Diary for George Lush Finlay, 1915-1918 - Part 3

of us had an extremely
enjoyable half hour
buying caps clean wit
on her part being
abundant. If shop girls
in Melbourne were all
like this girl I dont think
that the managers would
need complain about
lack of customers.
Heard from Maj today
that a battⁿ is certainly
to be formed. For what
purpose he does not
yet know but if
it means that we all
get away together
then I will certainly
begin to consider myself
very much favoured
by Fortune. Certainly 
since I enlisted
everything has gone
right & so far
everything I've tried for has
turned out exactly as 
I would wish it turn out
Haven't had any letters
from home yet. I wish
some would arrive
especially from the 
boys so that I could
get news regarding
certain people I wish
to hear about.
Wrote to Muriel M.

Sept 16 just returned from 4
days camping out near
Giza with Soliman. Had
a very interesting time &
some fair shooting. For the
first time with birds I did
not do so badly getting
8 out of 12 shots. Were treated
like kings. Meals great
Went to Memphis & Sakkara
on donkeys & although

very tired after 30 miles
on donkey back & still 
I'd rather go 50 miles on 
donkey than 15 on camel
Nothing much to see at Memphis
except 2 huge statues
of Rameses II given by him
to the city after a victory
against the Persians.
Memphis now consists
of a few mud huts but
in those days was one 
of the leading cities
From Memphis to Sakkara
where after lunch I slept
while the others visited
the tombs. From Sakkara
to the water for more
shooting. This water is
part of the Nile which is
now flooding The amount
of ground covered by
the flood is extraordinary
& one can quite imagine
what would happen if
it did not flood one year.
The next day more shooting
& the following morning
a visit to a recently opened
tomb on the hills fringing
the desert. Supposed to
be the tomb of Mena
but the excavation is
not complete & they are
unable to say to whom it
belongs.
It surpasses all tombs
that I've seen for size
being cut out of the limestone
to a depth of 80' & that
is not the end of it for
steps continue under
the huge granite slabs
which lie on the floor.
Here again as with most
Egyptian stone work
size seems to be the main
thing. The sarcophagus

that was unearthed is cut 
out of a solid granite rock
equals those in the Serapeum
for size.
Received letters from Auntie
Muriel M & Jessie. Like
a breath from heaven.
Heard nothing from Seymour
yet.
The bn has been formed
in a sort of a fashion &
I am a pn commander
under an old woman
of a man. However I don't
suppose I can be a
general all at once.
In Cairo last night I
was much impressed by
the dead sort of feeling
which prevails everywhere
Although the streets are
crowded there seems to be
no life in any body.
Vernon remarked that
the weight of the past is so
heavy that it weighs everybody
down. Certainly everything
is old enough in all conscience
& it seems to me that the
people make much more
of a business of life than
we do in Australia.
Every body seems blasé &
as if they want to hang
round & wait for the
next thing in the ordinary
routine of things to turn
which they know must arrive
at a fixed time. They seem
to have nothing to look
forward to, each man
working in a blind alley
knowing that when he
comes to the end he will
be no better off & must
just say "mafeesh" & hand
over to the next in charge
Perhaps it is because

they have at one time thrown
aside the hors d'oeuvres of life
 - enjoym pleasure that is - & gone
straight for what they consider the piece de resistance
& ever since have carried on
in that way until the
hors d'oeuvres have been forgotten.
For instance I very much
doubt that a man
marries because he is
in love with the girl least
I am almost sure it is
because he thinks he
owes something to his
name.
At least that is how it all
appears to me, & I may be
misjudging the blighters.
Certainly I am not
misjudging them when I
say that if ever they
knew cleanliness then they
have cut it for filth -
moral & physical filth -
& in addition to the
new friends or newer friends
have taken in as a
master the head of life's
tax office - disease.
If one were to stand
at a spot in one of the
lesser streets & count the
number of natives with
bad diseased or squinted
eyes then I think he
would find that about
1 in 4 had weak eyes &
certainly 1 in 10 diseased eyes. All
due to one thing.
Wrote to Jessie.

Sep 20 Got a great surprise
on Saturday to see
Mick walk into Shepheards
Was never so pleased to see
anyone in my life as
I was to see him.
Spent Sunday with him

at No2 Aux. Hospital.
On Saturday night we went
round the Wassa & afterwards
to the Casino. Mick was
of course properly disgusted
with everything in the Wassa
& although I have been here
before I nearly vomited. 
Disgusting beasts!
Wrote to Eric.

Sep 24.
Sent cards to Muriel F
Muriel M
Annie M
Marge A.
M^rs Read.
Mary
Enid
Wrote to Mrs Stillman
        "    "  Sim.

