Diary for Roy Rowe, 1915-1916 - Part 3

JANUARY Mena 1915
28 THURSDAY
To day has been about the
easiest day I have had that  
I have been paid for. I have
not had a thing to do the
whole day. Tonight Clyde, Gar
& I went for a walk around
the camp to hear the bands
& came back & had tinned
Apricots for supper.
1915 Mena JANUARY
29 FRIDAY
I have had very little to do
again today. The Major was
in to see the Pack Store this
morning. This afternoon I went
around to see some of the men
with Gonorrhea & xxxxxx V.D
& saw two circumcision
operations. Allan decided to
learn Shorthand with Gar
& I. Sid Deamer gave us our
first lesson tonight. Clyde
& Gar have gone to the
pictures but I stayed in
& had a long yarn to
W. Hilton

JANUARY Mena 1915
30 SATURDAY
There has been very little
to do today so I have
had a couple of hours at
shorthand. It is getting
quite interesting. Gar & Clyde
& I are applying for leave for
tomorrow to go the St
Andrews church at Cairo.
1915 Cairo Mena JANUARY
31 SUNDAY
Gar has had his leave
refused today so Clyde & I
went going to Cairo for the
day. We went in by Motor
in 25 minutes for 10 Piastes
& attended the 10.45 am & 6 P.M.
services at the Scotch church &
put our names in the visitors
book. We went to the Y.M.C.A.
for & had dinner there (9 P.T.)
We did not go to see the sights
but listened to the New Zealand
Military band in the square
Coming home one of the N.S.W.
men was knocked off the
tram by another one passing
& was taken away by the police
Writing letters to Mother & Ethel

FEBRUARY Mena 1915
1 MONDAY
I am taking Orderly Sergt
today as Sergts Robinson &
Scott are on leave. There
is a good deal to do,
attending to the meals for
patients, inspecting the
tents, supplying men for
erecting more E.P. tents
& ration fatigue & patients
roll call at 8 P.M.
Gar has been on leave
thro afternoon & evening.
1915 Mena FEBRUARY
2 TUESDAY
I have had another easy
day today. This afternoon
Major Barber came into the
pack store to have another
look round & told me that
I had the easiest job of
the lot & that he did not
have a job for me to do
I did not mind this at all
The W.O. was with him so I think
he will soon find something
for me.

FEBRUARY Mena 1915
3 WEDNESDAY
Fairly easy day again. Went
over to Mena house this
morning with Capt Clarke
& to No 2 General hospital this
afternoon with him to get
a stray box of bandages.
Tonight Gar & I had a
walk to the canteen for
something for supplies & got
some pineapple sardines &
biscuits. We were paid this
afternoon.
1915 Mena FEBRUARY
4 THURSDAY
I have been helping Sergt Scott
as Orderly Sergt but as there
is only enough work for one
man I did not do a great
deal. I spent most of the
day washing clothes. Tonight
Sid Deamer, Bill Shoesmith Dick
Hardwick & Gar played cards
in our store tent & we
all had supper together.
As no cooking utensils arrived
from Cairo we have not
taken any patients in today.

FEBRUARY Mena 1915
5 FRIDAY
There has been nothing
of interest doing today.
Another easy day
A few words passed
between W.O & myself &
Geo Stead at the Mess
at dinner time in connection
with Corpl. Matin being
drunk on duty but it all
blew over nicely
1915 Mena FEBRUARY
6 SATURDAY
Gar & I had to go xx to Mena House
with poor Peter Drummond at
noon today. He has a very
bad cold on his chest & he
complained about the rough
ride to the hospital. The
Dr sent us with him to the
portion of the hospital under
canvas as there was no
room in Mena House when
we got there.

FEBRUARY Mena - Cairo 1915
7 SUNDAY
Gar & Myself had leave from
9 a.m. till 10 P.M. We had
dinner early in Cairo & then
went straight out to Heliopolis
to see the boys from the
4^th field ambulance. We passed
the palace hotel where the
2^nd General hospital have their
hospital & met Alex Hood before
we reached the camp. We
came back to Cairo & went
to see 3 Mosques & the Bazaar
where I bought 2 blouse lengths
for Jeannie & Vera for 56 P.T.s & sent
them (registered) for 8 P.Ts. We
had tea at the fashionable Cafe
& went to the communion.
service in the evening & enjoyed
it very much. Dr Bellows wife
invited us to come to their place
above Naughtons Pharmacy on Sunday
next or any time we were in town
finished letters tonight
1915 Mena FEBRUARY
8 MONDAY
I posted my letters to Mother
& Ethel this morning. I had
nothing to do the morning
but this afternoon I took
back to their Battalions men
discharged from our hospital
cured. We have 440 patients
tonight. I relieved Sergt Robinson
for an hour tonight from
Orderly Sergt.

