Diary of Lindsay Robert Turner, 1917 (Vol. 1) - Part 10

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The last got away about 11 30

marching in batches of 200 odd

strong. We learnt that the site

selected for a camp was Some 

three miles away on the other

side of Suez. Certainly a good omen

that our stay in Egypt was to be 

shortened. We could see the tents

from the Ship tho it was a good 

3 mile tramp over the Causeway

between Suez and Port Tewfik and 

thro the first named town We 

were all ready to go ashore at

1.30 and by 2 were on our 

way to the Camp. These native

quarters amuse me highly and 

if it were bit for the smells abounding

there I could be making 

further discoveries each day The 

town of Suez has nothing at all

to recommend it The houses are

Quaint but the streets are all

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over the place. The natives themselves

are quite different to the Ceylonese

they are so adept at Taking one 

down nordo they expect a Return

for doing nothing at all Richshaw

are entirely absent the means of 

Conveyance are Gharries four

wheeled vehicles drawn usually by

two ponies and these Can be

picked up almost anywhere

The camp is situated at Arteean

and was originally occupied by

 French troops on their way to Salonika

tho' Camp Conveniences are practically 

absent. There is no officers mess

the officers are catered for at the 

principal hotel- Bel - air Some 

two miles away Camp whether we  

wend our way 3 times a day on

our Right in a camp of Indian

Sikhs and further ahead on 

advanced flying school. The first

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thing of interest we saw this morning

were 5 planes high up We didn't

feel much inclined after mess to

do the town so secured Conveyance

and came back to camp to Sleep

off the effects of our hard days

work.

13/12/17 Another restless night we 

spite of firm resolutions made 

beforehand. This place is hot 

in Summertime they tell us but

if France is much colder than it 

was last night I want to go back

to Sunny Australia I had 3 blankets

a rug and my overcoat over me 

and still I shivered and on top 

of it all Aeroplanes Commenced

to fly over our heads at daybreak

quite  14 or 15 must have been 

out and they omitted  almost 

every conceivable type of noise

My Latest resolution is to have

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a fly before daybreak if possible

Everybody complained of the Cold

but  I'll  know how to provide

against it tonight. There is no

early parade tho reveille is at

6.30 still we had to make our 

morning pilgrimage to the Bel air

for breakfast at 8 and its quite

a two miles walk we enjoyed that

smells thrown in. It took us

all the morning fixing up details

having a look round the Camp

and generally finding out things

useful to know. We learnt also

that we are actually going to

England and practically as 

we came off the "Port Sydney"

whether we to embark here and

join at Port Said or Alexandria
I know not. The more we see of
Suez the less we're impressed
by it. Theres no vegetation to
 

93
speak of just here and there is 
there a cultivated patch but where
there's water almost anything will 
grow. I didnt go to the hotel for
mess Captain Cavuis and I arranged
to have a little Tea in the dug out
on bully beef a tin of canned peaches
and a Xmas pudding I had. I
felt so generally hungry that I
couldnt resist the temptation of
unveiling this pudding. The troops
Are not allowed an to leave the Camp
after 6 without a pass Though
between 2 and 6 or as it is 
termed here 14.00 and 18.00 oclock
50% are allowed off without passes.
14/12/17. I went to bed very early last
night consequently didnt  mind being
distracted at the early hour That 
aeroplanes concerned it their duty
to be abroad. As I lie in bed I can

 

94
see them skimming past the whole
in the wall which serves as a window
and Some of the fliers are very
accomplished doing all manner of
turns in mis air. I dint feel the 
Cold nearly so much tho probably
the ground temperature was just the 
same as the previous night Its
glorious weather blue skies without
the vestige of a cloud and at us
twice during the day as the sun hot
enough to discard caps. We have
a crude type of mess in existence
it was going for the firts time
this morning and on Sunday it
will be I believe in full swing
For the present we will still have 
to subsist on bully beef and bread
or the alternative indulge in an
expensive mess at the Bel air
and come away feeling you had 
been taken down. I was just as
 

95
well because I found on Reading
C H Q's that there was enough to
do in the morning to keep me as
busy I have been for some time
Pay in Egyptian money complete
the voting papers for the Referendum
and do a dozen other things Anyway
they were all duly completed and
by 5 oclock I stood on the horns 
of a dilemma I was tired but
I was hungry and I didnt know
whether to indulge in Bully Beef
or go to our rendezvous in the
town The Bel -Air. I decided
to go to the Bel-Air after all
much to my regret for
of all things Goats meat was
this time put before us in
place of our frozen meat. I
forgot to mention the hos Medical
Smith Lepz and I walked 
tho the more respectable part

 

96
of Suez but it did not improve
our appetites still we saw some
quite interesting things one in 

particular a native "shaping" a
pancake Out of a Small piece
of dough mauling it with his hands
for a few minutes and then proffering
it to us We naturally declined
Another Quaint idea exists and
that is having fowl Runs in Shops
and exhibiting The products in 
a huge basket Outside for sale
Weve eaten so many eggs since
we came we merely turned our
noses up at the curious Custom
After we had finished mess
We decided to walk thro a
different Part but finding we 
were Reaching rather a doubtful
Part we turned Our heads 
for home. Supper in the medics 
domicile and bed. As on my
 

97
third day as Recruit I have 
successfully devised a scheme To
Keep myself warm in bed so
anticipate a good nights Sleep.
15/12/17. It took on quite a while
to realise that it was Saturday
today. At home Ive looked forward
to the end of the week a soon
as Sunday was over and even
on board ship it was a day of
recreation.  Here it turned out
a day of fatigue. I was drawn for  
duty with Graland erecting 
tents for 2000 men arriving
by the "Hestor". As a matter 
of fact they arrived at Port
Tewfik a couple of days a go
and have been standing by
ready to land. Its a big job
erecting something like 100
tents with 100 men but we
 

98
sailed in and soon Completed
These in fact as we were putting
them up the men mostly infantry
arrived and were allotted almost
straight away The first man
I saw almost was Payne our 
dentist at Maribyrnong also Davis
and Dickson Two Solicitors I
know well. I haven't the least
idea how they are going to fell
their arrangement were
crude as possible for us and
they seem not much further
advanced even now and the 
advent of 2000 more men
will tax the resources of H Qrs
to the utmost and the same H Qrs 

dont appreciate the artillery in
the least. I didnt go out of

Camp for lunch nor even 
for tea the meat we had
in our new dugout was Quite