Diary of Percy George Rupert Parkes, 1915-1916 - Part 6

DECEMBER 1915

13 MONDAY     

Received cable from home

this morning saying all well

Tea at Groppi & then do some

shopping. Some very fine shops

in Alex but good very expensive

Some of the squares are very

nice & the general appearance

of the city itself is far ahead

of Cairo.

14 TUESDAY    

Tram to city again cost 1P

& have look round finishing

up at the (Officers refuge) Groppi

where one can walk in take

a plate & help oneself to the

good things. Brice goes back

to hospital.

15 WEDNESDAY 

Beautiful drive along canal to

Gardens in morning.

Drive out to Raseltin in

afternoon & have Tea.

2 Torpedoes been sunk in Med Sea

by transport.

1915 DECEMBER
16 THURSDAY    

Walk down to beach & watch

bathing, then go round the

rocks.

Fail to find Bazaar that we

set out for this afternoon got

into some alley ways & nearly

lost ourselves.

17 FRIDAY   

Invited out to tea to the Montaza

Hospital Aust & English. Ex Sultans

summer palace very large grounds

running round the coast. We

drove round in motor. Met 2

Aust Commissioners & Sir Humphries

at tea.

18 SATURDAY  

Hear news that we are coming off

Anzac. A lot of English troops are

arriving today from peninsular.

Walk up native quarters some of the

dirty hovels are terrible. Donkeys, goats,

fowls & people all living together.

19 SUNDAY

DECEMBER 1915
20 MONDAY

Hunted all Alexr. for Aust.

pay office found at last at

the French post office. Bought

a few necessaries.

Tea at Groppies with Wilson.

21 TUESDAY

Drove to clooza Gardens very

pretty small zoo numerous

monkeys. They keep rabbit in a

cage very crowded. Some

beautiful birds there.

Lawns are beautifully kept

same with trees.

22 WEDNESDAY  9

11-0¾

Walk round Beach & rocks.

Tea at Raseltin.

Receive 3 letter from home

& glad to get them

Official that Anzac & Suvla

have been evacuated.

Great scenes putting Xmas Tree

in the hall this morning most

amusing.

1915 DECEMBER
23 THURSDAY 

Look round & take a few

photo with camera I

bought wish I had started

when here before.

First results very fair.

24 FRIDAY

All hands to decorate

tree & make the snow.

City very busy niggers selling

Turkeys in the streets.

The place thronged with

soldiers at night about

6.30 when coming home.

 25 SATURDAY

Xmas Card from Capt & Mrs Longfield

of Egyptian army

Went into city this morning.

A big crowd about natives

all buying stuff. Went to clooza

in afternoon met Bert Piper. Very

fine Xmas Dinner. Pasha, Wife, Daughter

& Son present. Each receive gifts from

Xmas Tree. I received nice Pipe lighter. Games

& singing till 12 o'clock.

26 SUNDAY

Up late this morning. Spend most

of day on the sand at Beach. The 

sea is beautiful.

DECEMBER 1915
27 MONDAY

Run across one of Coy Officers in

Alexr. The Coy is in the harbour

& are going to disembark & go

to Cairo.

28 TUESDAY    

See Dr. this morning he is arranging

for my warrant to the Cairo Base.

Wilson & I visit the Museum

this afternoon. Wonderful collection

of wall carvings, old pottery & statues,

marble carvings & mummies embalmed,

Some of these in state of decay put me in

remind of dead bodies of Gallipoli.

Receive letter from Artie in Cairo

Stan is also there.

29 WEDNESDAY 

Walked up through Victoria

& got mixed in my bearing.

Wandered up & down lanes

at last heard a tram in the

distance eventually found the

tram line. Some beautiful

private houses & gardens

there.

1915 DECEMBER
30 THURSDAY   

Missed 9-10 train left by 12-10.

noon. The whole country looked

changed from my first trip down this

line. Instead of the hundreds of waterwheels

going the country seemed

quiet in comparison. No corn crushing,

but acres upon acres of green fodder

onions & cabbages. Thousands of natives

are clearing out the canals along the

line. They are covered in slimy mud

Arrive at Cairo at 3.30 & go to Sheppards.
31 FRIDAY

Hunt round to get our Base nobody

seems to know where it is at last

find it is at Giezah. Try to find

cart & stan like hunting for a needle

in haystack. Am convinced there

are some terrible messers about.

A parcel (Billy) sent to me got into

hand of some Farrier Sgt & on opening

found it was for me. He told one of 23^rd

about it. This chap cannot be found

Hope he will have sense enough to

send it to me. Ran into Capt Beath

who is at Tel-el-Kaber with the

Australian Camp forming there.

OCTOBER 

Major Ward           Pr Stagg

Lieut Shaw             "   Lester

Capt Ross (Aust)    "  Thomas

  "     Selwood

  "    Conley              Coys

  "    Henry               Lieut Elliot

Lieut O'Connor           "  Thompson

   "    Davis                Capt Allen

Capt Reid (Aust)       Lt Col Tulley

Lieut Martin               Capt & Mrs Bloomfield

2nd "  Perkins            Capt & Mrs Longfield

     "    Vane

3rd " Wilson

Padre's (2)

2nd Lieut Bird

Capt Finn

2nd Lieut Lethbridge

"       "  Rattsea

Capt    Jones

Lieut   Plummer

   "      Coulchester

2nd Lieut Burwood

NOVEMBER
Left Australia on 'Euripidis" (Sat May 8| 1915)
Arrived at Fremantle             Thurs   " 13  "
"             "   Columbo             Tuesday " 25  "
Leave           "                        Wednesday 26| "
Pass    Aden                          Monday June 7|  "
Enter   Canal Suez                Tuesday  "      8|  "
Arrived    Port Said                      "         "       "
Leave         "        "                 Thursday  "   10|
Arrive       Alexandria             Friday    "   11|  "
   "           Cairo                      Saturday  " 12|  "
We Go to Zeitoun for school Monday  " 28|
Back to Battalion    Saturday July 17|
Leave Cairo (Heliopolis) for Alexn  Sunday Aug 29
Leave Heliopolis (Cairo) for Alexn  Sunday Aug 29|
Leave Alexandria for Anzac Monday  " 30|
Arrive Lemnos Thurs Friday Sept 2| "
Leave   "            Saturday    "  4|"
Arrive Anzac      Saturday    "  4|  "
Sent away from Anzac Wednesday Nov 3|
Arrive Alexandria             Sunday      "    7|
A Coy arrives back from Anzac Mond  Dec 27|
Sent to Cairo (Base Details) Thurs Dec 30|
Leave for Tel-El-Kebir    Wed Jan Feb 2^nd 16
  "                 "    for Canal Zone) "     "    2^nd
Arrived "Youlong" (Sinai Desert)  Sat Feb 5|
Leave      "     for Egypt (Moarcan) Tues Mar 7|
Arrived at Moarcan (Ismalia) Wed Mar 8|
Leave Alexr for France           Monday  " 20|
Arrive at Marsailles (France) Sunday  " 26|
Arrive at "Wittes" (1st Billet) Wednesday 29|
Leave "Wittes" for Trenches Friday Apr 7|

DECEMBER 
Arrive at Cul.Dr.Sac  Sunday Apr 9|
Leave        "              Monday      10|
Arrive Trenches            "             10|

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