Item 01: Eric Susman war diary, 1 January 1915-4 April 1916 - Page 107
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[Page 107]
Wednesday 24 March 1915
It is quite obvious that the troops, if they were kept going every day in the working week for several weeks, would not, in a difficult, sandy country such as Egypt, be able to keep up the arduous training which we are now undergoing. This applies especially to the infantry units. To obviate this, "Rest" days are periodically granted to the various battalions so that they may have a chance to recuperate – an opportunity for getting some of the dust off their lungs. On these days an inspection of feet and rifles is held. These inspections having been carried out with satisfactory results, the medical officer takes over the battalion, and a parade, to guard against the possibility of any spread of venereal disease, is held. After that, the company lines are cleaned up, the men are dismissed and have the rest of the day to themselves.
This afternoon the first death (i.e. not counting a drowning case at Liverpool at a time when the battalion had scarcely been formed) occurred in the 13th, the poor unfortunate being a patient in No. 1 Australian General Hospital, suffering from abcess on the liver. It speaks well for the general good health of the regiment that the first death should not take place till after six months since the battalion was formed.