6399 Joseph Pagani of the Legion’s NSW Command Sydney Squadron served with 25th Bn (Frontiersmen) Royal Fusiliers. One of his letters home was published in the Sydney newspaper The Sun in October 1915 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/221915631 .
A musician and a piano tuner by trade, Joseph Pagani was also a first grade footballer for South Sydney in 1912. In 1914 he and his Sydney Legion of Frontiersmen colleague 12430 Trooper Wilfred Allen departed directly for France and joined the French Foreign Legion upon the declaration of war. After four month’s service with the French in the opening stages of trench warfare, the two men transferred to the British Army, returning to England in early 1915 and joining Driscoll’s 25th Bn (Frontiersmen) Royal Fusiliers.
During his service in East Africa he contracted a serious case of malaria and was invalided back to England. Upon returning home to Sydney in 1919, he resumed his work as a piano tuner and later established a company building and selling pianos called Smirnoff & Pagani Ltd. He remained unmarried and died in 1940.
The letter below had been forwarded to Captain J Suffern, officer commanding the Legion of Frontiersmen Sydney Squadron.
IN EAST AFRICA
CHARGED BY BUFFALO
ANIMALS WORRY PICKET
A letter concerning active service in British East Africa has been received in Sydney from Corporal J Pagani of the 25th Battalion of the Royal Fusiliers Frontiersmen. Pagani was formerly employed by WH Paling and Co. Ltd.
“I have been very busy of late, as our section has been continually trekking, patrolling, etc. However, here I am again, and feeling none the worse for my sojourn in France. Have often wondered which was the lesser of two evils, i.e. the cold in France or the heat out here. Have also managed to escape the fever fairly well, but shan’t squeak until I am out of the woods.
Up to date we have had a fairly good time, as one finds lots of interesting occupations out here. My chief one is game hunting (that is when I can obtain permission to shoot). About a fortnight ago we were on a 250-mile trek and on our return journey we got into a fairly thick jungle, in which were a great herd of wild buffalo which charged us on sight. After a half-hour’s horrible suspense we reached the edge of the jungle, and we all breathed a deep sigh of relief. One of our chaps received a nasty mauling, receiving a bad wound in the stomach, but I am glad to state that he is now doing A1. One of the native porters or carriers as we call them is also [sick] – received 12 stitches in his cranium.
There were several wonderfully narrow squeaks, still one is quite used to escapes now. Also made the acquaintance of our friend Rhino (I don’t mean money you know).
Our lieutenant [FC Selous] is a crack shot, and brought one of the beasts down first go.
Result: – All the boys are swanking around with sjamboks, which they have made out of rhino hide. We are often worried when on picket or outpost by animals prowling about such as hyena, jackals, etc., which makes it pretty rotten for the corporal of the post, as the sentries are always on the itch, and some of the youngsters get horribly nervous, though I must say our company are a staid, solid lot, on the whole.
We had a decisive victory out here on June 22 and 23, and am sorry to inform you that among the killed was my old pal, Sergeant Brain, late French Foreign Legion. We had a great liking for each other over in France and it rather broke me up when he was killed. Such is the fortune of war. rather rotten luck for a man who had six or eight campaigns to his credit, and nine months in France, to be killed in comparatively such a little battle. I am led to believe that this was the first decisive victory out here, which is a feather in the caps of those who took part in it. Still, for all this, I wish it were all over, as I am longing to get back to dear old Sydney again.
You will understand that any details of our movements, past present and future, is absolutely forbidden by Mr Censor, hence the brevity. All I can say is that I have implicit faith in our men and officers, and that we will eventually come through top-dog, but how long that will take, the Almighty only knows.
I know that my 12months’ campaigning has made me curse Mars, the Kaiser, and all those responsible for this great upheaval, till I feel I must go barmy. How I long to be back in my little back room. Still I don’t think I shall get melancholia, as I have knuckled down to my work, and am keenly interested as to the duration and the issue of the upheaval which I hope will not be prolonged through the winter. I have had the fag end of one in France, and know what our poor devils have had to suffer.
Re the news as to the news as to the doings of the Australians, I have heard that they have acquitted themselves very creditably. I felt as proud as a peacock when I read in an English paper that our boys had been into it with the bayonet.
In reference to papers, I have a plea on behalf of the 20 or so Australians who are with us to ask for old papers (Australian). If you could ask the boys to kindly send them along I shall be very thankful not only on their behalf, but personally too, as I have had no letters nor papers from Sydney since I left 12 months ago. If you would be kind enough to buck the boys up and kindly inform them that I have not received a letter for 12 months. They may find a little time at some remote date to just drop a line to me. I don’t intend this for sarcasm, but really they don’t realise what it feels like on mail days to see the rest of the boys receiving letters and your humble standing there like a goat with a bellyful of grass standing in a cabbage patch.
I have just finished reading an article which states the censor was first used by the Japanese in their war against Russia. As an example they gave the following:- On a certain date a certain ship carrying certain troops left a certain port for a certain destination. I have come to the conclusion that the word ‘certain’ covers as big a multitude of meaning as the Scotchman’s ‘Aye’. Certainly it does!”