g too cheery
about it, as we were told we were to do a 19-mile march--rather a
formidable proposition when every second man already had sore feet--as
it was the intention of the authorities to get us up to Jaffa in two
strenuous marches. However, during the course of the day the plan of
campaign was changed, and we were told that we should probably have to
go to the Judaean Hills instead of to the Ramleh-Jaffa Sector near the
sea. This was not the best of news, as there was no doubt which was
the more salubrious spot; but it had this compensation that it knocked
six miles off our day's march, our camp being pitched near the Wadi
Sukharieh mentioned above, which was a convenient starting-point for
the next day whether we were ordered to Ramleh or to Junction Station.
We found, to our surprise, that the feet were no worse than the
previous night; some few were getting pretty bad, but most of them
looked as if they were on the mend.

The next day we were finally labelled Judaea, and did a most trying
march--only about eleven miles, but a frightfully hot day--at first
through various pleasant looking farm colonies, and later through a
most desolate piece of country to Junction Station. On this trek we
were lucky enough to come under the eye of the Commander-in-Chief, who
at once noticed what we all very well knew--that we were carrying a
much greater load than could reasonably be expected in such a climate.
We had to do it, as the necessary camels had simply not been
available. However, the Commander-in-Chief quickly remedied this, and
from here onwards we had camels provided to carry our greatcoats,
leaving us pack and blanket only.

At Junction Station we had our first taste of water trouble. As we
were making our way from west to east, we were changing places with a
division of the XXI. Corps. This division had spent the previous night
at Junction Station and had drunk the wells dry, so that no water was
obtainable on our arrival. We were told we should get it by 9 P.M.,
and then a later hour was mentioned; but the net result was that we
got just enough to make our breakfast tea, but not enough to fill the
water-bottles, so we started on our next stage in the very worst of
tempers to find that we had hardly got out of camp before we were
involved in a regular block at the railway crossing which, needless to
say, was frightfully dusty. This delay proved, however, to be a
blessing in disguise, as it enabled our water cam