Photostat copy of diaries of Benjamin Bennett Leane, 1915-1916 - Part 6

90
out for a walk, and
then they went onto
church and I to Cairo
as I wanted to send a
cable to you. I also
rang up Helouan hospital
where Ray is. He was out,
but I left a message to
say where I was, so expect
to hear from him tomorrow.
I had dinner at the Shepheard's,
and got home at about
10.30pm. I must get
my boxes from the base
again, so that I can have
some decent clothes.
Monday Jan 31st 1916
At present all the camels 
are not in, so our
work so far has been foot

drill. It is very difficult
to get out of the infantry
movements, which have 
become second nature now,
However, we are getting on
nicely, and the fellows are 
all keen to learn. This 
afternoon I went into Cairo
again and had a hot 
bath and dinner at Shep's
felt a bit more comfortable
this time as I got my
boxes this morning so had
my decent clothes.
I met Muriel Eddy just
as I was on my way to
dinner. She was with
several other nurses from
3rd A GH. She is much
 

92 
thinner than she was. She
has been in Egypt ever since
she came from Australia,
so that was how I was
unable to find her at Lemnos.
Tuesday Feb 1st 1916
I am an orderly officer
today, so have not been
out at all. Some more
camels and saddlery came
in today. I gave my
chaps foot drill and a
lecture this morning; this
afternoon we were on fatigues.
Wednesday , Feb 2nd 1916
More camels and saddlery
but still not complete.
This last lot of camels
are coastguard camels, and
contain several bulls most
of which are rutting and
consequently very savage.
They have a beastly habit
too of blowing out a big bladder
arrangement which slobbers
down from their mouth in a 
most repulsive manner. They 
are hardly what you could 
call beautiful creatures.
Thursday Feb 3rd 1916
We took a turn at feeding
camels this morning. Haven't
had a chance to ride them
yet. I heard today
that Ted came up to Cairo
on business yesterday, so 
this morning I rang up the
Ordinance Office. He was
not in, but Allan came
to the phone, so I told
 

94
him to find out from his
father where I could see 
him and to let me know.
Just after four o'clock
I got a telephone message
to say he would meet me
at Groppi's Tea Gardens at
5 o'clock. We had just 
finished the day's work
so I bolted over to my
quarters, sent Perry out 
to find a gharry while
I changed, and then
got the driver to go like
blazes. I got there a few
minutes before time, and
Ted followed soon after,
with Capt Hill of Base Records
Office. We had tea and
toast and then went down

to the station to see Ted off by
his train. He was unable to
catch the 6.15 so we went
back to the club for a drink
and then back intime for
the 7.15 pm. Afterwards I 
went back to the club to
dinner. No more dinners
at Shepheard's for me. I had
a better dinner at the club then
I have ever had at Shepheard's
and paid only 16 P.T. for it
whereas the table d'hote at
Shep's cost 50 P.T. (10/3)
which is exclusive of wines.
After dinner I took a gharry
and was making for a
picture theatre when I
passed Capt Parker and
Francisco, who had booked
 

96
seats at the Kursaal, so I 
went with them. The
show was not bad - some
rather good contortionists
and equilibrists from
little English girls who danced
with great vivacity, and
a pretty Belgian who contributed
 some very beautiful 
tableaux and wound
up with a dance in
which she whirled several
yards of skirt about her
head the while the lime
light man threw several
pretty designs on them.
the effect was very good.
There were also several
other more or less inferior
items. The audience was

very fair mainly military.
Several nurses were there too.
But most conspicuous were
the boxes , in which were
several young officers (few
Australians I am glad to say)
with their lady (?) friends.
It is surprising with what
effrontery vice parades itself
in this country. At home
if a man has inclinations
that way he usually
keeps it to himself, and
would be rather ashamed
to be seen with his partner;
but here the harlot is
paraded, taken to dinner at
the hotels, & shown off
in a box at the theatre, as
though the fellow was
 

98
rather proud about it all
And I suppose it doesn't
worry him a bit if he
sees her out every other
night in the week with
other men. It doesn't seem
to seem to him that he's
a damned fool. But
the, most of them haven't
enough brains to realise that
they are fools. As a
rule they are of the class
that made the Suvla debacle
possible.
Friday Feby 4th 1916
Had a fairly slack day
today. Issued pay to 
the men, (and incidentally 
drew some myself). Am 
staying home tonight.
 
