26th February 1915

The "painting operations" that hindered Col. Rosenthal's plan to include

the 18 pounders in his Brigade photo (referred to below), may refer to the

camouflaging of the Batteries' artillery pieces & ammunition limbers - the

above photo purports to show the first 18 pounder gun & limber to be

camouflaged at Mena.

[Courtesy of Australian War Memorial - H16079]

Friday 26th February

Had photograph taken of Brigade Officers in the morning. Could not get guns out for photo of whole Brigade owing to painting operations. At 1 o’clock Brigade and Battery staffs also OC, BAC and details moved out to take part in signal exercise, which continued until 12 midnight.

We arrived back in camp about 1 AM, and our mess secretary had been good enough to arrange for Hot Supper for us all, and it was duly appreciated. Charley writes me that the "Australia" and "Sydney" are now with the Home fleets.

Received instructions to prepare No 3 Section B.A.C. for immediate departure to – no one knows where - The 3rd Infantry Brigade together with engineers, ASC, AMC etc and our battery and portion of Column are under orders to leave tomorrow. We do not know if they are simply going forward to a base, or whether they have a definite job on hand. Their ships are under sealed orders till they are 20 miles out at sea from Alexandria. I wish my whole Brigade had received orders to March.

New extension shields are now fitted to 8th Battery guns, and will in due course be fitted to all guns of our Division.

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