At Serapeum Roy had time to write letters home. He often wrote to Ellie McMurtrie, revealing something of his character: ‘You know Ellie that I love you though I do not talk much about my sentiments probably because I am too inclined to self-consciousness. This being the case you may rely on my deepest sympathy for the trouble that you infer.’74 Tantalisingly, we do not know what Ellie’s troubles were, but Roy was obviously very fond of her and from the time she married his oldest brother Harold, Roy welcomed her as a sister.
Roy writes playfully about the charm and beauty of the bridesmaids at his second brother Gordon’s wedding to Ida McMurtrie, Ellie’s sister. He laments that ‘the proceedings could not have been completely rounded off by the Bad Boy of the Family…’, presumably referring to himself.75 In the same letter, he speculates that his ‘Brother Bill76 is probably still keeping up his reputation as a tease’. He writes more seriously about the death of Frank Pratt, presumably a mutual friend ‘… it is glorious that such fine fellows are ready to lay down their lives for an idea and principle’.77
He also writes about Egypt: ‘I must admit that Egypt is a country that has fascinated me with its life so different to that of Australia. The cosmopolitan nature of the people with the resultant advantages and faults makes an interesting study.’ He notes differences between national groups. ‘We see a lot that is French in origin, the naturalness and demonstrative affection which is so different from the Anglo-Saxon reserve, the assurance of the Australian, and even the boyish impertinence of the Egyptian which is amusing to us who are ready to accept everyone as equals until they show themselves not.’ He reflects on the Australians’ response to Egypt saying it gives Australians a sense of smallness to visit old mosques and Coptic churches, an experience that will not harm them, but when they visit the pyramids and the romantic Sphinx, they cannot help but be impressed, even though they try to cloak their emotions under a joke.78
In April 1916 Roy wrote from Serapeum to his brother,79 who was also serving in the war, saying he didn’t have too much to grumble at, as he had had a long interval free from the fear of bullets and pieces of animated metal. He acknowledged that he felt sad that their ‘loved ones are anxious about us while we are far from danger and really spending a wonderful holiday’. The letter mentions that he was reading Hamlet and other productions of the Bard and that he remained impressed by Shakespeare’s influence on the English language. He had been taking photographs and shot one of a polo match using donkeys. He finishes by reminding his brother that, ‘fraternal love is no myth, though not much talked about’.80
Camp life in Egypt gave Roy little opportunity for medical work, apart from sick parades and inspections, spiced with an occasional outbreak of disease. In another letter to Ellie McMurtrie, he wrote, ‘we live fairly comfortably in a camp… as we are in reserve and in training. We have an officer’s mess and are making health arrangements as permanent as possible as this camp will be used by us and our reinforcements from now on’.81
There was a meningitis outbreak a few weeks after their arrival at Serapeum and all ranks were made to march through a tent filled with formalin vapour in an effort to limit its spread. The men’s tents were overcrowded and it was considered that increasing the accommodation options would prove a more effective measure than the inhalation treatment. Some people at headquarters, it was discovered, were using a cache of extra tents as bedding, but it was only after numerous complaints were made about this that the extra tents were finally distributed. One of the newly arrived tents presented an amazing sight. In the warm sunlight, hundreds of lice crawled out from under the seams and spread all over the side of the tent. There was no doubt the tent had been used for bedding!82
Even an outbreak of meningitis was not enough to keep Roy fully occupied. A routine vaccination for the whole battalion was welcomed because it broke the routine monotony of camp life. To fill his spare moments when not swimming or watching donkey races, Roy went on expeditions and visited friends in other battalions. He mentions that he made a trip to a hospital organised by the Church Missionary Society (the original English branch), which interested him immensely. ‘To see the natives sitting in a special compound undergoing treatment for Anchylostomiasis83 was a sight worth remembering. These special dispensations, where the patients may stay until they undergo a cure of two to three weeks, are now being organised all over Egypt as a result of Kitchener being impressed with the results at his old Hospital. The patients looked very funny opening their mouths to have the medicine poured in, like a big nest full of young birds.’84
Life in Egypt was not all light-hearted and Roy’s poem Egypt offers another more sombre view.85
A fireplace heap of glaring human faces
With tinder in the midst of unborn babe
Nearby an anklet wrought in antique bronze
Terrestrial flotsam on a sea of sand
A fellahun who mourned his pregnant wife
Took comfort when he viewed her resting place
As from the grave a scarab issued forth
A symbol this of immortality
A tent of soldiers in a long campaign
Reduced the boredom with a game of chance
At sight of moving sand each placed a coin
Where wag’ring unseen scarab would emerge.
The extant letters to Ellie say little about his time on Gallipoli but hint at its effect: ‘I am thankful to say that there are no shells falling about and no strays and snipers for the present. It was not very dreadful there but it was bound to have some effect on the nerves, no matter the constitution.’86 The novel suggests that Roy was starting to be depressed. He had sleepless nights and alarming dreams. His friends did their best to cheer him up.87
29 Winn RC Men May Rise p48
30 Winn Dick personal communication 2002
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