of the Essendon boys to return after serving over 1000 days. He enlisted in August, 1914, saw service at Suez Canal, February, 1915. Was in the landing on Gallipoli, and brought away the last machine gun from the 8th Battalion trenches at the Evacuation, when they returned to Egypt. Went with first Australians to France, where he served until June, 1917, when he had his first leave (after 33 months' service), and went to London to meet his parents. Whilst in London his feet were giving him so much pain that the medical staff at the Australian Headquarters ordered him into Southall Hospital. From there he was transferred to Weymouth for treatment, and eventually classed C3, and returned to Australia.

Extract from a longer report in the Essendon Gazette on the death of his brother, Morgan W J Pte 2208