The 28th: A Record of War Service in the Australian Imperial Force Part 3

The first day in the new camp was one of discomfort and worry. No brigade or divisional staffs were present to a.s.sist and advise as to the new conditions. The source of supplies had to be ascertained, kitchens constructed, baggage sorted, and the lines, which were indescribably dirty, cleaned up. All ranks were tired with the previous day's long hours and badly needed a hot meal which, at first, could not be satisfactorily supplied. A few men strayed away to Heliopolis, where they found members of the 5th and 6th Brigades, whose local knowledge they availed themselves of in their search for creature comforts.

Fortunately other friends were near in the 13th Light Horse Regiment, which was temporarily occupying part of Abbasia Camp. The members a.s.sisted greatly in the settling down process and, in consequence, by the night of the third day tents were pitched, cooking arranged for, and the comfort of the individual much improved. Very shortly after, further advantages were provided in the shape of a regimental inst.i.tute where fruit, groceries, and liquor could be procured. This scheme was subsequently extended in the direction of establishing a restaurant, a fruit and ice cream tent, a newsvendor's stall, and a barber's shop.

This inst.i.tute was valuable for several reasons. It afforded a means of supplementing the indifferent ration; prevented the infliction of exorbitant prices; guaranteed fair quality; reduced straying; ensured the profits coming back to the battalion; and did away with the necessity for admitting to the lines the clamorous and often filthy mult.i.tude of hawkers. After this no Egyptian or foreigner was permitted to approach the tents without a pa.s.s. Most of the local vendors had methods peculiarly their own. The agents for the "Egyptian Times" or "Egyptian Gazette" described their sheets in language which suggested guilelessness and earlier a.s.sociation with the 1st Australian Division.

The orange, chocolate, and "eggs-a-cook" (small hard-boiled eggs) sellers seemed to possess the faculty of rising from the earth or dropping from the blue, for whenever bodies of troops, exercising in the desert, halted for rest, some half-dozen of these people--not previously in view--would suddenly appear, and, dragging their wares from somewhere between their not over clean garments and less clean skin, would offer them to the soldiers at "two fer a arf" (piastre).

Of course news of the progress of our troops on the Gallipoli Peninsula was eagerly sought. At first information was difficult to obtain. The only sources from which it could be gathered were the wounded and sick in the neighbouring No. 1 Australian General Hospital housed at the Heliopolis Palace Hotel, and the adjoining Luna Park. These men related their own experiences and impressions. Their auditors were able to appreciate the stupendous task of the landing parties and the heroism with which they had held on to the ground gained under devastating enemy fire and the ravages of disease. Of the relative positions of the opposing forces little of a definite nature was known, nor could anything be ascertained as to the plans for the future. The fact that so many troops were collecting in Egypt did, however, point to probable further developments, and gave the Battalion great hopes of being allowed to partic.i.p.ate. The achievements of the Western Australian units already at the front had been proved more than worthy of emulation, and the 28th was determined not to be found lacking.

The situation in Egypt at this time was not without cause for anxiety.

Some months earlier the Khedive Abbas Hilmi, an intriguer against Great Britain, had been replaced by Prince Kamil Hussein, who was proclaimed Sultan under a British protectorate. Sir Arthur Henry McMahon was High Commissioner, but the country was virtually under martial law administered by the G.O.C. in Egypt--Lieut.-General Sir John Maxwell.

There was more than a little unrest amongst the civil population caused by the efforts of the Turkish and German propagandists. On the eastern frontier precautions had to be taken to meet a repet.i.tion of the raid of February made by Djemal Pasha on the Suez Ca.n.a.l. Towards the west the att.i.tude of the Senussi, a great religious sheik, indicated pretentions to temporal power which must inevitably bring about a conflict. To meet this situation there were a few brigades of the Indian Army on the Ca.n.a.l,[E] whilst for the remainder dependence seemed to be placed on the units and reinforcements pa.s.sing through to the Dardanelles. Maxwell made the most of these, and greatly impressed the populace by displays of force. These displays consisted of marching brigades of Yeomanry and Australians through the city and thickly populated suburbs. The 28th Battalion frequently took part--the marches mostly being carried out at night and forming part of the training in march discipline. The natives looked on sullenly, but there was little in the way of openly hostile display.

