post companies on the hill
tops, and especially for the mule leaders who had to make the journey
up and down that perilous wadi with rations and water at least once
and sometimes twice a day, and then wade through the mud to the
companies. The rain, however, helped them, as it gave us water close
at hand which was excellent for cooking and washing purposes. On the
whole, however, the weather was glorious, and the wild flowers were a
great joy to us all.

After we had done a fortnight in the line we were to have been
relieved by another battalion in the Brigade when news came through
that the whole Division was to be relieved and march to Railhead,
which was now at Ludd. This, combined with a memo, which said "All
units XX. Corps except 74th Division will indent for shorts
forthwith," made it quite clear that we were bound for France, and so
it proved.

On 9th April we were relieved by the 2/4 R.W.F. (53rd Division), and
bivouacked that night at our transport lines on the shoulder of Tel
Asur. Next day the Brigade marched via Beitin to Bireh and bivouacked
just west of Ram Allah. The following day we went down the Ain Arik
road to Tattenham Corner, along the road we ourselves had made to our
bivouac area, near the old Devon Camp below Suffa.

On 12th April we made Amwas, and next day after a long and dusty march
we reached our destination Ludd. We spent a busy day there drawing
stores from Ordnance and returning things for which we had no further
use. H.Q. and B Company entrained that evening, and the remainder the
following morning, and we all got to Kantara that night, or very early
on the morning of the 16th.

We were at Kantara just a fortnight, during which time we were
disinfected and refitted, put through gas and exercised in field days
on the desert. We had never been allowed to draw clothing in
Palestine after Yalo as we were on the waiting list for France, and
when we arrived at Kantara we were a most disreputable looking
crowd--clothing patched and torn, garments showing where they should
never be seen, and boots in some cases almost without soles at all.
But when we marched out we were clad once more in new tunics, new
trousers, and new boots, and looked very smart.

The transport left on 19th April under Mr J. Drysdale, and the
Battalion followed on the 29th, reaching Alexandria early next
morning, and embarking at once on H.M.T. _Indarra_. Brigade H.Q. were
with us. Lieut.-Colonel Younger was O.C. tr