Thomas James Richards, Diaries, Transcript Vol. 3, 26 January to 8 November 1916 - Part 5

40.

some boiled eggs, a roll and coffee at Benah and lay down

 on the seat.  The Tommy guard would not allow me off the 

station, but as Benah is a purely native population 

nothing was missed but noxious smells and the noises that go

 with hawkers and Egyptians.

On the train I took a second-class carriage and 

tried to sleep coiled up like a monkey.  We passed through 

Demansush at daylight and there I was surprised to see a

 whole lot of native women at the cemetery.

In Alexandria I got on to a hair cut, shave, and

 boots and leggings cleaned and then set out to find

 Mrs. Cadell at the Bombay Hospital but failed.  Then I

 went on to Mustapha to fix up George Hill's grave, and

 came down to Chatby Cemetery and No. 19 Hospital where I

 took many photos returning to the Windsor Hotel where I

 had lunch with Mrs. Cadell who is in trouble with the

 people about the house and is I regret hard up for money. 

 I remained until 3 p.m. talking with Mrs. Davies and Mrs.

 Scott, then went off to St. Marks Church for Rev. Fry -

 missed him and went on to the monumental makers and got

 prices &c. for a headstone.  I came back for a wander

 about the street and had dinner in a cafe on oysters,

 mutton and beans, omelet, bread, butter and wine.  I

March 17th - Friday.

 finished off a good meal with 5 piastre (1/-) cigar.  I 

then went up to the Belle Vue Casino, and enjoyed the

 performance immensely. The Kennedy girls were great with

 their Irish songs, being as it was St. Patrick's night.

  I was jolly pleased with these girls - they brightened

 me up splendidly. The pictures that followed of elephants 

in India and a Yankee love story were fine.  I had a

 delightful cup of coffee, and was at ease with the world.

 I sat down to wait for the second show, but as I had but

 little sleep or rest the previous night I got tired and 

went out to an ice cream and coffee shop where I enjoyed a 

 

41.

big ice.  Then I had to find a place to sleep so I got a 

gassy and drove up near the railway station to the Hotel 

Egypt where for twelve piastres, 2/6, I got a good room and

 as the bed was fairly hard I slept fine until 7.am. when

 I got out and had a shower bath and battled off to do some

 shopping and see the Rev. Fry.  I did so, and he came with

 me to see about a headstone.  At 12 o'clock I had chosen 

one and given him £12/10/ - to pay for it.  I had a hurried

March 18th. Saturday

lunch and got the films of the hospital and more shopping

 done.  At 4 p.m. I caught my train and making the connection

 from Cairo at Benah, got to Serapeum at 10.25, a long walk 

and a journey over the Canal got me home about 12 o'clock.

Before leaving Alexandria I put 150 piastres and a 

note into an envelope and sent it to Mrs. Cadell.  I

couldn't afford more and as she is a kindly person though 

I believe utterly mad over the death of her son, I just had to 

offer her my mite.

I rained heavily during the night than I have yet 

known it to rain on the desert, after one of the worst dusty

 and windy days.  I opened the parcel from C. Towers and

 got a pair of sox and gloves knitted.  This is the second

 lot from Ettie Gifford.

I posted two Anzac diaries yesterday at Alexandria. 

I do hope they will get safely through.

March 19th.    Sunday.

I have a bit of a stomach ache today, the result

 of eating all sorts of rubbish in Alexandria.  But as the

 Prince of Wales came around our camp with a whole crowd of 

"big guns", I forgot my trouble and bustled around getting

 photographs.

The Prince seemed very young, not more than 17 yrs. 

with a soft rose and white color and sat his horse very well

 indeed.  The men were surprised to see the Prince - they

 

42.

thought it was General Birdwood only, so they ran around 

to get another look at him and cheered lustily all the time. 

There was no ceremony at all and the visit was all over in

25 minutes.  It was ideal weather.  The rain laid the dust.

I feel a little envious today.  The name of H.W.

