Private David Evans, 3rd Welsh Field Ambulance, with the British Mediterranean Expeditionary Force, writing to his parents at the Red Lion Hotel, Llandebie, says: —
“How did Christmas go with you? Rather quiet, I expect, like here; only you had a turkey and pudding. I had neither. It seemed a pity that, after all the articles, &c., that have been written in regards to supplying the troops with Christmas gifts, we should be dished out with bully beef and ?ippo, ordinary ration.
It appears that our mails (month old) have been left en route, with the result that we had to be without. Of course, our parcels might turn up later on, but that is not the thing, as no doubt the great part of them will be useless. For Christmas to be spent on a desert is not like home by any means, though it’s rather funny to spend it with the sun boiling over you.
I hope you receive my letters, which I post weekly, except in one instance. Times seem to turn out in our favour lately, and I hope the end is not far off, so that the boys will be able to return amongst you again with all their different views of their experiences .
Doubtless things will be different, so many will not return; but that must not be dwelt on too much. We are all in pretty good spirits and equal in health. Life out here is very different to old England; the natives are so funny in their ways. There are many of them very good at their trades.
You should see them building kind of houses, putting drains, and erecting electric plants, fine and as good as our men. Their railway also is a credit to them, but I cannot help thinking it is the British have put them on the right track.
Farming, again, is excellent. They divide a certain portion of ground into squares, then make a kind of gutter around it and allow water to run into it; this water comes from the River Nile. When they require to water his land, they turn the water in. this does the work that rain does with you. You can see a patch of green vegetables in the middle of miles of sand.
How are things at home by now? No doubt George has had to go. If so, I hope he will not go far. Then the other boys around there, things have come home to them after all. (that’s how it is written in the Chronicle)
I found out this week that Evans, the reliving officer, Carmarthen, has a son in the same unit as myself. George knows him (Ivor Evans). Also Jim Lewis, Pensarn, and Ivor Jones, Woods Row.
No more now, trusting I shall receive some of your letters soon. With best wishes to all.”