The organisation of the forces in Egypt brought the Australians under the supreme command of Sir John Maxwell, but they, and the New Zealanders, were grouped under the immediate command of Major-General J.

Spens and known as the Australian and New Zealand Training Depot. For self-contained organised units this arrangement was fairly satisfactory, but with regard to reinforcement drafts their management was the subject of much adverse criticism. Discipline was very weak and actual training not, apparently, a primary consideration. These defects continued for many months. They were not due to the men themselves, but to the absence of a policy in regard to the command and administration of training battalions generally. In later years the Australians managed these things for themselves, and with such good results that the British Service found it profitable to copy some of their methods.

[Ill.u.s.tration: ABBASIA CAMP.

"D" Company marching in. Jebel Ahmar in the background.

_Photo. by Sergt. Arundel._]

[Ill.u.s.tration: THE ADJUTANT AND "TIM."]

General Spens visited the Battalion's camp early in the morning following its arrival. He questioned the Commanding Officer as to the unit, and after being a.s.sured that the material was excellent, though far from being perfectly trained, contented himself by saying "Ah well, give 'em plenty of shootin'."

On the 5th July the Battalion was drawn up to receive Sir John Maxwell.

Sir John arrived with a considerable staff, including young Prince Leopold of Battenberg. The General closely inspected the unit, both he and his staff commenting most favourably on what they described as a "magnificent regiment." Sir John afterwards made a short address, referring to the work of the first four brigades and the hopes for the future. Doubtless having in mind the recent disturbances in Cairo, he also pointed out that Egypt was now a British Protectorate and that the Egyptians were, equally with the Australians, British subjects. He expressed a wish, therefore, that there would be no "knockin' 'em about."

At the date of the 28th's arrival in Egypt, one or two battalions of the 5th Brigade, and the whole of the 6th Brigade, were already in Aerodrome Camp, just without and on the north-east side of Heliopolis. The 4th Light Horse Brigade, minus the 13th Regiment, was also camped near by.

The complement from the "Ascanius" was the nucleus of the 7th Brigade.

The 27th Battalion, after landing, went first to Aerodrome Camp, but moved to Abbasia within a fortnight. The 25th Battalion, the second half of the 26th Battalion, and the remainder of the 5th Brigade troops did not arrive until about a month later. About the same time, Sergt.

Faulkner and his drivers reported to their unit (8th August). They had been detained at Blackboy Hill a month after the departure of the "Ascanius," finally embarking on the "Boonah" on the 12th July.

Observing instructions received, their horses had been left behind in Western Australia and fresh teams had now to be drawn from the local Remount Depot, in which there existed a surplus.

From the foregoing it will be seen that August had arrived before the 7th Brigade and its staff was actually mobilised and complete.[F] In the meantime the 4th Light Horse Brigade had, for the most part, been broken up in order to provide reinforcements for the three horseless brigades then fighting on Gallipoli. The 13th Light Horse moved to its own camp but retained its ent.i.ty, and as such afterwards served through the war.

After reaching Abbasia the all-important consideration was training.

This was pressed on vigorously. At the commencement the routine provided for reveille at 4.30 a.m. and parades to be held from 6 to 9 a.m. and 4.30 to 7 p.m. Indoor (_i.e._, in huts) instruction was carried out between 10.30 a.m. and 1 p.m. These hours were fixed in order to meet climatic conditions, but they rendered satisfactory arrangements for meals difficult. Three hours' work on an empty stomach in the early morning did not induce enthusiasm or vigour in practising attack formations and movements. Nor was the long interval between 1 o'clock dinner and 7 o'clock tea conducive to contentment with other work of an exhausting nature. A little was done to meet the situation by providing an early morning cup of coffee and biscuit, but the poor quality of the rations and the limited regimental funds prevented an entirely effective solution. Nevertheless the discomforts were submitted to cheerfully and the presence of the other battalions of the Brigade gradually gave rise to a spirit of emulation, resulting in keenness and genuine progress.

