NEWS FROM EGYPT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 234, 12 March 1915, Page 7

NEWS FROM EGYPT.

Till? OFFICER'S PART. INSPECTING MEN'S Kill. TRINKETS AND PHOTOGRAPHS. An interesting resume of a day's work of an officer attached to the Headquarters Staff of the New Zealand forces in Egypt is contained in a letter received in Auckland recently. Incidentally the writer mentions the revelations attending an inspection of the men's kit. "There is ample work out here." he says. "This morning, for instance, 1 made out across the desert with 'the brigadier of the infantry brigade, and the brigade major to insp;."'t the Auckland Battalion, which had goir> out to a place about five miles I'ro-n camp. We got to their rendezvous at a.id day. and at once started the work <:f inspection. 'This consisted of examining the nun's kit, to' see that they we v: ! 'properly equipped and were earr/in'.; vhe. revelation articles in the pi,.ks on tlie.r backs. The articles in quot'on con-ist of a great-coat folded an that it will lit into the valise, canton or mess-tin used for cooking, spare lnir of socks, woollen jersey. Balaclava cap, towel, soap and shaving 1-it—c;«'.t.» a lot to carry on one's back, isn't n? In tlic liaversack there arc the knife, fJrk an! spoon. 'Each man also had to sliow that he was in possession of his pay book and identity disc. He wnivs r .\\ n latter on a string round his neck lik.- i rlumn [ noticed that some o f the men hau odd three-penny pirces aiso si uug or, ami these, no doubt, were more valued by them. Aiso in the po: t-.t of tlie iitn book was generally a riiioicgiaph of the girl they left be'iinl thorn. My part Of the work was to get odd nn n here and there to unpaeK their aouds and see that they had everything complete. It would almost have brought tears to tlie eyes of some of those dear, kindhearted friends we have in New Zealand to see the little trinkets which came to light in most of the kits, and also to see the ragged fringe of a towel or stump of a hairbrush beitig carefully treasured. Surely no man lias fewer possessions or none . more carefully guarded than a soldier on active service.

"As a rule, wo do not get back to camp for lunch after one of tliese inspections until between 2 pm. and 3 p.m. The rest of tlie afternoon is spent in looking after odd jobs about camp and answering correspondence, etc.. Then in the evening the programme of the next day's work has to be gone through. For meals wc are well provided for at present. A number of officers have adopted the plan of hiring a cook and running their own mess and sharing the expense. This- plan has been found to work very well. Our menu at present does not suggest the hardships of war, but it costs me just about all 1 get in pay here."

THROUGH THE CAXAL. VIEW OV OUTPOST FIGHTING. Twenty-four hours before the Turks made their attack on February 3, the Orient liner Orsova passed through the Suez Canal. Among the passengers was Mr L. Binns, of Wellington, who described the passage through the canal as a novel experience, full of suspense and excitement. The following notice was "posted up in the Orsova: "During the steamer's passage through the Suez Canal passengers are warned to keep away from the port side of the ship as there is a risk of their being fired on from the canal bank on that side. Anyone exposing themselves to this danger will do so entirely at their own risk_ and the Orient Company will not be responsible for any harm which may come to them in consequence." The whole ship was in total darkness and no one was allowed pven to strike a match below, in spite of the fact that the portholes were covered with steel plates to prevent the ingress of bullets. The Australasian, British and Indian troops could be plainly seen in the trenches, and those on board the Orsova exchanged salutations with the New Zealand soldiers, who called out the names of the regiments to which they 'belonged—Canterbury, Wellington, or Auck]and_ as the ease may be. Where there were no soldiers the desert was flooded to prevent the passage of the ITurks. About the time the vessel was passing through the eanal there was some outpost skirmishing, in which the Indian troops were engaged, and passengers aboard could plainly see the wounded men being carried on stretchers to the base hospitals along the banks of the canal.