Pages
Page 11
January 1916
20 Thursday
Stretcher Carrying. Trial trip over new line on this side of canal. Engine pushing one carriage in front of it. O.C. & others went Ismailia to select new camping ground. On Guard 4.30 pm. 500 Camels arrived with transport of Indians from Ismailia.
21 Friday
On Guard. Camels crossed Canal Rumours that 8th Brigade are to be used as reserves in Ismailia whilst all the other troops form the 1st line extending as far as Serapeum
22 Saturday
Col. Shepherd arrived. Stretcher Carrying. Mails delivered. Very striking scene when Implacable came back up the canal bands playing & bluejackets cheering whilst all soldiers on shore rang out deafening cheers. Most impressive
23 Sunday
Church Parade. Serg. from 29th Inf run over on railway. Both legs cut off. Terrible sight. Soon died.
Page 12
January 1916
24 Monday
Carrying heavy stretchers all day Trains arriving regularly out of Serapeum with troops of 5th, 6th & 7 Batt late of Dardanelles. They say it was the only thing to do to leave Dard. because neither side could move on account of Machine Guns. One man in our tent speaking about the rat which gave him a fright. Turk caught in barbed wire calling for Allah " soon riddled with bullets. Letter from Bank "Beachy Bill"
25 Tuesday
Actually raining hard last night A most extraordinary thing. Ascanius passed. Sheepskin vests given out - Presented by a [person] from Aust. Chaps all making noises like sheep. Bitterly cold. Thousands of Aust. troops arriving from Dardanelles Pontoon Bridge arrived
26 Wednesday
Bridge built over canal & transport going across all shipping stopped in daytime. Bitterly cold. Kit inspection. List of shortages taken Pay Day. McCabe when giving in his [name?] for a jest asked to be supplied with pair of horns.
Page 13
January 1916
27 Thursday
Raining & Bitterly Cold. Trouble at Canteen. Officers batman robbed of Bread. Mob [lead] by [Hoffmann ?] from Brighton. Last of our outposts return wet through. Slept 14 in tent. 2 Aeroplanes sighted
28 Friday
Again raining. Shortage of breakfast due to feeding about 50 Inf from our ration Wood supply run out. No more warm meals until supply replenished Poor management. Troop trains arriving all night. Camp on other side of Canal puts Liverpool in the shade
29 Saturday
More troops arriving last night. Too Cold to sleep. Clearing Hospital arrived. French mail boat Amazone passed. Very strenuous work carrying "wounded" over sand.
30 Sunday
Beautiful Day. Lying on banks of Suez Canal reading. N. Z. troops arrived including artillery on guard all night.
Page 14
Jan. & Feb. 1916
31 Monday
Another lovely cloudless day. On Guard all day. Artillery & numbers of transports crossed over the Canal. Cartloads of timber. Limbers of new stretchers.
1 Tuesday
Light Duty with boil. Whole unit going out for the Day with stretchers, medical supplies, tents etc. as on Active Service. Telephone Duties. More Infantry 4 Battalion arrived. Light Horse Advance Guard reached here.
2 Wednesday
Battleship H. M. S. Cornwallis passed in Suez direction. 12 in. guns & aircraft guns. Fine sight & beautiful day. Jack Tars cheering & band on board playing Tipperary. Our Boys cheered themselves hoarse. Rumours that we are leaving. Telephone Duties.
Page 15
February 1916
3 Thursday
Letter from [Ted Geach] England Orders to prepare for departure to Tel-el-Kebir. Everything packed up and sent to Railway. H.M.S. Jupiter passed in Suez direction. Big ship with funnels side by side. N.N.M.R doing our transport. Carried patients across Canal to clearing hospital Preparations have advanced rapidly on the other side. Road, Heavy & Light Railway. 7 Battalion. 2nd & 3rd Brigades Trench mortars. Lion sunk 2 Battleships & 1 Cruiser news from passing ship
4 Friday
Slept in old building used as Barracks at time Canal was being built, trouble with bugs Pipe run across the Canal with Donkey engine on the other side to pump water across. Bugle calls again being used.
5 Saturday
Slept in old buildings again last night killed 5 bugs on me this morning. Digging Dugout. Letter from Bank. Not allowed to visit Port Said. We are now attached temporarily to the 1st Division For some time there has been doubt as to where we would go. We were with the 10th Indians for a time, then other Aust. Div. wanted us. Now it is thought that we are forming a new Division with the 4th, 8th & new Brigade of Re-Infs from Cairo so that we will be the first to go into action, most likely France.
6 Sunday
Turks abandoned Canal Attack. Caught a bat. Roy bought Camera. Malwa passed for Australia. Ladies