March 2nd 1915
Same as yesterday [Regimental training]. Edmond and Terry came over to see me. They had been over 3 times before but couldn’t catch me. They are both well. We hear that we go for certain soon. The Australians are and have been for some time embarking. Genl Godley yesterday told me this but he either didn’t know or wouldn’t say what our destination is.
[MSX 2550]
Zeitoun, near Cairo,
Egypt
2.3.15
My dear Aunt Agnes [Vasey],
I am just back here from the Suez Canal defence operations, and expect to be off again on some further operations very soon.... The Turks as the world knows got a backhander and cleared off back, far back into the desert and don’t seem to intend to come over again....
I have news for you. My wife and Norah and the 3 small children, are coming to England, and will I think be landing there, at about the time, we were due to go to Flanders, say in 2 or 3 weeks time. I am expecting a cable giving the steamer’s name and date of expected arrival in England. I of course will be unable to look after or make any arrangements for them, or even visit them, until probably the war is over. I am wondering whether any of the relatives would help them to settle down, or meet them and give them a little welcome. I had better perhaps say that they want no pecuniary assistance. My wife has an annual income of about £750,40 and any special expenditure, for travelling, house furnishing etc, will be provided for by my attorneys in New Zealand. Her idea is to take a small house in say Reading near which town she has some relatives, and live there quietly, so that in the possible event of any casualty to me or the boys (Edmond, Terence, Brian and Maurice), all of whom will probably be in action before long, she would be near and could look after us in England, instead of fretting her soul out in New Zealand. She is a brave, grand woman and will be no real trouble to anyone. But I and she would appreciate very highly any kind action on the part of our respective relatives. Will you see about it and do what you can....
I am very well, fit and hard and have the best Regiment in our Army Corps which is now being trained here....
4.3.15
There is something else in which you may be able to help. The wife of Genl Melliss, under whom (General M) I have been serving, a while ago, took charge of 2 Belgian refugee girls (ladies) and they are still in a way in her charge. She is now in Egypt, and the girls are in England. I gather that the Melliss’s are not in a position to stand the charge altogether, so their friends have been having the Belgian girls to stay for times, about a week or so here and there, Mrs Melliss paying their fare etc. It occurred to me that some of the relations or their friends might be able to help in the same way....
I am afraid I am giving you a lot of trouble, but I know that you won’t mind....
With much love.
Your affect[ionate] nephew,
Wm.G. Malone
[MSX 2545]
March 4th 1915
A light morning for work. Conference of officers (mine), criticism of yesterday’s work. Getting a new denture made as a standby in case of accident to the one I have, in a place where no dentist. A wise precaution suggested by one of my officers.
March 6th 1915
Last night we all that is the NZ and A Division left camp at 7.30pm. Marched through Heliopolis to a point on the Suez Road about 8 1/2 miles distant, then took up a defensive position, entrenching it. We got out at about 11.30pm. Disposed our men – 600 yards to each Bn. They dug themselves in manfully but the digging was frightfully hard, the ground like concrete. It took 5 Hours to make the trenches. At dawn an attack was made by a skeleton force. At 6.15 cease fire. Genl Godley and his staff rode along the position and then held a conference of mounted officers for criticism. The show was not a bad one, and the Genl was pleased. Then home, which we reached at about 9.30am. Breakfast and the day off for everybody. My Bn marched in the whole distance without a halt and marched the Canterbury Bn to a standstill.
A postcard sent to Denis by Malone on 3[?] March 1915. The message on the reverse is: My dear Denis, Mother tells me you are going to Nelson. I think you will like it, anyway you have to be a man now and do your duty. I am very well. So are The Don and Billy. They generally want to run away with me when I am riding in the desert. It is hot and dusty here. Edmond and Terry are both well. Love from Daddy.
Malone Family Collection Wellington (now in ATL)
Last night’s work gave me a lot more insight to the characters of my officers. They are a bit too glum to my fancy and appeared as though they thought they were being a bit badly done by. Still they did their work and the spirit of the men in keeping on digging was splendid, evidence I am pleased to think of good discipline. The better the discipline the better the digging and later on the better for us in less loss of men (casualties)!
