Item 03: Walter Bruce Rainsford diary, 1 January 1916-31 December 1916 - Page 34
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[Page 34]
being put to various kinds of work here. Before leaving the "Braemar Castle" I saw numerous squads on the wharves guarded by French troops, they seem to be of a pretty fine type.
A private in the French Army receives 4d per day, a "Tommy" 1/4d & an Australian 6/-.
Thurs. 13th April :-
The French people are very friendly to the Australians who have come such a long way to help them against the Germans. They look a chap up and down curiously in the streets as we are about the first Aust. Unit they have ever come in contact with. The girls have plenty of smiles for us but there is one big obstacle for most – they speak French only and we speak English only. I thank my lucky stars that I started French in Egypt – so jolly useful now (to the envy of more than one of our chaps.) (71)