My Dear People,
Just a few lines to let you know I am quite well & doing alright. We landed at Plymouth on the 9th after a trip of exactly 9 weeks from Adelaide. After we left Cape Town we had a lot of delay, we called at a place called Freetown in Sierra Leone & met a lot of other troop ships & two cruisers: the Kent & Highflyer put in away from a reported raider. It is only a new base & we could not get labor to coal our ship. We had to do it ourselves. We worked shifts of 3 hours & loaded about 1,000 tons, those who volunteered first, 60 men from each unit got leave ashore, I was among them.
It is a place with a population of 900 whites & 35,000 niggers who are real characters, I got
a piece of cocoa-nut under my teeth & pulled them out to get it out & absolutely astonished some of then who were standing by. Afterwards if 1 wanted to draw a crowd I used to pull out my teeth. I had several offers of a shilling for them & one nigger offered me two bob, but I wouldn't sell them.
It is a very hot fever-stricken place & we were stuck in the harbor for four days when five ships pulled out with us, one an armed liner & we went on to Dakar a French settlement on the African coast.
We spent Christmas Day there, we were there four days & there was no leave ashore, which made all the men very discontented, as it is a very tiring thing stopping in a harbor with no leave. We did not get off at Cape Town either. After we left Dakkar a few days we met some other ships & the Kent who had come on from Freetown & our armed liner left us & we were a convoy of nine A.I.F. troop-ships, with the Kent as escort & a French cruiser who came out from Dakar with us not far away & each troop ship had a gun mounted astern (we got ours at Dakar) to deal with submarines but we never saw any.
HMAS Kent from http://www.naval-history.net/xGM-Chrono-00-ClassInfo2.htm
We had a lovely smooth trip- till the day before we landed when a heavy cross sea struck us & we had a rolly time for awhile, which made some of our men sick but I am proof against seasickness.
We had two funerals on the trip, one man dived into a shallow bath on the ship & broke his neck, they collected over £100 (for his wife & children) on the ship. The other lad died from pneumonia. We had a lot of mumps on board as many as 80 cases at one time, Noel Tiver had them slightly but I had splendid health all the way over.
It was a very quiet trip over but one day a Russian fool jumped overboard & caused a lot of excitement. A boat from another ship picked him up & we turned around & got him. He had a lifebelt on. The story was that he had a bad ear & wanted to see some other doctor as ours could not cure it, but after a day or so in hospital they stuck him in the clink & used to send two sentries with him whenever he had to go out.
We used to have submarine drill pretty often & every man had to ship out wearing his lifebelt as soon as the alarm went. We all had places allotted us in boats or rafts. I & my fifty men were allotted four rafts to jump on in case of being sunk, we would have a lively time wouldn't we, when we were in the danger zone every man had his lifebelt with him all the time.
When we arrived in Plymouth we were taken off in lighter's that night & trained here but we couldn't see anything as although it was moonlight they keep the blinds down at night on account of Zepps.
After a march of about 3 miles we arrived here at half past five Wednesday morning.
That morning I got two letters one from Kath & one from Auntie & Mum and was very glad to hear you were all well. I also got a Burra Record by the way, I would like you to pay my sub to the Record as it is due now.
Next day.
I sent a cable home to you as I knew you would be worried as we were so long on the trip & we heard there were rumors that the Afric was sunk but I can assure you there was no truth in them. I hope you got the cable alright. It only cost six shillings, but you have to sign your surname to cables here or they won't send them. Do not worry over the money for sending cables as it is not likely I shall be short. I can overdraw on my pay book a tenner or so if I get stuck. I do not spend much. We are to get four days leave to go to London soon & after that they are going to put the training into us red hot as they are short of men at the front.
Sunday morning.
I went to Church Parade this morning, there were a lot of men there, this afternoon there is going to be a funeral. I think I will go to it. We went for a route march of 6 or 7 miles yesterday afternoon in full marching order, it knocked a lot of our fellows out as they are very soft after being on the boat but I can stand it alright.
I am still holding my rank but I am not sure that I will get the extra duty pay here. I suppose you will find that out from my allotment. You do not get appointed permanently till you join the Battalion in France & if they do not want N.C.O.'s, then you have to go back to the ranks till there is a vacancy. With regard to my allotment you should draw 3/- a day & 4/6 a day. extra duty pay for the trip over but if the extra duty pay is stopped you-will only draw 3/- a day, just let me know if you are getting it alright.
The drill here is a lot different from what we were taught in Australia especially Musketry. Each Brigade has a training Battalion for its reinforcements & we are in D company of the 8th training Battalion - but you had better address my letters the same as before I will get them alright.
I have been making enquiries for Frank Richards & he has been in hospital with a bad knee but is now in some Convalescent home so I suppose he will soon be back here. Wally Arnolds has gone to France.
This place is not too bad. We have nice huts and a coal stove in each. Of course it is very cold & we notice it after coming in off of the Tropics. The sun takes a mighty short cut across the sky here. It isn't daylight till about 8 o'clock & dark at half past four but it will be better directly. This must be a lovely place in the summer as there are nice hills here and little villages. Funny, all the houses here have thatched or slate roofs & they are as old as the hills. I would go to Ireland for my leave only it wouldn't be much now in winter & the leave is too short - but I might get an opportunity later.
I suppose you are busy harvesting now. I hope it turns out alright & that you do not have too much bother getting it off. I get along first rate with my men & Officers.
I must close now. Next letter I will tell you more about this place. I can only hope you are all as well & happy as I am.
Your loving Son & Brother
Tom.