Capt Cook, my SO at Kubri, arranged a dinner at Shepheards for the Kubri Detachment staff, I, Cook, Acland and Tracey [sic].41 We enjoyed the dinner and after it went round to the Kursaal – where we saw some very vigorous Russian peasant dancing by a man and 4 women, no Nijinsky or Paplova [sic, Pavlova] about them. It was furious, but very noisy. Some Japanese conjuring was good. Finis 12 midnight! No tram until 12.45am, so Acland who is our man about town and a jolly good chap too, took us into the Palmariam, a dancing hall where people sit and drink and smoke and get up as the spirit moves them to dance with ladies of doubtful character who are in regular attendance. The dancing is quite en regle42 and there is nothing shocking to any one. Still there is an undercurrent of impropriety about the whole thing. The place was full of officers and men, mostly curious onlookers whom we joined. I soon left leaving the rest of our party to their refreshments. The show had absolutely no attraction for me.
March 7th 1915
Sunday. Mass at 10am. Another hot dusty day. Invitation to dine with Genl Birdwood, our Corps Commander, tonight. I shall get fat if this goes on! Young Rapinet43 turned up and brought me an invitation to afternoon tea from his mother. I went as did also Short,44 and enjoyed it. There is a dear little girl of Molly’s age, Andié [Andrée?], very fair and fluffy and shy. I made love to her and she soon surrounded me with her toys and when I left would accompany me with her brother Rene to the station to see me off. She speaks French so sweetly and is a very modest sweet little soul. I asked for un grande baiser45 which she demurely gave me and waved her little hand to me as the train went off. How I wished I had Mater and Molly especially, here even for the couple of hours I had. Joy to come....
I enjoyed my dinner with Genl Birdwood. He is a very genial and affable. Absolutely no side.46 He is on the small side. I believe him to be a good man. He must be as he is one of Kitchener’s men. He lives at Shepheards as does all his staff. After dinner he sat and talked to me until 10pm. I made a move to get away at 9.30pm but he wouldn’t let me. He thinks the New Zealanders have improved “enormously”. I couldn’t agree with him and on being asked my opinion, gave it....
I was glad to get to bunk, after such a week’s dissipation. Genl Godley told us yesterday that we will embark for parts not named between 15th and 22nd Inst. He told us to take warm under-clothing. Rumour has it that we all go to Cyprus and then join other troops in readiness to land in Turkey or Greece, take Constantinople, settle the Turks then go up to Austria through Servia [Serbia], Vienna and then on to Germany! The armies would consist of British, French, Grecian, Servian, Romanians and probably Bulgarian troops. What a movement and mixture! Veremos lo que veremos as the Spaniards say.
March 8th 1915
A beastly day, blowing hard and a dust storm in consequence. It might be worse but I do not like dust. My tent and everything in it is being smothered.... This afternoon we will take a spell and at 5pm march out to practice in Brigade “Night advance”. The mail does not arrive until tomorrow. I must bear my soul in patience.
Just received a cable from Norah dated 3rd Inst that “Mater ill, departure postponed,” which is worrying. I wonder what is wrong, nothing serious I hope. If
Mater had been very ill Norah would have said so or perhaps not for fear of making me over anxious. I hope that Mater will soon be all right again and must cable for further news in a day or two. I was hoping to have seen her before we left Egypt but now there is no chance as we leave within 14 days.
March 10th 1915
Inter Infantry Brigade manoeuvres today. My Bn was Advance Guard, and later in Reserve, finally pulling the Brigade out of a mess, in the attack of the Australian Bde (Inf). The 2 attacking Bns Auckland and Canterbury, lost direction and had my Bn not appreciated the situation and gone forward without orders there would have been no Brigade attack! The Brigadier was very pleased with us and said it was a splendid bit of work. My men are splendid – 20 miles tramping across the hot and dusty desert and attack. A very hot day. Yet they marched into camp as though they had done nothing. I am very proud of them. They are a long, long way ahead of the other Battalions. The hot Khamsin47 wind, with sand and dust, still keeping going.