Strout appears amongst the Honours and as I was there on the

28th June with him and Harry Bladin, and was the only one to

be recommended by the Staff Captain Pollock, I know that this

honour should have been mine.  Strout had has leg broken by

shrapnel and I suppose sentimental reasons won the honour for 

him.  Our --- officers musthave pushed him - but the honours

are mine. 

March 20th.    Monday.

Today has been one of the usual work and worry attached

to moving camp.  At 11 o'clock the transports were ready to

leave, the blacksmith shop and attached house demolished.

Why, I have not been allowed to move off with the transport I

don't know at all, so I remain for the bearer section.

I have written to Rev. Fry and Arthur Hale about George

Hill's affair and I now have that matter running well in hand.

Our desintation is not clear as yet, but the fellows,

particularly the older hands, are jumping with joy at the

probablility of Europe and the lovely trees and green fields

as well as civilisation.  Jim Randell called today - he is

 looking well.  He says it has been a big holiday for him since 

leaving Sydney.

I intended writing up my trip to Alexandria in detail

but in the bustle and lack of writing sense, I have badly

failed.  But I think it is worth quite a lot of attention.

We are allowed only one blanket and a ground sheet,

from here. 

 

43.

March 21st.   Tuesday.

A lovely morning.  I went down to see Jim Randell

of the 1st Battalion, taking a tin of coffee and milk.  They

have their tents down and their kits all packed ready to move

off.  For days past the infantry have had kit inspections

and their personal belongings reduced to almost nothing.

These poor fellows are the most bullied and worst treated

section in the army.  In ration matters, they always fare

badly.  At Anzac for instance, it was shameful to notice

how the food stuff diminished before reaching the trenches.

"Every man for himself, and the devil take the hindermost",

is the moto of the army. 
 At 4 p.m. the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Battalions marched

 in                        

out of camp with full marching order and bands playing.

This 1st Brigade is 80% new men, men mostly who were never at
Anzac.  Yet they looked very well indeed, a number of short

men spoilt the uniformity of the ranks, but they will do

well as a fighting force, even now.  I watched them go by

in column and although I liked their appearance, the men of 

the original 1st Brigade as at Mena Camp 12 months ago were

infinitely a better set of men, better physique and hardier

and more determined looking. 
Leave Serapeum and Alexandria.

March 22nd.       Wednesday and Thursday.

I have read the book "The Kangaroo Marines" and

feel almost annoyed to think that the author did not portray

the Australian more distinctly, yet I am sure this book

will make reasonable reading for English people and do the

Australian a whole lot of good in their eyes.  I sat reading

on an Arab sailing boat and after a swim returned to camp

at dinner time, learning that our unit were to leave for

Alexandria in the afternoon.  Sure enough, at 4 o'clock we

were packed up and ready to move off.  At 5 o'clock we were

walking down the metal road for Serapeum railway station.

Here we waited until about 12.30 that night, then on an open 

truck train we made for Alexandria.  20 men in a low-sided

 

44.

truck does not give one much protection from the wind or

does it give sufficient room for the men to lay down with

straight legs.

At daylight we were at Benah? - here we again filled our

billycan and made coffee from the engine, and from here to

Alexandria (ship side) 11 o'clock, the Nile Valley was at its 

very best - Springtime, and the sight of the continuous green

fields did my eyes good after the weeks on the desert canal

zone with its awful sand and dust.  We went straight aboard

the "Simla", not a particularly inviting looking craft, but

she is said to have done 18 knots, and the accommodation is

reasonable, so it should be alright.  It was remarkable to

see the number of Egyptian hawkers that assailed our train on

arrival at the wharf.  There must have been 400 of them and

had for sale all manner of goods, even packs of cards and a 

crown and anchor, as well as eatables of all kinds with dozens 

of money changers.  All this lot shouting their wares made a

terrible din.

On board, I with 7 others fell in with the storeman

and commenced issuing mess tins and pans.  These were all

in a very dirty condition and would not anything like go

around the number of messes.  We then issued butter, sugar 

and jam to a line of 115 mess orderleys, a trying sort of a

business. 
At 7 o'clock Bill Drummond told me that Tom Yeomans,

who had gone into Alexandria without a pass, had been taken

prisoner by a Tommy picket.  At once I got a note from the 

Colonel asking for his relief and as an escort Sgt. Clifton

and myself went into town to have him released, but those 

mean and stubborn Englishmen would not hand Tom over as the

note should have come from O.C of the ship.  Yeomans

is a splendid lad, neither smoking, drinking or even swearing

and to get caught like this was damn hard luck indeed. 

