LIFE IN EGYPT

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 4, Issue 304, 12 May 1941, Page 5

LIFE IN EGYPT

TROOPS WELL CARED FOR

RETURNED 'OFFICER'S REMARKS

Lighting a cigarette with a "wog" match, a supply of which be stated he had. obtained before joining the hospital ship which made an uneventful trip home with 'him and many other New Zealand and Auss • trail an invalided soldiers, Captain C. Thomas, in conversation with a BEACON representative, stated that in Egypt thef boys were being very well looked after. "We often craved for a bit of Canterbury lamb, the meat there being mostly beef," lie said continuing that nevertheless the food was generally very good and plentiful. General Considerate. General Freyberg, he added, was exceptionally keen on having the food supplies: of his men the, best possible, personally making enquiries as to way.si of making improvements. "He even, on looking over the! mess one day, remarked on the absence of pepper poits and ordered that some should be provided. He liked things to be just so for the men," When entering the camp near Cairo the men, had taken with them the ordinary half-pint mugs, but these according to the' General were not the most convenient for th« men, being difficult to wash and keep clean. Therefore the bowls had been supplied which were more convenient and the mugs kept for outpotst work. Need of Fitness. "The boys fire enjoying Egvp!\ but it found out the older men,' said the. Captain. "Unless one is perfectly fit it is not a very happy place," he added, explaining that during the day the heat would allow the wearing of only shorts and shirt yet the. nights:- were very cold and ice would be found 1 on the water tins in the morning.

Captain Thomas was stationed ; t the. base camps near Cairo until he became ill and entered' hospital to finally, after some mine months away from Whakatane,. be sent home. Life had been quite placid at these camps only a little bombing being seen and, apart from training and preparing;,, everything had been quiet wheal he l'eft. In Fine Fettle. The New Zealand troops had been in excellent condition, and when some 4000 men womld go on a 25mile route march, seldom did more than 2 or 3 fad 1 ©tit... The trip over with the Third Echelon had been uneventful and pleasant, he said adding that the strength of the navy was always evident, with its appearance of efficiency. Likewise the trip hornet had been without any outstanding happening,,, this, o;f course, being on a.'hospital ship which took the main routes and travelling with lightsi showing. Screaming- Bomb. On this boat the men were those ■who had suffered illnesses, had been hurt in accidents which might easily have* happened at home, while a few Australians were men who had been wounded in action. While no casualties through enemy action had occurred at the base, camps, Captain Thomas, stated that a 'plane had passed over "and dropped a screaming bomb. This missle mado a fearful noise and was enough to "put the wind up anyone." To think that the people in Etngland had had thousands of these bombs falling upon them in a day madei one wonder how they put up with it he said. Leave Plentiful. At the camp where he was stationed excellent facilities were available for the boys when they had leave which was plentiful . A diesel train ran every quarter hour over the twelve miles to Cairo,, and this journey could be made at 55 miles per hour for one piastre which equalled 2%d. Many and varied trips Averei arranged for the pleasure of tiie troops while in the camps. Excellent Medical Service. While overseas Captain Thomas was impressed .with the great amount of preparation made and the vast research work being done by the medical units. These were very efficient with up-to-date hospitals and appliances, and each doctor was given education on Egyptian and tropical diseases which might be encountered. The amount of sickness was not great and with the facilities available the men had every protection.

Those Popular Mails, Of course the matter of mails could not be left: untouched by the Captain who stated, that it was really humorous to see grown men scrambling l"or mail wheni it arrived. The service in this, direction .was very good, lie stated, continuing that if he did not receive a letter in seventeen days he felt that he | had been neglected. He ha 1 received one letter whicih took only Heven days from Whakatane to his camp, the usual time* being about fourteen days for the jaurney. The shops in Cairo lie classed' as very good,, being, modern and providing all goods. The best of these were run by French and Greeks:. In Cairo there was one building of fourteen stories. Meagre Rainfall. "From September to about March 12 I did not sec any rain and then for three days thera was a fall," he said adding that this was considered phenomenal, the average rainfall being 2 inches for the year and the caset being that this came in a sixinch lot about once every three years. Primitive Irrigation. All the water is drawn from the Nile and by very primitive methods "I did not see a pump or a windmill," he said describing the irriga tdon methods as ancient with the hand pumping of the most antiquated style. "The old wooden plough is the only type I saw in use also," he continued, recalling a most amusing incident when he had actually seen a man ploughing, with his wife and a donkey harnessed, co draw the plough. There were other amusing combinations used also such as a water-buffalo and a camel. Aussies Good Fellows.

Asked if he had come into contact with any of the Australian forces, Captain Thomas said that he had found them very fine: fellows. Their officers, were more youthful than burs' and quite young fellows held quite high rank. He added that the Aussie,s Avere as wild as ever, it appearing, that they were probably feeling it an obligation lo uphold the tradition of their fathers in this direction. "They were very fine chaps," he .said, "and at Australian ports their Red Cross could not do enough for us." The Australian forces included a number of that "country's aborigines who were mixing freely with the men on leave. "A Poor Lot." Captain Thomas witnessed the arrival of thousands o«f Italian prisoners and classed thean as "A poor looking lot""who seemed gladi to be taken. "Many of these were given jobst as: orderlies at the hospitals and were very obliging and ready to do anything to hejlp," he said. "Our chaps got on well with them and would swap-cigarettes for tunic buttons: and, cither souvenirs. The prisoners did not seem to have any 'go' and I believe the civilian soldiers did. not. get on too well with the Blaoksliirts." General's Tunic. That he had obtained a prize souvenir among other smaller ones was stated by the returned officer who saidi he liadi obtained BrigadierGeneral Mario's tunic, resplendent with ribbons and braid decorations.

Captain Thomas mentioned that he' hacl often met their Transport Officer, Herb Brabant, who was asfit and well as ever. Captain Keith Watson, the Presbyterian padre was very popular working all the time and having a 'go' at anything such as refereeing football and other games. Lieut. Alf Yeoman, Lieut Jack Conelly and Lieut. Hultquist. were others he had' met and found doing well. Sisters Wonderful. Referring again to the trip homeCaptain Thomas said that on the hospital ship were five> doctors, one dentist, a matron and fourteen sis-* ters. The sisters had been wonder-*, ful girls, cheerfully working long shifts. Most of them came from Glasgow and they were all very popular with the troops. "I am, and I think others are also, very pleased with the; treatment we have received on our return," ho said. "Everything was very well organised and the. Avhole scheme worked well in the, minimum of time." He explained that the men had been met on board the boat by medical; officers, dental officers, pensions officials, members: of the R S.A. and employment officials who soon had all information complete*!, five

hours after they went aboard, every-* thing being thorough. Treated Well. The men were being treated "well those, on discharge being given days leave on' full' pay, a raihvay pass which took them anywhere ine the Dominion and £7 10s mufti allowance. The men who were' to cbntinue on Home Service also received their leave and a railway pass to the town in which their next of kin lived. When the men had been met at_ Wellington the worst cases had beent taken to the Wellington Hospital: but everywhere possible it was theendeavour of the authorities to get the men to his own local so that he would be nearer his people and friends and. also to guard against the Wellington Hospital being overcrowded. These patients who could travel would have firsts class accommodation on the railancfc,.a medical officer in attendance.