Quorn Mercury March 16, 1916 (extract)

Last week Mr. R Thompson received two letters from Egypt, one from Mr. Roy Bennett and another from Mr. C. R. Trathern. Mr. Bennett writes from Tourah Camp as follows:-

Tourah Camp, Cairo 15/1/1916.

Dear Mr. Thompson – We arrived here safely five weeks tomorrow. We disembarked at Port Suez then trained to Heliopolis Camp, where we camped for a week. Then we transferred to the above camp. Cairo is just as we heard of it from our first boys – nothing but a disgusting and immoral city – but you will see some of their buildings are very fine. We have had one or two days off to visit different parts. We went to the Pyramids, the ancient mosques around Cairo, and a trip on the Nile. We expect to move forward shortly. Kindest wishes to Mrs. Thompson and self, also our old town and the boys of sport, and trust it will not be long before we can join you again in the north of S.A. – Yours Sincerely R. A. Bennett.

Zietown 23/1/1916.

Dear Mr Thompson – Just a line to let you know all is well. Up to now we have not done anything to speak of, but expect to be doing a bit very soon. I saw Jim Cattle the other day. He looks well. Have had some very good pleasure trips round Cairo, and they are very interesting. Kindest regards to family and self – Sincerely yours C. R. Trathern.

---------------------------------------------------

Zeitoun was a training camp near Cairo. C R Trathern does not seem to have been a Quorn resident, he may have been enlisted in the New Zealand Expeditionary Forces as Zeitoun was chiefly a New Zealand training camp. Roy Bennett was a native of Quorn who survived the war.