We sail on 18th or 19th I think
BRITISH INDIA STEAM NAVIGATION CO., LD.
S.S. Coconada
Karachi Sept 17 1914
Dear Mother
I wrote you a line last week to say Ben might come down & sail with us, & sure enough she has! I’ve seen her, & had all my meals on her boat since we embarked yesterday. It is ripping seeing her again, but so odd somehow, as I left Lansdowne a month ago, & here we are still in India, & Ben stays on for a long time after we’ve gone, & comes home in the same convoy! The Dilwara on which she is is taking home all the wives & sisters etc of us going on this expeditionary force, so is coming home under the same escort of cruisers etc as us. We have H.M.S Dartmouth here, & some more are coming later. As Ben says it only wants Paul on the Gloucester to meet us at Port Said to complete it! Imagine Paul’s face when he saw us!! Quite possible and very likely the Gloucester will be our escort after the canal. Ben ought to be home in about a month’s time now, about the middle of October. She seems awfully fit & well & it’s gorgeous seeing her again. I’m just off to have lunch on the Dilwara, & after that we leave the docks & go out into the Stream about 4 p.m. so I shan’t get another chance of seeing her I dont expect. We might meet if we go ashore at Aden or anywhere.
Very hot down here in docks & I’m afraid Ben will have a hottish voyage, but only during the first part. Anyhow, she’s having quite an experience & her visit to India has ended somewhat differently to what she expected. I hear they are sending more troops from India after we’ve gone. It will be awful being on the sea for such a long time & getting no news. I wonder what will have happened to the war by then. Good news so far, is’nt it, but at tremendous sacrifice on the part of the British troops, who seem to have done wonders.
I will write again soon as I can- I expect this will miss the mail & reach you a week after Ben’s letter tellng you we have met. “Hanging on an’ all” as Ben says!
Must go and have lunch with her now.
Love to all
Yr Loving son
Ted.
