Major Henry Charles David Marshall - Wallet 2 - Booklet 8 - Part 1

VX34 MAJOR H.CD. MARSHALL
A.I.F
3317
VIII
Geprüft
2
Oflag IX A

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OK. to go ahead and we marched to the station dispersed
along the road and straight on to the train. One as two
who thought they would rather ride in passing trucks
jumped a lift and found the trucks were going nowhere
near the station. They finally arrived at Aminya and
received punishment for their crime. As they who all
reinforcements who thought they knew better than the old
hands and their commanders their punishment besides
being salutory to them was also a lesson to the others.
As we were all entrained and no other troops sharing trains I was

able to arrange with the R.T.O (Rail Transport Officer) to start 5 mins.

before our scheduled time and away we went for Aminya and

leave. I think that our new reinforcements received another lesson

too at the station. Unwisely they had emptied their waterbottles

on the march to the station whilst the old hands had not touched

theirs. There was no water at the station so I could not arrange for

any. A few were able to get some in a bucket from a house just near

but as we marched straight onto the station and into the train the

majority had to go without on a very hot day. I remember too that

Chapman and I weighed ourselves on a platform scale but I 

have forgotten the result. Probably I told you you in one of my letters.

I have just cut some of the side of this book to fit the other seven

and the paper after the others is an absolute joy. As soon as

the train started I had a feeling of every nerve relaxed

and was very sleepy. I was not long in going to sleep

and passed quite a lot of the journey this way. I had also

in my wakeful moments a feeling that the tension was off

and that we had a short period for play before starting on

another adventure. We jogged along all day in the inimitable

style of the Egyptian Railways miles behind time time and

passed Sidi Haneish and then El Haman where there was

a water point. The troops were in great spirits and it was

difficult to keep them in the carriages. The next place of note

we passed was Bunz El Arab and the scene of Divisional

and training exercises. The next scene was our old camp

at Ikingi Maryut look very desolated and empty in

the gathering dusk. All the tents were still standing but

it was untenanted just then. It was well dark when

we finally passed through the station as we had a

halt of over an hour. Then onto Aminya and our

destination. After we had unloaded Jack Bishop

gave me directions. we were going into camp - a standing 

one just vacated and at Aminya. we marched along

the side of the main road - it was too dangerous in the

dark owing to cars and at about eleven oclock I

reported to Theo who had finished his leave and had

been waitingfor two days for us. It was the original

intention for him to meet us at Matruh but it was

not worth while as the time factor had cahnged since

the original plans were made. My gear had been

unpacked from the trucks by road party and

 

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after a long talk mainly about his leave and what had

happened to us I turned in. Next day we started on a

multitude of jobs. Each separate department had all sorts of

things to do. Theo told me all about his leave and in

which he included a trip to Luxor. He had a lot of very

wonderful snaps which no doubt you will see in due course.

He and the Brig. did the trip together. That is as much of his leave

as I think you will be interested in and took about five

days of his fortnight. The rest of the time he spent in Cairo.

There was one thing he was able to do that I should have

liked to do very much. That was to have a drink at

Shepheards  Hotel - it was not open when I was there. It is

one of the famous hotels of the world and Jack Biggeleys old

stamping ground. I always promised myself I should go in

and have a beer on my own with him. Theo did not go

there much and I would only have been able to go once as

it is terribly expensive. I think Theo said two small

bottles of beer in the lounge cost 10/- . Getting back to

Amirya the first job was to clean up the camp as it had

been left in a filthy condition by the occupants before us.

The litter was indescribable and everyone felt the rough

edge of our tongues until the camp was tidy. Unfortunately

we took a little too much for granted in expecting the other 

battalion to keep their latrines clean. It was not until

we started to have an epidemic of dysentery that we found

that stronger measures were necessary than the ordinary 

normal upkeep and then it was too late. In a little over

100 and nearly 180 men sick to hospital. Chapman the

Adjutant took it late and spent over three weeks in a

Buetrah Hospital and so missed Greece. Cramp also went

sick the night before we embarked and we went to Greece

without a Signal Officer. Another officer we did not take

was Trengels who had been appointed our Liaison Officer

at Brigade and had gone off on a liaison Course. Our own

latrine near Bn Hqrs was a seat over a deep hole in the

ground and was I think somebodys tomb at one time

or another. Anyway fortunately or otherwise - we will

never know Theo and I did not collect. The Quartermaster

Fletcher and his staff were tremendously busy as the Bn was

to be fitted out with new uniforms completely. Also we had

to go over all our arms and ammunition and repair

and shortages. It was a large task and meant repeated

trips to all sorts of places to get stores and as other Bns.

