Item 06: Letters sent by Robert Christian Wilson to his family, 1918-April 1919 - Page 327
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[Page 327]
desert life, and still be fit at the finish to meet the foe we had so long been following.
One often hears arguments amongst our men as to the qualities of the ELC, and the general feeling seems to be that they are splendid labour corps men; and, as such, have done a tremendous lot in helping to defeat the Turk; but it would be impossible to ever make them into real soldiers.
"They would be no good in a scrap", I heard one man say, "they've got no guts you know". That in civilian language means that they have not enough stamina in them to ever be any good under fire.
Seeing them rush about like frightened sheep when a taube is over; or the way they shout and yell and seem as if they will "take to the bush" after a few bombs have fallen in amongst them rather confirms this belief.