Photostat copy of diaries of Benjamin Bennett Leane, 1915-1916 - Part 5

70
a few drinks etc and home,
as it was a beautiful moon -
light night we took them 
back to their lines. Have 
just returned 11.30 pm.
Thursday Jan 20^th 1916
I’m cutting out office

work as much as I can
now. The sergeant has got
a leg in now,, and Roy
White is helping him, so
I will gradually drop it
altogether if I can. Have
been out on both parades
today. Ochre and I are
very good friends now,
and he is like an old
player on parade.
Tomorrow we go across

to the other side of the Sweet
 Water Canal for musketry 
practice.
Friday Jan 21^st 1916 -
The Battalion went out to the
ranges at about 9.30 am. I
had to draw pay for the Bn.
so went out after lunch.
Saw Ted for a little while. He’s
up to his eyes in work. Had
to come back from the ranges 
early to act as Prosecution at
the Court Martial.

Through the old Tel-el-Kebir

burial ground today. Such
a lot of simple crosses bear
The words - To One Unknown.
Tonight we received our
orders to move to the Canal
on Monday, 24^th so Miller’s
tip was a good one.

72
Saturday Jan^y 22^nd 1916
Been very busy today getting
all surplus kit away to
the Base preparatory to moving -
We go out at War Establishment
order, so several
officers and men will have
to stay behind as we are
over strength. Ted's boy
Allan came along to see
me, but I did not have
much time to spend with him,
Today I received another
parcel from Aunt Agnes.
- three cakes, some sweets,
and a magazine. Also a
big Xmas Cake from Ede
came for Ray, so, as the
P.O. people will not take
any parcels now, and
 we have no room for surplus
gear, I had to open it
and have a party. I
sent Ray the holly leaves
from off the top, so he
ought to be satisfied.
Wrote short notes to you,
mother, and Uncle Arthur.
Sunday, Jany. 23^rd  1916 -
Church Parade this morning.
This afternoon went for ride
along the Canal Bank with
the CO.Hurcombe & M^cCann.
xxxxxxx When I got back I
found two parcels from you,
you darling old sweetheart.
Two puddings, a cake, cream,
salmon etc also socks from
Aunt Nell. You are a 
darling old love. Friedrichs

74
and another chap from the
27^th came along after dinner,

so I got M^cCann, Hurcombe,
and old Min in and 
we had a jamboree and
we finished off all the delicacies
Monday Jan^y 24^th 1916.
Move postponed for us
until tomorrow. Poor old
12^th Bn commence entraining
at midnight tonight,
followed by the 11^th Bn
at 3 am We do not
commence until 9 am. so
I will leave the striking
of the tents until after
breakfast. I have got
my orders out so only
have to sit back now.
Will have to move some

tomorrow though. Our destination
is a place called
Serapheum, on the Asiatic 
side of the Canal.
Tuesday Jany 25^th 1916 -
Blank!
Wednesday Jany 26^th 1916 -
I didn't make any entry
yesterday. The entry under
yesterday's date has just
been made. Our first
company got away about
noon, as the trains were
late; two more companies
and Headqrs. followed at 1.15
pm. and the remaining company
was to follow at about 3 pm.
Striking camp this time was
a very similar experience 
to Mena- wind and dust

76
galore. Out train reached
the disembarking station
at about 4 pm and we
then had a plugging 
march through soft sand,
which was not too pleasant
with full kit up. We
crossed the Canal by
ferry and eventually
reached camp at about
6.30 pm, just after dark.
Our baggage had not 
arrived, as we bivouacked.
It came up very cold
through the night, so I got
hold of one of our limbers
which had come ahead
and went back to the
Canal to see if the baggage
had arrived. Managed

to find most of our valises,
so brought them along.
After that it wasn't so bad.
Got up about 6.30 am &
had breakfast - that is
to say, I "broke my fast".
I cant say any more than that.
Our baggage began to arrive
(per camel) shortly after
eight o'clock, so I got the

camp pegged out, and
had most of the tents
up by noon. We are
fairly comfy again now.
Food is still very scarce.
I brought along what tinned 
stuff was left from my
Xmas parcels, and it is
proving most useful.
This camp is merely a

78
temporary one. We expect 
to move out to our first line positions about ten
miles further on in a
few days.
Thursday Jany 27^th 1916 -
Two companies are out on
outpost tonight, and it
is raining like fun and
bitterly cold. Poor devils.
Tomorrow morning the remaining
100 companies go out
to the 1^st line positions and
dig in. I will have 
to be up at 5 pm as I
am having their tents struck
by 6 am. so as to get
moving early.
We found a little Headqrs
Mess today — just five

of us, C.O., 2^nd, MO QM,
& self. I provided tonights
dinner — or the best
part of it — out of your
and Aunt Agnes' parcels. Here is
the menu. — 
Pea Soup.
Stew a la M^cConachie
Apricots and Cream
Strawberries and Cream
Biscuits. Cheese
Cafe.
Port Wine Cigarettes Cigars.
Goodnight. I must get to bed now.
It is nearly ten o'clock.
Friday Jan^y 28^th  1916 -
Hoo blooming ray! Orders
have come along for personnel
selected for Camel Corps to
report back to Cairo so soon