 

 

45.

Clifton on failing to get him released, raced in the

gassy back to the ship, quite 3 miles away, thinking to get

another order written out and go back again.  But alas,

when we got to the ship's side it was pulling out.  Fear

ran through both of us and we thought all was lost, the gangway 

being drawn up full beyond our reach.  From on board

my attention was drawn to a finder rope hanging over the side.

The police advised me not to attempt to climb, but there was 

nothing else for it, so I set off up the rope, and with but

little trouble got aboard.  Clifton had some trouble and I

had to reach over and help him up.  The colonel and a whole  

lot of others were watching and applauded.  I was jolly

tired as well as annoyed and disappointed and slept in the

only available space, vis. on the greasy floor under a table

in the mess room.

March 24th.    Friday

The whistle to get out of bed blew at 6 o'clock.  15

minutes later our party were busy handing out rations.  A

hurried breakfast and then to work pulling up stores from the

hold.  18 bags of flour, 12 cases of milk, 2 barrels of sugar, 

2 of peas, 12 cases of mineral waters (of which we bagged a 

couple each) and sundry other stores.  This was jolly hard

work and knocked us all about considerably.  The storeroom

is low down and working hard there makes one sweat wholesale

 in the smelly atmosphere.  Rats are very pronounced.  Taking

 the outlook of things at present, I rather fancy we made a 

big mistake in taking on this job.  Yet we get extra rations,

and as much as we want.  The first day may of course be a 

little harder than usual.  Let us hope so, as I'm jolly

tired tonight.

The weather is cool and calm and as we have a warship 

on our left side, there is a sense of security from 

submarines at least.  The submarines have been doing a lot of

damage about these parts, but its only with the younger men

 

46.

that there is at present any worry at all.

March 25th.    Saturday.

It is astounding what news one hears from time to

time.  That Peter Flanagan was in financial trouble and

was thrown of of the Opera House Hotel was told me for

certain.  Now I am told that Paddy McCue is a whisky and

gin traveller in Sydney and has gone to the dogs entirely.

I doubt both of these "facts" and I mention them here to

show myself one day just the atmosphere of lies, doubt and

ignorance that I now live in.

It is surprising the number of men who are missing

from this ship.  Also the number of men aboard that pre-

viously missed their ship and are now hoping to get through

and join up with their own units when we get to France.

We all expected to be hanging about on board ship

at Alexandria for some days at least, but instead, all of

the many ships leaving of late, leave immediately the men

come aboard, and so the fellows who take a sporting chance

by going up town have been unfortunately left behind.  I

fear they will be dealt severely with as our "heads" are very

particular at present about the breaking of regulations &c.

We have a guard of 70 men doing duty aboard as well

as a number of machine gun men.  I saw a Lewis machine gun

today for the first time.  It seems a fine little weapon, 

so easy to handle and to carry about.  In fact, it is a one-

man gun to all intents and purposes.  The circular magazine

holds 47 cartridges.  The gun can be held up to the

shoulder and fired and sighted like any other rifle.

The weather is remarkably calm, but somewhat wet

and cloudy at present.

Our fatigue party is still working hard, although

today it was not so bad as before.   Yesterday, the storeman

got a bottle of beer each for us but today none was

obtainable.

 

47.

March 26th.  Sunday.

Another Sunday and no Church service for me.  It is

quite a long time since I have been to Church now and I miss

it very much, not perhaps for the good it might have done

but for the break in the awful routine of a soldier's life.

Singing does one's heart a  whole lot of good too.  It takes

him back to his youthful days, calls up recollections of

civilisation and the peace of the past.  Mostimes wi thout

even our own knowledge of the good work that is going on

within, as we sing the songs of our earliest recollection.

