Photostat copy of diaries of Benjamin Bennett Leane, 1915-1916 - Part 4

50

at the Deaconesses Hospital, Alexandria.

Have wired him re his letters. I wish

I could get down to see him, but

not much hope I am afraid. It

is a six hours' journey.

Friday January 14^th 1916

G.O.C's review of 1st Division today.

All mounted officers had to parade

mounted. We anticipated a

lot of trouble with the horses,

but they took to it remarkably

well, except for the long

intervals of waiting. Ochre will

not stand at any time, and

when we were all lined up

in front of the men as the General

went along for his inspection I

had the work of the world to 

keep Ochre from bolting off.

Coming home, too, he wanted to 

 

be off at full speed all the

time, and it was only with

difficulty that I could make

him walk sedately at the head

of the Battalion. Once when I 

went down to the rear of the column

with orders and had to gallop

back to regain my position he

nearly got away with me.

my hands are raw in between

the fingers where the reins have

chafed with his continual tossing.

He is a pretty animal though. I

wish you could see him as he

prances about with his neck arched.

When I got back to camp I 

Handed him over to my batman

to take back to stables. Poor

Rule was hardly in the saddle

when Ochre was off at full

 

52

speed. The poor boy suffered

as I did the other day, and

found himself sprawling in the 

dust. Fortunately, he was not 

hurt beyond a bruising of his

shoulder. There is another

review tomorrow — Inspector

General's, I think; he is reviewing

both 1^st & 2^nd Divisions.

I got a reply wire from Ray today.

He wants his mail sent on. Hopes

to be back in a week or so.

Saturday Jan^y 15^th 1916 

The second review went off

even better than the first.

It was a beautiful sunny day,

and the horses behaved splendidly

except for the usual restlessness

while waiting.

A I asked the CO for permission

 

to go to Alexandria to see Ray

tomorrow. There is a train leaves 

Tel-el-Kebir at 7.30 and reaches

Alex. about 12.30 or 1 pm. It 

leaves again at 4 pm and reaches

Tel-el-Kebir at about 9 pm.

It means practically all day

travelling, but I would like

to see the poor old chap

and get his mail safely to 

him. The C.O. gave a sort of

half hearted consent — said I

could to if I wanted to, but

asked if I couldn't send an

orderly instead. I got 6

my back up at first, and

said I wouldn't bother to go;

but then I thought "Damn him,

I will go" and so I am going.

The work can wait till I get back.

 

 

52

Monday January 17^th 1916.

I've been to Alex, and enjoyed 

the trip very much. I got a

[[sell?]] over the early train though.

After getting up before Reveille,

going without my breakfast

and cutting like blazes for

the station, I found out

that the 7.30 am train has

been cut out for some days.

Of course that settled the question

of getting to Alex. and back 

in the one day, and I 

didn't know what to do, because

the next was not due until

11.30 am and usually 

runs about two hours late.

However, I left my bag at the

station and went back to 

camp, arriving in time for breakfast.

 

After much consideration the

C.O. consented to my going 

down by the 11.30 and

returning the following day.

Lorrie backed me up by

suggesting that I should go

to Cook's also and get certain

saddlery sent up. The C.O.

fell to it and gave me

instructions to do so, as I 

at once hit him up for

a Railway warrant, on

the ground that I was now

going to Alex. on duty

much to my surprise I.

got it. It is wonderful what

cheek will do occasionally.

I had to change trains

at a place called Benha,

and found that I had to 

 

 

56

wait three hours for the train 

to Alex; so as I had brought

my camera with me. I 

had lunch (some very good

omelette) and wandered out

in search of snaps. I got 

them alright, and only

hope that they come out

alright. It was evidently

"fair day" in the village,

judging by the large crowd

in the market place, the 

swing boats and merry-go-

rounds. Remembering xx

similar scenes at dear old 

Glenelg it was a strange

sight to see these natives 

enjoying the fun of the fair

in their own fashion. I soon

had a curious crowd

 

around me, and as soon 

as I produced my camera

they pressed round so 

thickly that everything else

was blocked out, until

one intelligent individual

scattered them to right and

left with a big stick and 

much argument. Afterwards

one young fellow, evidently,

anxious to air his knowledge 

of English and impress his

fellows by being able to 

converse with the "moolazem

awal" approached me and

asked various questions about 

the camera. I wish to take

the picture by the light of the

sun. I must purchase the 

photograph (the camera). Where

 

 

58

must I write the letters to ask

that they shall send me

by post the photograph.

And what must I pay for 

the plate etc. etc,. I answered

him for a while until I found

the xx crowd getting more 

and more dense and he

becoming more and more

eloquent, and then I

gave it up and pushed

my way out. Afterwards

I walked away on to the 

Nile, and then took a

gharry back to the station.

I got back just in time,

and bustled into the train

only to find it well filled.

Eventually I discovered a

compartment with one vacant

 

AUST. WAR MEMORIAL LIBRARY

seat, evidently overloaded 

on account of the fair that

the next seat was occupied

by a very fat man 

who overflowed the arm rest

and occupied half the xxxxx vacant

seat. The only rack that

was vacant, too was

 immediately above his head.

