20th January 1915

The Artillery Camp & limbers at Mena, 1915.

[Courtesy of National Library of Australia]

Mena Camp

Wednesday January 20 1915 

Our Revallie goes at 5.30 am and it is fairly cold at the time here at the present.  You hear revallie and then the quarter to fall in goes immediately after so one has no much time to have his toilet.  One must have everything ready and just pop your rigout on and run out to parade.  First thing to do is to water the horses.  We have long troughs and the water is layed on from the region.  It is first pumped from the Nile to there and then is layed on through the camp by pipes.  The First Brigade did some firing practice today and the shells were whistling over it was fairly good shooting.  The horses took no notice of it at all.  I went out on the wagon and took No. 4 in the practice.  We bought our guns in this afternoon to be overhauled for we do our shooting on Friday and tomorrow the 2^nd Brigade does theirs tomorrow.  We are going to do a route march at an early date and have to go in full marching order.  Got mail today 2 cards from Eva and Dorothy and a letter from Ada dated 13^th Dec. and another letter from Flo dated 20^th Dec.

Wednesday 20th January

Left for training area at 8AM. Moved off Easterly portion of range which was required for 1st Infantry Brigade, and got over to area used by 1st Artillery Brigade. Shooting going on all day. Did not appear too satisfactory; the 2nd Brigade shoot tomorrow, the 3rd Brigade on Friday.

Received letter from Nell dated December 22nd also card from Chris. Nell appears to think I am having an excellent time in Egypt. Good living and plenty of social life, both of which ideas are quite untrue. She will perhaps believe the truth when she hears it from outsiders.

[Courtesy of State Library of New South Wales - Sir Charles Rosenthal diary]