were doing the same you had to be very alert to get

your shift or stand missing it for some days. I could

not get a battle dress uniform to fit me in the early

stages and decided to wait for more. Shortly after our

arrival we knew we were definitely booked for overseas

and the conjectures got more hectic as we heard stores

then added fuel to the fire. Sandfly nets were to be taken

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with us in bulk do it made the odds on a hot country

very strong. I think India, Syria, Palestine, Africa, Sudan

even Abbysinia all had their proponents and some slightly

better informed mentioned Greece. Later preliminary orders

came out and we knew definitely we were eighth? flight of

"Lushe" Force and no destination which was a closely guarded

secret - from us at least. As you won't remember we left

Australia with a Bn. code no 142, in Palestine it was

changed to 67 and we went through the desert with another

62. We now got another xxxx 62057 which had to be

painted on all our vehicles and gear and orders were

issued that all reference to 2/7 Bn would be by this and

not in clear. Nevertheless the movement control order

for embarkation showed both 62057 and 2/7 Bn opposite

each order. Security ruined if that document had got into the

wrong hands. Henry was with the 5^th across the road and

I was able to go across and see him most nights until I

was given a job in Alexandria. More about that later.

The trucks all had to go through the mill going off to be

painted a dull green all over instead of our desert

camouflage. the final stripes were to be done when we

reached our destination. Then all the trucks had to be

packed and the 30 cwts in such away that the stanchions

of the hood were unbolted and lowered onto the load

to gain six inches to a foot for shipping space. We all 

had to get our kit from the store at Alexandria and

pack what we required in our [[Arm?]] (trucks) and

returned the unwanted kitbags and xxxx trunks to

the store. I missed most of this as I shall tell you later.

We had to send our transport with John Young and

a driver for each truck on a special ship and also

and Advance Party consisting of Val Miller and John Wickery

and some N.C.O's with the flight before us. Keith Walker

with his Carriers went with the transport so we were

without them as well as trucks for most of the time we

were at Amirya. We had to borrow some old trucks for

running around. I shall tell you of some of the things

I dis without any order about them. The 2/1 M.G. Bn were 

in camp about a mile away so I got leave from Theo and

drove up. I was fortunate to find Ian Manson in their

mess and we talked for about half an hour. Another of

their officers used to be a sergeant under me in militia

days Geoff Byrne from Camberwell (you may have known

him) and it was a surprise to see him. They had no

beer but only gin and a bad port left so I can assure

you I was very temperate in my drinking. They had

recently arrived from England where they must have

had a good time. Another visit I made with Henry

was to Amirya Suo Base Area Headquarters were

the CO. Colonel McCormick was Henrys old CO in the

52 Bn and very well known to me as well. He had

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good beer and as neither of our Bn's had a mess functioning

it was worth the visit. Another friend of mine was here

too. An old officer of the 24 Bn, whom I had last met in

Adelaide 12 years before as well as being the brother of our

assistant Adjutant. His name was Keith Goodwin and

he also originally came from Camberwell. We spent most

of the time swapping reminiscences. (Bad spelling). The

next thing I have to expand is my leave in Alexandria

and my job to which I was recalled from leave. I can

not remember how long it was after we arrived that Theo gave 

me leave from the next morning with permission to stay in

overnight. He also allowed Halliday to have it too as well as 

a couple of others. I may add that every member of the Bn

was sparking on all six and after the strain and being so

fit was quite ready in the words of the Brig which you gave

me in a recent letter "Give his system a shock". In fact 

they were "rarin' to go". Previously we had been allowed

to send very small numbers in by train but it was not 

a success as the train was the normal passenger one and

never being on time very few troops waited but took taxis.