The "Storeman's fatigue party" is going along more

pleasantly just now.  We are getting quite used to the 

heat and mustiness of the forward hold.  Our party is now 

10 strong also and the barrels of rice, sugar and peas, 2½

cwt., do not seem so heavy to haul up to the main deck. 
 This rambling about in the very inside of a ship

gives a new chum quite a lot of knowledge regarding the

packing of these great vessels so as they may keep their

balance and also to prevent the goods from moving about if

the ship rolls.  Rats overrun this 24 year old craft, but

other vermin I have not yet seen.  A cook sets his traps

each day down in our hold and catches as many as 15 in 4

traps; he saves the tails for which the shipping companies

give 1d. a tail.

I get busy serving out the sugar and jam, sugar 2

ozs. a man per day and jam 1½ ozs. a man a day.  Butter 2 

ozs. a day.  This ration is not enough for the men and of 

course their remarks come back at us, but we can do no

better.  21 tins of jam, 7 lbs. must go around and so we

can't do any better for them.

Our party live a little better than the other

fellows naturally as everything is at hand for us to take

and as there is golden syrup in the store, all goes well

 

48.

as far as I am concerned.

I have finished "Sapho" a French story.  This book

is classed as one not to be recommended to girls and "proper"

people.  But really a quite enjoyable story, moreso as it

seems to get such a clear realistic view of life as it is

commonly lived in Paris.  I will not condemn the book as I 

consider the morale of it will do me more good than if it

were a book of don'ts, without the real life grip about it. 

March 27th.   Monday

I have been sleeping on a narrow table in the mess

room for two nights but last night I got past the guard

and slept on the lower hatchway, and in consequence of having

better air and not so many hundreds of men all around

hanging to the roof in hammocks and all over the decks and

floors, I was up fresh and went on deck before Reveille,

where to my surprise I found we were steaming into the

Harbour at Malta.  I was delighted at the probability of

having a look at a place that is considered so pretty as 

is the town of Malta.  But alas we only hung off for orders

and by 8 a.m. were well away to sea again, bound, so I

believe, for Marseilles.  I really wish now that I had

taken a greater interest in the French language when I had

an opportunity some three years ago and then of course I

would have missed many of the little episodes that I am now

so proud of.

March 28th.    Tuesday.

We don't know just when Easter really is.  Some say

it is Easter Monday today, but nobody is sure of that either.

I am more interested in Easter than in other holidays, as

my birthday falls about that period.  I don't think that I

ever did look with any great enthusiasm towards my birthday,

it seems altogether too conventional a matter for me to take

much notice of, and to advertise it as is so commonly done

always savoured of arrogance to me. 

 

 

49.

But for some time now Easter seems to remind me so

harshly and almost cruelly, that I am another year older

and still wandering on and on, no nearer to any settled

project, or a future home.

I have often noticed the grave respect that sailors

have for cats aboard ship but I did not quite understand

how kindly, how lovingly they could be towards the cats of

which there are a number until I have seen them fondling

and caressing them down here in the aft hold and storeroom.

Its indeed pretty to see them.  Then a canary on the main

deck sings charmingly most of the day.  Never have I had

the time or is it the inclination, I know not, to give

time to a canary before.  Of course, like most other people,

I have heard them hundreds of times but yet I only took a

casual listen to them and took their singing as a matter

 of course.  But, at the moment, I am delighted in the

bird, I can now hear.  The hold of the ship may soften

the voice and carry it sweely and lightly? down to us. 
 It seems strange, now that my thoughts are opened

by the beautiful bird, that I have taken only a very

ordinary interest in pets of any kind considering my

rough bringing up and amongst natures good graces.  I fancy

the love for animals usually comes with one from early 

infancy, that is if there are domestic animals in the home

and there are few homes without a dog, cat or birds of some

kind, more particularly in North Queensland homes.  My

home, however, was an exception.  We had nothing but

poultry and a garden.  This probably is why I have not 

taken more notice of so well know a song as a good canary

can so pleasingly sing. 
 The weather throughout today has been magnificent.

It recalls plainly the soft, radiant sunshine that I was so

enamoured with on touring the Mediterranean Sea coast 3 yrs.

ago.  It is early Spring of course and I think it is going