Item 01: Sir Charles Rosenthal diary, 25 September 1914-31 December 1918 - Page 55
Primary tabs
Transcription
[Page 55]
commenced tonight after lecture. Hope to learn to speak fairly well while here. All officers given a start tonight with verbs, nouns, sentences etc.
Sunday 19th December
Very solid day getting returns completed and seeing units fitted out with camp equipment.
Engineers erected camp cooking fire for our mess, and will erect camp oven on Monday. Gave lecture to all specialists this morning. Signalling morning and afternoon. Arabic class at night. Several officers on leave. Had ride on Jack for first time since leaving Melbourne. He is very fit. Called on Playfair at Hospital.
Sunday 20th December
Checking over all vehicles this morning. Found correct. Church parades all over the camp from 9.30 to 10.30 this morning. Our C of E service conducted by Dean Talbot. Band from Infantry very "sick" indeed. This afternoon had large party of specialists out doing patrol work and doing helio work in addition. Very useful afternoon. Spent evening in writing home letters. Beautiful sight this morning from our church parade ground. The tents of various kinds, horses, vehicles, moving bodies of troops, sand hills, Pyramids, Palm trees and cultivation were all visible in one panorama. Hope to be able to secure a photograph showing everything. Colonel Hobbs wife and daughter have arrived at Cairo, also Major Parker's wife. Mr Rogers wife who is a nurse at Mena House completes the party of W.A. wives. Mrs Christian is also at Cairo. I wish I could afford to bring my family here. No such luck. British protectorate established in Egypt. Special function in Cairo at which some of our Australian troops were present officially.
Monday 21st December
Solid work throughout the Brigade. Teaching my class use of helio, also on model for reconnaissance. Out mounted in the afternoon. Lecture at night by Major Browne on Horse mustership and fitting of saddlery. We had a horse in the mess tent as a model. Arabic class afterwards. Posted letter to Nell, Alvord & Chris, also parents.
Tuesday 22nd December
Out signalling all the morning with Brigade class, and using Artillery abbreviations. In the afternoon I took a party