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[Page 23]
appearances, seems to be the examination of the interiors of Transports, & you will understand that towards night fall his equanimity would be slightly disturbed. I am afraid that I was no exception, & when the colonel informed the assembled officers that reveille, on the following morning, would be blown at 4.30, owing to a strange desire of the town medical authorities to have the ship thoroughly fumigated, I almost frothed at the mouth.
Reveille at 4.30! We crawled out of bed & prepared for a tiring day. By 7.30 all troops were off the ship & an hour later were in sight of the Capetown recreation grounds. A strong picket was told off to enclose an area of somewhere about 50 acres, & the men were then dismissed within these boundaries. They had brought out a few footballs with them, & these were soon flying round the grounds & games started all over the place. All day we spent there with nothing to do except eat our midday meal to which everyone did ample justice.
On our arrival back at the wharf at 4.30, the fumes were still too thick to allow of the troops returning to their decks. For two & a half dismal hours we sat twiddling our thumbs watching