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[Page 24]
A rubber tube, but more often a stem of wood was used, and it was passed around to ten men, or so, which was rather an incongruous proceeding after being so particular about their meals etc. The tobacco was mixed with sugar to make it burn better and give it taste.
I often had a chat with a well educated Sikh lieutenant who spoke English fairly well and I received some interesting information. It is indeed true that, "One half the world does not know, how the other half lives".
A well known personality on the Peninsular, was the Roman Catholic Chaplain named Father Murphy who visited our trenches regularly and had a cheery word for everybody. He used to travel the whole of the firing line, and one day, when down on the beach, he got wounded by shrapnel. His departure was regretted by all and the last I heard of him was that he was doing well.
Ten weeks and two days were spent on Walkers Ridge, and then we were relieved by the 26th Battalion, and moved out for a rest in Monash Gully, which is on the right of ridge facing the firing line. After a week's spell, we were kept busy tunnelling, sapping, etc., on shifts of six hours duration and twelve hours off. I worked with a tunnelling party at the junction between Quinn's and Courtney's Posts, and it was here that where Lance Corporal Jacka won the V.C. in the first month of the campaign. A flight of very steep steps about 100 in number had to be climbed to reach Quinns Post.