The training was continued on from the stage reached at Blackboy Camp and practical application was given to the principles inculcated in some of the lectures of the voyage over. Bayonet fighting was a.s.siduously practised and knowledge obtained of recent changes born of the experience of the war. Early in August a musketry course was fired by the whole unit. Attention was then given to the more advanced forms of exercise in attack and defence, combined with the construction and use of earthworks. Here began that intimate knowledge of the shovel and pick which, during the war, was acquired by every infantryman. All fighting soldiers loathed these implements, but, at the same time, recognised their utility and appreciated the protection they made it possible to provide. Occasionally the Brigadier a.s.sembled the four battalions and, after a little close-order work, would lead them on a five to ten mile night march. Apart from the purpose already referred to, these night marches had great value as steadying influences. Battalions vied with each other in displaying good form. To see them marching to attention with no sound audible but the tramp of thousands of feet, or, again, to hear units, when "at ease," singing some stirring song with 800 full-throated voices as one, was indeed inspiring to the bystander.

Now and then night work took the form of occupying and entrenching a position, or of moving over unknown desert guided only by compa.s.s. There were times when the dust nearly choked one, or when the lights and shadows made it impossible to ascertain whether one was likely to fall down a slope or stumble on to the side of a hill. Notwithstanding these difficulties, the 28th never once lost its way or failed to reach its objective to time. On one occasion a move was made for some miles along the Suez Road and a bivouac, protected by outposts, established in the Wadi-esh-Shem. The remainder of the Brigade represented a hostile force based on Cairo. During the night an attempt was made to penetrate the 28th outpost line. The attempt was unsuccessful. Early the following morning, the West Australians advanced westwards in attack formation and succeeded in driving one of the opposing units off a line of hills commanding the road to Cairo. This was the most elaborate setpiece during the training period and, whilst the execution was defective in several respects, the general form shown placed the "Gropers" an easy first in the Brigade in point of efficiency. Nor had the specialists been neglected. In addition to the original Machine Gun Section, a first reserve section was trained and a commencement made with the second.

These gunners acquired a highly technical knowledge and were subsequently utilised for the examination and repair of the armament of the other sections of the Brigade. The formation of trained reserves for the Signallers was also undertaken and due attention paid to other requirements.

All training was supervised by the Brigadier and his Staff, but the latter had not that experience likely to be of a.s.sistance either to its chief or to commanding officers. General Spens lent one or two officers and non-commissioned officers who had served in the first campaign in France and whose experience should have been of value to the new troops.

The N.C.Os., genuine "Contemptibles," were really useful and of a fine stamp--able to impress the young Australian and communicate many useful lessons. On the other hand, the officers were not, apparently, selected with any regard to their capacity as instructors but merely for the sake of giving them something to do. They lectured frequently in a didactic manner--playing fast and loose with the training manuals, and advocating experiments for which they could give no sound reason. When pressed on these matters it seemed to them sufficient to say that they "thought they were good ideas." This engendered much vexation amongst the Australian officers, more especially as the Brigadier very often did not see his way clear to withstand the innovations. The immediate result was to humbug officers and men and negative many of the sound lessons already taught.

[Ill.u.s.tration: BRIG.-GENERAL JAMES BURSTON, V.D.

Who commanded the 7th Brigade in 1915.

_Photo. lent by Mrs. Burston._]

[Ill.u.s.tration: LIEUT.-COLONEL C. R. DAVIES, O.B.E, SECOND-IN-COMMAND, 1915-16.]

