Item 02: Leslie William Sutherland diary, 1 January-13 December 1916 - Page 80

[Page 80]

3 June, 1916 Saturday

Revielle as usual

Prisoners arrived during the night with a herd of goats & heaps of nippers still the same old aeroplane scare & during the turnout a couple of the bints made off but were quickly caught by the guards. Hal & I went over to sea for a swim taking the horses & it was lovely but a good step the country is in just such a state of defence as to render the canal impregnable but as far as our reconnaissance goes everything goes to prove that the enemy is not in force anywhere along our front & this stunt of tomorrow is to be the final one & we have the bad luck to be out of it on account of the shortage of horses so the N.Zs are all on their own they are off to Bir-el-Abd where Jucco is supposed to be.

Bed 9.30

4 June, 1916 Sunday

Bob killed 1915

Revielle at 5

Aeroplane reports that the enemy is concentrating at El Arish & is evident by considering a Southward sweep on to us, hope he does although it will take time & waiting here is irksome round about El Salmana, Bir-el-Abd everything is quiet & only a few tracks to be seen.

This time last year we were fighting for our lives at No 3 & only a few shells kicking about. Canteen stores arrive but are quickly bought out, the chaps have to much money & not enough tucker. Billy Hughes is still making a name for himself, on the house at home & is shaking the Cabinet up to some tune & should go a long way to hustle things for at present they need it bad enough.

Bed 9.30 – heaps of work.