FEBRUARY Mena 1915
9 TUESDAY
There was the best joke I have
heard of last night. The
Colonel had a nightmare & 
called out the Guard at 12.30am
as he thought there was a native
in his tent with a knife. This
morning he had his tent
shifted back & the two Majors' tents
put forward. "Poor Russ" "The Old Woman"
I have been appointed Orderly Sergt
for the hospital position & have
had a busy day of it getting the
patients who are well to do a
little work. There are over 450
of them & calling the roll is a
beautiful job (I don't think)
I am sick of the job already.
Gar has gone to see a Chaplain
friend of his in the Infintry.
There is a lot of dissatisfaction over
the 6d a day allowance for
rations & Capt Clarke is in future
going to give out shirts.
1915 Mena 10/2/15 FEBRUARY
10 WEDNESDAY
I had to parade 2 men this morning
for trial at the Orderly Room for
refusing duty. They got 48 hours
detention in Guard Room on bread &
water. There are 10 absentees from
Tattoo tonight & one man in the
Guard Tent for refusing to be
Vaccinated, who have to be brought
up in the morning. The Colonel
had one man from each tent to
voice any complaints at 9.30 a.m.
& after hearing them gave them
one of his nice little speeches about
not keeping themselves clean & being
a burden instead of a help to
their country, as they were. One
man said that his food was not fit
for a dog & I think the Colonel was
afraid some of them would eat him.
Tattoo for the patients was at 6.30 P.M.
This made a difference to the number
of absentees.

FEBRUARY Mena 1915
11 THURSDAY
Received letters from Vera, & Ethel
& Tilley I had yesterday. I had
to parade 10 men for being
absent from tattoo last night.
9 of them got 48 hours on bread
& water. There has been a
good deal to do in the hospital
lines keeping them clean. Met
Les. Richards & - Shepard from
Boulder school in the Isolation
tent. Sergt Robinson is to take
one Section for Tattoo Roll in
future. We called it early tonight
& Gar & I went to the picture
show tonight. Several more
Marques arrived today for us
to take another 100 patients.
1915 Mena FEBRUARY
I2 FRIDAY
No men to be paraded this
morning but 2 of the have been
released instead which is a
much more pleasant job. A
number of our men have been
erecting more marques for patients
& E.P. Tents for Officers. There is
discontent among our unit over
the 6d a day allowance. Have
written to Tot today.

Saturday opposite mistake

FEBRUARY Mena 1915
13 SATURDAY
14 Sunday

Everything went on as usual
this morning. We had a
church service at 2.30 in
the hospital lines conducted
by Rev. Miles who was at Kalgoorlie
Baptist church about 8 years ago.
Gar. Bert Garland Major Barber
& I were the only ones present
from our unit. There were a
good number of patients there
also & we had a good address.
Ire After the sevice Gar & I & Bert
went climbed to the top of
the pyramids. We were surprised
at the height of it & also the
size of the steps (average 2' 6" high)
We came back again to camp
for tea. I finished Mothers
& Ethel's letters tonight. Have
written to Tot also.

(Sunday opposite)
1915 Mena FEBRUARY
14 SUNDAY

13. Saturday (mistake)
I have had plenty to do
today looking after the
hospital generally. Gar & I
went to the pictures tonight.

FEBRUARY Mena 1915
15 MONDAY
The walk up to & over the
Pyramids yesterday has made
me feel very stiff today.
But I did not mind it much
when we climbed it.
Gar is feeling stiff also. I
go around the hospital now
with the W.O. to inspect
each morning, I am getting
on much better with him
now.
1915 Mena FEBRUARY
16 TUESDAY
I have had a good deal
to do again today looking
after the hospital
generally. There is a lot
of complaining over the 6d
per day allowance. Tonight
after the tattoo Roll Gar
& I went along & found
Arthur Stewart in the 2^nd
Battalion.