“Just a few lines to let you know we are leaving for the front tonight (May 15). We go by train to Alexandria, and there embark for the Dardanelles. Rupert left last week with the first Light Horse, but the battalion is dismounted, as we shall be for a few weeks, or until a safe landing for the horses can be effected. The men are all delighted and in great spirits at being given a chance to see what sort of stuff they are made of.

"You will find the spirit of courage and daring will be abroad, and that our men will follow the track of our infantry, and die for their country if need be. I am just longing to shake hands with a Turk; I'll make it a severe one too. They are low down beggars. They have committed some terrible atrocities on our fellow-men. Our regiment for one, and possibly the whole of the Australians, vow that no prisoners be taken; quite right too.

"My squadron (A) escorted 250 of them out the other day. I missed the chance of going, but saw them passing for the prison. In all about 1000 of them are a few miles from here. They live well and are treated well. In return, what do our prisoners of war receive? Very bad shift if what we hear is correct. As a matter of fact the British are too good. These Turks simply pray to Allah and eat all day. I believe they couldn't be hunted away.

"Was speaking to Dave Baird this morning, and of course he's very pleased to be off to the front. We have discarded our leggings, and are wearing puttees in their place. We all carry a pack, and today we carry 220 rounds of ammunition with us, so we will have a fair weight up. We have been having a good many marches lately in preparation for the task ahead of us.

"The First Light Horse went straight into the trenches, and I believe some of their wounded have already returned to Heliopolis. Rupert will be right into it by this, and blazing away at the unspeakable Turk. Thank goodness I shall be close handy to him directly - shoulder to shoulder - and be able to take my share in the defence of our cause.

"We shall keep the flag flying though we fall ourselves. I always receive the ‘Port News’, and hand it on to Stacy. I read my letter, and consider it a compliment for you to pass it for publication.

"Stacy tells me he has forwarded you some notes for the paper.” (We might here state that many of our readers have complimented us upon the composition and intelligence displayed by the author of the letter referred to.

"One instance comes from the late President of the Manning Shire Council, Mr. H. McKinnon, who says: your son's letter was the finest I have ever read of the many that have been published, and the young boy's diary was very good.)

“This will be the last letter from Egypt. The next will be from the trenches I hope, and will be precise, something like 'all's well,' or 'doing fine'. Will not be allowed to say much, and business will no doubt be brisk. I think there can only be one issue to this great struggle, and we will win.

"Lord Kitchener sent a message to our General (Sir Ian Hamilton) in which he said, ‘Once you set foot on Gallipoli Peninsula you must fight to a finish’. Well, we will do that, and do our best. Good-bye, Father, with my best love to you all, and that I be spared to return to you and mother and all friends.

"I especially hope little Rupert will pull through, but if not ... we will both return and have a good camping expedition and grand run round in dear old Port Macquarie. Nothing that I have seen so far can come up to it. Good-night.”

Postscript: Leslie Raymond Pountney died on July 8, 1915 on board the HMHS Sicilia from wounds suffered at the Dardanelles on June 28. He was among the 24 killed and 79 wounded from the 5th Light Horse during a raid on the Balkan Pits. His brother Rupert returned to Port Macquarie in November 1918 after four years and eight weeks of service.