March 11th 1915
Bn training. We marched out of the dust, to Avenue de Koubbeh, in the land of Goschen, a metalled road across the Railway lined with orange hedges and an avenue of acacia trees, green fields on both sides. We stayed close to the Ex Khedive’s Palace and orchard, and were practically out of all the horrible dust. It was so restful. Billy, whom I rode, was almost unmanageable. He hates camels, and they were constantly passing along the road. He snorted and cavorted and bolted and played up all ways. The men were worked in musketry. I gave them a 2-hour spell in the middle of the day. I cruised round and inspected a small farm.... The owner of the small farm I inspected, is named Suleiman Jusef. He had his whole family with him at work on and about the farm and well. His wife with a baby in arms, 3 small boys, and one small girl. His father and sister swelled the family. I got the children to wash their hands and faces by giving them “bacsheesh” [sic, baksheesh] 1/2 a piastre each. They soon learned what I wanted. They had no English and I had no Arabic, but sign language is universal. The well was huge and deep, cut in sandstone, the water very bright and clear and good.... Suleiman Jusef owned the land, and the crops. Busem [berseem?] beans and barley, were flourishing. He and his family got their whole living from his farm! Fancy 8 people living off 3 acres and looking fat, well and happy, and not too dirty, or ragged. In the sun all day. I took some photos of them, the farm and the well.
The industrious family of Suleiman Jusef whom Malone met in March 1915.
Malone Family Collection London
March 13th 1915
Saturday. Camp cleaning, washing day etc. I sent a cable to Mater, hoping that she was quite well, and saying that I was leaving Egypt in about a fortnight, so that she would know what to do with letters. It is still uncertain when and where we go, but the Navy is forcing the Dardanelles, and the French are getting ready an expedition of troops, to land in Turkey, to cooperate with the British and French naval forces so no doubt we shall join in soon. The change in weather is lovely.
March 14th 1915
Sunday. Went to a Greek (Orthodox) mass at the Basilica at Heliopolis, as did most of our soldier Catholics. A queer ceremony, 5 priests officiated. One was a Bishop. He wore his hair long, down to his waist, unbound. A choir sang in Arabic, queer music. We could not make head or tail of anything. It was not at all devotional and I would not have gone if I had known what it was like. Father Richards got me to go. I rode Don. After church I met a gentleman, a Syrian Catholic named Atala and took quite a liking to him. He asked me to afternoon tea at his sister’s house next Thursday. She lives in Heliopolis. In the afternoon Terry and Edmond came to see me. They are fit and well.
March 15th 1915
Bn training but I had to go umpiring with the 2nd Light Horse (Australian) on an inter mounted Brigade Exercise. Up at 5am and away across the desert at 6am, a distance of 8 miles to ZAHR BAADEN. A most interesting morning. The NZ MR Bgde attacked the Australian L.H. Bgde. It was a poor show and neither Brigadiers in my opinion, seem to have a sound knowledge of their work. The NZder [Col Andrew Russell] was better than [the] Australian. The latter is really an English regular officer. I was not astonished, because I have long since found that very few officers (including all ranks) have a real knowledge of military principles – without such a knowledge it is impossible to be expert in any science. The science of war is no easier than any other. The show knocked off at about noon and I was home by 1.30pm.
March 18th 1915
Last night’s work a success, but strenuous. At 2am my Bn and Otago Bn attacked an enemy in position. Swept right over them, and then dug fresh trenches to enable the position taken to be held. Very solid digging. My men dug 400 yards run of trenches, in frightfully hard, stony ground. The Genl was very pleased. No doubt the men are splendid; one hard thing too, is that they have always to fill in the trenches dug before we leave. We got home at 8am and had the day off. We mostly had a sleep, after breakfast. In the afternoon I motor cycled to Heliopolis, and took 6 snap shots of its houses etc, then called on Me [Madame] Thomas, Mr Atala’s sister and had afternoon tea. A very nice house-flat. Very nice tea and very nice people. She a widow of 10 years with five children, 21 to 10. Such nice children, educated at a convent of the Sacred Heart, the same order as the nuns at Island Bay. I practised my French50 and received a pressing invitation to call again which I will.
