June 9th 1917
Dear Mum
Our embarkation yesterday did not come off owing to some reason know only to the Defence dept. We missed the Wanaganui march of course and we are having a very lazy time waiting for orders to move off to embark. Neil and I struck guard duty again last night owing to the absence of the other sections at Wanganui. Our latest orders are xxxx morning but may be countermanded by the time we get back to camp tonight. If there is any further delay I will write to you again as soon as I hear of it. A returned man told us that he came back on the “Tahiti and that that was the boat that was taking the first section of the 27th. This rumour was supported by an unofficial statement to the same effect by one of the clerks in the camp office. Our officers have left camp and are waiting to embark in Wellington so we will not be delayed much longer. The camp dentist has fitted me out with a new upper set of teeth and part of a lower set. I have now two full upper sets. The Dental Officer was cheerful enough to remark that the two sets would come in handy in the event of my dropping one set overboard while I was seasick. The new upper set fits well but the lower set is taking a little getting used to as I never had a plate there before. I kept them in all last night so they are not so very bad.
I am giving you plenty of letters this week but I thought I would keep you well posted up in what we are doing until the time comes to embark. I will try and write again from Wellington, but in case I don’t get time and you do not receive a letter for some time you can assume we have embarked on Monday. I will certainly let you know of any further alteration I see by the papers that Gorries good luck still holds. I think he must have squared those who draw the ballot somehow. By the way did you notice that I was drawn for the Waikato No 4 group. They have me down as N.R.Smith, dairy farmer Mangapihi, the wrong occupation being due to the fact that I registered while I was with Frank Watson. They made the same mistake in acknowledging my notice of change of address. It is a bit funny when one thinks of it, but I will leave them to straighten out their own tangle.
Fred Galbraith was drawn too for North Auckland. I hope he pays that (pound)1 he owes me before he goes. Archie Dunning has struck it too I see. I am rather glad I enlisted when I did as it would be pretty rotten to go in camp just as the worst of the winter is coming on and everything is cold and wet. We will dodge that nicely now and the weather during the past week has be glorious. A returned man tells me that August and September are the best months at Home so we will just strike it right.
No more news
Au revoiu for the present
Yours
Norman