e next day. Leave to Cairo brought a most welcome
change to those fortunate enough to get it, while the remainder could
console themselves with football and bathing, and the Brigade and
Divisional "stunts" kept us fit and healthy. Those whose duty brought
them into connection with the camels had their fill of excitement, and
one still recalls a picture of an infuriated camel chasing all and
sundry round the camp, with a fantassy on one side of its pack and a
company storeman, who had mounted to preserve the balance, uttering
lamentable cries on the other. The arrival of the gippy driver and the
complete fearlessness with which he seized the trailing rope and beat
the furious beast into submission with a pole, gave a foretaste of the
courage which some of these men showed under shell-fire in later days.
By the 3rd of March, by the way, the thermometer had risen to above 80
inside the tents. While at el Arish, "Padre" Campbell, who had been with
the Battalion since we left Leven, returned home to his parish, and his
place was taken by "Padre" De la Bere. The 42nd Division left Sinai for
France and there was a reorganisation of the Desert Column, which now
included the 53rd Division, who passed through the 52nd Division at this
time and were the leading infantry on the march towards the border.
General Chetwode, who had arrived from France, took command of the
Desert Column.

On the 7th of March we left our tents and moved eastwards again, having
for some of the distance the great boon of the wire road which part of
the Brigade had constructed. So unused were we to such firm going that
some of us were afflicted with blisters and pains in the front of the
calf; but this was a light price to pay. The pack drivers had to keep
off the road with their animals, as had the camel escort, which was hard
on them. Arrived at el Burj, we obtained permission to go for a bathe,
and moved off by companies through enormous sand hills. However, before
half the Battalion had been down, we were suddenly warned to take up an
outpost line, although we had been previously informed that we should
not be required to do so. The consequence was a long march carrying
greatcoats and blankets and a very difficult posting of picquets in the
dark. Moreover, the dinner ration of fresh meat could not be cooked
because the ration and water camels could not find us, and the men, who
badly needed a meal, had to go hungry. It is rumoured that a Staff
officer,