March 20th 1915
Lecture by Genl Cunliffe-Owen on cooperation of artillery, infantry. He has lately come from the Front and there commanded both arms respectively. He was interesting though somewhat anecdotal. A hot day. Gen Godley said this morning, that within a fortnight, we would be in line with some of the flower of the British Army, who had been in Flanders, so our destination at present must be Turkey. We shall be glad to get to grips. The Canal work was only an “appetif” or rather “aperitif”....
March 21st 1915
Sunday. Camp inspection. Everything excellent. I growled hard last Sunday – Result, success....
[MSX 2550]
Zeitoun
near Cairo,
Egypt
24.3.15
My dear cousin,51
Your welcome letter of 6th Inst to hand today.
I am so sorry to hear of Aunt Agnes’ illness, and do hope that she will get well again. I do so want to see her – and for the matter of that all of the relations – but it is very uncertain, whether and when we shall be in England. We were to have gone there in the first instance, but got switched off here, through the arrangement to put this country under the Protection of England, and the possibility of Turkish invasion. We were very lucky to be landed here, as the English winter would have been very much against training. It is always fine and sunny here. We took part in the scraps on the Suez Canal, Early last month, when the Turks got set back. I had command of a detachment of our New Zealand Force, some 2460 men, right away from the Division. I was under General Melliss, V.C., with the 30th Infantry Brigade. He has very kindly recommended me for Brigade command.
We leave here very soon now and think our destination will be Turkey. Afterwards we expect to go to France and Germany.
My sons names are: Edmond, Terence, Brian and Maurice, in order of ages Edmond being the oldest. Since we left New Zealand Maurice reached the age at which he could enlist, or rather he reaches it next May, so he enlisted last month, and will come with a batch of our reinforcements in due course. Edmond and Terry are here in a Mounted Rifles Regiment – privates – Brian went to Samoa with our New Zealand Force, and is in the ASC (Army Service Corps), a sergeant. Maurice has joined a Mounted Rifles Regiment, as a private....
My brother Austin has been killed by an accident, in New Zealand since we left.52 He leaves a widow and 3 children. I got a cable a while since with the sad news.
My practice is in the hands of my clerks. I have treated it as no longer existing. I was very sick of churning away in it. If I get through the war all right, I doubt if I shall go back to my law profession. I am better suited where I now am.
We are all very fit and well and hard.
Give my love to any of the relations that you are in touch with.
Your affect[ionate] cousin,
Wm.G. Malone
[MSX 2545]
March 27th 1915
Saturday. Our 3rd reinforcements arrived last night.53 293 men and 7 officers for the Wellington Inf Bn. I had a short inspection of them this morning. They look all right, but are not fully equipped. Presumably they will take over the equipment of men, whom and when they replace. Bad staff arrangements. We had no definite notice of their coming. Result, we didn’t meet them at R/Station, and they wandered in to camp, the best way they could. I wonder why the Genl keeps incompetent men, in responsible positions. He is a bad picker of men. The Robinson-Henderson type is obviously a bad one, yet when I sacked Robinson from the adjutancy of my Bn, he was made an Embarkation Officer and promoted “Major”!!! Henderson54 was sent back to New Zealand, not for his inability as an Embarkation Officer, but for some mess up of his in his former job in New Zealand. Today great fixing up of camp. Many laugh and say “now we will be off”. So may it be, but if I knew we were going to pull stakes tomorrow I would still have order and cleanliness. I have some 1,500 men, being paid 5/-for the day, and if they cannot fix up, then I don’t know who can. In the afternoon Miss Thomas, one of her sisters and her brother, ... called to see the camp. I introduced them to Mater and they insisted that she could not be over 30 at most. I was very pleased. They also said Qu’elle est jolie et intellectuelle.55 I gave them afternoon tea and showed them round. They seemed pleased.
No Better Death Page 14