It was written on January 6, 1915. Frank, from Goluburn,  finally made it to the Western Front and died of wounds in Alexandria on October 7 – his 19th birthday.

Nera

Near Cairo, Egypt.

Dear Grandma,

We arrived at Alexandria Egypt on Dec 1st after having a good trip through the Suez Canal, it was a fine sight, it is just like a river 100 yards wide, and flows through the desert, it is funny to see a sea ship going through, you would think it was running along the sand, all our ships, about 40 in number went through 100 yards apart, it is 90 miles long and is protected by British and India troops. A few hours after we entered it, one of the ships was fired on, but after a few shots in reply the band made off, no one was injured.

We also called in at Port Said, and had some fun getting the natives to dive for coins. There were a couple of French Dreadnought in the harbour, they were very fine ships.

After stopping at Alexandria for a couple of days, my company and another were sent down to Cairo by rail as advance guard for the Division. We arrived at Cairo about 1 o’clock in the morning, and put our ammunition and stores aboard special trains and started for the camping ground at a place called ‘Mona’ about nine miles from ‘Cairo’, our camping ground is in the desert, right alongside the great Pyramids, Sphinx and the river Nile, after about a fortnight the whole division was encamped, except the light horse and New Zealand contingent who are in camp on the other side of the city of ‘Cairo’.

By the way it is as big a city as Sydney and I tell you there is something doing when you get leave.

The trains can’t take us all into ‘Cairo’ because there are about 5000 on leave every night, so those who can’t get in the trains hire taxis and carriages, it would make your hair stand on end the pace the taxis go at, they all race each other in and you miss motors going out at a hairs breath, there has been a couple of accidents resulting in a few men being injured.

On Sunday afternoons we climb the Pyramids the highest of which is 471 feet high and it takes some nerve too as I will leave you to judge by the height.

Two of our chaps fell off a little distance up and by a miracle escaped being killed. I have my initials right at the top.

It is a great sight to see our encampment on the desert with its thousands of tents and fertile valley of the Nil, from the top, they are made of great blocks of limestone 6ft by 3f square, and it makes you wonder how they hoisted stones of their size to such a height, the youngest of these Pyramids was built 2,000 years BC. We would have gone straight to England, only Turkey declared war as they were frightened she might.

I made Egypt, there are 80,000 English territorial troops in Egypt besides ourselves, about 12,000 being stationed at Cairo in Barracks, and in Cairo at night you can hardly see anything but Kahkis.

This country is now under British Protection, the Khadiva (he was the King), being a Turkish subject, was deposed and Prince Hussein, an Egyptian, now reigns in his stead. On the occasion of the Princes accession to the Sultanry, our battalion, being the Crack Battn of the division was sent in along with the Egyptian troops and Territorials to line the streets heading to the Palace.

It was just like a Coronation Precession, the new Sultan being on a lovely carriage drawn by best horses I have ever seen. The uniforms of some of the troops was very brilliant, especially the Sultan’s bodyguard of lancers. It was one of the prettiest things I have ever seen or wish to see, the large crowd in itself a grand sight.

Our work here is very hard. The desert is like the sand hills at Bondi, you can see nothing else but sand as far as you can see. We get up at 6am and have to be on parade at 8am then we march over the desert for 6 miles and then do manoeuvres for 5 hours and arrive back at camp at 3 o’clock in the afternoon. I leave it to you to judge how hard it would be drilling on the sandhills for that length of time, but we are used to it now and can do it with ease.

It is winter time here, the days being very hot and the nights being freezing cold. We have had about 2 hours light rain in the month we have been here. When we go out on the march swarms of niggers follow us selling oranges and it is funny to see them getting raided.

We get paid in Egyptian money here and there is great arguments over change.

Sir George Reid visited us here and delivered an address and also presented us with a Clasp Knife, and a Box of Chocolates from the Australians in London. We will be at the front in two months time, we have been promised this by Lord Kitchener.

Well Grandma I could go on telling you of things I have seen for hours but we haven’t much time here so I will conclude with the best love from Your Grandson Frank.

PS love to Nell, Phill, Ted, Bosie, Ollie and Reggie.