My bag was very heavy

with parcels and papers etc.

for Ray, and as I reached

up to put it in the rack

the man gave a bunch and

quickly and just saved

it from landing on the fat

man's head. I spent the 

rest of the journey to Alex.

picturing in my mind what

 

 

60

would have happened had

the bag landed on his head.

In a way I'm sorry it 

didn't, for the experience 

would have been very 

amusing. He spent most 

of the journey emitting noises

like a fat old pug dog

does when it has asthma —

a sort of jerking, gasping,

snore that seemed to rumble

from the bottom of his 

enormous paunch to the

top of his thick flabby

neck. It must be horrible

to be so fat. I should think.

We reached Alex. about 

7.30 pm, where I got a

conveyance and drove to the 

"Majestic", arriving just in 

 

time for a brush up

before dinner. My room

was even more luxurious

than the one at Shepheard's,

and contained a most

inviting double bed carried

The worst of these double

beds is that they make

you feel terribly lonely.

And when a pretty little

French chambermaid came

in to prepare the bed while

I was getting ready for 

dinner. I had to make a

bee line for the lift to keep

myself virtuous. At dinner

I met Sutherland, the purser

from the "Seangbee", and at

his invitation joined his party

 

 

62

and after dinner went to the 

Kunaral. It was a very

poor show altogether. A girl

with good legs and a poor

face sang a couple hot 

songs in French (I was told they

were hot; my knowledge of the 

language won't take me that far)

and came back for a third 

without being encored. A 

dark-visaged gentleman with 

a Roman nose and a fine

voice; and a Jewish looking 

lady with many pounds of 

superfluous flesh, a passable

voice and nothing else

worth mentioning, contributed

a couple scenes from 'La Tosca',

and upbraided each other,

made it up again, and 

 

eventually came to sad ends,

all in music: also a 

few other ladies and gentlemen 

(I don't know anything against

them so must give them the 

benefit of the doubt) did 

various things. And then 

we went back to the hotel 

to bed.

This morning I was awakened

by a gentle voice at my bedside

(you're wrong, it wasn't the 

little chambermaid — unfortunately)

and found an effeminate little

French johnny there with 

tea and toast. I had a

bath, breakfast, and then 

started out on my morning's

business. As it was raining,

and as I also wanted to 

 

 

64

catch the noon express, I

took a taxi — awful exchange,00

I went first to the Records Office

and paid up some quinces

there; then to Cook's, got

Lorrie's saddle and box out

of stone and down to the

station, then back to the 

hotel for Ray's mail, and

then off like blazes to the 

hospital. The time was

then half past eleven,

and the poor chauffeur

looked at his watch and 

despairingly shook his head

when I told him I had to 

catch the 12 train. However

he went full steam ahead,

and after about umpteen

narrow escapes got me

 

out to the hospital in ten 

minutes. Well, by the

time the orderlies had 

found Ray and he had

come downstairs and I'd

said "How d'ye do" and 

handed over his mail it

was ten to twelve, so I 

gave it best. When I eventually

came out about half an hour 

later the chauffeur

was gazing at his watch with

a very anxious expression,

and informed me in an

"it's -no-use-I-can't-possibly-do-

it-now-" tone that it was

"Finnish train." I think he 

half expected that I would 

insist on his getting to the

station by twelve, even though

 

 

66

it was then nearer half past.

They think we Australians are

a bit mad, you know.

Ray was a great deal 

better that when I last saw him,

but still a bit groggy in 

the legs. He said they had

him booked for Australia, 

but he made such a pest

of himself that eventually

the doctors decided to let him

stay. He suspects to go to 

[[Helman?]] or Luxor for a fortnight

or so and then rejoin

his battalion. He showed

me over the Deaconesses Hospital.

It is aa very fine building, 

xxxx splendidly equipped, and 

before the war was a 

German Hospital. From the 

 

roof — which by is

a very solid cement one, on 

which cannon could easily be 

mounted — one commands

a view of the whole road

and the major portion of the

city and surrounding districts.

I went back to the 

hotel for lunch and met

Sutherland & Miller again. I 

happened to mention that I 

had no shelter at camp, so

Miller insisted on my accepting

his which he avowed he

did not want as he is

living in rooms. I did not

to take it, but he said

he would send it down to the

train for me. After lunch 

Sutherland & I went for a

 

 

68 

drive in gharry and did

a little shopping etc. until

train time, when he came 

with me to the station to see

me off. Arrival there, who 

should be waiting but 

Miller and his stretcher, so

I could not do other than

accept it. Miller says

our Brigade is for the Canal 

next week. He is on General

Staff, so should know.

The journey to Benha was

uneventful — I even enjoyed

a short sleep. The express

from Cairo, however, was packed, 

and I was unable to get a

seat anywhere. I made

for the dining car which

also was crowded with diners

 

and those waiting to dine. 

I was fortunate in securing an

early seat, and managed to 

get through the meal before

we reached Tel-el-Kebir.

And here I am.

Tuesday January 18^th 1916

Seven more blinking Court 

martials today. Will be

known as the C.M. Battalion

directly. Nothing much doing

otherwise. I go a new tent

pitched for myself today, so

am on my own once more.

Wednesday January 19^th 1916 —

Went for long reconnaissance 

ride across the desert today.

This evening Friedrichs and 

several other "Dinkums" came

along to our mess. We had