Went into Cairo yesterday
to return some money to the 
Pay Office on a/c of "Mrs" Ross.
Waited for a quarter of an
hour for a Lt. Evans -
when he arrived found
that he was Evans one
time auditor of Drbo's books
- incidentally the bête noir
of Sim's & my own lives.
Very pleased to see him for
he is not a bad chap.
He's very much aggrieved that
he can't get away to the front.
Will not be surprised to see
anyone here soon. Waiting
anxiously for more letters
I wonder if certain people have
got some spunk at last
& enlisted.
Women are bitter cattle old
without doubt. What appeals
to some women I don't
understand. By that I don't mean
to suggest I consider I have

all the fine qualities of
a good man & a gentleman.
I am afraid that I have very 
few.
Oct 2
Still in Heliopolis waiting
patiently for marching orders
We have been told that the
1st Aust. Div. is resting at
Lemnos - reequipping &
reorganising. They will
therefore not need us for
some time. Persistent
rumours regarding the
fall of the Dardanelles. Some 
say that it is not a rumour
but is a fact & they are
awaiting confirmation
before publishing it in
Cairo. The authorities
seem to be rather
frightened that the
Australians will cause
trouble & paint the town
red on the receipt of 
the news
When playing billiards
in Shepheards the other
night the proprietor was
speaking to Macgregor
& myself & according to
him the Australians
name is mud. Their
doings up to 4 months
ago were disgraceful
the men behaving like
beasts instead of men
He quite rightly attributed 
the lack of discipline
to the inefficiency
of possible youth of
the Australian officers
& to the lack of social
standing
Talking to Solimann
on the same subject it
was inferred informed
that the natives used

to hate the Australians
owing to the rough treatment
meted out to them by
the soldiers. Things have
improved, & according to
Solimann they understand
one another. I think
that it is due to
the better discipline
that has been forced
upon the men.
On comparing the 
"Terriers" with our men
one can quite almost credit
the rumours regarding
the lack of courage
shown by the Tommy
in Gallipoli. This
of course does not refer
to the regular soldier
It seems that the yarn
about the Tommies failure
to hold "971" is quite
correct.
The type of Englishman
shown appearing in Cairo
is not I hope a fair
specimen for there are
majority are undersized
weak looking men, &
cannot not compare
with ours at all.
Certainly their discipline
is much better.

Oct 3.
Went for a route
march this morning
to the Virgin's Well at
Mataria. Rather a pretty
little spot. Well is cut
out of rock & is thirty feet
deep. The water is fresh
& before the Virgin drank
out of it, it was brackish
It is the only fresh well within
a few miles. The others
are all salt.

Oct 5. Heard this morning
from Major Taylor that
a big advance has been
made on all fronts
No confirmation of this has
appeared in the Egyptian
papers but if it is true
then it looks as if I am was
right in saying a month
ago that the war will 
end before Christmas

Oct 7. More rumours. The
battⁿ - or 600 of it - goes
on Monday or Tuesday
next. I hope so for I
certainly want to see
some of it. I will therefore
spend my 24^th birthday
voyaging to the a hell
on earth.
Haven't had a letter
for two weeks. Dying for
want of one.

Oct 8th Rumours again
School officers to go
on Monday next. Hope so
Wrote to Auntie

19^th Just ret^d from weeks piquet
duty. I won't forget it so
I won't write it down.
More rumours. Going on 
Friday. This seems to be
pretty certain  I hope that
its correct.
Wrote to Rob.

22^nd  About 1500 of the 5^th I. Bn
moved out today. I was
detailed to go by the 9 am.
train - the last one - the
7^th. 5. going by the first
under O'Sullivan. I
looked after - or attempted
to - portion of the 8^th. of the 
3^rd. & a bright crowd
they were. Noisy rude
Look at their officers

Oct 24. Two days from Alex.
A submarine chased
an Italian steamer 60
miles ahead of us last
night. Everything peaceful
at present.
Wrote to Phil.
Sent cards to Auntie 
& Eric.

Oct 28. Lemnos. Arrived Lemnos
yesterday morning
Harbour full of shipping
Heard that the Marquette
had been sunk with 750
troops aboard. 350 of whom
were lost. She left two
days before us
Most likely tranship
for Gallipoli tomorrow
The 1^st. & 2^nd Bdes are
being moved from their
camps, to the front. We
follow & join up there

Oct 30. Wrote to Mick & Gordon.
Disembark tomorrow
for Mudros. 2^nd Bde
in isolation with
diphtheria. Fates don't seem
to want to get me to the
war. xxxx It may be
for the best because
I'll get to know everybody
before going into the trenches

Nov 4 Disembarked 4 days 
ago. Rp took up quarters
about 3/4 mile from 2^nd Bde
in a camp by themselves
under Capt. Gilchrist. I was
acting as adjutant
Moved into Bde lines
yesterday and got a 
good reception by the
officers. Bn Commander
Col Le Maistre made a
speech of welcome

Terms stiffer than Turkish
Nov 10th Bn at Berzuel 4 KMs
E. of Le CATEAU. Moving tomorrow
to Sambrelon 7 miles east
and on the 12th to Le Grand
Fayt another 7 miles east
On the 13th we go to AVESVNES.
German delegates crossed 
our lines and visited
Foch. Given to 12 noon
tomorrow to say Yes or 
No Kaiser has abdicated
Crown Prince renounced 
his claim. Revolution 
through whole of Germany
Navy in revolt and all
vessels in the hands of 
the sailors. Socialists in
complete power.
French & British cavalry
across the border Practically
no opposition Peace should
come tomorrow
Hell of a trip from Ailly
to Roisel on night of 8^th 9^th

at the mess where O'S & myself
were treated as guests xx
Found quite a lot of officers
I knew or knew of. Very
much happier in consequence
Don't know when we move
Bde is frightfully depleted
being only about 1000 strong
Have a platoon in D.Coy
under Leo. Levy, Len's friend
Got filled up with whisky
by Les Moore & Permezel
at the mess but was not
drunk, although I had had
quite suffich.
Nov 6^th. I wish we could move
although I suppose we'll
get there soon enough.
A certain officers gets
on ones nerves slightly
with his exacting ways
Col. Le Maistre addressed
the Rp this afternoon
& said to me afterwards