Egypt 2

Pictorial record of Ned Dwyer's time in England with AIF Page 1

20-8-16 Salisbury Plain England Dear Kate, Am writing again. I thought I had lost this card. It was given to me by a girl in France. I don’t know her name, I wish I did, she was very nice. I am enjoying myself here. There is plenty of hard work, of course. I met Will here. He is camped about a mile from where I am. We seem to be bound to be together, whether it is Egypt or England. I wonder if we will be together in France. I have been prowling round in different villages that are within bounds. They are very interesting and some of the lanes are very pretty, but the English girls are not to be compared with the Australian girls. The villages are very quaint and interesting. The houses are tin and many gables. I will be sending you some soon, I hope. Remember me to Grace Roe and the Walkers and all the others. Trust that Fred and Clara is getting on and that his job turns out a good one. Love to mother and yourself. Sonny.

Kate had recently received another letter (on two cards) from Will written on 13 August. The first photo shows La Rue d’Aix, Marseille. The second shows the bridge on the harbour at Marseille. Below is the text of Will Walker’s postcards:

13/8/16 Dear Kate, Your welcome letter I have received and was glad to have a line from you. Hope all are well as this leaves me. We are hard at work finishing off. Have wrote to Ned but have not received any reply yet. This place is very pretty with its lanes and quaint places, its hedgerows and streams. We were in London for four days last week. It is a big town but I don’t think much of it, the country is best, but everywhere it is war and preparation for war. London was nearly deserted. To give you some idea of the state of the traffic, one could walk across any part of the Strand or any principal streets without getting nearly killed. Where there is one motor now they tell me that before the war there was ten. Every where women are doing the work, conductors on the buses and cars, ticket offices, taxis. In fact they are everywhere. Sincerely yours, Will.

Series of 11 photos taken at Camps on Salisbury Plain. (L-R: 1. Hamilton, Fargo, Rollestone Camps. 2. Biplane in flight. 3. Lark Hill and Durrington Camps with biplane flying low overhead. 4. Perham Down Camp. 5. Biplane over Stonehenge. 6. Camp scene. 7. Grand Review, Perham Down. 8. Tents. 9. Sling Plantation Camp, Bulford. 9. Camp Scene 10. Church Parade.

Ned records that the term Anzacs is now being used to describe Australian and New Zealand troops. Post Card is published by T.L.Fuller of Amesbury, a village mentioned in one of the letters.

27-8-16 Rollestone Dear Mother, Glad to hear by Kate’s letter that you are well again. I am good as gold, never better. This shows you some of the camps that are close together. There are huts in most of them now with streets and railway sidings just like a good sized town inhabited by soldiers only, shops, pictures and almost everything one gets in a town, except girls.

I am beginning to know the country round now and feeling quite at home. Of course we are all Australians here in nearly all these camps. It looks well to see the old fashioned towns full of Australian soldiers. If one passes through a village where Australians are not known everybody turns and watches the Anzacs, as they call us and the New Zealanders now. Sonny

17-9-16 Rollestone, England. Dear Fred, How are things with you now? Trust all well. Have explored most of the country within ten miles of here now. Will try and get a weekend and try further next week if I am still here. I tried to get a cutting from the paper today but it was torn out before I could get it. There was an inquiry about a village in the west of England which was placed out of bounds. The next day an Australian was seen walking calmly down the main street. The big head of the show got wild and said, "If we place Berlin out of bounds we will have the Australians there in less than 24 hours." Trust that Mother and Clara and Kate is well. Sonny.

17-9-16 Rollestone, England Dear Mother, Hope that you are well and fit. I am in the best of health and do not feel the cold as much as the Tommies that are with us. I am to be transferred to the 41^st Battalion in a week or so but until you get word use the old address. It will always find me.

I will then be in the same Brigade as Will who is camped at Lark Hill about a mile from here. They are expecting snow here about next week. I had a real good time in London when I was up there. This card, a piece of Old Durrington is just as it is on this card only there are Australians and New Zealanders all over it. Whitestyles is being sent off with the next draft to France so I will not see him for a while. Like myself he is keeping well. Father Barry is up at Lark Hill with the 42nd. Trust Fred, Clara and Kate are well. With love, Sonny.

24-9-16 Lark Hill Dear Kate, I am now in the 42nd Battalion. D Co.I am sending you my old 47th colours. Major Campbell is the O.C. of D Co. He was in A Co. Moreton Regt. There is two of the men of my section from the Islands in this Battalion too. Hope that you are all well at home. You will know my address by this time as I am sending a wire. Love, Sonny.

England Dear Kate, How are things at home now? How is Mother keeping? I am still the same only I have a real nice complexion and a glorious appetite. I am in a School of Field Engineering just now but expect to be in France in November. I have written to Arthur and Mrs Walker’s people but have had no answer yet. I copied the following from an English paper. It happened about the time we were in Egypt and is quite true.

"The Prince of Wales happened to be looking the other way and so failed to notice the very formal salute of a party of Australians. Thereupon they deliberately counted him out in the manner of a boxing referee, chanting, “one, two, three” and so on in unison. He turned round to see what the row was about and then came back when his aide had enquired and explained the trouble to him. The Prince, thereupon in lieu of an apology gave the cornstalks a dashing salute, and then was solemnly counted in again, “ten, nine, eight, etc.” by the whole party much to his astonishment." I wonder what he really thought. It is very cold here now and little puddles of water are ice in the morning. There is nothing of interest to tell. Will be able to tell you more when we come home. Trusting all well, Sonny.