Opened on Nov. 19^th, 1915.

Helen L. Fowlds.

Lemnos -

Nov. 19.

Nov. 19^th -

Last night was the coldest we have spent on the island, bright moonlight, not a breath of wind but as cold as it must be at home now. About ten Blew & I went for a walk on the flats - the villages were in darkness except for headquarters, and the fires from the camp were just dying out. The bay was perfectly still - it is hard to imagine it is part of the sea - it runs so far inland and is so shallow. The Australian & New Zealand Rest Camp is almost a thing of the past only part of a Brigade [with] diphtheria is there now. The whole Division was sent down for 6 months rest. Sir I.H. reviewed them just before he left - picked out the fittest looking men, examined them, & said they had stood the summer in the trenches and therefore ought to be in good shape for the winter. We watched them going a few mornings later. But without much spirit - their band played them as far as the top of the hill. They are a splendid lot of men, more like the Canadians who pride themselves on being westerners and think a certain amount of swashbuckling manner and a disregard for discipline makes them marked men. They get a trifle on one's nerves with it all, but they are good sports for all that. Their accent is a cross between that of the Cockney and the Down East Yankee. Their uniforms are quite the best I've seen so far, and all the officers are crazy to get their Tommie tunics for shooting or riding coats. They are of a soft, yet heavy khaki flannel Norfolk's style, belted in, with soft trim over collars and soft cuffs. Their hats are wide brimmed soft felt worn up at one side with the regimental badge to hold them in place. They had splendid boots issued to them too - Some officer, not an Australian told us that a number of Australians back from Anzac [ ] at ordnance for their own issue of boots, but were refused and given regulation army pattern. A while later they found that their issue had been given to the Gyppie labourers. Of course, naturally they were furious.

Helen's Tent in Lemnos

Reverse of Helen's Tent in Lemnos

Kitchener has been out almost a week now. Some of the wounded told us he addressed the troops and told them they had done a great deal and that his coming out here was to hear a message from the King in recognition of their services. However the work was far from finished and that it meant hard work ahead.

It is a question whether or not to abandon the Dardonelles. Experts figure out that to withdraw the men under the most favourable circumstances would mean the loss of 1/8, while of unfavourable more than 1/2. Everyone seems to think Kitchener will see the thing through. There is also talk of withdrawing from Subla and making a better landing at Anzac, where the Australians have been. The word is formed from "Australian & New Zealand Army Corps". If the Canadians had come out here they were going to call it Anzacan.

The Aquitania is in. Should have arrived last night & they were rather anxious about her. We have lost 21 ships of all classes in 5 days in the Mediterranean. #3 heard their reinforcements were on board. We are almost crazy [with] excitement wondering who is coming to us. Extra huts are going up every day and if new Sisters don't come the girls are going to break down. Half of them are living on nerves now. If only Ethel and Dorothy come, how happy we'll be.

Didn't go to tea to-day - felt bored & slept till nearly six. The navy has been very much in evidence the last three days. It is a pleasure to see them. The Bleuheim comes about five days a week Capt Pitts and Mitchell & perhaps Capt Washington. Capt. Ayres is back with our Christmas stores and they are planning to make the holiday as happy a one for us as is possible. Mitchell went to #3 Aust. for exam and hasn't cancer of the tongue after all. He is rather old and sarcastic and boring but Capt Pitts was so upset over it we have all done our best to make him feel we like him. The Cornwallis comes every day now too - they are just back from the Pen. & expect to leave again any day. Blew wants me to go to lunch there to-morrow.

Cecily and Jane, Bruce and Hammell and Blew own the Cornwallis, just as Mae & Myra Hunter and I go oftenest to the Bleuheim. Cecily has a man on the Agamennon, but they are no one's special property. Blew, Jane and I are invited to the B. for lunch Sunday - a queer combination, having Jane, who is wild if anyone looks at the Cornwallis. However she has been planning this all week, being nice to Pitts, who of course doesn't know these little things.

The Glory is back again, and they come almost every day, but are too uncertain to be able to do any entertaining.

The tea room looks so homelike & pretty. Blew sent up a sick carpenter from her ward who made two huge davenports which are padded with biscuits - half mattresses and covered with brown blankets - with heaps of bright cushions they are the most comfortable and ornamental seats you could imagine.

Nov. 20 - Saturday.

Blew asked me to go to a concert on the Cornwallis. Six were asked for lunch. She didn't want to go so early, but Drysdale backed out so she finally did & Jane, Forbes & Holland & I went later. We went to the ordnance pier as agreed & no boat came though one went to South Pier. We walked to South Pier leaving a message & after 3 the boat came after going to Ordnance Pier after all. There was some misunderstanding with the boats officer. Found concert in full swing - Minstrel Show - Orchestra - Queen Elizabeth band which was sent them when she went home - good music, crowds of sailors, on gun turrets & every available point of vantage, all in winter rig now & looking very nice. Sarel, the Commander is crazy about Jane & took her off at once. Don't know the Cornwallis men & Jane wasn't a bit [ ]. Happened to be sitting by Capt. Cameron - Agamennon - quiet but quite agreeable. Tea was in the wardroom, very boring. Concert began again & just sat down when old Cameron came along again. [Thawed] out & was really quite charming - is coming for tea soon though very busy.

One of the men had been on the Aquitania & had seen blue uniforms & "Canada" badges. We are nearly crazy wondering if Dorothy & Ethel are there.

It was very rough coming back. We got home about six. Mail came in - one from home, but nothing else much. The "Orange Prince" is officially reported lost carrying 1900 sacks of mail mostly parcels & 371 registered letters. Expect all the things we ordered through McCallum are gone. We'll never know.

To-day we were given oil stones if we wanted them instead of a pr[ ]. We are keeping one of each. The oil stones keep the hut very comfortable.

It has been frightfully windy, and cold. Regular November weather. This morning I looked over the flats and found them under water. The sea must have risen considerably in the bay. It is almost to within a stone's throw of our hospital boundary, but will not rise much higher of course.

We are being issued with cardigans, British warms, raincoats and rubber boots, all of which will be very welcome. Though it is doubtful whether many of them will be right sizes.

Nov. 23 -

Nothing much has happened in the interval except that we come off night duty on Friday. The day before yesterday the OC. wrote the Matron telling her this. She was furious at her domain being invaded - called a meeting of the Sisters. Wrote a verbose sickly sentimental letter to Williams about our utter lack of thought for our health when the soldiers "our brave lads" needed care. The meeting was as per usual, simply to back her up. Everything she wanted to say always goes in as coming unanimously from the Sisters. Ida fell for it this time. Poor simp. The hardship of night duty under existing weather conditions were thought too great. Of course we all think differently having been twice as cold and uncomfortable in France. There were two or three more notes and it ended as it began, as in that night orders it was given out.

I said to Myra that I thought it was all due to Cecily's letter, that a man of Judge Galt's standing wouldn't risk his daughter's reputation without making sure of his facts, and proving the charges made in her letter would see that results and investigations followed.

That turns out to have been the case. Poor William has been getting rotten letters from Gen. Jones and was told that he personally would be held responsible for the Sister's health, and he acted on that.

Brock [lacked] K.R&O. Ida sat up in her virtue and begged Charleson to let her go on night duty as a volunteer quite forgetting that she never shut her mouth when she was on about the work etc. and that probably her gr[ous]ing is partly responsible for she tells William everything she knows or thinks. Thank God, this row is all among the M.G.H. people.

Cecily takes it like a good sport. Certainly she feels it keenly, not being a trouble maker at heart, but she comes to meals and tea just as usual. However she never leaves camp, never accepts an invitation and is surely trying her best to show she is quite contented here now.

The order came - I believe - for her to go on #5 at Cairo and she cabled for leave to remain here. However she has prepared the way in case she does have to go by talking about it casually, singing hymns with the Queen's etc. - old jokes -

Mae has three wonderful men, Irish, undoubtedly gentlemen, []ipping dancers etc. We have great fun classing our friends - some come to us labelled, others absolutely on their own, some on their own recommendation. These last are soon spotted - they talk too much about where they've been and who they are.

Have met some really distinguished men out here. Cameron of Loch[ ]'s brother 2nd Lieut in the Lovat Scouts was a patient and bored us at tea innumerable afternoons, invited himself, small insignificant, but the Scotchmen say Loch[ ] claims to be next to Royalty, and to be of Royal blood.

Capt. Godfrey, Pitt's friend and a great admirer of Mae's, is quite an intimate friend of Princess Patricia. He is such a splendid chap, has his wife who is in Malta send things for us and wrote Mae the most charming letter about how much he enjoyed coming here.

He is on the Staff, Marine Officer and saw a good deal of Kitchener out here.

Then Mae's latest three are all men who have money and have seen everything and been everywhere.

Plurose - Welstead and his yarn of playing polo against the Crown Prince of Germany years ago in India - assume their proper place when compared with these men. We thought him a trifle too fond of relating these "little bits" and incidentally a great bore.

Dec. 30 -

We celebrated the passing of 1915 by a supper party. Mae and Blew brought a chicken and a bottle of fizz. Ida sent port and a tin of pimentos, meaning to follow but was too late. It had all went - Mae insisted on staying up till midnight but nothing doing. Mae and Blew gave "Imitations" of Birdie on her arrival from Cairo.

Woke at 12.00 to hear every dishpan, whistle bugle etc. on the island being used to the utmost advantage. M.O's sang to us, ending [with] Good night ladies". Mae told them next day it would have been better had they waited an hour or two and sung "Good morning ladies".

[1916]

Jan. 1^st.

[ ] day - specialed a 'pneumonia nephritic' case - he died suddenly about 6.30. Had been turned out of #3 [ ] in the evacuation & was brought in from the details in a p[ar]tially moribund condition.

E 2 & 3 & A3 - B3 - C3 & D3 are all closed. They are packing the stores and getting ready to move. Orders to close all building came in. Big crush at tea.

Concert in the evening given by the Sgts - very good - went with Carmichael.

Jan. 2^nd - Sunday -

At lunch on Bleuheim with Mae & Scoble - Pitts, Mitchell the seemingly inevitable & a Capt. Chichester - nickname "Cathedral Town" very quiet and subdued.

On relief duty on Line W - specialed a bad pneumonia who died later. Bad cold. Feeling pink.

Cold no better - stayed in bed. Scoble up to her old tricks - entertained Carmichael. Blew having heavy affairs with Dixon Tom Young & Col. Davis & Alfred.

Jan. 4^th.

Still in bed - pulse 120 and won't come down - feeling very "dicky" but C. put me on leave for to-morrow.

Jan. 5^th.

Bored to tears. Still packing but have no definite word about going.

Myra sick.

Mail came in - books from London. Morris came in to go over my lungs. Asked why I was up. Said I'd been put on leave. Birdie furious. Cough very troublesome - & pulse still

[page(s) missing]

Jan. 7^th.

Still feeling rotten. Myra & Capt. Rathbone Mae and John went over to Portianno to find Rupert Brooke's grave. English Sister said it was there. Another "wash-out".

Capt. R's greatest friend is Henry Ainlee, who played in The Great Adventure" and is now in [ ]inney's.

Ainlee's mistress for the past 8 or 9 years has been the Baroness Von Huten, who Rathbone says, is frightfully extravagant bad tempered, but awfully clever and a thoroughly charming woman, who has been everywhere. He thinks she either drugs or drinks now.

Ainlee is not living with his wife and for some time there has been a coolness between him and the Baroness. There are two or three children, who are knocked about from one to the other. One day she says "They're yours, take them", and then, "They're mine and I want them back". Rathbone says the poor kiddies haven't a dog's life.

Just before coming away he and Ainlee were to go to the theatre, then to dinner and afterwards to the "Four Hundred" Club. Just as they were going out for dinner a taxi drove up and in it was the Baroness, who was very drunk and demanded money to pay the taxi. The bill then was 23/.

Ainlee asked her what she'd been doing to run up such a bill, and she said she was absolutely broke and had been all over town looking for money.

There was an awful row and finally Ainlee went into the house to get some for her. In the meantime she endeavored to embrace Rathbone who by this time was fed up and cross at having one of his last evenings spoiled.

In the end they got rid of her, but hours later when they drove up to the Club, she was in the same taxi waiting for them.

Another terrific scene - Rathbone standing by.

The Baroness said "Well Mr. Rathbone you aren't very tactful are you".

But Rathbone had made up his mind to stay and he stayed.