A further drawback in training was the large number of men which had to be supplied for duties outside the Brigade. At times these amounted to over 200 on the one day and comprised town picquets, guards on hospitals, etc. The absence of these men broke up platoons and also disrupted the continuity of instruction. There was no way out, but it was thought that the "dizzy limit" had been reached when a request was received for church orderlies, billiard markers and barmen--all for a British formation. The Brigadier ventured a protest, but for his pains was treated to a severe official snub.

One factor, however, which was a distinct aid to acquiring a knowledge of warfare, was a School of Instruction held at Zeitun and commanded by a distinguished officer of the Guards. A considerable number of the junior officers and N.C.Os. attended, together with a proportion of the machine gunners and signallers. Each course lasted three weeks. At the examination held at the termination of the course the 28th men did exceedingly well--the officers averaging 89 per cent. of marks and the N.C.Os. 92 per cent., in their respective cla.s.ses. The Commandant of the School subsequently despatched the following note to Colonel Collett--"The results of the four cla.s.ses attending this School from your Battalion, viz., officers, N.C.Os., signallers and machine gunners, are most satisfactory. I would especially draw your attention to the roll of gunners; there is not a second cla.s.s gunner among the whole section, which is most gratifying to myself and the instructors." A feature of this School was an officer of its staff who was not favourably disposed towards Dominion troops. He was known to commence one of his lectures somehow like this--"Discipline is a subject of which the Australians know nothing." It is understood that subsequent events, together with an interview with Sir John Maxwell, caused him, if not to change his view, at least to modify his tone.

An important development, which had a beneficial effect on the unit, was the const.i.tution, early in August, of the 2nd Australian Division. The three new brigades of infantry which had recently arrived in Egypt led General Birdwood, with the approval of the Australian Government, to group them in a major formation. The command he allotted to Major-General J. G. Legge, C.M.G., who had succeeded the late Sir William Bridges with the 1st Division. By the 4th August General Legge had arrived at Heliopolis, where he established his headquarters, and on that date the troops pa.s.sed from the immediate control of General Spens. The divisional commander brought with him a staff of experienced officers, and these immediately set about the higher organisation of the brigades and the formation of the divisional troops. The 13th Light Horse became the divisional mounted force, but the signallers and engineers had to be completed by the transfer of suitable men from the infantry. Many good men were in this way lost to the Battalion.

Mention has already been made of the poor quality of the rations in Egypt. The system provided for a daily issue, by the Army Service Corps, of meat and bread; in addition there was an allowance of 8-1/2d. per man for the purpose of purchasing groceries and extras. On paper the scheme looked excellent but in practice was execrable. In the first place the A.S.C. procured their supplies from the local Supply Depot. Although the meat was pa.s.sable, the bread--heavy, sodden, and often mildewy--was a source of daily and indignant protest. Complaint after complaint was lodged with the Supply people but improvement was almost despaired of, especially after verbal intimation had been received through semi-official channels that if the West Australians wanted better bread they would have to pay for it. Eventually, however, a change took place and the article became more palatable. The groceries were purchased from the Army canteens, which at this time were farmed out to contractors.

Here the trouble was in the rising price of staple articles, the want of variety, and the scarcity of supplies. Tea and coffee were ample, but the sugar ration was hardly sufficient for these let alone any surplus being available for puddings, etc. Of the side-lines, such as tinned fish, rice, prunes, oatmeal, etc., what there was of these did not go far to appease the appet.i.tes of men used to better fare and having now to undergo hard training. The 8-1/2d. could not work miracles, and try as they would--and did--those responsible for the welfare of the men found themselves hard pressed in ensuring that their charges were even decently fed. Nor was the procuring of suitable and adequate rations the only trouble. Cooking them also presented many difficulties. Travelling kitchens had not then been supplied to the new units, and the only cooking vessels available were the camp kettles or dixies. Consequently such food as had to be cooked could only be boiled or stewed, and even then the results were not always satisfactory. The cooks themselves were untrained and often had to be changed. They lacked the knowledge and experience necessary to secure the best results and avoid waste. They were also handicapped for want of proper fuel and plant. The fuel was wood. What kind of wood it was, or where it came from, n.o.body knew. It had the appearance and endurance of that stray log which sometimes arrives in loads from Australian woodyards and which the self-respecting householder absolutely declines to tackle except in the last extremity.

