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[Page 45]

Even then these methods were different to the one taught at Liverpool, & naturally were considered by the men "not as good".

In a few days later we were under marching orders to proceed by rail to Moasker & eventually to join up our battalion, as we afterwards discovered at Ferry Post on the Suez Canal.

With the men overstrength belonging to the 4th Battn & the 20th Battn the 56th Battalion, sister to the 4th Battn was being formed up & our lot of 240 men (15/4) were sent to complete its establishment.

We detrained at Moasker and camped for the night in the open, our first experience. Camp fires were soon lighted, goodness only knows where the fuel came from, but it came, that was the main thing, "dixies" were soon boiling & after supper sing-songs choruses etc. We camped on the sand.

Reveille sounded the next morning at about 4 Oclock & we started on our first Route March with packs up carrying also 2 blankets, for our destination Although the load was a fairly heavy one & the greater part of the road was through sand (the desert) we were all in such good condition that we marched into Ferry Post in very good order. Our reputation had evidently preceded us for an unusually large number of men came to have a look at us. Shortly after we were drafted to our various Companies, moved off to join them, & allotted to our sections & tents, there to stay till the havoc of war made changes.

Once having joined the Battalion we were soon to learn that our reputation as rioters had preceded us and that the near future would prove a very strenuous time, from constant drills & long Route Marches For about a couple of months we we drilling three times a day with route marches of from 12 to 18 miles two & three times a week. So monotonous and unsatisfactory did the drills become

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