In a few days he got a most peculiar note from her, saying no doubt he was worried having had his orders to go and that she forgave him. - a frightfully clever letter but showing evidence of an unbalanced mind.

It seems that Ainlee used to take her out a great deal but that lately he wouldn't and she was furious.

In spite of all the money she makes, for her books sell awfully well, she is always in debt.

Such a strange woman, to be the authoress of "Pa[ ]".

The speech in that, which we couldn't place and which no one else knew, until a man on the Peninsula told Mr. Lewis, is in Richard II.

"For God's sake let us sit upon the ground

And tell sad stories of the deaths of Kings".

Rathbone was also telling us of a play "The New Sin", that he and Ainlee were in a couple of years ago, and which he considers one of the strongest plays of recent years.

There was absolutely no star, and the cast was composed of seven men.

The acting was superb, and yet owing to financial difficulties the play did not run long enough to be a great success.

He was also with Gerald Du Maurier in Raffles and has the greatest admiration for him. Says he is ripping to work with, doesn't push himself forward to the exclusion of other parts.

Rathbone's little girl is 3 years old. Her Mother noticed that she was beginning to mispronounce words, and that she seemingly enjoyed being corrected.

The made up their minds they wouldn't notice her, whatever she said.

Shortly after, the baby was at the window, and she called out -

"Oh see the big motaw with the pretty lidy in it".

No one said a word. In a few minutes she said -

"Oh, no, no, no - see the big Molat - Motah with the pretty lady in it".

Already she hums little airs to her nursery rhymes and Rathbone is praying that she will be a singer. He himself has a magnificent voice, Dixon says.

Rathbone knew Rupert Brooks and his fiancée, but we've never got around to asking him about them.

Jan. 8^th -

Micky has a heavy affair on with Pierce. She asked Mae to a lunch on the Bleuheim - Micky!!! Naturally she refused. Pierce said Washington had sent a verbal message. Pierce has awful cheek.

Walked over to #27 General with Capt. Carmichael to see Rathbone. Took him "The Way of Ambition". Saw Winder too. He says he doesn't know what's wrong with him but his sheet says "heurashthenia". Rather rotten, as Lewis says he did awfully good work as wiring officer and has been specially recommended by his C.O.

The Sisters over there have had orders to be ready to move on short notice. We thought they'd hardly be moved as they are just opened up.

The officers say they don't get much care as there is only one Sister to a hut of about 60 officers, and two orderlies.

Dance at #3 Can.

Jan. 9^th - Sunday -

Birdie has been "mentioned in French's despatches" - Christmas list. Has been running around to everyone asking "Have you nothing to say to me this morning?" etc. No one would congratulate her, except her usual henchmen.

In the latrine this a.m. she said to Clint "Did you know I'd been mentioned in despatches?" Clint said "What for?" - Conversation languished.

She is quite set up over it, said if that was for France she'd surely get a Royal Red Cross for down here.

Lewis down from Helles. Scammell was left as rearguard officer. Heaps of people in who had just come down. Everything O.K. though sea was rough last two days.

Heavy bombardment two days before 500 to 700 casualties but few during Evacuation.

Jan. 10.

[nothing written]

Jan. 11 -

Mr. Hill, R.N.W.R. told us Rupert Brooke was buried near the tower at what is now Tower Hill Camp - was quite positive on all points. As it is only five minutes' walk we went over but there was nothing to be found.

Gen. Munro's report of the evacuation of Helles places the casualties at 1 - wounded. There is some difference of opinion. During the actual embarkation there were a few injuries none serious, but the day before there were about five and seven hundred. The Turks bombarded the front line trenches for hours. Lewis says it is a mercy they got away when they did for the Turks had huge new guns that were fired then for the first time and others that were not used at all.

Gen. Munro's report says there was no loss of stores of ammunition and everyone says £ 1,000,000 would not cover what was dumped in the sea or burned on the whole front - cars, motor bikes and ambulances were scrapped by the dozen, but "things like that are bound to be after a famous victory" I suppose.

Jan. 12 -

Beautiful day. Got up intending to fool around as usual. Mae rushed in about 10 am. to say Rodd wanted two Sisters to go to Kastro in their car - coming right back. Myra said she'd go, though we both hate Rodd. He had an impossible man called Marshall - #3 Aust. Dentist. He had taken a P.G. at Philadelphia and deluged us the "Bullieve me kid" etc.

The car was a Studebaker, 5 passenger, and very comfortable.

Having never been beyond Portianno, the first object of interest was the old monastry, now used as a farm house and barn.

At the junction of the road to East Mudros, we halted while Rodd lectured on prehistoric Greece. How at the bottom of an old lake is supposed to be an ancient city, fairly well preserved. We also saw Imbros and S[ ]thrace distinctly.

We then whizzed on through the most mountainous country dotted with small wayside shrines, and fields the size of a handkerchief. They throw out shelves of earth on the hill side to catch the earth brought down by spring freshets. These give the hills the appearance of a row succession of boulevards one higher than the other.

An ancient Greek in a skin coat was ploughing with native cattle and a very amateurish plow, consisting of two sticks for handles, another stick to which were harnessed the oxen, and a fourth which stuck down as a share. A bird could scratch as deeply.

Then we came to a shepherd and Myra made us all descend and by force remove his crook, leaving him 2/6 with which to herd his flock for the day. He wasn't to say delighted over the deal.

Passed a small garden kept green by a private irrigation scheme, showing that the soil is fertile.

At Therma, 3 battalions of the 7^th Glosters were bathing.

The road into Kastro was a mere track and very winding, abounding in figure eights and "hair pin" turns. We seemed on the edge of the cliff most of the time but nothing happened.

Our first sight of the town was at a distance of about 3 miles when the huge rock, on which the fort is built burst upon us. It is not unlike Sterling Castle, in some ways, but not so strongly fortified.

The town itself is much superior to the villages. We left the motor at the Acteon, the best hotel, though the Hotel de France is supposed to have the best table.

The shops are quite ordinary and very filthy.

Myra insisted on having every child in the place photographed and consequently we were constantly followed by a battalion of them.

Climbed a mountain to see the old fort and found the door locked and barricaded with old cannon balls. Sat a while. Marshall amused himself by rolling cannon balls down the mountain, quite irregardless of where they might end.

Had lunch at the Acteon, met Blew and Col. Davis, also Capt. North.

Saw the Cathedral, full of the usual chromos. Oranges were growing in a garden next door.

Had a blow out on the way home, but were on the way again in 15 min.

Reached home about 3.30. Took heaps of pictures.

[Neutly] & Gates of the R.F's came to tea. Also Capt. C., & Capt. Wolseley. Heaps of strangers, mostly R.N.D's who are to garrison the Island.

C. came over in the evening and Lewis.

Jan. 13.

The trip to the Ruins was booked for to-day and in spite of the bitter wind and cloudy sky, Birdie wouldn't back out. 26 of the Sisters went, several of the M.O's, Cpl. Orr to look after the food. Stawatakis to interpret and mule drivers ad infinitum.

Several donkeys lay down at once and refused to budge. Bob Sutherland tried 3 before he got one big enough.

Thirteen of us did not go and we laughed till we were tired. Micky came out arrayed for a summer picnic and had to be sent back to put on warm clothes. Bruce wore low shoes and silk stockings but had to come down to putties.

We had a nice quiet day without them. Heaps of men at tea. Rathbone & Scammel, who were in Cairo for years, and a man off the Talbot.

The travellers landed back at 6.30 reporting a wonderful time but nothing good about the Ruins.

Mae, Ida, Myra & I, Lewis, [ ], Gates, John and Bazzy are planning to go on Saturday.

Pitts & Mitchell met them at Surpi and apparently had a happy day. Scoble brought them to dinner, both half frozen, Pitts in white flannels.

Some of the girls went to a small dance at #3. Lewis came over in the evening and Gates to see about Saturday.

He is a Cambridge grad. & though only about 23 is very interesting. He discussed Buddhism and Theosophy, says a saying at Cambridge is that if a man goes in for study about religion, he either goes crazy or becomes a Roman Catholic. He lived for years in Belgium & Northern France but hates the Belgians. Dixon & he had a wonderful time at tea yesterday doing them up.

Jan. 14 -

Picnic party all alive though stiff - Scoble in wrong over Col. Cox's dinner. Luncheon on the "Rowan" - Clarke's party - Old Wilkes demanded an explanation as to why I hadn't come. Naturally they couldn't say they hadn't asked me. Men are so foolish - they tell a girl to get up a party of so many and then shriek and bellow because the whole unit isn't there. Personally I think the Rowan people most boring.

In the afternoon Mae and I went to Portianno to see the Greek festival of the New Year. Thousands of Tommies, Royal Irish band, Greeks dressed in European clothes instead of their everyday national rags. A few men did a sort of dance, but nothing else happened.

In every house they had Greek cakes and pastries and wine. One woman made us taste some awful looking dough, and watched us for fully a mite to see that we didn't throw it away.

Met Capt. Clarke and a man from the Talbot, a very decent chap, and they came back to tea.

Mae bought 2 chickens at 5/ each for the picnic to-morrow. Saw them running in the street and finally made the woman understand what she wanted.

Heaps of people at tea.

Cooked the chicken in the evening and went up to the mess to say Good-bye to Dixon and Carmichael - Latter brought me a Turkish shell case.

Lewis over - can go to-morrow.

Bad sore throat afraid I won't be fit to-morrow.

Bazzy has 9 burrows, & wood etc., for a fire.

Eight of the girls, hand picked by Scoble went to Col. Cox's dinner - was asked but refused. Others went to a "Ricketty Ann" party afterwards.

#2 & 3 Aust. reported to have gone. Taube dropped five bombs to-day one coming within 50 yards of the Olympic. Bob Sutherland was having a drink and calmly finished it. No damage done.

29^th Div. expect to leave to-morrow. Myra had another letter form Mr. Davis.

Clint and Harvey went to East Mudros to look for Rupert Brooke's grave - larger graveyard, but no records of any burials the end of May, though about 900 were buried there up to that time.

There were no hospitals on the Island then and the dead were buried anywhere, usually 10 or 12 in one grave.

The Cpl. in charge told Clint that it was not likely that an officer having friends out here would be buried without some trace being kept, or without a head board.

They climbed up a mountain and came upon the French anti aircraft station where they found an officer who had lived in Montreal for years. East Mudros is practically deserted the French troops have gone, and the 29^th Div.

There are 5000 reinforcements on the Olympic. It was impossible to get the ship by wireless to send them back.

Clint saw #2 Aust. embarking yesterday. She said she never saw a more disorganized mob in her life. Men came running down with [ ] etc. under their arms, others with blankets full of stuff, for all the world as if they were running from a fire. Those Sisters must have put up with a great deal. The day before they were ordered to embark, waited till 6 pm. and then went back to find their tents had all been struck. It was a bitterly cold night too.

We have had practically no mail since before Christmas and it is evidently being held up pending our removal. The few odds and ends are probably the clearings from the Aragon.

It seems to be authentic that a huge pile of mail bags were left in the rain in East Mudros and that when opened the addresses were undecipherable. They were all burned, according to rumour.

Very few of our Christmas things have come and no letters.

All mails were held up during the evacuation and no one seems certain that any is going out even now.

Jan. 15 -

The prophesies which made Jan. 14 the beginning of the rough weather are not far out. Last night was gloriously bright and clear till after 10. Before 11 it was raining, and it has not stopped for more than 10 minutes since.

I woke up to find my bed rather wet and my hair soaking but the huts have been wonderful. The windows fit tightly and in any ordinary rain they are absolutely waterproof. The trench is nearly filled with water, though the drainage is excellent.

We had breakfast in my hut, Myra, Mae & I, and for lunch, the chicken and sandwiches we'd made for the picnic.

Myra slept all day & woke with a furious temper & "the eadick". Mae & I went up to dinner, found Scoble and Upton in a white heat because there was no wood for the fireplace and because the mess and ante room floors were ankle deep in mud. Upton had just sent a note to the orderly officer. Mae had a row with Scoble for making so much fuss. Frederick appeared, mad too, as they all hate Scoble. In the end he brought up a fatigue and put down boards for us to walk on. We have 14 men in our mess, counting general duty men, and if the mess sister can't keep the place running she ought to get out. But Scoble sits up in her virtue and is a law unto herself. There's no use saying anything.

This has been a very wet day but we are comfortably housed, oil is brought twice a day for our stones and we will only get ourselves into the same mess as before, if we kick about the first wet day in weeks, and probably be shipped home as quitters.

