Chapter I: Front Matter

CHRONOLOGY XIII.

CHAPTER I.

THE GENESIS.

W.A. in the South African War--The outbreak in 1914--Karrakatta and Blackboy Hill--The first units to embark--Scheme for raising new brigades--The 28th Battalion authorised--Enrolment of personnel-- Selection and appointment of Officers and N.C.Os.--Specialists wanted--Equipping--Hard training--An accident--Hours off duty--Visit from H.E. the Governor--Medical precautions--The March through Perth --Final preparations for departure for the Front. =Page 1.=

CHAPTER II.

EN ROUTE.

Embarkation 9th June, 1915--The crowds along the route and at Fremantle--Farewell to Australia--The "Ascanius"--Quarters and messing--Other troops on board--Statistics--Training at Sea-- Lectures--Stowaways--Competitions in tidiness--Entering the Tropics--Amusements--The Canteen--The Master--The East African Coast--The Red Sea--Strange rumours--Arrival at Suez--First contact with the Egyptians. =Page 15.=

CHAPTER III.

FIRST STAY IN EGYPT.

Disembarkation and train journey to Abbasia--The Land of Goshen --Description of the Camp--Early difficulties--Institutes--The newsvendors--Tidings from Gallipoli--Unrest in Egypt--The local command and garrison--Inspection by Sir John Maxwell--Mobilisation of the 7th Brigade--Training in the Desert--Night marches--The Zeitun School--Formation of the 2nd Australian Division--Difficulties in feeding the troops--Clothing for the Tropics--In quarantine--Sickness --Pay and currency--Mails and the Censor--Amusements--Riots--The military Police--Chaplains. =Page 28.=

CHAPTER IV.

FIRST STAY IN EGYPT (_continued_).

Distractions--A march through Cairo--Leave--In the bazaars--Gharri and donkey rides--Esbekieh Gardens--The Kursaal and the Casino--Shepheard's Hotel--Guides--Sightseeing--The Pyramids and Sphinx--Memphis--Sakkara-- The Tombs of the Sacred Bulls--The Cairo Museum--The Citadel and other Saracenic remains--Some beautiful mosques--Old Cairo--The Nile--The Egyptian aristocracy--Garrisoning Saladin's Citadel--A nephew of the Senussi--The trials of a soldier--Souvenir hunting--Visitors from Home --News of the August advance--Warned to proceed overseas--Entraining. =Page 45.=

CHAPTER V.

GALLIPOLI.

Some account of the Gallipoli Peninsula--The naval and military operations--Anzac Day--Arrival at Alexandria--Embarking on the "Ivernia"--Prejudices--Through the Grecian Archipelago--The "Southland"--In Mudros Bay--Closing the mail--In touch with the "Aragon"--Transhipping to the "Sarnia"--The last stage--The first glimpse of battle--Impressions--Landing in the "beetles"--Waterfall Gully--The first casualty--Contact with the 4th Brigade--Move to the Apex--Description of the position--Holding the salient--Condition of the trenches--Artillery support--Telephones--Dugouts--The New Zealanders --Attitude of the enemy--Sniping with field guns--Bombs, mortars, and catapults--Broomstick bombs. =Page 58.=

CHAPTER VI.

GALLIPOLI (_continued_).

First night in the trenches--Cleaning up--Shell fire--Generals Birdwood and Godley--No Man's Land--View from the Apex--Casualties--Pick and shovel--Sleep--Turkish demonstration--Divine service--Visit of Sir Ian Hamilton--Private Owen's escape--Company reliefs--Mining and tunnelling --Salvage--Patrols--Our guns--Propaganda--Espionage. =Page 77.=

CHAPTER VII.

GALLIPOLI (_continued_).

Poison gas--Targets for the guns--A general--A false alarm--"The one shall be taken--"--Relieved by the 25th Battalion--The fly pest-- Sickness--Bully beef and biscuits--Rum--Scarcity of water--Cooking-- Gathering fuel--Supply and transport--"Dunks." =Page 90.=

CHAPTER VIII.

GALLIPOLI (_continued_).

Lower Cheshire Ridge--Description of new position--A break in the weather--Trenches--Tunnels--Timber and iron--Sniping--Ruses--The Mohammedan festival--Arrival of reinforcements--Promotion from the ranks--Formation of bombing section--Change in command of Brigade --Canteen stores--Pay--A miss--Aeroplanes--Relieved by the 4th Brigade--Taylor's Hollow--Beach fatigues--Soldiers as sailors--News --Mails from Australia--Diversions--The naturalist--The beauties of land, sea, and sky. =Page 102.=

CHAPTER IX.

GALLIPOLI (_continued_).

Move to Happy Valley--Visit of Lord Kitchener--Unsettled weather --Humanity--A proposed stunt--The "close season for Turkey"--The blizzard and its dire consequences--Increased enemy gun fire--The arrival of the German heavies--Russell's Top--Three tiers of tunnels --Death of the three majors--News of the evacuation--The main body leaves the Peninsula--The Die-hards--Work of the Machine Gun Section --The last man. =Page 120.=

CHAPTER X.

LEMNOS ISLAND.

Landing in the Bay--A sick battalion--Sarpi camp--The arrival of the beer--Resting, recuperating, and refitting--Z Valley camp--Members selected for distinction--Touring Lemnos--General description of the island--The inhabitants--Kastro--Primitive agriculture--Mt. Therma-- Crowded shipping--The arrival of the billies--Christmas Day--A conspiracy--The concert--The New Year--Leaving for Egypt. =Page 137.=

CHAPTER XI.

BACK TO EGYPT.

Alexandria--Arrival at Tel-el-Kebir--The transport rejoins--A deal in tents--Kitchen trouble--A camp for two divisions--The battle of 1882--Short rations--Inspection by Sir Archibald Murray--Leave to Cairo--The postal service--Training for savage warfare--Reinforcements --General Paton--Transfers to the Camel Corps--Rumours of a Turkish advance--Move to the Sinai Peninsula--The desert--Road and pipe line --Camels--Ferry Post--The defences of the Suez Canal--Passing shipping --Lumping and navvying--Secret service agents--Dangers to shipping in the Canal--Ismailia--Gambling--Cerebro-spinal meningitis--A visit from the High Commissioner in Egypt. =Page 148.=