Diary for George Lush Finlay, 1915-1918 - Part 2
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him out. This little
incident complicated
matters still further.
I finally got the
deck cleared after
about 25 minutes
hard work
I had a pretty rotten
job, for the men
or rather the majority
of the men were W.A.
men & of course
wanted to say the
last goodbyes. They
didn't know me
- apparently their
officers are not much
chop. judging by
the state of their troop
deck tonight.
Things on their deck
are completely up
the pole and the two
officers have both gone
to bed I surmise that
they in common with
their unit are potty.
I have never seen
such a brothel as
the troop deck was
tonight. Men, kits.
equipment & rifles
lying all over the
place. Men & N.C.O's
all drunk.
I am glad that
I caught the bird
who gave me so much
trouble. I have got
him up before O.R.
tomorrow on five
charges three which
are extremely serious
I lost about 10
men over the side
They will be caught
eventually I suppose
There are a lot of swine
in this world!
July 28th 1915. Things proceeding
quietly. Have just made
a started on some work
a certain amount of
deck spaces being alloted
to each unit. Vaccination
parade took up all
this morning for my unit
My vaccination by the
way is quite quiet.
Deck cricket going
in full swing. Made
quite a name for
myself yesterday getting
14 runs n.o. & 5 w.
for 4. Hot stuff!
Today a glorious
day. Beautiful blue
sky etc. The colour
of the sea is magnificen
being a deep glorious
blue. I am now able to
appreciate Kiplingscalling the description
of the Indian Ocean
“So bloomin' blue".
Aug 1st
Nothing doing.
Hot as hell. Will cross the
line tonight. I believe some
sort of an affair has
been got up.
Aug 7 Just. off Socotra.
according to the map
No land to be seen
Passed a ship last
night & one would
have thought that
there were no such
things as ships in
our part of the world
Judging by the wild
excitement shown by
both men & officers.
It certainly was a bit
of a break and we
have seen nothing since Fremantle except
water water everywhere.
I might also add “nor
any drop to drink”
seeing that this is
a teetotal ship & all
we can get is lime
juice etc.
Aug 10th Just entered
Red Sea. Hot as hell.
Temperature about 1500o
Feel as though I am
sitting in a Turkish Bath.
Quite exciting times
yesterday passed
numerous ships
Also two Arab dhows.
Get to Suez in about
3 days.
Aug 11th Still extremely hot
although the heat is
tempered by a fairly
strong head wind.
Buried another man.
this morning. of my unit
too That's the third the
second being a man
in the 2/24. Meadows - the third -
had consumption.
How the hell he passed
the doctors God knows!
It seems to have
developed very rapidly,
however the man being
in the hospital about
a week only.
Wrote to Gordon
Muriel M.
Aug 18th If I write everything
I could write of the trip
between the 11th & 18th I would
never finish
Arrived at Suez on
Friday after a sweltering
trip up the Red Sea
Very lucky in having a
head wind which cooled
things down.
Very disappointed at
hearing that we had
to disembark at Suez
and not go through the
Canal
Had a couple of hours
on shore at Suez & walked
about. Filthy place. Smells
like a piggery sty.
Natives dont seem to
have anything to do
Was not looking forward
to the trip to Cairo
across the desert
First couple of hours in
the train frightful
Disembarked at about
9 a.m. & marched
across to fumigator
Humorous sight to see bl big hairy legs & arms
protruding out of the
white 'nightdresses' given
the men to put on
Glad to say not trouble
with men at all.Passed Train left at 12.30
& for two hours went through
frightful desert. Saw
a mirage like water. In Two hours brought us
to the end of cultivation
& from there into Cairo
the line went through
wonderfully fertile
country, with Arab
villages dotted all
over it
Bel Reached camp about
7.45. Saw a good few
of school fellows who
went through school here
Their units have gone to
the front & some of the men
are back in camp wounded.
Every possibility of
of going to the front in
a week or two.
May go through the school
although I would like
to get away with my
men.
Went into Cairo two
nights ago & drove through
portion of the slums
Extremely interesting
but extremely revolting.
Every house a brothel
& on every door step
a fat pig of an Egyptian
woman. One needs a
cane to keep guides &
children pestering you with
"Want to see can. can? etc.
and I was not in the
worst part
Heliopolis & Cairo
are wonderful places
Cairo for the life etc,
& Heliopolis for the building.
Glorious architecture in
the Belgian style.
Visited #1 Base Hospital
yesterday. It is the
Palace Hotel & was
originally built for
a high class. gambling
den. A glorious place
all marble inside.
Makes a wonderful
hospital. Am going
there again today
& to Cairo tonight.
Aug 23rd Have done some
sight seeing since the
18th - The Pyramids.