80

as possible. I have been

selected from our Brigade, also

as a chap called Butler, from

the 12^th Bn. He is at present 

in, so I suppose I will 

have to take the party up, 

about 60 all told. Unfortunately

the CO. had gone

out to the 1^st line positions

when the message arrived,

and did not return until 

late this afternoon, so I 

will not be able to get 

away until tomorrow

morning. I am not sorry 

to be getting a change. I'm

not the only one fed up

either. This afternoon three 

other officers — all senior

captains too, and original

10 th Battalion — first in

applications for transfer out

of the Battalion.  MG B.

looked rather sheepish when

I put their applications
before him, and wanted

to know what the joke was.

I wonder if he knows he 

is making a mess of things!

Saturday 29^th —

Sunday 30^th  Polygon Bnks, Abbassia.
We arrived here this morning about
10 am. after a 24 hours' journey.

We marched from Serapheum to 

the Canal, got the ration 

boat to Ismailia after dinner,

and finally reached Ismalia 

station at about 5.30 pm. As 

there was no train until

8.30 pm. and the men had

 

 

82

only eaten a few biscuits

all day I gave the two 

hours' leave so that they could

get themselves some tea. They

were all back sharp to time

and quite sober. I was 

able to get a very good dinner

in the dining car on the 

way to Cairo. We reached

there at 1 am. and bivouacked 

on the station platform all

night. We were starring 

again at 6 o'clock, and 
a roll at the refreshment buffet

we moved on. It is about 

five miles from Cairo to Abbassia

so I lined the men up at

the train station and 

commandeered the first two

trains that came along. I gave 

the conductor a slip of paper 

from my note book stating

that 90 soldiers travelled

on his trans from Cairo to 

Abbassia, and signed it,

and he was quite satisfied.

As an officer one can do

wierd and wonderful things

in this country. In any

other country you would

have to put in a requisition

24 hours before the time the

train was required, stating

how may persons would 

be travelling, for what purpose, and on whose

authority. This would be 

given due consideration and

eventually you might be

 

 

84

granted a warrant. Then

probably your train would 

blow along about half an

hour late. But here if

you want a car you

simply take it; and sign

your name on any old

slip of paper. It was 

the same coming up in the

train. I had one 

warrant for myself, and officer

from the 2nd Bde. and

90 men, but nobody

checked it. I could 

have had double the 

number on board for all 

anyone would have 

been the wiser. And as 

there was no baggage wagon

on the train I put Perry

and my baggage into a 

first class compartment and

told him he was not to let

anyone turn him out. And

he didn't. Imagine how

righteously indignant any

Australian Railway official

would be at finding a

batman with a kerosene 

case and a rather dirty

valise occupying the whole

of a first class compartment!

It saves a lot of bother though.

Anyhow, we arrive here,

as I said before, at about 10 am.

I saw the men allotted to their 

huts and the cooks on the 

way with their dinner, and

then went along to my own l

quarters. Ban on board ship

 

 

86

and in hospital, these are 

the most comfortable quarter

I have yet had. We

are in what used to be

the married quarters — a 

two storey building with 

suites of three rooms, lavatory,

and back and front verandahs.

We have bedsteads, washstands,

tables, cupboards, 

chairs, all manner of 

useful furnishings. One of

the suites we are using

as a mess, the others we 

live in. Including headquarters,

who are not all here yet,

we will have 26 officers, 

first in nice little party.

The headquarters have

been selected from the 

Egyptian Camel Corps, and are 

all English. The remainder

are Australians.

After lunch I went across

Heliopolis to find Claude Winslet.

At Luna Park they told me 

he had gone back to duty

with a battalion, but an 

engineer at 1^st A.G.H. (the 

Palace) I found that he

was on duty there. He

was not in his room, to I

left a note and was

just on way down 

in the lift when he passed

me going up. I had 

afternoon tea with him and 

he showed me all over 

the hospital. It is a 

most gorgeous building.

 

 

88

It was built by a big

Belgian syndicate of 

whom the King of Belgium

was a member, with a

view to making it a rival

attraction to Monte Carlo,

no expense was spared.

Beautiful staircases, brass

chandeliers and other 

fitting worth a fortune

is themselves, most luxurious

furnishings; everything to

cater to the millionaire

population of the world

— and then the British

Government refuse to grant

a gaming license. Repeated

Application was made, but

was turned down every time.

So in the end it was opened

nearly as a most elaborately

equipped hotel, and 

was frequented largely by

millionaire invalids who

wanted to bask in the

beneficent warmth of the 

Egyptian winter. When the 

war commenced it had 

to be closed, as of course 

there was not 'reason', 

and eventually the Australian

Authorities took it over as

a hospital.

Afterwards he took me 

across to the Villa Montrose, 

where his mother is staying.

She is a very pleasant

lady, and very like Claude

in features. We took her