And they never seemed to catch the right train home either.

Those remaining behind were very restless for the fleshpots

and cases of men slipping off A.W.L were rife in all units.

Anyway to get back to my leave. We had a number of things

to do and Halliday was quite definite that he was not

going to match me drink for drink and in any case not

as soon as we got in. Theo had his portable gramophone

which would not go and which he wanted repaired and

sent to the Sisters at 2 ASH at Kantara. I offered to fix all

this. How I did not know. Anyway up early next morning

polished up and arranged a taxi for all of us going on

leave. I think the cost was £1 and shared was not to

bad. I called on Guinn on the way but he could not

get leave until night so I arranged to meet him. We

We drove into Alex. in high spirits and on the way I arranged

with Halliday to stay at the Metropole instead of the Cecil

as it was quieter and cheaper. We arrived and let the

others go off on their way and booked in - a double room

and a beautiful bath. We had I think a bath straight

away - then found a barber and also enquired for a

shoe shop and a gramophone shop. I had no shoes as

my only good pair were stolen from the baggage dump

at Sidi Haneish when Crawford was ostensibly in charge.

Even the few hundred yards walking to the shop were

agony as the streets and nails in my boots made me

slip everywhere. It was agony too - every move so on

the tiles and stone floor of the hotel. I could only

move a foot at a time - very haltingly and skidded

two or three times between the door and the desk. After

this we took the gramophone to the shop. The proprietor

was a Greek with a limited English vocabulary but we

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had no difficulty in intimating we wanted a new winding handle

as this was missing. Even then it would not go so he unscrewed

the top and found the missing handle. To make up for losing

the sale of a new handle we had him oil and clean up the

inside and outside of the box and then Halliday and I thought

it would be a good plan to fill the carrier with records as

we felt that a gramophone would be useless unless records

went with it. I think we bought eight and after a great

deal of time we chose one of some sort we liked i.e. Opera

Musical Comedy and Dance etc. The cost of records was enormous

and even after we had chosen most of them from a secondhand

list it set us back between 30/- and £2 Egyptian. I notice

that I have left out that I bought a very light pair of shoes

with soles almost paper thin - like your evening shoes and

I feel I was walking on air. They cost e about 30/-. All

this including the journey in brought us up to nearly

noon so we repaired to the Cecil and had a couple of

whiskies. We then discussed lunch and the popular and

most expensive place was the "Union Bar". I persuaded Harry

to come with me to another place called "Pastrondis" and we

and we drove their in a gharry. The restaurant was not crowded

and we stopped first and had a couple of at the bar with potato

chips and hors d'veuvres. Then in and the place was nearly

empty. We had a wonderful meal and a bottle of golden

Greek wine. the proprietor came and spoke to us and we

tried to get him to sell some Lenci Dolls he had on the 

wall for £1 but he wanted his cost so he said of £3.30.0. Harry

wanted two for his daughters but it was too much. Anyway

we rather perturbed him by saying we would pinch them and

I think he rather watched us very closely. During the

afternoon I rang Frank Burton who was on Alexandria

Base Area Staff and asked him if he could do anything

about getting the gramophone to Kantara for me as I did

not want to trust it on the Railways owing toto the danger

of breakage. He said he could sent it by car in a few

days so I took it up to his office and very thankfully

resigned it to his care. We had a talk and then

I left him - by this time it was fairly late in the

afternoon and I repaired to the Cecil where as it was

the meeting place of everyone in the Army I was sure

to meet some one I knew for a drink and swap shop

talk. I cannot remember what Halliday did during

the afternoon. Anyway I spent some quiet hours

there and then quite a lot of the officers came in on

night leave. Russ Savige, Godby and Keith Walker

I remember. I waited for Henry and we finally I

think went for dinner to the Union Bar after he had

washed some of the dust from his throat. Dinner

does not start anywhere until 8 and the most popular

houris from 9 - 9.30 and ten go on to a cabaret

show. We spent a long time over dinner and

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thoroughly enjoyed it. I am rather uncertain of our