Also a little more of
Cairo. Went into Cairo
with Elsbury & Street &
had rather a hell of a time
Arrived home at 4 o'clock
in the morning. Reveille
at 5. so I slept the majority
of the next day
Went to the Greater Pyram
in company with Gilchrist,
Thomson & O'Sullivan
having as a guide Soliman
Mohamed a fine looking
Bedouin dressed most
picturesquely. Spent an
extremely interesting
day. Climbed to the top
of Cheops & was very
sorry that I had started
when I got half way up
it was such damned
hard work. Had three
men to help me, one
giving me a shove behind
The stones composing on base
are about 6 ft x 3 f x 4.
so it was no easy matter
to get to the top.
Howe On coming down
we went inside &
saw the Kings & Queens
& Chambers after crawling
along the shaft to them
Huge granite slabs.
about 18 x 6 x 4 compose
the Kings Chamber.
Went to the Sphinx.
Slightly disappointed
Saw the Sphinx Temple
& the tombs of the priest
Here again slabs of
granite & alabaster
of huge size
No granite nearer
than Assouan - 600 miles
away.
The
Aug 24 Went into the
school of Instr. on
Monday. & I am not
quite sure whether
it's a good step. I'll
learn a lot but I am
afraid I'll miss my unit
The men are sorry I've
gone I believe
Macgregor, Street, Thompson
O'Sullivan are the only
officers to come of those
that came over on the
Demosthenes to go into the
school. Its funny how much Fred & myself
are thrown together so
much.
Wrote to Rob
Also visited the mosque
of Armor & the Zoo
Sep 4 Went to Sakkara
Pyramids last Sunday
Went from Mena per camel
& back by camel. First
two miles rather enjoyable
but the rest of the journey
damned rotten. On the back
of a camel one seems
to be all joints & ^to discover
or wake those joints for
the first time. First your
legs forward then the body
back. Sandwiched in between
is roll starting from the
head & finishing at the waist
& working up again.
Tombs of Sakkara very
fine. The tomb of Serapeum
extraordinarily magnificent
or rather enormous.
The sarcophagii weigh about
100 tons
Saw the tombs of Ptah Hotep
Mena & Ti. These are
beautifully carved.
Went to the Citadel
on the Saturday & visited
the mosque. Only hundred
years old & is a copy
of the Constantinople Mosque
Beautiful alabaster
walls & innumerable lights
Two extremely fine candelabra
one of which was given by
Louis XIV In the courtyard
there is a fountain where
the worshipper wash feet hair
eyes nose ears before going
into the mosque. The water
for the fountain is drawn
from the Nile. A well
close to the fountain is
cut through solid rock
& is about 750 feet deep
The echo lasts for fully
90 secs.
Am rather sick of the
school. Have done fairly
well having got to date
91, 92, 93 & 86 marks in
the four exams done This
sounds very much better
than it really is but the
marks given are most
extraordinary.
O'Sullivan has been
dismissed from the school
for using bad language
to an unspeakable cad
of an Englishman who
is doing the course. Unfortunately
he is the senior officer present
being a First Lieut. He
talks as though he had
a hot potato in his mouth
& if he is a fair sample
of an Englishman I am
sorry for England.
Fred Street has had the
rotten luck to have developed
a heart & in consequence
has had to return to
Australia. I am very
sorry for him because he's
a good chap
Wrote to Auntie this week
Am hearing all sorts of expression
of good will from the unit
They seem to want me
to go with them so I hope
I can live up to their
good opinions when I
get over the other side.
Sept 5
Went to the museum
this morning & spent
interesting hour & a
half. The mummies of
course interested me
most for although the
stone work is fine
one gets a little fed
up with it.
Saw the Rameses tribef and was struck by
the amount of character
which still shows in
the face or skull
In Meneptah's mummy
- the boy who was supposed
to have persecuted
the Israelites -face -
avarici is written & he still has a sort of
pigheadedness shown
appearing in it.
In one case - Quiya -
I think the name was
it took five different
things before his (or her)
burial was complete
First the mummy
then the usual carved
coffin Another bigger
wooden business which
held the first & two
more each holding
the lot that had already
been packed away.
Went up the Nile to
Baggara Arraga (?) Some very
fine gardens & a couple
of very fine bridges
which were built 105 years
ago by Mahomet Ali.
Wrote to Auntie 2 days
ago.
Saturday 11 Sept.
Have just finished
last exam at the school
Thank Heaven! I have
done fairly well getting
an average of 94. in the
nine exams. It's rather
a farce for I never got
94. in an exam in my
life before.
Hear great rumours about
the formation of a brigade
out of the Reinforcements
I hope so, I'll get a pn
if they do. Vague tales
about its being sent
to Khartoum to garrison
bit of a rising there
It would be rather
good fun I think.
Seymour left on Thursday
morning. I suppose he'll be
back pretty shortly.
Wrote Gordon.
Sunday 12th - Went to Cairo last
night & called in at the Casino
after going to the Kursaal
& wandering round a bitStree Visited a tailor's shop
in which is a damned
nice little French girl
It is a treat to talk
to her after the other
class of female abundant
in Cairo.
There is no doubt that
our girls, while giving
points in the matter
of looks - in most cases
- are lost when it
comes to bright
vivacious talk. The pair
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