LETTERS FROM THE FRONT.
The following letter was written by Private David Evans, R. A. M. C., to his parents, Mr. and Mrs. David Evans, Red Lion Hotel, Llandebie : —
“Now that I have been on board three nights and two days, I think I can let you have some interesting news. Let me start from the beginning. We left the Rest Camp at Southampton about three on Saturday, and after marching through the main streets, several hundreds of us – and the people did not half cheer us – we were left on deck about six the same evening.
After putting our things in order, &c., we were given tea, consisting of tea, bread and butter, and bully beef. The food, so far, though plain, is good. It is a sight worth seeing to be on board this ship.
Yesterday we were passing through the Bay of Biscay, where the sea is very rough, but the boat sailed away almost as if on a calm sea. I have lost myself several times here; so many stairs and decks.
Yesterday (Sunday) we had Divine Service at 11 a.m., when all nurses and officers were also present.
This boat has been taken over by the Government, and is turned into a hospital ship. Any amount of nurses and doctors on her. It’s only R. A. M. C. soldiers are on it, several hundreds.
I met Murphy, who used to come to your place, last Saturday. He could hardly speak to me, so upset. He said he had been into the Red Lion the week before he came on board.
There are also plenty of Welsh boys on board. Their singing in the evenings is fine. Canadians, Scotch, English, and Welsh galore. I hope to post this letter at Gibraltar, if she stops there. If not then it will wait some days.
I felt a little sick yesterday for the first time, but little sickness is seen – the boat is so steady. We are to have boat drill, in case of accidents, to-day. All our names are put down, and we are shown what number of lifeboat each man has to go into should anything happen.
“We can just sight the coast of Spain and Portugal to-day, the first land since we left the Isle of Wight. At 2.30 p.m. we passed Cape St. Vincent, and are now about 140 miles from Gibraltar. Pity it will be dark when we pass it. Passed Gibraltar at 12 midnight. Could only see two lights and just the shadow of the great famous Rock; saw also a lighted town of the African coast; pretty sight. A large searchlight could also be seen searching the sea. Feeling A1. Went to bed at 12.30.
“October 12th – Got up at 6.30 a.m. Breakfast, 7.15 a.m. Coast of Spain still visible; the sea very calm. Have just returned from having physical drill on deck. The funny part about it is that, though it’s very windy, it’s quite warm to-day.
We feel the change of climate, and I suppose it will be warmer from now on. The barber has been busy to-day; almost all the boys have had their hair cut quite short all round. We look like a lot of convicts. It’s a good plan, owing to the warm climate and lice, &c., out here.
“On October 13th we were made to change our bedrooms to right down the bottom of the vessel. Rotten place, so stuffy. I took my blanket and overcoat and slept on deck. That was better than in such foul air. The reason was to enable them to prepare the other places for the wounded upon her arrival. On same date we passed Sardinia, of the coast of Italy; only rock all the way, a small island.
“On October 14th we arrived at Naples Harbour, supposed to be the prettiest harbour in the world. The old saying, ‘See Naples and die,’ is a good saying.
We stopped to take in coal from 7 a.m. till 10 p.m. We had a concert on board that night, which lasted several hours. All the officers and nurses went on deck, but none of us were allowed. It was rotten to stick on deck and seeing such a pretty place a mile or so away.
In this place you can see Mount Vesuvius still burning, a fine sight Naples itself is chiefly built with flat roofs. Large domes in sight. It’s a sight to see the Italians putting the coal in the steamer in small baskets, about 200 of them, an as the weather was wet they were in a pickle.
Then others came in dozens in small boats alongside of ours, selling jewellery, postcards, and fruit. I bought some postcards and will send them home later on. The fruit we were forbidden to buy, in case of fevers, though they were offering them cheap, and would have been very acceptable them. However, we had to be without.
“On October 15th we passed Mount Stromboli and later on in the day passed through the Messina Straits; such a lovely place. It was here that an earthquake occurred some tow years ago. We could plainly see where 7,000 of the inhabitants were buried. A large wall was built round it.
The sea was quite smooth throughout the Straits. All rocks around there, the houses being on the bottom close to the sea. There were also seen about 200 wooden huts built by American for the inhabitants after the earthquake. Mount Etna was also was also visible.
“October 16th (Saturday), today, we have passed several rocky places in the Aegean Sea. We are due at Lemnos Island. Where we are bound for after reaching Lemnos I can’t yet say. Some say we shall be put on a hospital ship. In that case we may land in Australia or even Southampton some day.
It is almost certain we shall not be in the firing line for a while. They are preparing the ropes to dock the ship, so must stop writing. This is the longest letter I have ever written, so I hope it will interest you.
I might state before I close that I feel A1 so far, considering the long way I have travelled. Also all the boys, 2,000 troops, and 900 crew are quite happy.”
