Diary of Alexander Jackson Cunningham, 1914-1916, Part 2

8
ships went straight through the
Canal but we all anchored
out and are supposed to move
through at 5 o'clock this evening.
A Rumour has come through
that there are 30,000 Turks marching
onto Suez to try & destroy the
Canal, if so we shall probably
have some fighting; My arm is
still very sore from innoculation.
I was vacinated again yesterday,
as Cairo is a brute of a place
for smallpox. I believe. Dec 6
Arrived Alexand Port Said & were
allowed on land for one day
went off with Keleher and Angel
as our boat "Benalla" went out
to outer habour we had to get
a boat to go out & as we could not
secure anything we went
out in a torpedo boat. Left
Port Said Dec 7 and came
on to Alexandria & after lying

9
out in the harbour for one day
we landed Dec 9^th. All the
Army Service Corps came straight
into Cairo by special train but
Kininmonth, Gibson & myself
had to stay that night to see
about our cars we came on
the next day in passenger train
& had dinner on board good
train & good meal. We went
to the "Continental" Hotel and stayed
till our cars arrived which was
not for 2 days. While waiting for
cars we had a good look round
Cairo which is most interesting
our cars arrived today Dec 11^th
and are in good order we got
them off & drove out here same
day this place where we all camped
is Mena and are right at the
foot of the Pyramids there is a
train right out and the road
for the motor is excellent it

10

is about 10 miles from the city.
Dec 12. Got fixed up in tent have
one at present to myself, sand is
everywhere & gets into your boxes,
boots & clothes. Ran into town
in car today with Capt Ratten &
did not get back till after dinner.
All the Sydney & South Australian
Army Service have now come & from
the "Hymettus" with the Horses and
Major Holdsworth onboard are
arriving this evening. We have
3 cars attached here at present
Kininmonth, Chaplan (Sydney man) &

myself. Gibson, Belcher & Bill are
out at Maadi attached to the 
light horse. We are going to draw
our petrol etc from Mena House
where stocks of stuff are going to
be kept. We are now getting our
supplies from Town and are
going to keep on that way as it
is simplier. From Dec 12 to Feb 21^st

11

is as follows. Settled down to
camp life and have a good deal
of running about to do in the car.
Jim Kininmonth & I share a
tent together & have made it
very comfortable, we have
stretcher beds, matting and
folding chairs & table, we have
also put up a shower bath
outside. Our duties are at
present keeping the cars in
good order (we have a man attached
to each of us) and also act as
Orderly Officer for our respective

Companys. I have met
some very nice men while here
some of the staff, are particularly
nice. The 2^nd Contingent are
now here the camping places
here for us are - Mena
Maadi
Abassia
Zietun &
Heliopolis

1915
12
there has been some fighting down
at the Canal & the New Zealanders
were down in it also the 8^th
Battalion went down but were
a day too late for the fighting - I
think all the fighting down there
is now finished. A few of our
Army Service lot went down
but are all back again except
Major Teddeh who is still
at Ismalia. Ethel and
Mollie Cruickshank arrived on
18^th Feb and are now staying at
the Continental Hotel they may
stay 14 or 28 days it depends on
how they feel; it is nice having
them here and can take them
about a bit in the car. We went
for a 3 days trek No.1 Company
and did various manouvres
while there. Feb 21^s
From Feb 21^st to March 16^th (1915)
Had to go to bed for som 3 or 4 days with

1915
13.
influenza cold and I could not
shake it off Col Marsh allowed me
to go in & stay at the Continental
Hotel so was able to see a good
deal of Ethel & Mollie, I came
out to camp again on March 10^th
& am quite well again. The whole
of the 3^rd Brigade went off including
the 4^th Co Army Service Corps which
Jimmy Kininmonth was in so he
has gone also, we do not know
where they have gone - We expect
any time to go ourselves but
so far have nothing definite.
Ethel & Mollie sail on 18^th March
so shall see them off & we all
expect to go within a few days
now. I have had my car armour
plated (petrol tank & wind screen) &
car painted all over with a
dull grey green paint, I am
also getting everything ready
packed in it for a move.
(over)

1915
From March 16^th to April 9^th
After many false starts our
No 2 Company went off & then
No 3 Co. and then we followed
them to Alexandria & arrived
here on April 6^th but instead
of getting on board ship
straight away as we thought we
would like our other Companies
did we had to split up and
Colonel Marsh with Major Young,
Dr. Jolley - Maycock with a
few men went off in the
"Atlantia" and our No 1 Co
had to come out here to "A" Camp
We are to go on the "Suldanha"
but altho we have been here
now for several days we have
no orders yet but hope to get away
any day now. Our officers consist
of Major Holdsworth C.O. & Capts Stevenson
& Payne - Lts Grieve - Pyke - Thompson - 
and myself.

April 9^th to April 26^th
We got away from Alexandria
on Tuesday night April 20^th. We
sailed in the "Suldahan^ha" it
is a horse boat with only iron
decks, there are 8 Officers but
only two cabins - three of us
started sleeping on deck but
as we came across the Medeterian
Sea the wind was so bad we
could not keep bed clothes
on so were given between us
the apprentices cabin but this
we found after one nights
sleep was full of bugs  So
came out on deck again to
sleep - We took 2½ days to cross
over and are now at the Island
of Lemnos, 40 miles from the
Dardenelles & as I write this
I can hear ^faint boom of big guns going all
the time. We came to this Island
and have been here since April 23^rd

most of the other boats have gone
but we are stuck here so are
missing seeing the landing
any day now though we shall
get word to go. When we first
got here the shipping in this
bay was wonderful there must 
have been over 200 troop ships
and 20 or 25 Warships including
the "Queen Elizabeth". Some of the
Officers & I rowed ashore today I
was sorry not to have taken my
camera as the village is a most
quaint place - On shore there are
some Australian, French &
Tommy troops in tents stationed
on the Island. Our men are going
tomorrow for a route march on
shore. We hear today that the
landing was affected at the Dardanelles
satisfactorily & that the Australians did
good work but 37 of them were killed.
From May

From April 26^th to May 4^th
On May 1^st we had orders to
proceed to "Gaba Tepe" & after a
5 hour run we arrived here;
A great lot of transport in the bay
and warships, torpedo boats,
Destroyers, Baloon ship &
Aeroplane ship with two
water planes aboard - The
"Queen Elizabeth" was firing as
we passed her near the shore.
We were anchored quite close
to the shore for first two days
& could see everything going
on on land, all night long
there was a continuous boom
of guns from our Battle ships
and a continuous row of rifle

fire along the cliffs. Sometimes
there is now a lull for a
few hours then all of a sudden
it starts again & goes on for
hours. Yesterday we had