Right out.
(18th February 1917)
Dear Mum,
I havnt had very much time so far for writing. I sent a letter from our last port of call. We were alongside by day light. We had first parade and a full dress parade at 9. It was a most uninteresting place and very hot and as were we were due to sail at 3P.M. Leave could not be granted. We went ashore fr about 10 and went for a march till 12 along a most uninteresting road. We were back about 12 and were alowed to break off for an hour on the wharf. There were quite a lot of people down. We had 45 South Australians and they all had their families. We were rather late leaving, it being 5.30 before we left. We were out of sight of land in an hour and havnt seen it since. I have still got a good deal of work to do. We had half of yesterday and all to-day off. This part has a bad name but not it isnt as bad as I thought ¾ of the men are out of action. Yesterday morning was very smothe and the men had a lovely dinner of ros roast pork & plum pudding etc. They Our troop-deck gave the cooks three cheers. By the evening it had become quite rough and at tea-time they counted the cooks out for the pork & plum pudding. We have had a fair sea since about 4 yesterday. Just a steady pitch. Not what you could call rough but enough to turn you up in time. Some of the men are very ill and most are quite quiet. All the padres were out this morning and we could have no regular church parade but a y voluntary service was conducted by “Mr Y.M.C.A.
At the last port of call they fixed up a large canvas ventilator from the top of the aft mast to our troop deck. It has been quit a tremendous improvement. Our deck is quite clean. If men are fel felling sick they can usually get to the next troop deck above before accidents happen. You should hear the cheers & yells when anyone is sick. More or less well ones will get two y very far gone ones & stand them up together and have bets as to which one is sick first. Even those who are bad are getting plenty of fun ought out of it. It is still rough and not as easy as it might be to write.
Will write again later
Arndell.
(written on board the R.M.S. “Osterley”)
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