Egypt, Jan. 16, 1916.

Pte. W J. J. Morgan writes:-

You will already know we have evacuated Gallipoli. The retirement was spendid; not a man was lost, and whoever engineered it deserves the greatest praise. We were ordered to pack one morning and left same night. Les was one of the last to leave, and he, too, got away without any trouble or hurry. We did not like leaving, but we knew it was best, as we could not advance very much, and the Turks could not shift us, and it was too costly just holding on. We have left a lot of the flower of Australia there. We all went to Lemnos, a quiet place; but it has a huge camp there. The inhabitants are Greeks, and live in little villages.

They have turned nearly every place into a shop, and charge exorbitant prices. Like the Egyptians, they use wooden ploughs and oxen. The vine yards have no fences; water is very plentiful at shallow depths. The little donkey is the mode of transport. The harbour is magnificent, and holds a vast amount of shipping. On December 23, Mr. S. Crow* and Harry Manners paid me a surprise visit. We had a chat.  Mr. S. Crow was on a boat lying in the harbour.

While talking, they issued our Xmas billies. Mine was from Master Oswald and Baby  Quintin, Canterbury, and was very good. It contained tin tobacco, pipe, pack of cards, 3 tins of ham and tongue, tin Nestles' milk, knife, 2 pencils, envelopes and paper, tin Mackintosh toffee, tin Pascall's bonbons, tin sardines, and some nuts and 4 candles -a very generous assortment. We also had one of Swallow and Ariell's puddings between two men. Christmas Day-Church parade; dinner, roast beef, cabbage, onions and potatoes mashed. This, with the plum duff, made a very good feed. It was a lovely day, but we were not allowed away from camp, so I played bridge most of the day. Supper: cocoa and cake. Les was there-nine lines of tents away-so we saw a good deal of each other. New Year's Day, we got word we were leaving on Empress of Britain for Alexandria.

January 6 went to Tel el Kebir. This is the former scene of much fighting-a place famous in history. The year 1882 saw a lot of fighting here, and I believe it was near here where the Egyptians made their last stand against the Turks. It is also supposed to be where the British square was broken, the only occasion, I believe, on which it was done. The old trenches still stand. Have received this week something   over 30 letters, 5 papers and 2 parcels. Got letters from Cecil; he is still in London at Peel House (King George and Queen Mary's Club).

I note the Essendon State School has unveiled a roll of honour, and that we occupy prominent places; also another has been unveiled in the Town Hall, on which all three of us appear.

---------

Since writing, Pte. W. J. Morgan has been seriously ill, but it now convalescent.

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 

* Possibly 1256 Pte S G Crowe, 8 LHR, of Malvern, a carpenter aged 20.

MORGAN -Officially reported killed in action, France, October 4, Lance-Corporal Weldon J. Morgan,  6th battalion, dearly loved eldest son of Mr. and Mrs. W. J. Morgan, 11 Robb street, Essendon; brother  of Marianne (Mrs. J. Jennings), Winnifred, Cecil (7th Battalion), Leslie (8th Battalion, just returned), Ernest (7th Battalion, on active service).   
One of Australia's Anzac heroes.   

Family Notices. (1918, January 5). The Argus , p. 1.
http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article1631682  

DEATHS.

ON ACTIVE SERVICE.

MORGAN.-Officially reported killed in action (France), October 4th, 1917, Lance-Corporal Weldon J. Morgan, No. 2208, 6th Batt., A.I.F., dearly loved eldest son of Mr. and Mrs. W. J. Morgan, 11 Robb st., Essendon, brother of Marianne (Mrs. J. Jennings), Winifred, Cecil (453, 7th Batt.), Leslie (343, 8th Batt., just returned) Ernest (6544, 7th Batt., wounded Oct. 4th, 1917), and cousin of Cissie. "One of Australia's Anzac heroes."

Family Notices. (1918, January 10). The Essendon Gazette and Keilor, Bulla and Broadmeadows Reporter (Moonee Ponds, Vic. : 1914 - 1918), p. 2 Edition: Morning. Retrieved June 1, 2012, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article74604780

ROLL OF HONOUR 

Mr. and Mrs. W. J. Morgan, of 11 Robb street, Essendon, who have had all their four sons on active service, were advised officially on the 2nd inst. that their eldest son Lance-Corporal Weldon J. Morgan, No. 2208, 6th Battalion, was killed in action on October 4th last. He was born in London, and came to Melbourne with his parents in 1884. Prior to enlisting, he was, for some time in Western Australia, and came to Essendon in December, 1914, to enlist, and say good-bye to his parents and the family.

He was at the front on Gallipoli for four months, and on the evacuation, he went to Egypt, where he contracted enteric fever and was in hospital four months. Upon discharge he was attached to the 58th Battalion, and went to France. Later, he rejoined his original battalion (the 6th) and was with this when killed.

His youngest brother, Ernest, 7th Battalion, was wounded on the 4th October also.

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.

The remaining brother, Cecil, No. 453, 7th Battalion, is a signaller in France. He was wounded on Gallipoli shortly after the landing, and still has one of the bullets in his right shoulder, which the Army Medical authorities hesitate to remove, as it would probably result in the loss of the use of the right arm.

Three out of four sons are incapacitated, and the forth now actually at the front suffers considerable pain at times from the Gallipoli wound. The parents of the above appeal to Essendon boys to enlist, so that the strength of the battalions may be maintained, all our Australian heroes encouraged to fight on until victory is ours.

ROLL OF HONOUR. (1918, January 10). The Essendon Gazette and Keilor, Bulla and Broadmeadows Reporter (Moonee Ponds, Vic. : 1914 - 1918), p. 2 Edition: Morning. Retrieved June 1, 2012, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article74604788