The other day I gave Scammel a looking glass. We were talking about their needs in general and after looking fixedly at him for a long minute Myra said "Mr. S would you - do you need soap?" Rathbone howled and has told it all over the island. One of S -'s friends in the navy sent him a cake yesterday and he is wild.

Jan. 16.

After 36 hours of steady rain, the clouds broke, and the ground is drying very quickly. Yesterday afternoon a detachment from one of the camps was ordered to embark. They waited in the rain for hours and were then told they'd have to go back. They reached camp to find all the tents had been taken - they couldn't find their officers and were passing here again last night, some of them falling at every step when our officers brought them in to stay in E3 for the night. Even this am. they are soaked and half frozen. Poor devils.

Stayed in bed nearly all day, bored to tears. Did not go up to tea, but got up for dinner. Orders for the day had just come in notifying everyone to leave home address at the orderly Room and be ready for an Emergency Removal order.

Myra was fired with zeal to pack at once but I can't enthuse a bit. It seems altogether likely, however, that this will be our last Sunday in Lemnos.

Mail came in the evening - very few letters, apples from Ruth Birdsall, a letter from a relative of the Thomsons saying they had asked her to send me a Christmas gift and she had decided after great deliberation and no doubt prayers for guidance, upon smelling salts and handkerchiefs.

We are keeping a list of "gifts of Lemnos" our first was a tin of sardines, then a huge slab of navy chocolate, port, water jar, iron, cod liver oil, flea powder, and a thousand such like articles.

Also received a cable from home sent Dec. 24^th and mailed from London.

A very poor mail - no home letters for about three weeks, or any of the parcels we want most.

Myra is not well, though John says she has nothing to worry about. She has a slight goitre, is very short of breath and has frequent headache. She asked Lewis if he saw much change in us, having known us when we first came. He thinks we all look older and a bit seedy. Certainly the lye here has told on us, whether we like to admit it or not. Our skin is roughened, our hair is getting grayer and worst of all our teeth are in a sad state. The iron in the water seems to be the cause - when disturbed the water is brickish in colour, settling in time. Have not had a hot bath for 6 months - it will a real treat to get one again - makes me think of Allie West and her efforts.

Jan. 17.

Birdie called a meeting at 10.a.m. announcing that she would give everyone a chance to go home as she would not put up with the same discontent as when we first came. She who took to her bed and didn't care whether we lived or died.

We were all ready for her but all she wanted was the number of pieces of baggage we had.

Mae, Myra & I went to lunch in (not "on" as they carefully correct us) - the Blueheim - Capt. Washington's party - with Pitts and Wynn as the other men. A nice quiet day, nothing exciting, awfully good meal. Came back here for tea, heaps of men but none of our friends.

Still no definite word - boxes to go with stores must be closed to-night. Latest destination is Zanzibar. Mauretania sailed just as we were coming home. That settles that.

Major Godfrey has been made a C.M.G.

Jan. 18.

Almost frozen last night - ice this am. Like summer all day, till sundown.

Strenuous morning, packing. Stawatakis printed our names on all our bags etc. as the last names were worn off. John is transport officer & nearly crazy.

Did a rushing laundry business - boring but am clean now for the trip.

Upton tore up the anteroom, packed all the cushions, place looks very bleak. Seems rather previous.

Brown gave the dog to the R.N.D's, but he came back this a.m. Everyone is giving them things they are to lazy to pack.

We hear #18 & #27 are to stay.

Major Godfrey came to tea. We asked him if we must call him "Sir" now. He said "Cer-tainly not"

Rathbone and Scammell came late. Myra & Lewis walked over to Tower Hill. We started out to meet them but Lemnos has so many roads now we were afraid of losing them & came back.

Mae told her "chicken" story & Scammell fell for it. Loud laughter.

All the matrons in France were mentioned in the Christmas list. Birdie says she's glad her name begins with "C" because she heads the list. The woman is impossible. That takes the wind out of her sails a lot.

Parcel mail to-night - sweater & cap, scissors & down pillow from home. Letter from Mother.

#3 Aust are still on a ship in harbour

#2 " went on board the "Oxfordshire" at 6 one morning & sailed at once.

Jan. 19 -

Bored stiff - and half frozen. 13^th Div. left at 10 a.m.

Birdie announced at lunch that we were going to Egypt within two days. But she knows no more about it than the rest of us.

We have to get out of our huts by 10. am. to-morrow and move into E3 & E1 - war, and 39 women in one room is hell.

No one interesting at tea - heaps of R.N.W. men, one a Capt. Mains who knew Rupert Brooke out here. He is not buried in Lemnos at all but in Skyros. So that’s settled. He is a Cambridge man & knew H.G. Wells - very conceited and dictatorial. We found him rather a bore after we'd dug out all the information about Brooke.

He is always referred to - Brook - that is - as "the poet bloke"

Had a group picture taken at 9 am - no one very pleased at having to rise.

In the O.R. while waiting Bruce pretended it was a gathering 50 years after. She was a scream.

Jan. 20.

Moved this am. in great confusion. Birdie is in 61. Ida, Mae, Myra & I are together at one end of E3. Brock just next, never shuts her mouth.

Fairly well settled by noon. In the pm. Myra decided to walk to Therma [with] Ida Brown etc. & some R.N.D. men. Anyway the others arrived home hours ahead. Myra had decided to act as guide and included Sarpi camp in her homeward walk. She had blisters on every toe & a pain in her back. We laughed till we were sick. Mae sang a new song "Just a simple little Enema", Myra having troubles of her own.

Mail came in - letter from Miss Stephen & flash light. Home letters - films from Alex. Letter from Eric. Still at Luton. Capt. Wolseley came to tea & we had a long talk.

Jan. 21 -

Cold seemed worse - stayed in bed most of the day. Brock promoted the theory that notoriety in a family added to its social fame & titles etc. Several prominent people in Ottawa served her for example.

Mae & Ida took castor oil, with great success.

Heaps of strangers at tea, Padre from the Swiftsure & Major of Mariner. Tea there to-morrow.

Must have another group photo taken. Birdie thinks the first one was awful - of her. It really is quite natural.

The wash tent was taken down this am. It is very crowded as the mess has been moved into the anteroom & the wash tent things into the mess. It seems so unnecessary and rather previous.

Scoble & Upton have fit, as we all prophesied.

Jan. 22.

Very windy all night. Heavy rain - hut leaked badly. Myra had to move her bed four times.

All had breakfast down here. Very boring day - everyone "mouldy". Read "Dear Enemy" by Jean Webster. The cleverest book of letters I've read for a long time.

Ida got a huge bundle of magazines. We all hung around while she opened them, but they were "Christian Guardians".

Jan. 23^rd. Sunday.

Quiet morning. Brock is mad at us & spends her time at the other end of the hut.

Went to Therma with Brown, Lloyd, Kingston, Harman & McNaughton, Jones & three Scotchmen of Brown's - H.L.I. - Capt. Spiers & Murray & Mr. Hardy. Rode donkeys & had a wonderful time. Those who walked made better time. Lovely day, no wind.

Picnic to Therma

Had tea at Therma - boiled eggs, ditto tea, biscuits and oranges.

Walked home arriving about 7.00. Very tired. Left my coat on a donkey coming home. Couldn't find it anywhere.

Jan. 24 -

Mae & I went over to Portianno in the am. about my coat - Found two of the men, Turks. Mae got one of them round the neck with her stick to drag him to the Police but we couldn't get anything out of them & went on home. An R.N.D Capt. came riding after us, had seen our argument and when we explained (he was obviously taken with Mae too) he offered to do what he could.

Just after dinner he brought the coat back, with camera, films and all I had in the pockets. Had to arrest the men who finally gave it up. Just pure luck, the chance of a life time, for British Warms are common & could never be traced.

No word yet of moving - still packing. Myra, Pelletier, Micky & Upton went to tea on the Swiftsure, a first class battle cruiser - had tea in the Admiral's cabin. Great swank.

Jan. 25^th -

Mae has broken her arm - one bone - skinned her face terribly, almost broken her nose and skinned her leg, besides heaps of bruises. Thank God she is alive at all.

She went riding with a man from the Egyptian Labor Corps, and was walking her horse on the way home, when it suddenly stumbled and threw her.

Two M.O's from #3 happened to be passing & put on a splint. Eyman says she was a brick - only said "Oh I've spoiled your ride". She is Belgian & very excitable but charming.

We were all prepared for something when she was late for dinner. She came in after 7, saying "I've killed myself, now laugh you devils"

Her amazement at being the immediate centre of a busy, sorrowing circle and in bed in less than five minutes was worse than the shock of the accident.

She was a ripping sport, never flinched when John set the arm.

Ida stayed on till 2 am. & I till morning. She had morph gas 1/2 twice with practically no effect - never slept, & had great pain. Kept everyone laughing all evening with her brilliant remarks, puns, etc.

Jan. 26.

Mae's face looks bad but is not going to be so for long. Her arm is still very sore but the fingers are not swollen. John insisted on her taking anti-tetanic serum. That made her feel wretched. She is as full as energy as ever and just as funny.

Have her moved into service part of the hut where she is alone & more comf.

Forbes & Holland went to East Mudros - say French nurses are most attractive in their all-white uniforms but the wards are absolutely filthy.

Definite orders came to-night that we sail Sat. am. & will likely go on board Friday.

#27 Gen. has been kicking up a row & insisted on going, and suggested - the nerve! - that we stay. They who have never seen active service, came straight from England, have only been here a month or so and who have 600 patients. We sent our 7 patients over there & they refused to take them saying they were to send their patients to us. They certainly have played a dirty game.

However it's apparently settled and we go.

News of bad reverse in Mesopotamia - Gen. Townsend supposed to be cut off with 80,000 men, reinforcements still six days distant. Nothing definite.

German sub - got a mule transport going to Salonika - crew saved - sub captured 2 days ago.

Forbes saw hole in hill near French camp caused by Taube a few days ago, probably the same day they [ ] for the Olympic.

Monday when coming back from Portianno we saw an aeroplane which everyone said was a Taube. It was flying high, just over head.

Jan. 27 -

Wonderful day - they took down the mess tent & things were in an awful muddle.

Everybody washing & ironing.

Mae is much better. Had Washie to see her in the pen. He said wonderful things about #1 - Can. - said everyone admitted it to be the best on the Island. Said they call Pitts & Mitchell "the Twins" & think them absolutely the limit. They are rushing Hunter & Scoble to death.

Matron had a small bridge lost a tooth -

Clint was operated on at 4 pm. Gland opened & drained under anaesthetic in spite of much objection & abuse. She looks a very sick woman. Mr. Eeman came for tea with Mae - afterwards we played poker.

No definite news except that we really sail on "Dover Castle".

Jan. 28.

Mae went over to #27 Gen. for an X-Ray - complete fracture - clean break & in good position.

Just as she left word came in for us to go aboard at 3 pm, luggage to be ready at 1.

Great washing & ironing & shampooing stunts.

Myra at last got her 50 bags & trunks packed. Ida laid her out and taught her a few things in a kind way.

John is transport officer and simply splendid.

Birdie detailed me to walk to South Pier with Mae. We said Good-byes all along the way.

Heaps of people & all #3 came to see us off. Clint was brought in a horse ambulance, looking awful.

Scoble had made ham sandwiches out of the remains of lunch. We had a recherché little meal on the Pier.

The Hendon, a side wheeler - tender, came at 3.15 and we got on in less than half an hour, not a hitch. Baggage absolutely ok.

All feel very sad to think Lemnos is a thing of the past. Our equipment is all down, tons of it, and they are to commence loading at daybreak.

We reached the Dover Castle about 4.15. She is a Castle Liner and about the size of the Delta, but much cleaner, no Indian deckhands etc. The O.C. is a Col. Devine from Winnipeg now in the R.A.M.C. The Matron is quite young looking for the job but a hustler.

We had tea, rather poor but satisfying. Dinner was at 6 for us, an excellent meal, soup, fish, Roast goose, lamb cutlet (I had both), Roast beef etc., Puddings ad lib, dessert, good coffee etc.

There are no cabins and we are all in wards - 22 in ours - & 14 in a lower deck.

They have about 180 patients, mostly sick. Capt. Lefevre is on, going to England. The ship people think we may go too.

They were only prepared for 26 of us & had to do some hustling to accomodate the other 13.

Rules are strict, as there are patients on board. We make our own beds, keep the ward tidy. Everything done by 8.30 am. Absolutely no drinks, must be off deck at 9.30 pm.

