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[Page 13]
Marseilles
26/3/16
Characteristic Australian! Troops hailing us from another transport as we pass "What mob are yer"? which recalls a little incident as we came through Suez Canal a year ago. Our chaps on ship hailing Tommies on bank "Who are you?" Reply from Tommies "HAC Honorable Artillery Company London – Who are you"? Our men "AUSTRALIANS!" Tommies in concert "Then God help the b--- w--- in Cairo!" By unanimous consent the Pioneer Battn has been dubbed "the Sigheaders.
They are disembarking now – a lovely spring morning with a nip in the air. We move off at 1130 and shall spend about 56 hours in the train. Yesterday there was the shock of its kind on the voyage – a surprise muster shortarms inspection which the men treat as a huge joke but is really a necessary degradation. The unfortunate detected wish a discharge as a rule. As a great "ahoy" from his comrades, and any wowser individual who falls by the way gets especial attention. Church parade at 0900 and the men then got busy packing kits, - told them all mess tins and rations were to be stowed in the pack – impossible of course but they will all try to get them in.
Our moves appear to always embrace Sunday. We left Australia, Gallipoli, Zel el Kebir, Ismailia & Marseilles on Sundays and landed in Gallipoli, Zel el Kebir also on Sundays. Disembarked at 1130 and moved off at 1330 after sitting down. Marched through the streets with band playing to the station, seeing very little of the city proper as the streets were all small back ones. The people turned out as we passed and when the Marsellaies was struck up they showed their appreciation by hand clapping and "bravos".
Reaching the train we entrained and from our carriages could see some nice girls who waved to our chaps. They are awfully fascinating women – so neat. Some men playing a kind of bowls, and in a most unconcerned way urinating against a wall in a public street. They are careless of conventions.
Saw some German prisoners at work on station.