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[Page 40]
Xmas Day, Constantinople.
All troops remained aboard. Xmas dinner at 7 p.m. & enjoyed a splendid dinner plenty of everything as good as any 1st Class hotel fare, whisky & wines, very pentiful. Sports for the troops in the afternoon held on the boat deck & plenty of fun. Concert at night in which all the officers & troops took part & proved a great success. The vessel being decorated with bunting & highly illuminated with electric lights. Our 1st Saloon was highly decorated & was a credit to the stewards dept. Most elaborate & beautiful & everyone enjoyed a splendid Xmas. The City of Constantinople appears splendidly situated. We are at anchor ΒΌ of a mile facing the Sultan's palace & Harem buildings, ferry boats running from one shore to another very much similar to Sydney harbor.
26.12.18, Boxing Day
At 10 a.m. commenced to disembark troops into large Turkish ferry boats & also Kits, stores & ammunition. The transports officers & engineers & wireless operators that were off duty were allowed ashore fully armed & had motor cars supplied free by the British garrison. These cars are of the best captured & passed over by the Turkish government. They motored all over the new part of the city avoiding the old town as the Turks were fighting amongst themselves in the old quarter & an average of 6 murders a day were is committed.