Jan. 29 -

No one slept very well on these blooming beds. Myra says next voyage she'll insist on a singleton. When she turns over the whole row shakes & everyone shrieks at her.

All up for breakfast at 7.45, beds made. Dressed Mae & took her on deck. Capt. Baker, formerly a patient in "Cuddle Doon" is on with a bad knee, & Capt. Le Feuvre, a friend of Hammell's. We played poker all morning. Mae got tired after lunch & Myra & I played auction with them. Ahead 1/6.

First lighter of stores came along side about noon. Loading nearly over by night.

Mae had sundry notes from Washie. Scoble & Hunter went to lunch on the Bleuheim. Pitts very badly smitten. Has been very cool about Mae. Rather rotten after all she has done for him.

Jan. 30. Sunday.

Wakened & rose as per usual. Service on boat deck at 10.30. The men wanted us to play auction & after finding out it was allowed we got a table. Birdie laid me out in front of the whole deck.

A small mail came in, parcel of papers from home.

Equipment all loaded by afternoon. We sail at day break.

The O.C. & Vipond went to lunch on the Bleuheim came back well lighted up, with Pitts & Mitchell ditto. When I think how we were decent to that bounder Mitchell because Pitts was worried about his having cancer! And he is the kind that if he gets an inch etc.

All the loners, Tom, Clarke, Lang, Pelletiers, Frenchmen, Edmonston, etc. came on in the afternoon.

Williams told Ida that all the patients are to be landed at Alex but that we are to stay on board. It may mean anything.

We played [with] picture puzzles all day. Bazzy nearly went crazy over his.

Mae had 2 baths, against her will. Myra has an obsession regarding baths & nails, never happy unless. Mae's leg is still awfully sore, & she feels rotten.

John ordered Blew to bed for the rest of the trip. She got up to see Tom, all made up. I dodged John around the deck. John was fit to be tied when he found out.

Jan. 31 -

We sailed at 7.20 am & Mae nearly broke her neck & contracted double pneumonia trying to see the last of Lemnos.

Cook's engagement to Edmonson was announced by the O.C. last night at dinner. The only bona fide proposal in the unit, that anyone has owned up to, at least.

Washie's letters were a scream. He was crazy about Mae, but is married. He sent her a wonderful riding crop.

It was quite rough after we left the harbour & Myra & Jane promptly laid themselves out, Myra with a colour like a healthy bar maid. They got two bottles of fizz out of John, as medical comfort and Ida & I did very well in spite of their stinginess.

Mae can't have anything & is furious. Le Feuvre tags around every minute & I could kill him. Capt. Baker didn't show up so he insisted on teaching me poker - patience. Bored to tears.

Feb. 1^st -

Wonderful day - quite warm. Have gone slowly all day, so that we will reach Alex. to-morrow morning.

Played auction all day - down 2/6. I had rotten hands.

Mae was allowed on deck this afternoon. Blew is still kept in bed and is furious. Mess meeting - Upton ran the thing. We wanted a ballot but the majority didn't so Holland, Upton, Scoble and Rogers were elected by acclamation.

R.R. & O - says a committee of 3 - and the "14 Stationary ladies" were for that, but as Forbes said we'd got along for six months very nicely without R.R. & O - and why shouldn't we continue.

Feb. 2^nd -

Wakened up just outside Alex. Entered the harbour about 8. Saw Morea [with] 18 Stat. aboard & the Asturia but couldn't get word to them.

John wouldn't let Mae up. I was on duty with her.

Got word about 10 to be packed in an hour, ready to leave for Cairo. Just the sisters.

Le Feuvre left while we were packing, so we didn't see him to say Good-bye.

Left boat for ambulance train about 2.30. It was just a few steps across the dock. There were no seats, only upper & lower bunks, covered with brown blankets.

The personnel seemed to consist of

1. an English Matron, not a [2]. A. togged out in a helmet, brown sweater, several pounds of silver ornaments and a nondescript uniform
2. A Japanese Major - a wonderful creature in still more wonderful khaki.
3. A V.A.D - a Miss Aglesworth, in pure white, very pretty, and agreeable
4. Indian orderlies in native dress.

There were a lot of patients on board too.

We were after all quite comfortable. Capt. Vipond sent in a huge pannier of oranges, and we had quite a decent tea at 4 pm.

The country was very interesting. Just after we left Alex. we ran along the bank of the Nile, so wide that the opposite shore was a mere line.

Then through the reclaimed land, very green and beautiful to look at after Lemnos dotted with palms etc.

All along the line were curious mud towns packed with natives.

We all expected to be melted with the heat but needed our British warms etc. as soon as we started.

The sunset was exquisite, and with the trees, odd [way]side shrines etc. looked exactly like a Japanese print.

Passed through several large towns reaching Cairo about 6.30. All patients had to be unloaded first. Then ambulances came for us & we were taken to the Hotel Semiramis, rather out of the business section, overlooking the Nile. It is now a Nurses Residence, a magnificent place but too much like a Y.W.C.A.

We saw thousands of red capes and were taken in hand by a business like person and assigned to rooms. Myra & I are together, [with] Jane and Drysdale next door and a bath opening off our room.

Everything is spotless but cheerless. It must have been ripping in peace times.

Dinner was at 8. The food was well cooked but there was no choice and one could have eaten more.

You have to leave your name with the Matron and be reported sick to have any meals in bed.

I never expected to be so cold in Cairo. We nearly froze even with our rugs.

Feb. 3^rd -

Shopped all day, prices high, nothing out of the ordinary to be bought.

Su[ ] adventures with gharry drivers who were bent on beating street cars and trying to lose a wheel whenever they turned round.

Sed[ ]'s a big French shop was quite good. Drove around in a gharry looking for places. Found a good cleaners.

Had lunch at Shepheard's - shampoo & manicure.

Feb. 4^th.

Shopped all morning with Jane and Drysdale. Myra had to go on duty at #5 with Mae and Clint.

Found some new French shops.

Went driving with them in the afternoon, through main streets of bazaars and native quarters. Pretty well scared before we got back.

Went to #5 to see the girls, found them ready to come to the hotel. Had tea with their Sisters. They mess with their officers - have no freedom at all. At tea they played Onward Christian Soldiers on the gramophone. We nearly died.

Came back with Mae and Myra in an ambulance.

Feb. 5^th -

Jane and Drysdale went with a party up the river to Barrage - wonderful sail, beautiful gardens. A Mr. Drape in charge of the waterworks was very good about showing them the sights.

The came back by train, after a very interesting and inexpensive day, whole thing costing each about 10 piastres.

I shopped all morning, took laundry, boots to be half soled and other unexciting things. Spent an eternity at the Anglo Egyptian Bank getting some money.

The 29^th & 13^th Divisions are at Suez. Jerry Alison and Fraser Knight are at Shepheards, also Mr. Greenless, looking like a god in new uniforms etc..

Had my nails done at Shepheards. The Manicure is from Boulogne. She says that in the season they have from 900-1000 Americans alone - now there is nothing. Coal is £ 12 a ton and they can not keep hot water. It is all carried up from the kitchens.

Toilet articles are unobtainable. Houbigants are not shipping, and soap and shaving soap are fast growing scarce, all products having been commandeered by the Gov. for the army.

In the afternoon Ida and I went shopping.

Dinner is never over till 9 pm and lights have to be out (?) at 10.30. The evenings are very short.

Jonah and Cullen are here and Capt. Murray H.L.I.

Feb. 6^th, Sunday -

Myra, Jane, Drysdale and I went to see the Mosques, Sultan Hassan & El. Rafia, suberb in their own different ways.

The Tombs of the Mameluke were [ ] interesting - also the Citadel and Mosque of Mohametali. The view from the terrace is one of the finest in the world.

Birdie gave a tea in the afternoon. On the terrace - splendid eats. Didn't think we knew as many men in Cairo - the place was full of them, Cullen & Jonah, H.L.I. men, Queen's officers and Sisters, & our officers who are on leave. They say there are 20 bags of mail for us.

Feb. 7^th -

Forbes and Holland, Jane and I got Rachid, the guide from Cook's and started for the Pyramids. We had thought of driving but he said the train was cheaper. Jane and I met the others at the Zoo at ten and by 11.00 we were at Mena House. There we got camels, after much sinking of heart. The first mounting was an unpleasant sensation but after that we enjoyed it.

Mena House is now an Australian Hospital.

Our guide had been with the Duke of Connaught and Kitchener out here, and was a well of information.

Waiting for the Boat

The pyramids were wonderful and the sphinx, though not what modern novelists have made it out to be in the way of inscrutatuble of expression was very interesting

Forbes said, to her, it had a silly smirk.

We had a good lunch provided by the hotel, after riding around a bit.

The pyramids of Sakkarah were to be seen in the distance.

The guide did not recommend our climbing the pyramid of Cleops. And at present no women are advised to go into the tombs.

Since the failure of the Dardanelles Expedition, they say here that the natives are much different in their attitude toward the English.

Even since August we notice a great change. At every turn are eyes ready to catch ours and smile most impudently. Sakkarah is out of bounds now unless for large parties as several Australians have been found with their throats cut.

They are not liked by the Egyptians. They row over prices one minute and the next you see them arm and arm with their guides and offensively familiar. They have caused a great deal of trouble here.

In the afternoon Forbes, Holland and Jane went to the Bazaars. I had to come back as Capt. Murray was coming, we had tea at Groppis, and drove out toward Ghizereh afterwards.

Feb. 8^th -

Col. Duff of Queens died early this morning. He had broncho pneumonia and had been taken to another hospital last week when we were out there.

Brock went to the G.P.O, on her own, to look for mail - found none. John says the 30 bags was another of the Padre's yarns.

Feb. 9^th -

Shopped all morning. Had engaged a dragaman for the Bazaars in the pm. but it rained. Later we started to Helopolis but it rained again, so we looked at Scarabs etc. and then went to the Zoo. Had tea there - animals not anything extra, but gardens are beautiful.

Feb. 10.

Went to Sakkarah and Memphis [with] the "Charl[ ] Exped. Force".

Found mail when we got back. Letters from Carmichael & Linzee.

Feb. 11 -

Woke up nearly dead I was so stiff and sore. Had a date with the dentist at 8.30 - worse luck. But was glad to get started on the job. Dr. Driscoll, Dr. Henry's assistant is excellent. Found a wad of cotton in a tooth Wilson had filled. I wonder it didn't ulcerate.

Myra went shopping with Gazzy. I had a shampoo & facial massage.

In the afternoon we met Eppstein at the Anglo Egyptian Bank. Had tea with him and Capt. Edwards, Ryle Brigade, at Groppi's.

Mr. Goudy came in the evening, looking wonderful.

Wrote letters all eve. to catch English mail.

Feb. 12 -

Clint has been taken to Anglo-American Hospital - infection seems to be going farther up - septic thrombosis, beyond a doubt.

John heard we were to be attached to the 29^th Div. and would probably go to Bombay.

Feb. 13 -

Lewis, Myra Jane and I went through old Cairo [with] Rachid - saw oldest mosque [with] pillar supposed to have run from Mecca and placed itself there. We also saw a Greek church built on site of ancient fortress, not much different to those of Lemnos.

Church where Mary & Joseph took refuge was remarkable chiefly for the painting from the life Christ probably the oldest extant. Rachid was a trifle too fond of detail for a mixed audience.

We looked in at a native house and were cordially invited in for coffee - refused but were shown through the house - upstairs very clean and neat, [with] latticed windows. The downstairs was absolutely filthy.

Met Goudy and a friend - very uncomfortable for Jane as he had got out of asking her to go with them.

Miss Aber[ ] gave tea for us at Queen's.

Myra & Lewis went driving. I stayed in to write letters.

Feb. 14.

Dentist in am. & shopping. Went to the bazaars with Lewis in the pm. Found nothing we wanted. Lewis said he was very much disappointed.

In the evening they drove to see the Pyramids by moonlight.

Jimmy Rowan is here. Met us for tea at Shepheard's - jolly as ever - introduced the famous Bruce Allan rather "lit up" at the time but absolutely charming and a Mr. McDonald, a friend of Mackenzie's

Feb. 15.

Raining [for] 15 min. Dentists at 9 am. Bill only £ 2, but fancy the young man wasn't over anxious to find work for himself.

