Photostat copy of diaries of Benjamin Bennett Leane, 1915-1916 - Part 3

30
tonight. It was O.K. and greatly
appreciated by all six of us.
We each had a large helping
and there was still a piece 
left for the cook. I do hope
you are putting in a lot
of time learning to make
puddings while I am away
chicken. They are undoubtedly
one of my weaknesses.
Wednesday Jany 5^th 1916. -
Confound these Court Marshal
cases. I haven’t been able to
go for a ride for two days
on account of them. And
letter writing is absolutely out
of the question.
Thursday Jan 6^th 1916. -
More mail — 88 bags of it.
Poor postman! He hasn’t
 

finished sorting his last batch
yet. I did not fare quite
so well today — just one
package, a paper from mother.
It was the paper that had
the list of those mentioned
in Sir Ian Hamilton’s despatches.
I suppose the dear old mater
is as proud as a dog with
two tails — or, to use good
old Pierre Becker’s expression
“proud like Punch” — to have
two of her sons "mentioned in
despatches. Well, it is an
honor, and I confess that I am
a bit proud myself to have
been sent on. Still, Ray
deserves much more than a
mere “mention.” He ought
to get a D.S.O. or a Military
 

32
Cross at least. Perhaps he
may yet, for this list
only includes a certain
number of engagements, and
the taking of "Leane's Trench"
was subsequent to these.
These Court Marshal cases still
keep me busy.  I got thirteen
more sets of papers away 
today and have five 
more ^yet to do. There are such
a lot of papers necessary for

a District Court Marshal —
very different from the

rough and ready Field General
C.M. You can guess the 
amount of work entailed in
preparing the papers when
I tell you that it took
the C.O. over an hour to
 

simply sign his name on them.
More rain  again today. It
has its favorable side, however,
in that it keeps the sand
firm and hard.
Friday January 7^th 1916 -
Kiddie, you know how you
used to feel in the dear
old “hard-up" days when
you saw us getting deeper
into debt and no prospect of
getting it wiped off (not
that we ever got seriously into
debt, but just the few
little pounds were a source
of worry, weren’t they?)
Well, that is how I feel
now. Five more letters, and
I feel that I want to sit
down and answer each one
 

34
right away. But I haven’t 
an earthly chance, and
can’t see any immediate
prospect either. Today’s batch
were from mother, Jack Mossop,
Miss Dean, and Rene and
Dors Short. There were
also three more parcels
— one from Miss Dean with
socks and safety pins; one
from Uncle Arthur with —
listen — 2 tins delicious
shortbread, a lunch cake,
a big tin of chocolate biscuits,
a cocoa ration, a tin of
cream, a tin of milk, and a
packet of sweets. Doesn’t it
make your mouth water?
Also one from Aunt Agnes
with a tin of fancy biscuits
 

a magazine, and good old
"Punch". I have never
been so thoroughly spoiled
in all my life. It has
undoubtedly been the most
generous Christmas I have
ever experienced. Everyone seems
to have thought of me, and  
to have put their thought
into very generous action.
It makes me feel ashamed
that I can do nothing in
return except just write and 
thank them all — and I 
can't even do that yet.
Major Lorenzo blew in about
2 o'clock this morning, and 
happened to shake my tent
first, so woke me up.
I put him up a bed on
 

36
the floor for the night, and
as tents are rather scarce
just yet he is going to share
mine with me until his own
comes along. I could 
easily have a more
uncongenial tent mate.
I got one of our chaps 
who went up to Cairo
yesterday to get me a 
used Pocket Kodak. yesterday
I have frequently called 
myself names for not 
getting one before I went
back to the Anzac last August,
so don't intend to miss any
more chances of getting
interesting snaps.
Saturday Jany 8th 1916.
Major Lorenzo has gone
 

up to Cairo today, so I have 
the tent to myself tonight.
It rained very heavily
last night, and several
light showers have fallen
today. Twenty two bags
of mail today, out of 
which I received three letters,

one xxxx from each yourself, 
mother, and Norman. Poor 
old Norm seems very down -
hearted about not being
able to get away. I wish
the dear old chap could 
manage to come over.
Some blighter with more

taste than honesty pinched
one of my tins of shortbread
today, so I opened the 

other forthwith and devoured
 

38
it. I now am torn between
a feeling of sympathy
for him in the sore temptation
he was put to if he knew
from experience what delicacies
those flat round tins contained, 
and a desire to search
him out and "crime" him 
for having deprived me of 
the gluttonous pleasure of 
scoffing the contents of both
tins. However, the better 
feeling shall prevail.
Sunday January 9^th 1916 -
I has been a real Egyptian 
day today — a warm sun,
a cloudless sky, and a
clear atmosphere. I attended
Church Parade this morning, 
when Padre McPhee held
 

his farewell service. He
leaves for dear old Australia
this week. Afterwards
I attended Communion. This
afternoon I went for a ride
across the desert with Major
Lorenzo and Capt Jacob. Enjoyed
it thoroughly, and did 
not have the least bother
with Ochre, except coming 
home, when as usual it 
took me all my time to hold
him in. My arms ache
with it. He is a fine beast
though, and acknowledged to
be one of the best in the line.
I can tell you I am 
very proud of my mount,
and wouldn't change him
for all the quiet, sedate,
 