movements afterwards but know that we would follow

the usual custom of cabarets going first to the floor

show at the Carlton - a few drinks there and ten

around the corner to the Cecil to see who was in and

then onto another floor  show. The most popular cabarets

are the Carlton Excelsior, Monsignors, [[Braleron?]] and Fennings

and it is good going to all of them in one night. The

usual thing in each cabaret is for a floor show of

about half an hour about three or four times a night

interspersed with dancing. It is quite in order if you

had no partner to dance with one of the artistes but you had

to buy her a drink. She got commission on all sales and

usually drank water for gin or ginger ale for whiskey. In

fact I should say the majority of the cabaret girls did

not touch liquor very much as I saw the result of one

man who was buying drinks insisting on getting what

he paid for the girls and as it was whiskey the bottle

was brought and the drinks poured out in front of him

instead of just being brought already prepared. She

very soon showed the effects and wandered off. In

some ways it was a dirty trick to play on her but the

prices were extortionate and colored water did not

seem the thing. If asked I should say that a lot of us

would rather have paid good cash for the dance. Late

in the evening or rather early in the morning we arrived

at the Monseignor and found most of the gay young sparks

of the Bn there. Keith Walker was dancing on the bar

counter and someone said breaking glasses. I stopped

all that and decorum reigned. We then joined Russ

Godby at his table where he had some English nurses

in their white uniforms sitting. We were delighted when

we found that three or four of them were Australians

who had joined up in England. As far as Henry and I 

were concerned failing the nurses on the ship we would

rather spend our money on dining and dancing these

Australian girls on their nights out and giving them as

well as ourselves some pleasure. I remember one came

from Gippsland and the one I danced with most was

from Melbourne - I have forgotten which suburb and

remember only her name. Ann Nixon. We removed 

ourselves to another cabaret - the Carlton I think

and after dancing and supper we took them home to

the Hospital in the suburbs. It was a good distance

out and I know that I left about two and got back

to the Metropole about a quarter to four and had been

travelling all the time. It was a very circumspect

trip. You can imagine my surprise when I entered

our room and turned on the light to find Russ

Godby and Savige in Hallidays bed and no Halliday.

They had left earlier than we did and had delivered
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their partners but did not know where Halliday was.

He had faded out so they had put him in a taxi and

sent him home to our hotel but he did not arrive. I

went to bed and at seven oclock Keith Walker arrived

with him. He had left the taxi and gone back and

made a night of it and incidentally a proper job of

himself. So we put him into my bed and I shunted the 

others off back to camp. All this is by the way very hazy and

I will be open to correction on many points of fact if when at any

time we are discussing our leave I am proved wrong for once again

the outlines are dim in my memory except for a few points like

this. We were physically so fit that the amount of drink taken

did not leave a thick head but only an added thirst. I know

I picked up the room phone and ordered two bottles of beer. These

appeared and turned out to be Stella (Egyptian Beer) in an

ice pail. I drank them with little help from Halliday and

then phoned up for two more bottles but was very terse about

Egyptian Beer being sent up. So they sent up to my surprise

2 bottles of Japanese Beer. "Rose" brand I think and also very

terrible. As we had not tried this before we had a go at it

but it was nearly as bad as Stella so we ordered another

two and when they finally arrived complete with ice they

Barclays English Beer and  I enjoyed them immensely.

I must admit that I had had enough although all this time

I had been having a great time with the hot bath and

showers and I was completely sober. About 10 oclock I went 

down to the dining room alone and had breakfast of an

omelette, porridge, toast marmalade, coffee and a small

bottle of beer. When I came out I found Savige, Young, Lunn

Walker and Co all there. They had returned to camp and

I think persuaded Theo to grant them some more leave as

overnight the Bn had been granted day leave. I also found

that staying at the metropole were a lot of Australian nurses

of the 5 AGH and John Young and Lunn had the previous

night discovered them and taken them about. Lunn

was foolish enough to tell me the name of his and her

room number so Halliday and I rang her up and said

"Harry speaking" What about a spot before lunch in our room.