Drysdale, Myra and I did the Egyptian Museum in the p.m. Myra insisted on a guide. He was an Arab in a long white pinny, and a scream. He would point at a mummy and say "That is a mummy" or "That is a box" etc. We had him 3/4 hrs. and had to pay him 3/s. Myra decided the experience was not worth it. Anyway we have seen the Museum. The mummies are better than in London. Mr. Set. was like a black marble statue. Rameses II the Pharaoh of the Oppression was good too, with a true Roman nose. We all enjoyed the Arabic museum a great deal more.

Mr. Lewis went this morning.

Feb. 16.

Shopped all day.

Feb. 17.

Forbes, Holland, Drysdale, Myra & I started at 8.30 [with] Rachid. He took us to the bazaars, and showed us the children getting breakfast. They all come with plate and spoon, and were served by a man seated behind a huge dish of boiled beans. He gave them each a sprinkling of sugar.

We also saw weavers making lamp wick, heavy braid etc., and several interesting bazaars. That of spices etc. was full of the odour of pepper, nutmeg, etc. and much less modern than the ones we saw the other days.

He then took us to a house which in Baldecker is called "The book binder's house" - in excellent condition and preserved by the Gov. as a good example of an Arabian dwelling. The banqueting hall in the [harem] was beautifully inlaid. There were tiled bath rooms and good sized bed and living rooms.

We then saw the modern tomb of Tewfik, a late Sultan or Rhedine, probably architecturally perfect but very gaudy and in poor taste compared with more ancient tombs. The family built a private railway from the Palace so they could come often.

The Tombs of the Khalifs are mostly in ruins except the Tomb and Mosque of Kait B[ ], of which Forbes had raved and which we all decided for the best we have seen. The glass was beautiful.

Myra wanted a pair of curious knockers from the door of a house near by and Rachid said when he left proceedings for a divorce were being started as the wife wanted to sell and the husband didn't.

We then saw a Mosque. Gamel-ed-Din, which is rarely seen by tourists, but which was well worth the trip.

We also saw the Muezzins calling the people to prayer from the various [ ]arets.

The Moslem University, Mosque-El-Azhar, was most interesting.

There were no lectures, being Thursday but the students were all there, from tiny children to old white haired men. The women are taught at home by blind men, who cannot therefore see their faces. There were men of at least a dozen nationalities and they sat in groups, swaying to and fro, chanting the Koran.

There was a huge outer court yard and an inner one, where they sleep. The Gov. provides meals for students and any Mohammedan traveller in Cairo not having a bed may come there.

It was by far the best trip we've had.

In the afternoon Myra had to go to Mrs. Gunn's for a fitting so we were asked for tea - met an old lady of 88 who went with her father to the Crimea and was with Florence Nightingale, though her father would never let her name be mentioned. She is a Russian educated in England. Father was ambassador in Constantinople. She was also in Paris during the Commune, & later when the Germans were in possession. She was awfully interesting.

Feb. 25 -

Went [with] Mrs. Gunn to the Kiosk at the Pyramid. Got back at 7 pm to find our orders had come for 9.30 next morning. Dashed wildly round to gather up boots etc. & returned to find we weren't to go till Sunday. We are to go to Salonika.

Busy day finishing up - bought a watch, a stone for a ring, black agate, carved & set in a setting copied from a wonderful ring.

#3 Can. is taking Mena House which we could have had.

Lang our pay Sgt. is dead - had t's and took an overdose of morph.

Clint had a bad turn and scared everyone - seems better again though.

Feb. 27 -

Wrote letters all morning. Myra & Mae went up the Nile [with] some Australians.

Word came in to leave to-morrow. Jane asked me to make a fourth as Goudy was bringing Blake - went sailing, then to tea and dinner at Shepheard's. Met little Parker off the Cornwallis at Shepheard's. They & the Glory are down the Canal.

Feb. 28.

Left Cairo about 9.30 - reached Alex. at 1 pm. Ambulances took us at once to the dock. Sailed on "Laufranc", at 7.00 pm. Expected to be there all night as it was late when our stuff was loaded also a new water cart and ambulance.

Lang and Edmonston came on board. Just down from Lemnos.

Ship - the best yet - cabins. Mae & I, Myra & Jane, for reasons.

Got quite a good mail after we came on board.

Austrian navy supposed to be out of Adriatic. A few days ago they were afraid of a raid by either Zepps or Submarines at Alex. Guards were doubled, and the A.P.M. gave orders in all hotels & cafes for officers and men to go back at once to their units. Nothing happened however.

Feb. 29 -

Everyone sick - Myra as "pill as ill". The ship seems smaller than the others - pitched a good deal.

Very quiet day - read and slept.

Great adventure [with] Stewardess & 2 bottles of ale.

March 1^st -

Dull and chilly. Girls feeling better. Boat drill in pm. All standing to boats in life belts.

In pouring rain we saw Lemnos again and now at 6 pm. we are inside the net of Mudros Bay again. It looks so very cheerless and desolate. We feel so badly about the poor R.N.D's we left there.

The Bleuheim has gone to Malta. Some of the Europa people came over but none we knew.

March 2^nd.

Misty and wet all day. We sailed at 5.30 and it was very rough. Almost everyone was sick.

March 3^rd.

Reached Salonika early in the morning. All we could see from our port hole was a range of snow covered mountains. Later when we got on deck the view was magnificent. Mountains in every direction but with a low flat around the bay and the city, up the slope. Miss Hartley of #4 Gen. came over after lunch & they seem to be very well fixed.

Mar. 4 -

Dickison came over. They like it here though they have had some bad scares. A piece of shrapnel from an anti air craft gun fell through her tent and hit the table where she had been writing a few moments before.

They have a big tea every Thursday & evenings three times a week - know quite a few men.

Our equipment has been unloaded & the New Zealand stuff is being put on. They have never had Sisters as theirs were on that Marquette & ten were drowned. The others were sent back as nervous wrecks. They have about 150 patients most of which are ready to be discharged. They are about 3 miles out, on the other side of the city from #4 Gen.

The A.D.M.S. wanted to take our huts for some stray officers. Our C.O. told him they had been given to the Sisters by the A.W.M.S. Lemnos but that if he would sign a paper saying that he had taken them, why alright. The A.D.M.S. said Indeed no, he wasn't signing any papers - we could keep our huts.

We are to go ashore to-morrow at 2 pm. Birdie has been out and says it's a terrible place, but she made no arrangements, as usual.

We ought to do very well - there was a fire on ship at Alex, right near our equipment. The hold was full of ammunition, gasoline etc. The fire was incendiary, both ends of the holds flaring up at once. A lot of the burning stuff was thrown out over our things and a good deal was badly scorched. Our box [with] books, Ideal milk café au lait etc. is gone. C[ ] indented for far more than he actually lost.

In the eve. Capt. Stourton, a friend of Mae's brought over Major Briggs and some of the French staff. Col. Robertson of the Vancouver unit came in too and as he sang & played very well and Major Briggs sang we had a ripping evening. Pelletier was very funny, sang "My hero" at Stammers who turned pale and fled, amid shrieks of laughter. The C.O. of the Laufranc, Major Furness, is a splendid man and so good to his staff. He jumped up to meet the French staff and stayed all evening.

He was a prisoner in Germany for nine months, and has written very important papers.

Yesterday he gave everyone shore leave to see Salonika and to-day arranged for a trip to the trenches. Got passports etc. They saw all the advanced French lines etc.

Taken all together the Laufranc has been the best so far. The Matron is a dear, and the stewards etc. most obliging.

March 5^th, Sunday.

We left the Laufranc at 2 pm - ambulances were provided and as the roads are so bad only 6 were allowed in each. Pelletier and I were fortunate enough to sit with the driver and saw a great deal.

On the quarry were crowds of people as it was a fete day. There are enough Turks to make things look very like Egypt, especially the shops and bazaars. In the heart of the city were four huge buildings, gutted by fire and still smoking, set on fire by bombs during the last raid. A fatigue had been turned in to clear away the debris.

The streets are very narrow and paved [with] cobbles, and absolutely filthy. They say it is not safe in the city after dark, and I can easily believe it, for such a rough looking lot of people I never saw before. English, French, Greek and a few Serbian soldiers, hordes of refugees and villanous looking Turks and Greeks. Dickison said that at first the place was full of spies but now the town is guarded and no one is allowed in or out with a passport.

On the road we passed a constant stream of transports. The drivers arrived with rifles, French chausseurs [with] glittering helmets, Cingalese with the new steel helmets, refugees in the filthied rags, and ahead of us a never ending procession of lorries & waggons carrying supplies to the front. The dust rose in clouds till we were choked.

Just outside the town were rows and rows of low brick buildings, built originally for refugees in the Balkan war, now filled [with] Serbians.

At one side of the road were huge barracks, formerly used by the Turks, now full of Greek soldiers and surrounded by anti air craft and heavy guns. The Greek garrison are very smart, a sort of pale blue uniform with wide red stripes on the trousers.

We are all by ourselves on a small hill overlooking a wide stretch of country to the North West, covered with British and French camps as far as can see, with Mr. Olympus glittering with snow about 45 miles beyond.

There is an aerodrome about half a mile away and you can scarcely look up without seeing two or three byplanes.

Beyond the camps there is a range of hills, each with its battery and Capt. Stourton told us that from the top you cold see nothing but more hills. The firing line is about 20 miles away.

At the bottom of the hill is a creek where we can get any amount of wash water.

The hills are quite green already and the few trees are in bud. There are plenty of mosquitos but they don't seem troublesome yet. Some of the camps have ordered quinine b.i.d as a preventative from malaria.

We reached camp about 3 pm. And found the tents were pitched. Beds were drawn at once and we got our hand luggage. Mae, Ida, Jane, Myra & I are together in the end tent of the lower line and have an unobstructed view of the country.

Our trunks and dunnage bags arrived about 6.00 and we were soon settled as if we'd been here always.

The transport people mixed things up generally and they had an awful time getting our mess boxes.

There was already a small sheet iron kitchen and in an incredibly short time the men had a fire on, and enough dishes etc. for dinner.

We had been prepared for "a nice cold meat supper", but the company kitchen was going and we had beef steak of sorts [with] potatoes.

The new dishes we got in Alex. are rather frail for this sort of life but very pretty.

Besides, for dinner, we had canned apricots, heaps of tea, army bread better than the Lemnos variety and pickles. The evening was cold and we went to bed early.

The latrine is the best yet, sheet iron and a perfectly palatial affair.

This trip has been very hard on our luggage. The loading at Alex. was done by natives and they packed things in any way and a great deal was lost or broke.

There is a dugout near the mess tent and from all accounts we may need it. A couple of weeks ago a bomb dropped where our mess is now.

March 6^th.

We slept awfully well. Myra snored and at breakfast someone wanted to know who was sawing wood near our tent.

As there are practically no sick patients no one is to go on duty for three days. There were no Sisters here before and the men say things are absolutely filthy.

We had breakfast at light, bacon, jam bread and butter and tea.

Birdie had "dug out drill at 9. and we can all get in.

A fatigue was detailed to get us stones etc. and by noon we had a big table, lanterns a huge packing case to put outside for our holdalls etc., and racks for clothes.

Ida and Mae got four big cases from home with everything imaginable. It was better than Christmas.

Just at lunch time we heard firing and soon saw the white puffs of anti air craft shrapnel just over the hills. They were evidently firing at a Taube.

We had an excellent lunch, cold ham brought from Alex, bread & butter, pickles tea and jam.

There were biplanes around all afternoon, swooping over the camp, only a few hundred yards up, to light farther over in this pa[c]k

We had tea at 4 pm. and quite a few men turned up, Sturton & Briggs, Wade a Scotch M.L.O - a couple of padres and some of the Toronto unit.

After tea Hammell and I walked to the top of the hill, from which the view of the sea and Salonika is magnificent.

All this section was covered with camps when the British first landed and all along the top of the hill are trenches.

March 7^th.

Hammell has started a beauty campaign à la kerosene. Myra & Jane have [flees]. They comb each other daily for 2 hrs. amid yelps and howls. Everyone sits in front of the huts in the sun.

The usual agitators started a crusade against the O.C. for not allowing!!! us on the wards. After hours of gassing it was decided to let the O.C. run his own unit.

The patients are mostly convalescent & Morris wants to get everything arranged before we go on.

Walked to another hill - read all evening.

Beauty Campaign à la Kerosene

March 8^th.

Sat around all day. Endless rows and meetings as to whether the officers are to have a joint tea with us. Birdie wrote a reply but did not show it to anyone. It was not what had been decided on and everyone was furious. Had another meeting to-night and she had to take back her letter. Scoble tried to read it but gave it up and handed it to Birdie saying very dryly "I'm afraid I can't do justice to this".