40
and obedient steeds that 
ever went on parade. I
am getting more and more
fed up with my job 
though. Or rather, it is
not so much with the job
as with the C.O. If good 
old S.P.W. would only 
come back from England
and take command I 
would be happy as 
Larry. But this old josser
is making everybody fed
up. If I were the only 
one I would think that
perhaps the fault lay with 
me, but he is at loggerheads
with ^nearly all the officers,
and the men openly make
a joke of him. I asked
 

him today to get somebody
else as Adjutant and let 
me go back to my platoon.
He "hummed" and "hah-ed"
and said he would think
about it, but would give
me no satisfaction; so
when tonight a memo
came from Brigade stating
then an Australian Camel 
Corps was being formed, and
that officers and men would 
be selected from the 1^st and
2^nd Divisions, I at once
put in my application for
a transfer to it. I don't
know whether anything will 
come of it. I would be 
sorry in many ways to leave
the old 10^th — but then,
 

42
it isn't the old 10^th after 
all, and I am afraid
it will grow less and less
like the old 10^th the longer
friend Beevor is in command,
Major Lorenzo also thought
of putting in an application,
but in the end decided 
not to do so. I got
a big swag of letters and 
parcels for Ray today.
I must go up to Cairo
soon and see if I can 
find out where he is.
Wednesday Jan 12^th 1916.
I made a break and
got away to Cairo Monday
afternoon. Went up with 
Shaw, Moule, Minagall, and Seager.
Left Tel-el-Kebir about 3.30
 

arriving at Cairo shortly
after six. We got a couple
arabeahs and drove up
to Shepheard's, where we 
just managed to get a
couple rooms. Shaw and
Moule shared one, and
Seager, Min, and self shared
the other — big soft
double beds for each of 
us — oh yum yum,
I did wish you could 
have been with me.
As dinner was until 
eight o'clock I slipped out
and put in a busy hour
shopping. Bought myself
a new cap, pair of boots,
suit case, pyjamas, and 
several other little items.
 

44
Dinner was just it.
Shepheard's, you must remember,
is the swank 
hotel of the East. At
present it is full of
generals and their staffs.
We had the next table 
to General Munro and his 
staff, but it did not 
prevent us enjoying our 
meal. We shouted ourselves
wine and liqueurs,
and generally did ourselves
very well indeed. After
dinner we went for a 
walk in the streets for a 
while, and then back to 
the hotel to sit in the 
magnificent oriental lounge
and later to the orchestra
 

Two officers of General Munro's
staff came in a little later
with the General, and sat 
near us. The General got 
himself interested in a discussion
with another brass hat, and 
the two officers came over
and joined our group. They 
proved to be very decent
fellows, and seemed very
interested in Australians, 
generally. They expressed 
great admiration for our
fellows and wanted to know 
all about our methods of
training etc. It seemed to 
puzzle them that we could 
be on such easy, friendly
terms with our men and 
yet get so much out of
 

46
them. They could not say
enough in praise of the 
conduct of our fellows at
Gallipoli, and were very
apologetic about their own
men. Wanted to know
if our chaps bore the Tommies
any grudge about the 
miserable Suvla affair.
I told them that they blamed
the officers more than the
men, and they could not
but admit the justice of it.
We went to bed about ten,
had a bath, and turned 
in. Next morning we
had tea and toast in
bed about seven o'clock,
got up about eight, had
breakfast, and then continued
 

our shopping. I went 
round to the Ordinance Offices
as I had heard that Ted 
was in Cairo on business. Sure
enough he was there, but 
very busy, so I only
waited long enough to get
an introduction to Mr Bardak
the manager of Stein's, who
fitted me out with a 
swagger drill uniform at 
a very reasonable figure.
I also go a darker cord
jacket and trousers made at
Davies Bryant, so am fairly
well fixed up with clothes
now. These things run
away with a lot of money
though. Still, I must have 
decent clothes. In the
 

48
afternoon Minagall and I 
motored out to Heliopolis to 
see Morlet. Unfortunately
he was out, so I left the 
mail I had with me,
and we motored back
to Shep's: again, where we 
had afternoon tea, did
some business we had 
to do, and caught 6 o'clock
train back to Tel-el-Kebir.
We found that a large
portion of the dining car
had been reserved for 
General Munro and his 
staff who were on their
way to Florence, via 
Port Said. However, we 
managed to secure a table
and enjoyed an excellent
 

dinner. It is surprising what 
an excellent dinner they
can turn out on the trains.
The menu is quite as
elaborate as Shepheard's,
and just as well served.
Today I have been on
those blessed old C.M.
papers again. Padre
McPhee leaves us tomorrow.
He is going to take back nos
2 & 3 of my diary with him,
and get them to you
either personally or by 
post.
Thursday Jany 13^th 1916 
Colonel Dollman (27^th), Col. Collett 28^th, and
Allan came over to dinner tonight.
I saw Major Brennan today, who
says he has heard that Ray is