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[Page 128]

Wednesday 14 April 1915

Every man on board ought to thank his lucky star that there is every likelyhood of a calm trip across to Turkey, for at this time of the year the Mediterranean is particularly smooth, as is the sea to-day. Otherwise we might have had cause to curse the Ascot ever more. As it was things were just bearable. To begin with there are a thousand men and three hundred horses on board, there is absolutely no deck space for parading or for exercise; everything including sleeping deck is cold steel; and finally there is a terrible shortage of water. How long the limited supply has to last, no one can say; so it is difficult to obtain a drink, much less a good wash. Therefore we are likely to remain dirty till further notice. Of accomodation there is none. No salt water showers, no proper officers' mess (these worthies have to have the meals in relays), no room for a ship's office, no quartermaster's store, nothing in fact that should be here. To put it quite briefly A33 is not even an apology for a troopship. But we must not grumble, we are on 'fair dinkum' active service now.

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