It played havoc with the temper of the cooks' fatigues and also with their tools.

Clothing was an important factor. The heavy woollen material of the Australian uniforms was unsuitable in a climate where rain was almost unknown and where the daily temperature averaged over 90 deg. in the shade during the whole time of the Battalion's stay. Furthermore, a number of hats had been lost overboard during the voyage from Fremantle.

There were no present means of replacing these; meanwhile, men were in daily danger of heat stroke. It was decided, therefore, to clothe all the troops in khaki cotton shorts (trousers reaching only to the knees), linen shirts, and pith helmets. These they wore with the ordinary underclothing and with boots and puttees. This issue was completed within ten days of arrival. It added considerably to the comfort of the individual and the dress in itself was not unattractive. One individual of French extraction refused for some unknown reason to wear the shorts.

He was proof against persuasion and eventually had to be removed from the Battalion and given an opportunity for fuller reflection.

Perhaps it was inevitable that the drastic change from the Australian to the Egyptian climate, soil, and conditions of life, should adversely affect the health of the individual. At any rate such turned out to be the case, and for the first ten days after arrival at Abbasia there were some 130 to 150 men out of action each day. The princ.i.p.al causes were an acute form of diarrhoea and tonsilitis. Amongst others were severe colds, septic hands, knees, and feet, ophthalmia, and two or three slight cases of heat stroke. Measles did not re-appear after the landing at Suez, although the camp was placed in quarantine for 14 days and visits to the neighbouring towns were forbidden. After the tenth day the number of cases reporting to the medical officer began to decrease and by the 20th July had dropped to 50, about which figure it remained during the following few weeks. One death occurred--that of Lance-Corporal J. K. Quick, of "B" Company, who succ.u.mbed to pneumonia on the 14th August whilst a patient in No. 1 Australian General Hospital.

To a.s.sist in the preservation of health everyone was encouraged to lie down during the heat of the day, to keep the hair of the head cut short, make frequent use of the shower baths, and consume no liquor, except such as could be obtained within the camp. Undoubtedly the root cause of many of the ailments was the pollution of the desert soil. One had only to observe the habits of the natives to become aware that the earth of Cairo and its environs was saturated with the filth of ages. This was stirred up by the feet of the infantrymen in training and by the horses going to exercise or water. Horses were numerous about this time. The brigades of Light Horse on Gallipoli had left their mounts behind.

These, augmented in August by the 2nd Mounted Division, totalled nearly 10,000, and were cared for in a large Remount Depot established not far from Abbasia Camp. The dust caused by them was at times almost intolerable and the subject of frequent protests by those who soldiered on foot.

[Ill.u.s.tration: MAJOR J. KENNY, A.A.M.C.

The Regimental Medical Officer.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: CAPTAIN J. J. S. SCOULER.

Signalling Officer, 1915-16.]

The method of dealing with the sick was as follows: A "sick parade" was held daily at the medical officer's tent at 5.30 a.m. and again at 2.30 p.m. All men feeling unwell attended this parade, were examined, and were prescribed for according to their condition. If their symptoms were those of a complaint likely to lay them up, or render them unfit for duty for several days, they would be "evacuated" to a neighbouring hospital and detained there for treatment. Once a man was evacuated he ceased, for all practical purposes, to be a member of the Battalion and came under the control of the medical administration. If he was quickly cured of his complaint he was sent back to his unit. If, on the other hand, his recovery was r.e.t.a.r.ded, he remained for some time in hospital, or in a convalescent depot, and, perhaps, finally returned to Australia either for a change or discharge.

Through sickness, transfers, and one or two other causes, the wastage in the Battalion was considerable. This was partly replaced on the 17th August by a first draft from the reinforcements camped at Zeitun. Lieut.