She thought it was alright and came along but was

surprised to find no Harry Lunn but two others who

teased her unmercifully for not knowing his voice. We

delivered her to Lunn and found Savige, Godby and Co

were well entrenched with some of the others. Harry Halliday

had slept some and was feeling bright enough to go on with

his scooting so I left them to it and went round to the

Cecil where I met some friends and had some drinks in

the bar and I then went to lunch at a place Theo had

recommended called "le Petit Cuin de France" where the food

was relatively cheap and beautifully cooked. It was an

all ranks show and not reserved for officers so prices

were therefore in line with the troops pocket. After lunch

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I was very sleepy with good food and drink so I decided on
a couple of hours at the Metropole. Combined with little sleep

the night before it only seemed like five minutes before Letson

was shaking me and with what seemed like a ghoulish grin

of glee told me I was recalled from leave and was to report

for duty at the Atlantic Hotel at 5. It was then about 3. And

that he had leave. I hurriedly bathed dressed and packed

my pyjamas and went downstairs. There I found a scene of

confusion as the nurses had been suddenly ordered to embark

for Greece. Two buses were waiting at the door and Savige & Co

were helping and in a few instances hindering. They also

wanted to travel in the buses to the wharf to farewell

them which caused the Senior Sister in charge some alarm.

I tried to hold them off and thought I had succeeded but

at the last moment Savige who was very bright sneaked

in and with the help of some of the nurses got under ma seat

and went with them whilst I was congratulating myself

on having beaten him. I then went to the desk to pay for

our room and got a helluva shock. Instead of a bill

for two or three pounds at the most for the two of us I

was faced with one for £7. with the extra made up of dinners

and wines and beer which we had not had. I was in

too big a hurry to query and further I did not know

if Halliday had been entertaining or not and so I paid 

up. He said he had not but we rather suspected Young

and Lunn had used our room no. the night before in

dining some of the nurses as Lunns lass had mentioned

they had been to dinner. So we left it for later discussion

as Young and Lunn were not about. It was nearly five

so I walked over to the Atlantic Hotel and found a lot

of other officers of the Brigade and of the 11 Bn waiting on

the Brigadier. the Atlantic Hotel like the                       in

Jerusalem had been taken over complete by the Australian

Comforts Fund as a leave Hostel for A.I.F troops and

supplied meals, billiard room, postal facilities, barber,

and a limited number of rooms for overnight leave - all

at a minimum expense to the troops. I have just been

talking to Theo and he has brought the correct picture back.

When we arrived down from the desert we were told that

no leave would be granted as the parties before us had

abused the privilege and wrecked the town. It caused

quite a lot of discontent and the Brigadier fought the

question. After some days he won so far as to be

allowed to send the Brigade in on leave but he had

to take the responsibility for the conduct of the men

personally. This he did but he arranged the piquets

of each Bn should be strong and under a Major

Miller had gone in the Advance Party I was the only Major

left and Theo had no option but to recall me. Anyway

the Brigadier came in and addressed us, explained

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the arrangements for leave - one Bn a day and his transport

arrangements and told us that any man the worse for drink was

to be collected and shot back to camp in trucks which he had

secured and would be permanently with us. Each Bn piquet

was of an officer and 30/40 men and were billeted in the

annexe to the Atlantic just around the corner. All our gear was

to be sent in to us as we would be on this job until embarkation.

I had OReilly brought in with my gear and he actually had

a weeks leave for there was little to do as the hotel servants

cleaned our rooms. We were given a room with a bath on

the top floor and Heagney and I shared. He was 11 Bn.

We had all our meals in the main dining room and the

food was excellent and plentiful and cheap - not that we

had to pay anything. It was altogether a very sound piece

of work on the part of the Comforts Fund. I forget which Bn was

on leave that day but there had been little trouble and

never was anything much during the day - all our troubles

were at night when the days drinking was started in earnest

most troops did sightseeing during the day and conducted

themselves admirably. During the leave of the previous parties

the Atlantic itself although it sold no liquor had been

wrecked more than once and many fights had taken place.

I was I must admit not feeling very bright and set

for a long night but it had to be done. I was lucky

in being near the phone when a call came from A.I.F

Headquarters that there was trouble in the Metropole. As I

knew Savige and the other officers were there drinking I

decided to go over myself. When I arrived in the little 

bar I found Savige only there and slightly sprinkled with

liquid and the barman with a rapidly blackening

eye. There had also been some talk of officers damaging

the switchboard next to the bar. Anyway I immediately

seized on Russ as the culprit and ordered him back to camp.

