Item 01: Eric Susman war diary, 1 January 1915-4 April 1916 - Page 58
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[Page 58]
Wednesday 3 February 1915
Another feature of the Imperial way of doing things which is very much appreciated by the Australians is the Mess Room idea. Previously, at our camp in Australia, our meals were served to us in the lines; but now each company has its own Mess room with tables and benches. So that instead of having our food cold and covered with sand, it is served in a hot, palatable condition.
This evening, I paid a visit to what was formerly the Palace Hotel of Heliopolis, but is now known as No. 1 Australian General Hospital. Unfortunately I could not appreciate all the beautiful tones of colour by the artificial light. But there is absolutely nothing tinny or tawdry about it. Everything is of the best from all the interior fittings to the solid slabs of granite of the basement. Of course, it has been greatly changed by its previous [?] formation into a hospital containing five hundred rooms. But the beauty of the building and its surroundings still remains. I intend to see this place by daylight before we move from Heliopolis.