2nd February 1915

Infantry marching into one of Mena's notorious dust storms,

well-known to the Egyptians as a 'khamseen.'

[Courtesy of Australian War Memorial - H02732]

Mena Camp

Tuesday February 2 1915

The 3^rd Brigade F A and 3^rd B A Column went out this morning to biovoak behind the Pyramids there was about 80 of us left in as there was a good few sick horses on the line so we had to clean up the lines.  I was cooks mate but had to give a hand to clean up the lines.  At about 5.30 pm a dust storm sprung up and it was awful with sand and dust blowing things about and you couldn’t see 10 yards in front of you, this lasted until about 8 oclock in the night.  I was the only one left in the tent so I got all the kit bags and piled them on the flaps of the tent to keep some of the sand out and then the air was suffocating inside the tent.  Anyhow after having a look at the Egyptian mail I went to sleep and when I woke the wind had ceased.

Tuesday 2nd February

Moved out of camp early. Selected Bivouac at bottom of desert near Pengelley’s plantation. Constructed gunpits by all Batteries and "dugout" for myself prepared by my own Headquarters during daylight. Then again at night men did the same work over again finishing about midnight. At about 5PM a terrific sand storm arose, continuing till about 7PM, and a beautiful mess it made of us and our bivouac. Our cloth spread for the evening meal was about hidden from view under the drift sand. Our meal was not enjoyed at all.

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