One word in the letter was "Escortship"

March 9^th.

Mae, Ida and I went into Salonika in the ambulance. It was cloudy when we left and rained heavily all the time so we didn't see much. The stores are very good - about the same as in Boulogne. The streets are very narrow and the side lanes are exactly like the bazaars of Cairo.

There were endless varieties in uniforms one Italian mountaineer - had a tiny cap, khaki coat, long white trousers exactly like underdrawers, black garter at his knees, no stockings and red slippers with huge black pompoms.

We played auction all afternoon.

March 10^th.

It rained all last night and to-day. We played auction till Mae nearly went crazy as there was no one left to talk to her.

March 11 -

We woke this morning at 7 am to find the sky apparently full of airoplanes and loud buzzings. We found out later that they were French and had stopped at the ammunition park here on their way to raid the enemy's lines.

March 18.

Awake every little while all night listening to guns - then the French airships went up all red, white & blue lights and signaled to each other. In the am. we heard a Zeppelin had been trying for the French aerodrome which is near the Toronto unit. They must have had an exciting night. 10 bombs were dropped at 2 am. and 12 more at 3 -

About 4 pm. we heard the anti-air craft guns blazing away and rushed out to find a Taube almost over head - a little toward the mountains and white bursts of shrapnel all over the sky above us. The Taube hid in some fleecy clouds and escaped we followed it for miles by the shrapnel.

It was certainly a pretty night. The sky was absolutely clear except for the smoke which hung for over an hour in tiny spots.

Our men were playing football about half a mile away and some shrapnel fell around them, but no one was hurt.

There has been a great deal of firing all day long.

In the evening ten of us went to a concert - simply splendid -

March 27 -

Since last week nothing of any account has happened. A Zeppelin came around but no where near us, and did no damage.

But this morning ----

We were wakened at 5.10 by the guns and while we lay wondering the bugle from 12^th Corp H.2. blew the alarm and we hustled into our dressing gowns and ran out, that is Jane and I.

It was scarcely day light but we could see the light spots, like stars, from the anti aircraft shrapnel. Jane and I walked up toward the mess tent, she looking like Vesta Tilley in white pyjamas and the shortest of British Warms. We couldn't see anything but the whole sky was full of tiny flashes, and then there was a long wailing "zzzzzz" - followed in a couple of minutes by another and an awful explosion. Immediately the sky just beyond the camp was crimson and never having heard a bomb drop says I to Jane "We'd better lay on our tummies" which we did. But no more "zzzzzz" came and we got up hastily, very much ashamed of ourselves, to see the glare gone and a huge column of creamy smoke rising up.

We seemed to be all alone in the world except for a couple of the officers in their lines and some of the patients running to the dug out and still the anti air craft guns blazed away and still the shrapnel flickered over head.

We called the others to come out and then we saw the Taube, against the smoke, and then we saw four - floating quite calmly amongst the smoke and ducking from side to side to keep out of range. Just then the Dankin came over from the lines to say that everything in "H" Line had been knocked off the shelves and the patients were frightfully upset.

We all watched the four Taubes and then heard the guns from the hills and soon discovered two more against the rising sun and little brown smoke clouds by the dozen. There was some splendid shooting but nothing seemed to touch the Taubes.

One flew away and then came back apparently to see what damage he'd done and then sailed off again.

Things eased up for a bit and then it all began again, worse than ever, but at the end of an hour it was all over.

John and Keillor heard the first bomb drop, and decided to say nothing and go and find it. They met Ainlee coming back with a spade and pieces of shrapnel but as yet no one has found the unexploded bomb.

Myra was a scream - attired in her best black silk kimona she gazed unmoved and majestic at the whole show and then turned to go to bed. Just as she got into the tent she stepped - almost - on a mouse and you could have heard her a mile away. We all sat down and wept it was so funny.

Myra Goodene and Reverse of Photo

The costumes were varied and original. Drysdale had a pair of pyjamas tucked into the tops of her stockings - her boots, laces untied and dragging, and British warms. Ida with curlers and her long uniform coat. Mae went around mostly in a wonderful lingerie nightie, pink bed jacket etc. but [ ] up in Ida's dressing gown.

Hammell and Bruce conversed freely as usual.

Hammell: - "Connie they say in case of shrapnel, you should separate and run" - And she went very fast in one direction and Connie in the other.

Brock was out in a pink nightie talking a thousand words to the minute, and the girls from Le Panne are quite collected and quite worried having seen so much of it in Belgium. However the all admitted the explosion to be something new and none too pleasant.

Forbes and Holland were in red, rather peevish at being wakened so early.

Herring and Kingstone were beseeching people to go to the top of hill so as to really see, but got no offers.

Blew got up, looked around ran back to bed and covered up her head. Then thought she was missing something and got up again just in time to hear an other roar, back to bed she went again, repeating the performance till the whole thing was over.

It was a beautiful morning, not a cloud in the sky and not a breath of air moving.

The Taubes are easily distinguishable from our own aeroplanes, being much heavier and more like a huge bird.

At six Mae and Jane dressed and tore madly to the hop of the hill to see the result of the explosion. It turned out to be the French Ammunition dump and all day there were small explosions.

A train just near was blown off the tracks and there is a hole in the ground as big as our mess tent.

Mr. Fo[ ] said a shell case fell between his tent and Mr. Sewell's, and several of the men from the batteries found case and shrapnel. Col. Williams says Jane & I were the only two sensible ones in the crowd, but our "laying ourselves out" is a camp joke. It came out in orders this morning that we were all to go to the dugout the next time.

Jane and I went riding at 4.30 with Capt. Dobb and Mr. Kirk[ ] - ripping time but got caught in a thunder storm coming home & absolutely soaked.

Concert in the evening by men of 75^th Field Ambulance. Very good.

April 9 - May 8.

Off duty for a month with "P.U.O." - felt rotten - in Infirmary (Birdie's latest fancy) for 3 weeks, missed a tea on the Lord Nelson & the Horse Show. McCullough on duty in Infirmary for last week - her night duty was impending so she got John to order her off and on light duty. Had the nerve to say she took the Inf. in order to pay me back for what I'd done for her.

On light duty May 8-15 - from 10 am to 4.30 pm.

May 5^th.

Last night we played auction till 11 pm - Capt. Dodson, Bazzy, Myra & I. had some remarkable hands. Myra went 5 hearts against our 5 diamonds and à propos of the uncertainty of the result Dodson remarked that a man once held 13 trumps and even then didn't win.

Of course we all bit, hook line and sinker, to be told that on the first hand he trumped his partner's ace and his partner threw him out of the window.

Made cocoas after much fuss and laid us down to sleep.

Wakened at 2.15 to hear Col. Williams saying "There's a Zeppelin overhead - Sisters to the dugout".

And then such a shrieking of shells and explosions followed! Of course we'd grown careless and it seemed hours before we got dressed. Myra still half asleep & moaning about her slippers.

The last raid was nothing to it - we were about the last to reach the dug out, and from there we could see the Zeppelin lit up by the search lights. Star shells were bursting all around it, and the naval gun in the hills behind us was firing directly overhead, and much as we were interested we decided "Safety First" was wise and got into the dug out.

We found quite a bunch there already Harman, whom the O.C. had carried over and Thank God it wasn't just after her operation, Brock who was sure she was going to faint, Upton who had determined to faint and did as per usual, and the others all quite cheerful.

We weren't there more than 15 min. before all of a sudden the firing stopped.

We got out and in about 15 min. more there were three explosions three flashes that lighted up the whole place and then silence, followed shortly by the whirr of our own planes going up.

The O.C. was wakened about 2.00 by the noise of the Zep. which he said sounded like a motor convoy starting out. He went outside to see it right over the camp, but by the time we got out it was about over the harbour.

We didn't sleep much the rest of the night.

Had arranged to go into town with Jane at 10 am for the day. Bazzy came with us.

Went to the "White Tower" for tea and afterwards climbed the tower which has been taken over by the navy as a signalling station.

The Lt. Com. asked us if we'd like to see the Zep, which had been brought down and which lies west of the mouth of the Varder.

We saw it plainly, though it was a very dull and hazy day - a huge framework against the horizon.

It seems the Gen. Sarraill saw the Zep. coming and gave orders that no lights were to sho[ ] or shots fired till he gave the word.

They let it go round the harbor once and then the combined guns of the ships and anti aircraft batteries opened at once.

They absolutely surrounded it, with a triangle of shells and forced it towards the marches. A monitor M33 was lying near and put a 6 in shell right into it, causing an explosion, following it with two more for good luck. The two remaining compartments exploded and it was the hydrogen burning that lighted everything.

What we had thought were bombs were the high explosive shells from the ships. There was no shrapnel used at all.

There is yet no news, at least no one we met had heard anything regarding the crew of the Zep. which should number about 30. The entire marches were at once placed under guard and if the crew were not drowned they are sure to be taken.

When we got back to Floeca's to meet the ambulance Clarke was there and told us that Norman Yellowlees had riden out to see the Zep, and he and his horse were lost in a quick sand. Capt. Wilson of #5 Can. was with him and he escaped. There are no details yet, but it seems impossible that he will ever be found.

It is too terrible for words. Had he been killed by a bomb, it would have been so much easier for his people.

The Zeppelin is the only one on this front and this was only its second trip over. The men seem to think it came merely to stir up the Greeks, who are said to be wavering again.

May 25 -

"A copy of this notice is being sent to the Matron-in-chief. C.C. London, Eng.

The leave of absence posted does not mean that a Sister is in any way invalided home. It is a means of getting back to England where transfers can be arranged should the Sisters still be inclined towards this request - it is also a means of getting back to this their original unit. In no other way will Sisters of this Expeditionary Force find relief this summer, consequently it is a well thought out scheme on the part of the Matron and O.C. and in no instance is it a peremptory privilege(?)

The Sisters have personally made the remarks to me that they had business to transact in England, that they must get there this summer some time and that they dreaded the heat with its consequent disease.

Many, I understand are unhappy.

This is an easy way out of your difficulty."

E.M. Charleson -

The slip for us to sign is separate.

May [8]-14 -

Assorted mess meetings. McCullough elected. All dirty linen washed & much bad blood as a result.

May 16 -

On regular duty - as dressing Sister - Harman & McC had a most dramatic 5 minutes in which McC's acting was superb - never believed she could act the Emotional with a girl.

Went for a walk with Kingstone to [buy] sheep bells. Found two huge flocks, in charge of the most picturesque shepherd. We wanted Goat bells, which are larger and have a better tone, but we managed to understand from his sign language that he wanted to sleep to-night and if he sold the bells the sheep could slip away unnoticed. Anyway we didn't get any. There were some beautiful white and grey goats.

Talked to Harman's lover at tea. He was in France for Mons and on to 2^nd battle of Ypres. Was in Paris when Germans were only 30 miles away.

Is lending us Black woods with Ian Hay's new Serial "Carry On" - knew every reference and all the people.

Also knows the man who writes "Tales of Gaspipe Officer" - a journalist named Steneud(?) -

Birdie came down to show her new riding habit made at M[eiger's] - $56 - quite decent.

May 17.

Had arranged to go into town with Kingstone. It rained most of the night cleared about eight and just as we went to ambulance there was a regular cloud burst.

We went in by a new road which goes round by the wireless station and joins the Mo[ ] road just outside the town.

Just near the French ammunition dump which was blown up, they are burning the cases in the side of a bank, about 1/4 mile from the French hospital. Heaven help them if anything strikes this.

Further on are some of the Serbian Barracks.

As we drove into town the streets were under 1 1/2 feet or more of water, but Venezuelos St. wasn't too bad.

We shopped all morning. Kingstone bought some "Turkish women's towels," and we wandered through the bazaars.

Had lunch at Floeca's, and did more shopping.

We were to meet Myra at Stein's at 3 pm but the ambulance didn't come in.

We took the car out past the White Tower to the end of the line, passing several of the Consulates and many quite large places, though poorly kept up.

The framework of the Zeppelin is being assembled at the White Tower. Someone said it was as big as the "Asturias", and it probably is when complete.

After tea we went to the Art Exhibition, all contributors being French soldiers.

It was most interesting - most of the scenes were local and easily recognizable, and awfully well done. One collection of street scenes simply blazed with colour. The sketches of native peasants were very clever too.

Coming home we had to wait while a battalion of [Iado] Chinese troops marched by. They were dog-tired and many were running to keep up. They looked so strange in their khaki with the Chinese hat round and coming to a point at the top like a Bell tent.

