Item 02: Henry Frederick Wallace Tucker diary, 1 January - 31 December 1916 - Page 37

[Page 37]

Sunday 2 January 1916
Church Service today, not feeling too bright. Wrote Home also to Col. Fuller.
Old Soldiers in Hospital are a source of real trouble & annoyance to the medical Profession in so far as to let the novice into the tricks of securing a passage Home. Among this common dodges patients make up small rolls or Balls of ordinary Soap, & then cut swallow same. The result is that the Heart beats furiusly & the temperature rises, & the Drs. are at a loss to know how to treat the invalid, the result is Discharged Malinger.

Monday 3 January 1916
Daily Examination by Dr., raining all day, large numbers of men both coming & going each day.
Others patients try to sham Deafness & loss of voice, & back ache. Others again try to be insane, whilst a goodly number inflict Bodily Harm by shooting themselves in the Hand or feet. The penalty if caught is severe, but many still try the old dodges & some get through.

Tuesday 4 January 1916
Examined by Dr. today – asked to be allowed to leave & return to Regiment. Granted. I went to Maadi & saw Col. Fuller who willingly agreeded to take me back as His Batman, returned to Hospital at 7 p.m. The thought of getting away from Hospital Life is pleasant, for though they treated me Hansomely, too much of a good thing becomes tiresome. This Large German Hotel is certainly very handy for convalesents who soon get strong after a few weeks of good food & gentle exercise.

Wednesday 5 January 1916
Got my discharge from Helouan Al-Hayat Con. Home. Came direct to Maadi Camp & took up my Duties with Col. Fuller. He occupies a one roomed stone Hut built by Lieu Chisholm. Everything in Camp is upside down owing to Regiment just arriving in from Oasis Camp at Heliopolis. Letters arrived from Home & Mrs. Robson & Miss Sarginson.
There are very few of the Old Hands now in Camp, as many have returned to Aus. or died at the Front.