I have summarised the letters Arndell wrote as best I can for those who might be looking for specific information regarding WWI. This will be a work in progress and will be updated as I add the letters in small quick-read style sections. I chose not to post each letter in whole as they are a big read with a lot of information in each one! Please click on the link attached to each part number.
13th February 1917 –
Stationed at A.I.F. Artillery Camp. Maribyrnong, Victoria
15th February 1917 –
Written on board RMS Osterley – description of conditions on board
Mentions Edie Paramore & leaving Melbourne for Cape Town
18th February 1917 –
Mentions being at port in Adelaide
Talks more about life on board RMS Osterley
19th February 1917 –
Letter written near Freemantle
Life on board RMS Osterley
24th February 1917 –
Mentions Freemantle, Savoy Hotel
Miss Paramore
Government House & the Governor & Lady Barron
Mrs Heritage
Life on board RMS Osterley
2nd March 1917 –
Osterley life
Mentions Mrs Clarke, Mr Gullett (war correspondence) and the Col. (?Heritage)
5th March 1917 –
Mentions censoring letters with the Padres
Life on board RMS Osterley
Durban
8th & 9th March 1917 –
Description of Durban – mentions the locals, rickshaws, Boers, loading coal onto the ship
Mentions Miss Paramore & Miss Allan
Mentions censoring letters and also writing false information in letters to bait the enemy
Washing parades on board RMS Osterley
10th March 1917 –
Description of Cape Town and its similarity to Wineglass Bay, Tasmania & Mount Wellington, Tasmania
18th March 1917 –
Descriptions of Cape Town (cont.)
Mentions walking around a Castle and likens it to Bluff Battery, Tasmania
Mentions the local Boers
Describes parts of Cape Town looking like Sydney, Australia
RMS Osterley joins other ships in a Battery Coloumn
21st March 1917 –
Description from outside Cape Town – references Melbourne, Australia’s weather
Conditions onboard RMS Osterley
25th March 1917 –
RMS Osterley’s conditions
(Near Sierra Leone)
1st April 1917 –
Description of Seirra Leone, the locals and the lighthouse – referred it to Tamar Valley, Tasmania
Mention the ‘Whiteman’s Grave’ & a jar of IXL jam from Hobart, Tasmania
Talks about his Court Martial work on board – and how he would hate to be a lawyer (!! the irony)
6th April 1917 –
Mentions the Chaplains (Johnie Walker & his wife, Mrs Walker from Ballarat, Australia)
The CO suffered badly from malaria
Mentions life onboard RMS Osterley & convoy life
Mentions his lectures & getting forms ready
10th & 11th April 1917 –
Lots of ships/trawlers about
Getting ready to disembark – organising the paperwork for everyone
A case of mumps onboard RMS Osterley so likely to quarantine on land
18th April 1917 –
Salsbury Plains, England
Descriptions of different areas of England
Lark Hill camp map
Talks about meeting up with quite a few Australians at camp
24th April 1917 –
Lark Hill & weather
Salsbury description
29th April 1917 –
Lark Hill – description & map sketch
Finally got mail & a parcel from Mrs Ord
King’s Review
A list of names/addresses of all the Tasmanians onboard the RMS Osterley