They were weighted down with cooking utensils and many of them carried a roll of matting.

Ahead of them were about as many Cingalese, but apparently a labor corp for they were not armed.

Came home just ahead of a terrific thunder storm which has lasted already for nearly 3 hours.

Kingstone got word this morning her brother was not seriously wounded and back on duty.

May 19 -

Went [up] to Capt. Sandyman's camp for tea. Lloyd and I drove in a Cook's cart - Pelletier and Scoble rode. Very nice - very good.

May 20.

Birdie asked me to take Line E. Jane goes on night duty to-morrow night. Am not very keen but Bob Sutherland is a darling and the orderlies are splendid. Bob asked me if I wouldn't try it for a month, so I think perhaps I will. Other things might prove more unpleasant.

June 25 -

Went riding [with] Brown and two Frenchmen - conversation absolutely impossible. Had rather a frisky horse and [ ] scares.

June 27 -

An instructive evening on the hill top [with] Mishart. Mr. Leo [ ] - disagreement as to Birdie's lack of ability.

June 29.

Was sitting in front of our hut at 7.30 when the two Frenchmen appeared and asked me to "High Tea" at their camp, [with] Brown & Pelletier - couldn't refuse very well.

We walked over through their lines to the officers' mess - a brick & stone building composed of an octagonal living room [with] small bed rooms on all sides, all exquisitely neat.

On the walls were watercolours and sketches by men of the regiment - all most interesting.

We dined in a small open air screened in dining room. Everything was spotless - the waiters in white [with] their blue forage caps.

The meal was excellent but I thought the vegetables would never end.

The drinks consisted of red wine and champagne. The former we drank all through the meal diluted well, with water, a horrible apology for a drink.

The champagne was warm and one could have done [with] more.

Black coffee, cigarettes, sweets etc. ended the spread and at 9.45 we rose determinedly and said we must go, thereby cutting short the party by at least an hour.

I had a little chap who spoke precise English, for my companion. He had been a year in London in the diplomatic service, knew Gen. Joffre, had received the Medaille Militaire and an English order of merit from him, had been wounded 6 times in France, and is bringing me a large piece of Zeppelin. On the whole it was a thoroughly nice evening.

Tore my best stockings climbing the barb wire getting in. Forbes had saved me some beer so it was altogether a pleasant day.

June 30.

Cpl. Hoare died yesterday so the dance for to-morrow night is put off.

Oh these funerals - to-day's was frightfully simple and hurried but very, very sad.

To-night we had our first really peaceful mess meeting. Parsons goes after McC - July 16.

Forbes, Kingstone & I are to be the Committee.

July 3^rd.

Serbian fête.

July 6^th.

Rode out to A.S.C. Camp for tea - Brown's party, Pelletier & Drysdale.

Major Horton to our horror was C.O. but he was quite decent.

Very windy all day. Just after we got home it increased to a perfect hurricane, so dusty we couldn't see the next row of huts.

Nearly choked to death - awful night - no huts came down.

July 8^th.

Myra & I went into town by 2. o'clock car - Wishart was to meet us but didn't appear. Had Sundry ices etc. and did some shopping though being Saturday most of the stores were closed.

27 cases of malaria on the line.

Temp. in our huts 104 -

Ditto of Eliza Jones.

July 14.

Pelletier, Blew & I had tea on St. George, & saw submarine E-21 - Com. Harbottle. Missed the ambulance and drove home in a gharry [with] great excitement!

French concert in the evening.

July 15.

Tea at Wishart's camp.

July 16 -

Capt. Bannister brought out an L.G.O. motor bus - Myra & I went sailing - very rough - Greeks apparently had never been out in a boat before - heaps of fun - tea at the White Tower - Major Briggs showed the management how tea should be made.

Dobb came along - very nervous.

Drove back to town in a gharrry & did some shopping.

Came home in Major Brigg's car.

Micky had a riding party, starting at 5 pm. Blew & Pelletier the girls. Four very nice men - ripping ride - wonderful eats, in a cozy mullah. Got home about 11.30.

July 23 -

Sailing [with] Micky, Mr. Wolverston & Mr. Hobbs - tea at the White Tower.

July 25.

Taube came over - dropped a few bombs beyond the hills - saw the shrapnel but think the Taube got away. The first to get down this far since the Zeppelin.

July 29 -

On night duty Line E - Clarke off sick [with] malaria.

July 30 -

Got up at 1.30 and went in to see the Russians. Got mixed up [with] the O.C & were led to a balcony two floors up in the Portugese Consulate Building. Had to stay there all afternoon. Some of the girls went right down to the dock & met the Russian staff & everybody.

Got some good snaps & really had a most interesting day. Tea at Floeca''s the first time since it has been open - Service and food wonderfully improved.

Aug. 4 -

6 reinforcements arrived at mid night. Bazzy went in to meet them. No one knows any of them except Viets and Halpenny. Very tired, poor things, and bewildered, thought we were in huts. O.D. very effusive.

Aug. 10 -

Three Russians at tea, one a Cossack [with] brown tunic, like an ulster, white hood, fur cap, heaps of silver lace, sword etc. Another officer formerly conductor of largest orchestra in Moscow played for us. The other is a bright funny sort of man & a medical officer. Took some snaps of them.

Aug. 11 -

First Italian troops landed.

Aug. 13 -

Forbes and Holland received a cable ordering them to return to England at once. They and we are broken hearted. They feel that Birdie is at the bottom of it, and that the rest of us will go soon. The O.C. won't cable to have it cancelled.

Orders came in yesterday for 5 Sisters 3 M.O's and 10 orderlies to be ready to go up the line to a Casualty Clearing Station. After much discussion the O.C. decided to make the selection and Upton, Brock, [ ], Micky and Blew were chosen.

Brock was up at Suvla and we all think she should back out but nothing doing.

#4 & 5 Generals with 80 Sisters are also sending 5 - but no one is making a row about it.

Aug. 14.

Two new Sisters, Moore & Brankin came to-night in place of Forbes & Holland.

Aug. 15.

Myra & I went to town - got a ride on a lorry to Piccadilly circus and walked the rest of the way.

Bought wonderful Turkish towel in the bazaars.

Had tea at Floeca's with Mr. Burow & Mr. Stevens from the St. George. The crowd was frightfully interesting.

Sept. 18.

Took over the mess - election "Unanimous", Upton says -

Parsons was awfully decent about showing me everything.

Am so glad to be off E Line that everything seems a relief.

Worries as to Christmas Turkey etc. began at once, but think I shall like it.

Our Christmas Turkeys

Sept. 23.

Myra heard this am that Arthur had been killed in action on the 17^th. It was a strange coincidence that yesterday she should have bought a trunk and talked about going back. Because at once she decided to go.

She was frightfully knocked up of course.

Hunter came down and Myra asked her to find out if she could go back.

I was awfully busy as the "Empties" were coming to-night and I had all the Sandwiches to make. Myra was wonderful. She came up and helped me and we talked it all over. I decided I'd ask to go too. Then we made some more sandwiches. Hunter came back with the O.C. who was willing that Myra should go. I told my tale of woe. He wavered. I tried to look him in the eye but his eye was looking at Hunter.

Birdie is really coming back and as he is now infatuated with Hunter he doesn't want her.

We hear she is bringing 17 new sisters. These with the 8 new ones will make 27 - Birdie's ideal unit.

The O.C. said he wanted to make a stand against her. He wanted to keep all the original sisters and would refuse the reinforcements.

I couldn't do any more then as he clearly wasn’t anxious to let me go as he said it would weaken his point, i.e. that the old sisters were much more valuable being acclimatized.

He wants to get the unit home and is making the men's health the excuse while in the spring it was the Sisters'.

He really is making two absolutely different statements. 1. That the original unit is better able to stand the conditions than reinforcements 2. That the whole unit needs a change.

How he'll come out he [ ] know. He told me that my going back sick would weaken his point [ ] much - but as he never tells a straight story I couldn't put much faith in his sudden dislike of Birdie.

I went to Hunter afterwards and told her she could arrange my going if she wanted to and that I hoped she want to. [ ] as very disagreeable but she is so placid and easy going you can't deal gently with her.

To-day has gone by and still no word.

It has been horribly cold, raining in the evening. I am prepared for a crowd after the concert but am afraid no one will come.

Myra is keeping up in a perfectly amazing way - yet I know she is nearly crazy.

Col. Dawl R.F.C. came to tea with Capt. McDonald. He says Maltese lace is cheaper in London as so many Belgian lace makers are there.

He recommended Coussis' cigarette works and the Armory as the chief sights.

He said that one time in a cholera? epidemic they ran a soup kitchen for the poor. Unfortunately they put it next to the chapel of Bones and the Maltese wouldn't go near it as they said the bones were used to make the soup.

Sept. 24.

Word came about 10 am that I could go and Scoble took over the mess.

At noon the girls came down to see what we had for sale.

Brock bought the knitted jacket I began in the infirmary, and the holdall Mother made, when I thought a holdall was quite a different thing to what I now know it to be.

I sold my linen blouses relics of the "Childrens" - and heaps of things.

Myra and Lloyd were the only two who could really do much business, and Lloyd went away with several pairs of boots and corsets, much to Roger's disgust.

McN. Jones bought the famous chair, and Roger the mirror.

When the sale was at its height Hunter ambled along to ask if we could be ready in half an hour as the ambulance was waiting. Brock said "Yes" and while we dressed she and McCullough packed and at 2pm we had our hats on ready to walk out.

Just at this moment the O.C. arrived to say we neednt go till to-morrow.

Myra almost broke down and we began to unpack again.

In the evening Myra went to the movies with McC. I had such a cold I didn't go.

Afterwards McC. asked us into her hut for champagne and chicken. [ ] apparently can't smell a cork without feeling it for she had to leave.

Myra went with Col. Dawl? of the Flying Corp. A wonderful looking man but loving.

Capt. McDonald the O.C. [ ] flew with Col. Dawl for 2 years.

Sept. 25 -

We rose at 6.30 in case we might go early but nothing happened.

We sat around and then went over to say Good-bye to our patients and took some snaps.

Discussed Birdie's coming with Scoble - who was not so certain that she was the "White Hope" after Myra had talked a little sense to her.

Just as we were talking Hunter arrived with a cable from Birdie that she was leaving Sept. 24 (Sunday)

No mention was made of any reinforcements. But certainly we are all going back. Forbes tore up our cheques and said she knew they'd soon see us in England.

We left camp at 2 pm. and I did not think it would be so hard to leave the girls and everything. Brock wept copiously as per usual. The others feel as we do that it is the beginning of the end.

The drive down was frightfully dusty and we were white by the time we reached the lighter.

The V.A.D's were in charge and gave us a cup of tea. The men were all given tea and biscuits. They really do a wonderful work at places like that.

It took ages to load but we finally started, reaching the Llandovery Castle about 4.30.

The matron has been out from England six weeks - her first charge - too pleased with herself to eat, let alone be civil.

She started by telling us we couldn't pack properly as we wanted our trunks. In the end however we got them.

The O.C. ship is an old naval surgeon - rather a martinet but also a bit garrulous.

There is an awful Canadian Ross, from Barrie.

Two Sisters from #5 are going back and two English Sisters.

The boat is short ten sisters - maybe we'll have to work.

My cold improves slowly but I feel awfully miserable still.

We have a cabin each and are quite comfortable.

Tuesday Sept. 26.

A very dull misty day - slept most of the time. No shore leave to invalids. Got off some letters by Capt. Miller of #5 -

Capt. Oliver R.I.F. is going to Malta with Malaria. Myra says he's no use at all, but the poor soul looks anything but gay at present.

Wednesday, Sept. 27.

Discovered Mr. Panet who came over on the Zeeland with us, and some nice English Subs - two Cambridge men.

One of them, Mr. Lakin. showed us Minerva's Shrine on a passing island. He told us of some Tableaux Vivants they had in College. One was "Island of the Aegean" - An old cab horse was led on the Stage "A 'oss". The curtain was lowered then raised again "Same 'oss".

There is a man on board who is engaged to Miss Frenchard of #5. She is one of their prettiest girls and he is on of the nicest men we've met out here. He calls the Matron's trips along the deck "Airing her ankles"

Sept. 28.

Panet brought along a friend for chewing gum. He was quite afraid to take it when it was presented. We told them all the famous gum stories, which of course Panet enjoyed thoroughly. He is starting a society for the introduction of Pork and beans, catsup and gum among the English. We told him he should add canned corn to the list, as we have never seen it over here.

