Item 03: Joseph George Burgess war diary, 1 January 1916-4 February 1917 - Page 215
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[Page 215]
27 Nov, 1916
Hod El Bayoud
Last night we were out on observation Out Post; It was cold; I did not get warm until the sun rose after my shift. had a bit of bad luck too, we divided the time up into 1 hr 50 min shifts but had no watch so had to depend on the chaps on horse picquet at the foot of the hill about 40 yds away. They made a bloomer in the time & I didnt hear the whistle so the result was I did four hours & five minutes before I woke the next shift, - Joe Woods was a very disapointed man this morning when he woke to find that his shift was already done. The flies are terrible crook here, one would think that any decent self respecting fly would die these cold nights but these chaps come along as sure as the sun as lively & inquisitive as ever. The sand hills are very steep, & it is no uncommon sight to see a horse with the saddle girths round his flanks & his rider taking a sort of back seat. I was embarrassed in this way coming back from water on the morning of the 25th at Oggeratina €“ Dick sighted some camels & thought he was going to be grabbed so went at the hill like as if the old chap was after him. No doubt Dick thought he was & I slid out of the saddle just in time to keep from sliding over Dicks tail. Had quite a gay 2minutes