Letter book 3

Letter book by Gray providing detailed descriptions of life stationed in a military camp at Heliopolis in Egypt.

Gray utilises his letter books like a journal, keeping the top copy intact, while the carbon copy is sent back home to his family in New Zealand. He is very aware of the fact that his writing would have to be passed by military censor, and in fact some passages were redacted, so these letter book top copies represent a more complete record of his accounts. Having studied law in New Zealand and worked as a law clerk before enlisting, he records some of his reflections on martial law in practice, especially the impact of punishment as a deterrent factor, in the interests of maintaining discipline. For example in recording an incident of the death sentence being carried out, he writes 'Something appeared in orders today which I wish to permanently record. It may be deleted by the censor on your carbon copy, but I will have it in my book.' (page 15).

Includes descriptions by Gray, who is also an amateur photographer, of the conditions under which photographs were taken and the suitability of the weather and light for this pursuit, including the challenges associated with changing a roll of film while seated on the back of a camel. In describing the visit to a mosque, for example, he writes, 'Went through the Citadel Mosque, it is the best mosque here, & very wonderful. The alabaster walls, & the hanging lamps, are almost unique I think. I secured several photos of the courtyard, but the interior was too dark, even for time exposures.' (page 25).

Publication - Selected letters and diary entry accounts from this collection have been published. See "'The Great Adventure': The letters of Randolph Norman Gray, 3/893", in: Jock Phillips, Nicholas Boyack and E. P. Malone (eds), The great adventure: New Zealand soldiers describe the First World War (Wellington: Allen & Unwin, 1988) pp 69-110.

Relationship complexity - Photocopied typescript transcriptions of most of the manuscript texts found in the letter books are held in MS-Papers-4134

Quantity: 1 volume(s).

Physical Description: Mss, letter book, 50 numbered leaves of ruled paper, sewn binding, paper covers, 16.5 x 11 cm