Air Mechanic Percy Clements (Lilydale), No 1 Squadron, Australian Flying Corps: In camp in Egypt. In a letter to his father in Lilydale – ‘We are still in Egypt, and it is now six months since we arrived, so you can guess we are quite sick of the country of sand, heat, and filth; also its inhabitants. The ‘Gippoes’, as we call them, are a very dirty race and we have not much time for them. The majority of them seem to be a sort of uncivilized, or may I say un-intellectual. But in a case where there are money matters involved, they seem to know what they are about. They generally ask double the value of anything they have to sell but soon reduce their price so as to make a sale. I bought an article once for 50 piastre that was priced at first at 95 piastre and this is the way the majority of them treat their soldier customers.

Since being in Egypt, I have spent most of my time in places in the vicinity of the Suez Canal, and for three weeks was in a camp which was handy to Cairo, consequently I was able to make numerous visits to that city. It is a very large city, with a hefty population and has some beautiful buildings, and some business streets. But in certain parts (mainly the Arab quarters) the streets and surroundings are filthy. As you will know, in and around Cairo there are some very interesting and historical places and I have seen different mosques, the Pyramids, the Elizabeth gardens, and the Citadel. They were all very interesting to me, but the biggest eye-opener was when I visited the Citadel, with its marble walls, lovely alabaster stone work, costly mats, hundreds of electric lights and numerous colored glass windows. It is in our way of speaking, an enormous church, and I understand that it is the place that the Sultan visits when attending church.

The Zoological Gardens are well worth a visit, and as well as the shining and well-kept animals, the beautiful ancient net coral work of stone is a feature. The Eskabah Gardens are well laid out, and what adds to the soldier’s interest there is a branch of that splendid institution, the YMCA, which is the soldier’s home. We are able to purchase there at a small cost, soft drinks and reliable food, as well as being provided with different games and free concerts, also stationery and if necessary we are able to do our corresponding on the premises.

The Pyramids are reached after a twelve miles’ or so journey by tram from Cairo. They are, no doubt marvellous ancient structures of an enormous height, but I am unable to go into details, as our guide spoke anything but the truth. I am not able to go into details of the work that our corps has been doing, but can assure you that our time has not been wasted.

It was in the summer months when we first arrived in this country. Naturally we felt the heat a bit, but we soon became acclimatised. We are getting into the winter now, but winters over here are quite different from our Australian winters. During the six months I have been here I have only known rain to fall on one occasion and then only a couple of sharp showers. We are quite settled down to our food, which is plain and wholesome, and consists of bacon for breakfast, stew or bully beef for dinner and bread and marmalade for tea. Seeing that most of us live well and keep in good health on it, there is no room for complaint. Our mails from home and Australia are always looked forward to, and are a great comfort. I have had a lot of travelling about, and moving from one camp to another, and could make you laugh explaining some of the different journeys, which have been it any conveyance from an aeroplane to a kit truck of a ‘Gippoes’ goods train’.