OSE WWI Transcriptions from the Archives

10 : E. G. Dawson – Expeditionary Force, E. Africa – 30 Dec 1917

Dear Mr Sing, Would it be too great a favour to ask you to let me have a certificate or document showing that I have attained a fair standard of education. I ask you for the above as I am applying for a Regular Commission and it’s necessary to enclose some evidence. In another fortnight here I shall have completed six months service out here. There are now no more German forces in the field in G. E. A. [German East Africa]. Von Lettow[-Vorbeck] the German general managed to get into Portuguese East Africa with about five double companies. Some of our unit I think are chasing him. Five months ago, things didn’t look as if they would turn out as well as they have done. The last time I was in action was on Nov 9 th . Till about the fifth of this month I was trotting about the country with different units. Now however I am attached to the Lindi Army Col [column] and am at present sitting down in camp awaiting the rains, which ought to be starting sometime next month. There is practically nil to do in the way of work and as there is a good deal of game round here, we spent a good deal of time out shooting for our Xmas, which was fairly quiet, we managed to get a partridge which came in very handy. Generally speaking, our luck hasn’t been very good. On the whole on this column, we haven’t come off too badly though once we got down to half rations. As for the fighting and marching it hasn’t been so very bad, though in the former we bumped it heavily two or three times of the latter we have done a good deal and over sandy roads which makes the going rather heavy and very dusty. At first, I was with the 13 pounders and our only means of transport was porters, it was very slow and tiring work going any distance. As a matter of fact, we did have motor lorries to tow the guns, but it was too sandy to enable them to get along by themselves, let alone pulling a gun or carrying ammunition. We only used them once. At the end out [of] October I went to a howitzer Battery as the 13 pous [pounders] were taken over by S. African gunners. I was only with them three weeks when I was posted to acting Staff Officer to the C. R. A. after that I came to the Army Col. So, I have had hopes of going with the Battery but that’s off now of course. I had a go of fever about a month after I got out but since then have been feeling and keeping quite fit. On Boxing Day, I even played a game of football, not rugger unfortunately. No [one] out here seem to play it now, I suppose they are mostly fed up with the show. On Xmas evening the motor ambulance gave quite a good concert which rather helped to liven things up some what. The weather here at present is rather showery and the roads are getting pretty bad in places, though the road corps and pioneers are hard at work bridging damages and repairing the road generally. Hoping that you and Miss Sing are well. Yours very sincerely, Ernest G. Dawson

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