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Date: August 17th 1918
To
Mother & All
From
Alfred
Letter

Egypt.17.8.18.

Dear Mother & All.-

I have just come back from the hangar and have a few minutes before breakfast. It is just seven o’clock the sun is out food & bright promising another real hot day. I have not done any flying this morning but no doubt I shall be at it again on Monday.

It didn’t strike me until late in the day on the 13th that it was my birthday. It is the fourth one I have had in the army. I am doing well do you not think so. I hope I shall not have to spend very many more in the same way.

Well it is over 4 weeks if not five since I have had any mail, dear knows where it is perhaps in the sea.

We are having a fair time here but when flying you get up at 3.0 oclock but you have the afternoon off so can have a couple of hours sleep. I have one grudge against this place we live in tents and the sand gets into your suite case, bed, shoes as a matter of fact it gets everywhere. Its sand sand and then more sand.

How is everything at home. Is Father getting plenty at the Port. I sincerely hope you are all having a real good time. That is hard to do sometimes under the circumstances but I hope you are having some of it.

All the Boys will be gone by now things will seem very slow with all the fellows in the army. The poor girls will feel lonesome. The poor little things.

How is everyone on the hill I hope they are also having a real good time. Give them my best regards when you have a chance. Is there anyone living in the big house across the way.

How is Nig now I suppose he will be about 5 years old now is the old fellow getting along. Does he go away the same as usual, or does he stay around home.

I think I have done fairly well this morning but I shall close now and have some breakfast.

18.8.18.

We had no flying today so I stayed in bed until 7.30 got up had breakfast and went to bed again. It is now 10.0 and I have just got up to finish this letter.

I was down swimming in Lake Timsah last night, just after I dove in I felt something on the bottom so I went down and brought it up and would you believe it I had a great big star fish. They are very funny when you take them out of the water. There seems to be a lot of funny things in this lake.

After swimming we had dinner at the Trench club and walked to the Drome. We got home just about 9.0 pm. so went straight to bed. I never saw a place where the boys are so satisfied to go to bed so early.

It is very quiet around today you miss the Airoplanes buzzing around when you have been used to them awhile. There is no church around here except R.C. & English Church and I do not care for the E. Church after something that happened at Heliopolis near Cairo.

Well there seems little to tell so will close. Hoping you are having the best time possible.

With Love

Alfred

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