Photostat copy of diaries of Benjamin Bennett Leane, 1915 - Part 10

170
I had intended to send you
a cable, but could not
get ashore.  I scribbled
out a fairly long letter and
gave it to some sergeant on
the wharf to post, I hope
you get it alright.  If
possible I will cable you
from england.  I shall
also get in touch with
your Uncle as soon as we
reach England, and perhaps
he will be able to come
down to see me.
There must have been
a consignment selected from
each of the hospitals in
Egypt, for the boat is full.
Most of the cases are able
to get about, but a lot
are confused to their beds,
171
some being very badly wounded
One fellow from the 10^th
to whom I was speaking tonight
got an explosive bullet in
his left forearm, and he
has had to have the arm
taken off just above the
elbow.  another has lost
the sight of one eye; yet
another has lost the sight
of both.  I am very
thankful that my wound
will not deprive me of
any of my limbs or any
of my senses.  Even if
I should permanently
lose the power of my
left hand it is a small
matter compared with what
might have been.  The
main trouble is that it
 

172
will finish all the piano
business, and I will 
miss that terribly.  but
I still have my good 
strong right to earn our
living with, and I think
it will suffice.
This ship is beautifully
fitted up, and spotlessly
clean.  We have all
been issued with pyjamas
and slippers, so are quite
comfortable.  Also the food
is excellent.  We have
English doctors, but the
assistants and orderlies are
all Indians.
I discovered the O.C. of
my company - Capt Jacobs
here today.  Also Major [Besvor?]
of A coy.
173
Wednesday - May 5^th
Beautiful weather.  A cloudless
sky and a smooth sea.  I have
heard a great deal about the
wonderful blue of the mediterranean,
and I now know that the
most lavish description could
not be extravagant.  Our ship
glides along so evenly that it
might be in dock for all
the motion that is felt, other
than the throb of the engines.
Today six of us who are of
the rank of sergeant major and
quartermaster sergeant have been
fixed up with second saloon
accommodation.  the food is
excellent.  for lunch there was
soup, fish, cold turkey, & sweets,
and for dinner we had soup,
fish, roast goose, plum pudding
 

174
Breakfast is at 8.30 am; lunch
at 1pm.  Afternoon tea at 4pm
and dinner at 7 pm.  So my
lines have again fallen in
pleasant places.  After
dinner I had a smoke and
a walk on the promenade deck,
then came down and had a
hot bath, and am now
lying on my bed in my pyjamas
scribbling this.
There is some talk of our
calling at Malta and possibly
staying there, but I hope we
go through to England now we

have had our hopes raised.
I am having such a 
glorious loaf kiddie.  It
is the first trip that I have
not been stuck in the confounded
orderly room.
175
have absolutely nothing to
do all day except sit in
the sun and read, and
I can assure you I am
making the most of it
Thursday - 6^th May 1915.
The sea is fairly choppy
this evening, and our ship had
a very perceptible roll. I have
not noticed anyone affected by
it though.
This evening we buried two
of our comrades who died
yesterday.  Major Beevor read
the burial service.  I wonder
if the wives or sweethearts of
the two stiff bundles we dropped
over the ship's side while the
bell tolled and the men stood
round bareheaded, had any
presentiment of evil, or were
 

176
they perhaps merry and laughing
or maybe sleeping, unconscious
of loss;
I had such a happy
dream last night, girlie,
I dreamt that I was home
again, and that I was
undressing little Gwen for bed
She was such a darling
mite, and prattled away
with her dear little baby
talk.  And when I had
finished you put out your
arms to me and said I was
a good old man.  And
I had just kissed you oon
the lips when eight bells
(4 am) struck, and woke me.
As I lay there half awake
and half asleep I could
still feel your kiss, and I
177
tried to go to sleep again so
that the dream might proceed
unbroken, but it was no use.
I went to sleep again, but
the dream was gone.
I think your spirit must
actually have come to me
and kissed me as I slept,
so vivid was the dream.
It will be a happy day
when I can so kiss you
again.
Friday - May 7^th 1915
I forget to tell you that I 
went under the "X" Rays yesterday.
It is most interesting.  The doctor
did not trouble to remove any
of my bandages, or even the
iron mesh splint.  I simply
put my arm on the canvas
bed; he switched the electric