Sgt-Maj Kavan Lawlor (Coldstream), 8th Light Horse Regiment: At Anzac Cove. In a letter to friends in Lilydale – ‘I have been here five weeks now, and am still in good going order. The weather is getting very cold here and some of the boys who have been here for five months are becoming a ‘groggy-lo king’ on it, though I hear that they are to have a spell off the peninsula and it will do them the world of good. The 8th Light Horse, to which I belong, have had a very severe gruelling and a lot of the best lads fell under very heavy machine-gun fire. Those who are left are in a rest camp but not more than half-a-mile from the trenches and may be wanted at any time in the firing line.
We get on very well for provisions, clothing etc and have with us some very fine officers, each and every one of whom take keen interest in their men and so things bowl along from day to day very smoothly. We received a little news of what is doing in France, Belgium and Russia and so far we have been very pleased with the state of affairs and wish them continued success.
I had a letter from my brother (Will Lawlor) the other day and he told me the boys from Lilydale were enlisting freely. I can say this; they are all wanted if they can possibly get away. Now is the time to come as the winter will be over and fine weather coming on just as they are about to arrive here. I met some of the Lilydale boys – Harry Black, Mick Upton, Ernie Commerford and Arthur Rouget – all of whom were quite well and looking to fight off the Turks.
Most of our work here is preparing for a heavy winter. On one occasion I had a party of men cutting out a terrace for the purpose of storing rations and when I introduced the pick and shovel to one he said ‘Blimey Sergeant, you’re making it hot aint yer? I slung pick and shovel work in Victoria and had nine bob a day for it, and now I’ve got to do it for six bob, and get shot at as well’.
The following locals leave Australia bound for Egypt on the HMAT Port Lincoln:
Pte Tom Lydster (Wandin) 14th Battalion
Pte William Parkinson (Coldstream) 14th Battalion
Pte Norman Pontin (Lilydale) 14th Battalion
Spr William Reid (Olinda), 2nd Field Company Engineers
Spr Robert Smith (Mt Evelyn), 2nd Field Company Engineers
Dvr Walter Thompson (Wandin) 2nd Field Company Engineers