l. Bell who said he had intended to look
me up to let me know the result of a conference the previous evening,
when it was announced we were to evacuate the peninsula. This was a
strict secret, but I had to be told about it so that we might begin at
once to get rid of as much of our equipment as we could spare. After
such an announcement I felt it would be cowardly to miss what all
considered would be a terrible experience, and the object of my errand
was not mentioned. Such an eventuality was often discussed; we felt
that our remaining there for the winter would be a mistake, and no one
ventured to put our losses at less than 50 per cent. of all our forces
should it be attempted.

The preparations for the evacuation had been carried out with the
utmost efficiency, so much so that our losses were perfectly
marvellous--six casualties at Suvla, Anzac, and Helles combined.
(Suvla and Anzac were evacuated on December 10, 1915, and Helles on
January 8, 1916.)

1916.

_March 2nd._--On February 21, I received a long telegram from the War
Office, ordering me to hold myself in readiness to embark for the
Mediterranean at an early date to join an overseas unit. This order
pleased me, as my last Medical Board threatened to put me down for a
home job, which I told them would not be at all to my liking, and I
was glad to find they had carried out my wishes and allowed me to go
in for General Service once more.

Then on February 28 I had the order to report myself 10 the Military
Embarkation Officer at Devonport by noon on March 1. After a tiresome
journey of twenty-two hours I reached the docks and was directed on
board the Anchor Liner "Transylvania". Three medical men were down for
duty to the troops on board, these numbering over 3000, with Lt.-Col.
Humphreys as P.M.O.

We have some heavy work allotted to us; the order to inoculate all the
troops against cholera, which means two injections for each man, is a
big job in itself. Many have never been inoculated against enteric and
these have also to be seen to.

The "Transylvania" is a big boat of 15,000 tons. We lie in the bay
although all has been in readiness for twenty-four hours, and we
believe the delay is due to the fact that there have been several
casualties in the Channel, within the last few days, from mines that
have floated down from the Dover end, and we are likely to lie here
till the Channel is swept.

My first thought about our ship was that she was such