J. Quilty brought over 84 and 54, respectively, from the 1st and 2nd Reinforcements. These were also first cla.s.s men and were quickly absorbed into the companies.

Factors which affect the conduct and character of a soldier on active service are numerous and all weighty. Amongst them may be mentioned his treatment as regards work, food, pay, recreation and amus.e.m.e.nt, and mails from home. The first two of these have already been referred to and, after reflection, it cannot reasonably be said that whilst in Egypt he received too much of either. Pay very early became a vexed question.

Letters from relatives indicated that the distribution of allotment money and separation allowance was being very imperfectly carried out--resulting in much hardship and consequent anxiety. Although this was eventually straightened out, it unsettled many men and bred a spirit of discontent very difficult to allay and eradicate. The pay of the troops themselves was drastically affected by the issue, in mid-August, of an order limiting the drawing to two-fifths of the daily rate. The exact reasons for this restriction were not given, but it is believed that those responsible desired, firstly, to remove the distinction which existed between the British and Australian rates and, secondly, to encourage thrift and retain for the soldier on his discharge a sum, beyond his deferred pay, which could be spent more wisely in Australia and not go to fill the pockets of the Egyptians. To many this restriction was a genuine hardship, whilst others circ.u.mvented it by drawing on their private funds by means of the cable service. This was extensively done, and those who had the wherewithal established a system for regularly receiving remittances from the home land. Payments were made in the local currency--the Egyptian pound of 100 piastres being equal to 1 0s. 6-1/4d. The piastre (sometimes termed "disaster") was worth about 2-1/2d. There was a smaller coin--a millieme--equal to one-tenth of a piastre. English and Australian sovereigns were at first plentiful, but an attempt was made to restrict their circulation, as it was believed that the natives were h.o.a.rding them.

Mails arrived from Australia every week or ten days, and were heartily welcomed. Those who received newspapers handed them round for others to read. The Australian proved himself an inveterate letter writer and found much to describe to his relatives and friends. The signallers were rather noted for the amount of work they gave the officer who had to sight their correspondence. They seemed to devote much time to writing and to have a large circle of lady friends. As a rule, the soldier observed the censor's injunctions, and, in doing so, made the work of his officer light. Occasionally a transgression came under notice. In such cases, the letter was either returned to the writer or the offending part struck out. In one instance, the soldier had drawn attention to the harrowing conditions under which he said he was living--working from dawn to dark, with little or no food, and without pay. Questioned as to his reason for this action, he confessed that he was short of money and had intended to so play on the feelings of his friends as to prompt them to send him financial aid.

Censoring letters was a valuable education for an officer. It gave him a deep personal knowledge of the men he commanded and was to lead. It also enabled him to realise that in most situations there were points of view other than his own. He was the better for the knowledge. There were many letters to read. Most had a grave earnest tone running through them.

Some were pathetic. Others were humorous and, again, others cleverly descriptive of the pa.s.sing life and scenes. The trend of thought of some soldiers will be ill.u.s.trated by the following:--In 1916, whilst a.s.sisting to hold the trenches in front of Messines, a member of the Battalion wrote a lengthy and comprehensive criticism of a recent book dealing with the Darwinian theory. About the same time, and from the same place, another member--a brave and sincere man, but a little pharisaical--violated the censorship requirements by criticising the army system generally and his own comrades in particular. His company commander adopted the unusual but effective punishment of reading the letter aloud in the presence of the writer and the fellow members of his platoon. A story is told of a padre of the 5th Brigade who, whilst censoring, discovered that one man had declared his undying devotion to two different girls, and to each had repudiated any allegiance to the other. The censor was so indignant over this act of treachery that he transposed the envelopes of the two letters, before sealing them down.