He was disposed to argue but I finally got it into his head

that I was risking my crown to hush the matter up and

he left immediately. I saw the manager and he complained

that some Australian officers had terrified the switch girl

and also done some damage to crockery by which I 

thought he meant bar furniture. I told him there would

be no more and also said I would be around in the 

morning to discus the matter with him as to compensation.

I went back and when the OC Piquet who had been told

of the call asked what was the trouble I risked a lot and 

said it was all over and fixed up. Thank God the

manager did not do anymore telephoning. Then things

started to break up. We sent patrols all around the 

town and in the dark they collected all drunks whom

we loaded onto trucks and sent back to camp irrespective

of leave passes or not. All calls for riots were put

through to the Atlantic and we had flying squads

dashing all over Alexandria to the aid of panic

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stricken cafe proprietors. We found in most cases that

it was sheer fright on their part due to the experiences

from the past leave parties and only a few calls could

really be listed as genuine. In fact in the whole week

we only celled about six men and two of these were

for stealing from a comrade. From eleven oclock onwards

the Atlantic was the centre of interest. Patrols delivering

their loads, the whole place filled with men, having missed

their train or too drunk to worry. It was rather a

scene - disgusting yet amusing in spots but a drastic

clearance by our own fleet of trucks ferrying to and from

Amirya made a hole in the mass. There were of course

the usual beligerent drunks but we were able to impress

our rank and with the exception of one or two everything

passed off by them getting into the trucks. A Sign to our

watching guard with the others soon resulted in a slight

scuffle, the man outside the door - a good crack in the

dark and he was thrown on unconscious. I only actively

interfered in one fight and just as two men were squaring

up in the crowd I got them and flung them - one each

way and they hit the walls hard and were too dazed

to do anything after that. It was not until three oclock

that we felt that everything was quiet and went to

bed - and how I needed it! Our first day was hectic

but no damage had been done to speak of and although

procedure was routine for the next two nights but

with slightly less trouble as we got more experienced and

another factor entered as well. Anybody who arrived

back in camp ∧ late was booked A.W.L and the penalties

were severe. In the 5 Bn the C.O. divided the defaulters

into categories - those 2 hours - those 4 etc late

and he had about 300 and then asked the usual

question as to whether they would accept his decision.

Anyone wanting a separate trial could say so . No

2 - £2 and so on. Theo did much the same and his fine

was I think £5, loss of pay and field punishment

depending on the seriousness. It shocked all the troops

and was an effective answer to the erroneous idea

of A.W.L which had been in their brains fostered by all

the stupid tales of the last war printed in Smiths and 

Truths. Al our N.C.O's who were A.W.L were immediately

courtmartialled and six were reduced to the ranks

including Sgt Leck whom you have heard about. All

this and the loss of certain leave facilities made our

job almost a sinecure after the first three days and

after that we were able to go out at night leaving

one major and the duty Bn on guard. On my nights out

I rang up Sister Nixon and was able to take her and

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with Halliday and Savige and two more nurses - to dinner

and a cabaret. The only other night I had off Theo joined

us in place of Halliday and as our previous guests had

to be on duty we dined three others we had not met

before at the Petit Coin De France and then a few drinks

in the Lounge of the Cecil and back to the Hospital. It

was Sister Nixon who first told me that Chapman had

dysentery and was in her ward. So I sent him some

flowers by her and hoped he appreciated the underlying

sarcasm. Getting back to the affair at the Metropole

 I rang Theo next day and gave him the gist of it as

I knew it and asked him how much ready cash he

could bring in so that we could settle the matter

quietly and close it. I thought is wise to have Savige

come in too to make an apology. He always says that

following my question of money when he said he could

raise between £60 and £80 I said in a very slow

lugubrious voice "Better bring the lot". and very

nearly frightened a years growth out of him. It certainly

brought him in quickly and as he had drank a lot of

gin he did not feel like interviewing the manager

then. So we put it off until next day. He and Russ

went round to the Cecil for a drink and Savige always

a delightful opportunist obtained the rest of the night as

leave. I hand it to him for his nerve and so they

enjoyed themselves. Next day we went over together and had

it out. It appeared that one officer who was drunk had

decided that spies were using the telephone and had

very badly frightened the switch girl who was only 16 and

like all Greek girls seemed frightened to death of Australians.

