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[Page 10]
1/10/15
Abdul very jumpy tonight and jerking a lot of lead into the landscape. Bombs & the crack of bullets around here but row always greater on left as the reports echo and recho down Shrapnel valley with the sea at the foot making a sounding board.
Notice a great many getting heavy and haggard with constant strain and any repulsive sight seems to haunt their memory. Probably a characteristic of this trench warfare – when moving, changes of scene would keep the mind lively and occupied.
Busy clerical day with no Orderly Room Sergt. Faring well as regards food – for breakfast porridge (biscuits ground down with condensed milk) bacon (very fat) and bread & gooseberry jam lunch Ration maconachie beef Rice & raisins bread & jam dinner Bacon, batter fritters strawberry jam and bread.
Stood to arms 1530 all batmen out too. All know their alarm post.
(Egypt) (Chanties sung by Arab grooms One chants, others repeat in chorus & so on. Enormous trays with large lamps the sweet meat sellers carry on their heads. Water carriers watering side streets from goat skin bags. Filthy little [word deleted] bootblacks around tram at Heliopolis, "You wanner boots clean Misser Captn You wanner brush Mr Sergeant Major Mackenzie You gib it half piastr" Georgette and the half piastr Little white skull caps and pinky swathe of turban. News boys "Times Egyptian Daily Mirror Daily Exskotch. Al Moka tram Times London Philip Dragoman at Shepheard. The other wall eyed old devil of Ex Continental fame "Yes! Yes! orright orright. Yes very good very nice. Abbotts dragoman on excursion with [indecipherable])