Trp Bert Hutchinson (Lilydale), 4^th Light Horse Regiment: In camp in Palestine. In a letter to his future wife, Jessie Mackenzie of Yalca, Vic – ‘Around Bela and Gaza the crops are doing well. I was surprised to see so many wild flowers around this place; Red Poppies and daisies are very common and sweet peas (three colours) flags, lilies etc. The grass is very plentiful and all our horses are fat. We have them out grazing every afternoon and sometimes all day.

When I went through Khanyunis I was surprised to see such an improvement. When I went through this town several months ago the people did not have much food and the orchards were not attended to, but now the people look well and the orchards have been ploughed. The almonds and apricots are still green but I do not expect to be here when they are ripe. Oranges are still plentiful and we get 4 for 2½ piastre.

I was able to visit Gaza but did not see a house that escaped the shells except the mud houses in the native portion of the town. The large mosque in the centre of the town caught its share of the shells and a portion of the dome was blown away. The trenches, lines of communication etc were very extensive. I went into some dug outs where you would be perfectly safe during any bombardment. Jacko is not within miles of this town’.