Trp Bert Hutchinson (Lilydale), 4th Light Horse Regiment: In camp in Egypt. In a letter to his future wife, Jessie Mackenzie of Yalca, Vic –‘Winter is beautiful in Egypt but rather cold in Syria. I prefer the cold weather. By the time you receive this letter it will be summer over here and I hope it is not as hot as in 1916. One advantage we have here; we always have cold nights even in the middle of summer.
It must be hard on some families to see the boys coming home and to know that their son or brother will not return. Quite a large number of the local boys are home again but they were in France. We were all ready to go aboard the transport last month but owing to local conditions demobilization was delayed. English leave is being granted again so it is possible that we shall leave shortly though it is not probable. We are getting our hand in for the benefit of those at home. We are cooking in sections of four and we take our turn at the fire. Some strange dishes are manufactured and without any ill effects’.