Saturday Feb 5th 1916
Had our first riding lesson 
this morning - bare backed.
the first best I mounted
had a back like a dragon
blade - nearly - so I
soon changed him for one
in better condition. It wasn't
so bad then. But the
morning's work caused a
lot of fun. The chaps
were alright as long as the
camel only walked, but
when they trotted the fun
commenced. The chaps
would bump, bump, bump,
as the camel loped along
until at last they
would miss the 'bump'
altogether and land on   

100
the ground. One fellow
in our company (not in
my section) who had got
hold of a camel which was
spitting, was bitten badly
on the arm and sustained
a compound fracture as
well as nasty flesh wounds.
The beggars won't let go
once they get hold of 
you  if they are very
savage, but twist
you and shake you 
until they force you to
your feet knees, and then
they trample on you.
They had to stun this
beast with a thick stick
before the would leave
go. Later in the morning

we were issued with our
saddles. The officer also got
[['furwahs'?]] which are big
sheep - or bear - skins for
putting across the saddle.
I chose a big brown one
that just about covers my
bed. This afternoon has
been a half holiday, but
I did not go out as I am
Orderly Officer for the day.
Sunday Feb 6th 1916
The men of  [[hos?]] 1& 2 sections
got their camels allotted to them
this morning. They are having riding
drill tomorrow. We (ie the officers)
have not yet got our camels, but
expect to have them tomorrow.
This afternoon I went out 
to the zoo with Butler.  We met
 

102
Wright and some of his friends
out there so joined forces and
went [[?]]shotting. I had
arranged to go out to Heliopolis
at 6pm to go to church with
Claude Morlet and his mother
I reached the Villa [[?]]
a few minutes after six, to find
that Mrs Morlet had gone
to church, so I went to a picture
show for an hour or so as I
did not know the way to the
church. I went back later 
and found that Mrs Morlet
had returned  but that Claude
has been transferred to
Ismailia as Eye & Ear Specialist.
I stayed to dinner with her,
and met her two wards,
Miss Cook & Miss Ritchie; and

returned to camp at about 10pm
Monday Feb 7th 1916.
Went into town with Denson this
afternoon. Got my negative prints
from Kodak. They have turned out
fairly well for first attempts.
I will send them to you in
a few days. Met Sister Heritage
(sister to Felix) who has invited
me to visit her at Atelier occasionally
Went into Western's to get a 
jambok for Dinner and found
Adams making love to one of the
assistants, so dragged him away
& made him come with us to 
the pictures. Went to dinner at
the Imp Club and finished up
the evening at another picture
house, where Charlie Chaplin was
being screened.
 

104
Tuesday Feb 8th 1916.
Kiddie dear, I do wish
the war would end and we
could settle down to our quiet
happy life together again. It
is very nice to be able to see a
lot of the world, and the
experience is very valuable
- but I was always a 'homer'.
I got your (& mother's ) cable
yesterday in reply to mine.
It is grand to get word
from you of such recent 
date - only three days 
ago. It seems to bring 
you so close. What wouldn't
I give though, to be able
to hear your darling old
voice over the telephone!
I am afraid I would be

spending all my pay in
ringing you up.
I saw Muriel Eddy in town
again yesterday. She was in an
arabeah with another nurse,
so we only exchanged bows.
Wouldn't it be great if you
were here as a nurse. We
could have a fine time
dodging about together, and
I would never feel bored
and don't - know - what - to - 
do - with - myself - ish, as I
do so very very often now.
I heard last night that
Ray has gone back to his
Battalion.
We received a small mail
today. I got a letter from
Claude Morlet, who is at
 

106
Ismailia; one from Miller,
the chap I met at Alex.
& who gave me the stretcher
and a note from Capt
Minagall enclosing two
English letters (Aunt Agnes and
Ba Perkins). So I didn't
do badly. The English
letters were dated Jany 9th
But I do want some more 
from you sweetheart.
We have been riding out 
camels with saddles today.
It is much better than bareback.
One has to be very
smart in mounting or the
camel is up and off. It
is a peculiar sensation
when he gets up, too. First
he hindquarters rise and

throw you forward, and then
his fore quarters come up and 
sling you backwards. They 
are fairly comfortable to find
though. I borrowed a camel
for today , but the afternoon I
had one allotted to me - 
a big bull, a fine upstanding
beast, but, like
most of his kind he is rutting
just at present and is not
too amiable. I haven't 
ridden him yet, so don't 
know what he is going to be
like. That bull which 
bit the man the other day
bit another man today 
and broke his arm, so
this afternoon the vet filed
his teeth down. I sent
 

108
one of my men back xx to
the battalion yesterday. He
got on the jag and stayed
away for two days. He
was very repentant, and
begged me ^ not to send him
back, but to give him
another chance, but
I told him he had played
me shabby and I wouldn't
trust him again. So back
he went. I had a man
(one of the original 10th, now in
Bone Details) waiting to step
into his place before he
was even tried.
Wednesday, Feby 9th 1916
Mounted my bull this
morning for the first time. He
was a bit difficult to barrack

at first, and one of the instructors
took him from my batman and
tries to force him down. A nigger
or two came to assist him, and
I think they all frightened the
beast so much that in the
end he made a snap at the 
instructor and caught him on
the arm, tearing his jacket
and shirt and badly bruising
his arm. So they all began
belabouring the poor beast.
However, we put a muzzle on
him, and the batman and I
took him away to a quieter
spot, petted him a bit, and
before long had him working
quite amiably. He is a beautiful
animal to ride, as he moves
at a nice even pace. I am