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[Page 45]
from one of which we took 11 AMC men belonging to 3rd Fd Amb. Steaming past the Queen Elizabeth, then Prince of Wales & other battleships we arrived at the A15. Clan McGillvray our destination. There we had a portion of deck space given us, no other accommodation being available & received an issue of Biscuits & Bully beef. The night was fine but cold but with help of Great coal managed to keep warm. Should it rain again we will suffer as we have no shelter whatever.
Friday 23rd awoke refreshed & breakfasted on porridge burnt, cheese jam & biscuits. Having inherited the ability to eat anything, a trifle such as burnt porridge worries me not & I made a hearty breakfast but my fellows are very indignant about the food. The ship is overcrowded about 200 men having to sleep & mess on the deck in all weathers. For lunch we had Bully Beef stewed & Potatoes but no bread. During the day we bought some eggs from a Greek which was a welcome change for tea about 4 P.M. we noticed several of the transports leaving the harbour as well as some cruisers the transports anchoring just outside the harbour. One of them was our late boat the City of Benares the Battalion has a splendid band in fact two one of Pipes & at night it is very enjoyable to have the bands playing. This was the last night for them to play, their instruments being packed up & sent to the base. Some hundreds of wooden water carriers were brought aboard designed to carry two Kerescene tins of water each,. One on each side of a packhorse or mule. Those tins have been filled & sealed up for some days past. The question of water is a big one in this campaign