's answer just now."

Sharpie[3] and Ralph Stewart were quite the best at looking after
themselves, and carried more gear than all the rest of us put
together. At Syderstone Common an inquisitive general ordered the
tarpaulin to be taken off the General Service wagon, and the first
things which caught his eye were Sharpie's tennis racket and golf
clubs. At Gara munitions of war had to be left behind to find room on
the truck for his patent washstand. By the time he got to Palestine
Johnnie Smith really could not compete with his belongings, and had to
"borrow" a donkey to carry what could not possibly be left at Cox's
Go-down--and it took eight months after the Armistice was signed
before sufficient shipping could be collected at Alexandria to bring
that home.

"Tukie"[4] and "Doctor" Ross[5] of course go together--I don't know
which had the more character.

"What's the guid o' gaen tae oor Doctor? He wadna believe yer ill till
yer deid, and he wadna believe yer deid till yer stinkin."
Scrimshankers got little sympathy from either. "I've got awful pains
in my back, Doctor," said one man, and a knowing look passed between
the Doctor and Ross. "Off with your shirt then." A good old smack on
his bare back and--"that's all right, my man. A good dose of castor
oil, Corporal Ross. Medicine and duty."

Corporal Ross was a wonderful detective. He knew the past history and
character of every man in the Regiment, I am sure. Though no two could
have taken more care over you when you were really sick than Tukie and
his corporal, no two were harder on anyone they knew was shamming. How
these two worked on Gallipoli! Finally Tukie had to give in and was
literally pushed on board a hospital ship, but he was as bad as a
patient as he was good as a doctor, and they were glad to get rid of
him at Malta after a short time and return him to his beloved Unit.
Egypt, of course, afforded great scope for Tukie's fly-extermination
crusade, and I have already referred in the text to his extraordinary
success in exterminating mosquitoes at Sherika.

In Palestine his sanitary schemes were almost universally adopted, and
his award of a Military Cross hardly represents the great improvements
he introduced into the sanitation and health of the Force. We were all
very sorry to lose Tukie, but realised that his ability was wasted as
a regimental doctor, and felt he was better employed at the citadel
where he had more opportunity of using his grea