for anxiety. The strength of the forces available for its defence,
the backward condition of the enemy preparations, the route of the
Senussi's army, and the approach of summer, all pointed to the
improbability of active operations for at least some months to come. At
this time also Sir Archibald Murray, in an official document, referred
to the A.I.F. as the "Imperial Strategical Reserve." Those persons who
grasped the meaning of this phrase expected early developments, and the
various foreign theatres again came under discussion. Nor were
indications as to the new field of service long in coming. The
institution of a certain type of tactical exercise; the overhauling of
gas helmets and the constant practice in wearing them; lecturettes on
the tactics and weight of metal of the German artillery; and leaflets
describing the rank, badges, and saluting habits of one of our Allies,
all pointed to an early departure for the Western Front. Following on
these things came a complete change of rifles--the new ones firing mark
VII. ammunition, which gave a flat trajectory for a longer distance than
the earlier mark--and instructions to study the regulations regarding
the transport of troops by sea.

[Illustration: PRIVATE H. A. FRANCO, M.M.
A well-known member of the Battalion, who died of illness in
France on 16th February, 1918.
_Photo. lent by Mr. S. Jones._]

[Illustration: THE PIONEER-SERGEANT AT WORK.
Sergeant J. W. Anderson.]

Before any move took place the A.I.F. indulged in a little
introspection. Considering the size to which the Force had grown it was
inevitable that some proportion of undesirables must exist in its ranks.
Nor is this to be wondered at when it is remembered that in certain
cities in Australia magistrates released well known criminals from
custody on their undertaking to enlist. The majority of these men had no
intention of fighting, and when they eventually joined their units were
the cause of endless trouble. In their nefarious operations they were
not easily detected, but evidence of their handiwork was forthcoming
from the police, who received complaints of serious assaults and
robberies from the villages around Tel-el-Kebir and on the route to
Cairo. In cases where arrests were made it was sometimes not difficult
for the prisoner to escape from his captors and then the search for him
began anew. Later, when the main body of the A.I.F. had officially
departed from Egypt, a party had to be left