Item 01: Cameron Robertson war diary, 18October-20 December 1914 - Page 40

[Page 40]

The native children in the nearby houses started yelling early in the morning. It was an uearthly noise. I hope they dont make a practice of doing this every day.
At present we are on very rough rations. All we got up to dinner time to-day was tea and a couple of extra hard biscuits. Gee they were hard. You could soak them in boiling water for an hour and it would make no difference to them.
For dinner to-day we received some cheese without ant taste and some bread. The tea had no sugar in it. This is where we begin to rough it.
We have done nothing yet as far as taking up the defencive but still mucking about as we did at Kensington.
11th
Reveille at 4.15. Had a half a cup of tea with no sugar that was all. Started for wharf at 5.30 to unload horses from S.S."Hymetties". Had more tea and dry bread at 10 am. All had to work like trojans. There were several mishaps. Up to 6.30 pm we unloaded 600 horses and trucked them. Gee but it was hard work especially on an empty stomach.
Had bread and jam only for tea while the Sergeants went on board for tea Unloaded more till 9.30. Entrained at 9.45. Train left for Cairo at 10 pm Up all night.