Of amus.e.m.e.nts there was no lack. These will be referred to later on. On the whole, therefore, the soldier had little to complain of in the treatment he received, nor did he give the Commanding Officer any cause for anxiety as regards his conduct. Breaches of minor regulations were common enough, but in most cases the offences were venial and such as were likely to be committed by any recruit. Only two cases were remanded for trial by court-martial. Nor were the evils resulting from excessive drinking conspicuously present. Precautions, however, had to be taken to prevent any lowering of the standard which the Battalion was working towards, and in this respect examples had to be made in a few cases where the individual held rank, and in other cases where sickness appeared to be simulated.

One little incident seems to be worth mentioning. A soldier, who had been freely sampling a Reading brew of beer, encountered a certain warrant officer. An exchange of compliments took place, during which the private referred disparagingly to his superior's figure and parentage.

On the next day he appeared at "orderly room" and was awarded a brief period of enforced retirement. Declining to walk to the place of detention he was placed on a stretcher, but the stretcher bearers were so inexperienced then that after a journey of about 200 yards he elected to march. On his release, the offender, very contrite and desiring to make the _amende honourable_, approached the warrant officer and explained that the statement previously made in regard to his _figure_ was entirely without foundation.

Some rioting had occurred a few months previously in Cairo, and overseas soldiers were said to have been concerned in it. A further outbreak was reported during the last week of July, followed on the next evening by a disturbance in Heliopolis. Whatever were the causes of the first two outbreaks, the third was directly traceable to the fact that Cairo was suddenly placed out of bounds when leave men were waiting for trams at the Heliopolis terminus with a view to securing pa.s.sage to the city. The military police, in attempting to deal with the situation, behaved rather tactlessly, and incurred the resentment of the men, who indulged in some stone-throwing and roughly handled a few individuals. Charges of wholesale looting were laid against the troops, but a court of inquiry, of which the commanding officer was a member, found on close investigation that 50 would cover the whole of the damage done. The claims submitted by the native shopkeepers totalled up to some 3,000.

During the early months of the A.I.F's. stay in Egypt, the Military Police, a newly const.i.tuted force, incurred the dislike of the bulk of the troops. This dislike engendered an antipathy which endured until the end of the war. In the first instance there appears to have been some reason for it. The police were not selected with sufficient care, and included a number of men whose actions, to say the least, were shady. On several occasions decent and well-behaved members of the Battalion were received from the police cells, bereft of their money, much bruised and battered, and accompanied by a charge sheet accusing them of crimes which one moment's consideration would show they could not have committed. Strong representations on these matters had no immediate effect, but ultimately the Provost Corps was purged of the bad element and became a body of experienced men of great value in the prevention or detection of crime and the regulation of military traffic.

So far as could be learned, the men of the 28th had no part in either of the disturbances. In fact, so uniformly high had been their standard of behaviour that it had come under the notice of Sir John Maxwell, who sent and asked the Battalion to supply picquets for duty in the disturbed area. This action rather raised the resentment of some units and created a certain amount of ill-feeling. So acute did this become that on one occasion the Battalion of its own volition was on the point of "standing to" with entrenching tool handles to repel a threatened raid. However, common sense prevailed and good feeling with the men of the Eastern States was soon re-established, but not before the t.i.tle "J----'s Own" had been conferred upon the Western Australians.

With the complete mobilisation of the Brigade the number of chaplains in the camp was brought up to four. Services were held in the huts every Sunday morning, attendance at which was compulsory. Dean Brennan identified himself with his flock. The Rev. J. H. Neild, so long as his health endured, was a.s.siduous in his desire to help all who sought his aid. The Presbyterian chaplain, the Rev. W. J. Stevens, had served in the ranks in the South African War. He was very earnest and direct in his addresses. He inclined towards mysticism, and spoke much of the "Angel of Mons." Otherwise he knew men well and was later noted for his activities during the Brigade's stay on Gallipoli. The Anglican chaplain was inclined to dogma. Very early he gave an address, "Why I believe in the Church of England." As no one was interested in the subject he rated his audience for its inattention, and thereafter ceased to exercise any influence amongst its members. In France he recovered some ground and did good work, amongst other things, in the organisation of inst.i.tutes and coffee stalls behind the lines.