Item 01: Eric Susman war diary, 1 January 1915-4 April 1916 - Page 120
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[Page 120]
Tuesday 6 April 1915
Today we got the first definite hints of an early departure from Egypt. The programme for the week's training was suddenly cancelled, and the week or part thereof, was put at the disposal of "officers commanding units.
So we did what we had all learnt, or what we were supposed to have learnt 7 months ago – Squad Drill. to say that the men we disgusted would be to put it very mildly indeed. Yet to their credit, they did not show their displeasure in the usual Australian fashion, namely by indulging in a little hooting exhibition. No! they carried out the various movements with a remarkable show of smartness and discipline. Everybody on the parade ground was surprised – the officers were astonished that no objections were made, the men, that they could knuckle under and, for once in their military careers, behave like the soldiers of (say) the Continental armies. To put it as I heard it said "Gawd blimme, why the hell did we do squad drill all day just like a British Tommy would, without a single b--- objection!"