That is Greeks in Alex. then another had blackened the

barmans eye. For what reason I do not know but privately

I would have congratulated him as the same barman

would short change anyone he thought just drunk 

enough to not notice it. The worst trouble was that two

officers had wandered through a wrong door into the

basement and in blundering around in the dark

had knocked over two cases of hotel crockery and

smashed about £15 or £20 worth. How they did it I do

not know. Months later I found out that Lunn was

the switchboard and barman culprit and that Keith

Walker and John Young were the crockery experts.

Also  that Young and Lunn and Co owed me the

greater part of my bill. We immediately offered to pay

all the damage and apologised profusely but he would

not accept anything as he said my arrival had stopped

all trouble and that as we were fighting for Greece he

could not possibly accept any money but would write

it off to breakages. We bought him a drink and he

us and the affair closed very quietly without any

264

serious fuss. I was very sorry to have accused Savige

wrongly but he would have very easily fitted the bill.

I apologised to him. The rest of my stay at the Atlantic

was very quiet and as I said we were able to get about

and enjoy ourselves whilst still keeping a watchful eye

on things. One day took Frank Burton to lunch lunch at the

Petit Coin and another about seven pm. I joined some 

doctors from the 2 Fd Amb at the Cecil and went and

saw my one and only picture show. I forget what we saw

Picture theatres in Alex. and in fact all through Egypt

besides having the usual seating in the hall have 

a number of boxes at the back and a bar in the foyer.

At any time you press a button and a waiter will

bring drinks. There are a large quantity of [[Censions?]]

and or boarding houses in Alex and these are much

more reasonable to stay at than hotels like the Cecil.

There is another grade of hotel - for want of a better

name are rather like Chevron. Private hotels but they

all have a bar. Mann of the 5^th who was on duty with

me knew one from a previous leave in Alexandria

called the LeRoy so we went up there a couple of

times. There we met a friend of his called Hurrey

a Commander in the navy whose jab was styled D.I.N.O

Deputy Inspector of Naval Ordnance. He had his private

launch  so he took us for a tour of the harbor. We

called on the Australian Destroyer Voyager and had

a very rapid conducted tour as she was moving her

moorings. From there we went around the harbor

past the French ships lying there including the

"Sufferin". which had escorted us over. Then to the

battleship "Warspite" where we were shown the breech

 of the 16" guns and the multiple pompom a/a guns

on the deck. I cant remember any other thing of interest

as we could not stay long and in fact had to refuse

a drink. Then back to the Atlantic and duty and to

find nothing had occurred in pour absence. One other

thing I remember was that Hurrey was the most

furious and reckless driver I have ever been with.

Still he did not hit anything which surprised me

as outside the city area there is absolutely no traffic

control or traffic sense. the only other things I can think

of are isolated incidents. The nearest hotel to the Atlantic

was the Windsor and some of our nurses from the boat

came there on leave. I knew them but they had their

own arrangements so I did not offer to take them out. This

hotel had a [[licenses?]] and we usually went over there.

They had an American beer called Pabst in tins and

as the Windsor was one of the hotels which had run out of

British Beer we drank this. It was absolute nectar compared

with the Egyptian Beer but I received a shock when one

day I idly converted the price I was paying in Egyptian

265

into Australian currency [[ ? ]] 2/6 per

 

ERRATA                                   START Check in War Diary 1 Incorrect dates at DOMAKOS - BRAILLOS 2            "         "        "   SUDA BAY 3             "         "        "   SPHAKIA

Your letters was well out about the [[?]]. She also

advised me about the quality. She must have been used

to such requests for she did not appear disturbed and

was quite calm and quick about it. I took it [[down?]]

the parcel I mean and saw some handkerchiefs installed