Extracts of a letter received by Miss Vera Pinkstone*, of Ascot Vale, from Cpl. H. Meyer, Palestine.

Palestine, 10/10/17.

Just a few lines in answer to your welcome letter dated August 18th. I would give anything to hear some of the old voices again bursting into a good old chorus, or at a musical evening; but they are all things of the past. I am still hoping that in the near future, I shall hear and see you all again. Remember me to Mr. Bishop. He seems to realise the task we have in front of us at this Eastern front. We see and hear very little about our doings in the Australian papers. Our task is a very hard one, and can be compared with the French front. We have to put up with more natural obstacles, sickness, lack of food and water, while behind the actual fighting lines, we have no comforts at all, but desert, dust, sand and flies.

You say that I do not write very often. Well, I admit that, but it is very hard to write here, as there is practically no spare time, where there are horses. We go to bed about 7 p.m. when we are back from the lines, and often go for nights without any sleep at all. We are expecting rain very shortly. It will not be before it is wanted, either. The waddie (river bed) is dry, and we have to dig in the bed for water. The wells are mostly dry, too -- the old identical wells that were built hundreds and thousands of years ago. My old horse and I have many a cool drink out of the wells that gave Beersheba its name.

We are camped at Sel-El-Fara (the Hill of Fara). It is a big hill, in the shape of a cross. It is one mass of human bones-the bones of the Crusaders that were here when the Mohamedans swept the country. It was built into the shape of a cross, so that, when God looked down on earth, He saw this and remembered the martyrs of old. The whole place is interesting, and if we have the luck to push on, will be come more so.

I am keeping my eyes open for Roy Kemp, as I heard it was possible that he will come to Egypt. If so, he would surely come to Palestine, and I would get him into my unit. It would be good to have an old friend here; besides it would be much better for him. I had a surprise the other morning. I was at the rail head, bringing some reinforcements up. I got them away from the train (a long string of trucks), and was getting them some horses, when I thought I saw a face I knew. So I went up and asked him if his name was Rose (nephew of Mr. Rose, J.P.), and sure enough, as soon as he saw me he said: "Well, I'm blowed, Harry Meyer." My people were among the last he saw before he left, and they told him that he might see me, and sure enough I was the first fellow he met that he knew. My word, you ought to have heard our tongues wag that night. It is great to meet someone you know.

When you hear the boys are coming home, book a spare week for me, as it will take a week for me to have my say and then another week for you to ask me questions. We have had some great air battles over our heads lately, and yesterday capped the lot. We won easily. I got a pain in my neck watching them. They are very common, and we take very little notice of them. Every day in the week they are chasing and shooting each other; but it is only occasionally they stop and fly at one another. A couple of enemy 'planes were brought down, one right near us.

OUR SOLDIERS. (1918, January 10). The Essendon Gazette and Keilor, Bulla and Broadmeadows Reporter (Moonee Ponds, Vic. : 1914 - 1918), p. 1 Edition: Morning. Retrieved June 1, 2012, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article74604779

*Vera Alice Amy Pinkstone, 65 Munro St, Ascot Vale, home duties, 1919 Electoral Roll.

T G Rose 3627 4 LHR