To: Daisy Walker 14 Shelter Street
From: Shane Mc Clindon Melbourne, Australia
Date: 27th December 1914
Dear Daisy,
I’m missing you a great deal already. I’m not regretting leaving home because this is a great adventure for me; you know how I always talked about travelling abroad once we were married. I’ve heard that we’ll be back by next Christmas time so I won’t be gone for too long!
Merry Christmas by the way, I’m sorry I wasn’t able to celebrate it with you. Oh, and thanks for the snapshots![1] They were a bit delayed because they must have travelled to England first, but I’m glad to see them at all![2] 3 tram loads of mail came! (Electric Trams are the transport that runs right into the camps here.) [3] But since there are more than 52,000 of us signed up, it’s not much of a surprise.[4]
At the moment we’re in Egypt, training before we go to Turkey (we don’t know where in Turkey yet… I wish we did though I can’t wait to get over there! The excitement is building for all of us!). We got here on the 3rd so we’ve been here for about 3 weeks and a bit. It’s tiring but I’m getting through it.
It’s pretty hot and barmy out here and there’s sand everywhere, for miles around. To tell you the truth I’m pretty sick of upending my shoes and dumping half the Sahara out of them, but I can’t complain, I chose to sign up.
Our camp is set up at the base of a pyramid Dais![5] How amazing is that? We’re just a bit outside of Cairo, but it’s mighty annoying for some of us because there’s a shortage of tents, word is they’re still coming though.[6]
George, Ollie and Larry say hi, and Joe too of course. (Your little brother is tougher than you think Dais, but don’t worry, I’ll still look out for him.) Joe said he’ll be writing to you soon so you can find out what he really thinks of being an ANZAC.
The boys also want you to tell their families that they’ll be writing soon, so far I was the only one who found the time to write a letter apparently I guess they’re too busy being rowdy, training and being generally laid back, a bit too much according to our British superiors.
Give love to Ma, Pa and Gracie; tell them I’ll be writing to them too! And don’t worry about me, I’ll be home before you know it!
Love you always,
Shane.
[1] Patsy Adam – Smith, the Anzacs, (1978) Thomas
[2] ibid
[3] ibid
[4] Herald Sun, Wednesday April 20, 2005 Page 4
[5] Patsy Adam – Smith, the Anzacs, (1978) Thomas
[6] ibid