Panet wants to make Blighty - we've told him he should develop a heart condition.

Coxall of #4, the Stenographer is being recalled to go into Miss McDonald's office. She is a cat and I wouldn't trust her. According to her story she runs #4 with assistance from Col. Roberts.

McLennon of #5 is recovering from malaria. A good sport. She is related to Rev. G. McLennan of Norwood.

Sept. 29 -

Out of sight of land all day. Coxall lent me her [ ] and we printed all day. The "children" came along every few minutes to talk and we accomplish nothing. They brought a Mr. Terberville whose father was British Consul at S[ ] before the war when the Greeks, Turks and Belgians were all in partial possession of the city and street fights were a daily occurrence.

He had done reconnaissance work with the French aviation corps at Salonica and had been recommended.

He lived in Jersey and knew the Le Feuvres.

He also knew the Donelson family quite well. He said the parents had worked for the deportation of Katie the Balkan Princess. He had also met Capt. Taylor.

Mr. Ross undertook to tell me that the O.C's conversation wasn't fit for females. He received a good squash. Nerve!

Sept. 30.

All night we crawled along as no ships can enter ports before 7 am. It was quite rough. Myra did her best but wasn't a bit sick.

We lay in quarantine off Marsa Bay in the am. About noon we had rounded the Island and at 3 pm we entered the harbour.

Malta is wonderful. It is practically a white island - the sand, rocks, buildings all a deep cream with just an occasional tree.

The fortifications are magnificent. nuff sed.

As we steamed in we saw the Agamenonn and sent a message to Bailden. No one knew whether the Triad was in or not.

As soon as we docked Fenton of the Armand, Coxall's lover, came over to see her. She blushed and looked very coy.

We were told to go to our cabins as the Governor - Lord Methuen came on board. We saw him but he had nothing to say to us.

We were booked for the Can. Home [with] McLennan - Coxall went to Kammeralta, a military Hospital as she is on transfer.

An insolent young pup of a Major was awfully rude when she asked to come with us.

Our only intimation that we were to go ashore was a person yelling from the quay "Come along you Sisters". The O.C. was a pig and we left the ship simply raging. The Matron wasn't to be found so we said no farewells.

We were bundled into an ambulance and reached the Can. Home - Villa Portelli in Sliema about 5pm.

The Sister in charge a lackadaisackle person met us with "Are you coming here? I haven't been notified". We were ushered into a room with 6 beds, found a girl from #5, Brennan who had stayed half a day at the Boston Ph[ ]pathic. Myra and she were friends at once. Another is an English Sister named Bobbs an awful person.

We aren't a bit happy. The meals are served at long tables and are just fair. It costs 2/6 a day. McLennan & I went over to Valletta after dinner.

Oct. 1^st. Sunday.

Shopped or rather found out where the shops are. Had lunch and tea at the Club, a ripping place. Met Capt. Scott. He is coming over to-morrow.

Oct. 2^nd.

Came in to find a note from Mrs. Godfrey asking us to meet her at the Tigne Bathing Club. We had our date with Scott and thought we were almost certain he wouldn't turn up. [Mae] L. and I stayed in and Myra went.

He didn't come so we went to the Club for tea.

Oct. 3^rd.

Shopped with Mrs. Godfrey. She had lunch with us at the Club. She has a flat at 47 Strada Mezzodi. Her children are darlings. She came out the year before the war when Major Godfrey was stationed at Malta and has never been able to go back. She knows all the navy men we know. Washington has rather a difficult wife, rather eccentric but pretty, not a help to him at all.

Ramsay she hates says he is awfully conceited but is run after because he is an "Honourable". Ormsby - Johnson is nicknamed "The Admiral". She thinks him a bore.

She knew all about us. Asked who was the Sister who went sailing with her husband and Capt. McClintock and was sick. We described Upton but after much discussion it turned out to be Ida. She must have got in some fine work with Mae to have kept her quiet.

I think she is a little bit jealous of Mae.

She says Malta is a perfect hot-bed for Scandal - told us a few choice ones.

She has some wonderful caricatures of Major Godfrey at the flat - done by Mr. Mils. Before the war he was official Caricaturist for the French navy, a queer custom.

We told her about Scott "on the way to be a Major. He said he knew her - She says no. But he is like that.

He knew Mrs. Musters. We asked Mrs. G. about her. Says she is rather pretty in her own way - a little than he is, and rather devoted to several men.

After Mrs. G. had gone we saw a woman at tea and placed her at once as Mrs. M.

Oct. 4 & 5^th.

Shopped and drove about. Moved into another room. Much happier

Oct. 7.

We met Capt. Levy yesterday on the ferry. He had a Capt. Fletcher of the Cameronian with him. Wounded and rather peculiar but nice. Myra had said hard things to us about our Scott fizzle so we told her to do her best.

She at once opened fire on Levy and as we hadn't seen "The Gardens" he said he'd take us there to-morrow.

Oct. 8.

We met Capt. Levy at 11 am after fortifying ourselves with tea and buns.

We said "shall we get a carragge? He said "Oh no it's just a five minute's walk"

We said, growing pale - "But it's miles" He ditto - Why no it's just up this street."

He led us by devious paths for about 2 min. - when we emerged on the Barracca, into the glazing sun light. There were a few bushes and a fountain and a couple of seats set in the sunny places. "Here" said he, "are the gardens and to think you couldn't find them and would have taken a carriage!" He beamed all over at his own cleverness and we smiled weekly.

The San Antonio garden - The Gardens are about 5 miles from Valletta and wonderful. After we had looked at every flower we were led back and taken to an awful place for an ice.

We made a wild excuse and broke away, as he had found a godly friend in khaki with adenoids.

We rushed to the Club and howled. Myra is cowed.

Oct. 9.

Myra was very blue to-day so in the afternoon we dragged her out to really see the Gardens.

They were well worth it, and the drive was delightful.

We had dinner at the Club, found a note from Mrs. Godfrey asking us to a moonlight picnic on Wednesday. Regretfully declined.

Oct. 10.

Came back next morning to find our note still there. I went round to tell her and she had lunch with us at the Club. She told us all about the Cockburns.

The father was an officer in India. He sent his wife home with the two boys and refused to let her come out again. She lived in London, had a large allowance and educated the boys, who were not allowed to go to a Public School. One time he sent one of his young officers to see his wife and they fell violently in love.

After a while she asked for a divorce. It was granted and she was given the children. The Court decided it was a most unusual case. Husband would not come home nor allow his wife to go to him, though he could well afford it.

Cockburn was awfully upset when he woke up, but couldn't do anything.

Mrs. Eadie, a friend of Mrs. Cockburn's lives in Malta and it was she who told Mrs. Godfrey the story.

The last she heard was that the Cockburns had met again and that she was still very much in love with him.

When Mrs. G. left the Club at 3 pm, she was to meet us for tea and said something about dinner with her.

When she didn't turn up we decided it was all off.

Met Capt. Lawrence and promised to go to dinner with him. He had lunched well and not too wisely and was very talkative. At the Club was Mrs. G. who thought we were dining with her. Rotten mix up - in the end she came with us and we were very glad.

Oct. 11 -

Word came in at 11 am for us to embark at 2.30. We were to have gone to the Marsa Club with Mrs. Godfrey.

When we reached the boat we found that Capt. Lawrence was on the list too but he had gone out without leaving an address and we came on without him.

Oct. 20.

Landed at Southampton after an [e]ventful trip.

All through the Mediterranean it was delightful. The first night out we were signalled by a Germany Submarine to know what we had on board. Nothing happened.

Esther Blair Wilson of Edinburgh a V.A.D. with the Scottish Women is going back for the same reason as Myra.

She is awfully pretty and yet her tales of what she has done as a V.A.D. make our work of very little account.

Her follower we called "Legs" - Young of the A.S.C.

Another case was a V.A.D. and a man we called "Nose" - he may have another name.

The heaviest and I think probably a lasting affair was Miss Newton a pretty 2.A. and Mr. Claridge A.S.C.

A V.A.D. who had been on Miss Newton's ward at Malta was being rushed home to die - T.B- but in no state to travel all the way back she had bad haemorrhages and only the care she got kept her alive.

They wirelessed her people from Gib, which we passed Sunday noon.

Immediately the weather changed and we nearly froze. It was very rough but we weren't sick.

Oct. 21.

Came up from S. by Ambulance train last night. Met at Waterloo by Red Cross Motors and taken to the 2.A. hospital 71 Vincent Sq.

"Every prospect pleases and only woman is vile" - we hate it.

"No smoking" at all McLennan tried and soon found out. To see her sitting with her head in the grate was a scream.

Rise at 7 pm. and proceed to breakfast at 8. having made your bed and [tied] your room. No fires in our rooms, being Convalescents.

No chance of getting out except between 2-6 pm.

Board on Tuesday. Durance vile in the meantime.

They aim at giving [ ] to their patients - first T. i.d.

Wired Eric - still at Lympne Castle - Don at Wiltye - can't get leave for a week.

Sunday - Went to Westminster to thank God I am not on duty on a hospital ship.

Oct. 24 -

Went for our Board at 10.30 - told to return at 3.30. Saw Miss Boulter - very regimental and stand offish - drat the women - who is she -

Forbes very friendly. We are told to go to Cheyne Place for as long as we liked.

Taxied to the [jail] and grabbed our luggage - bade them a negligible farewell.

Yesterday am - Myra saw the Matron who gave her permission to stay out for dinner.

Myra, McL- & I dressed to go out.

Myra to "Blackhead" our [ ] nurse just 3 weeks in the Army -

"I'm going to be out for lunch & dinner"

Blackhead "For dinner?"

Myra - Yes - I'll be in about [ ] pm.

Blackhead - "Indeed you will not"

Myra - "Oh yes"

Blackhead - "Oh no"

Myra - "I saw the Matron and it's quite alright"

B- "Indeed it isn't. I've heard nothing about it"

M- "The Sister in charge knows all about it" - Good - morning.

B - purple and spluttering walked us out

Oct 24 -

Settled at Cheyne Place - heaven at last. Miss Grand a [ ]

Oct. 27 -

Went down to Lympne to see Eric - Fond him much better, but hoping to leave soon.

Oct. 31 -

Hallowe'en dinner - Miss Grand a genius.

Nov. 6 -

Don up for the week-end.

Nov. 8.

George over on leave.

Nov. 9 -

Went to Downe Hall for the weekend Mrs. S. charming - Marryat also he had to go back to Lympne on Saturday, which ended Eric's coming for Sunday.

Nov. 13 -

Back to London.

Nov. 16.

Went down to Shorncliffe to see Jane and Cecily.

Moore Barracks is just that - very bleak and cheerless. Jane isn't very keen about it but Cecily seems happy. But "any port in a storm" for her after her row.

Miss Rayside was cordial said she'd love to have us there but wouldn't advise us one way or the other. She misses #2 Gen. very much.

Don came up after dinner but the girls advised me not to keep him as rules re privates & [R].C.O's is very strict. Some of the girls abused the privilege a while ago and even asked their ward orderlies to tea.

I tried to explain it to him but it was a rotten thing to have to do.

Nov. 17 -

Back to London. Went to see Forbes but she was out.

Nov. 28 -

Boarded & posted to Bushy Park -

Nov. 29 -

Arrived.

[no date, but after Feb. 24]

The list of people who had been granted the Ry R.C. came out last Saturday - Feb. 24 - and we were warned to be in readiness. That is to have a service uniform that was presentable and boots gloves, veil, buttons etc. at hand.

Thursday night the telegram came.

"Your attendance is required at Buckingham Palace Saturday next at ten o'clock a.m.

[no date]

A Display of Bad Taste - by the Matron

Entitled -

"A Tempest in a Teapot" or A Bea in her Bonnet"

nevertheless a notable War Incident.

Twas August and on Mudros West

The Sisters from Canada did their best

To fight disease and lack of food

And do their duty for their Country's good.

The heat was intense, the flies a pest

But daily each sister went without rest

To give to the Tommies encouragement kind

And oft at the Canteen food she would find

The prices were high but what did she care

For money she had and money so spare

That none of these brave lads would ever know

The lack of preparedness which she could show.

With always this loyalty in her young mind

As food for their bodies she set out to find

Her heart was incensed at their dire distress

Which could have been saved by someone's interest.

Of lack of system, of thought and of gross reflect

To provide for the unit what they should expect

Without malice or fear they immediately sought

A reason for not having things as they ought.

The press grew indignant, to London they sent

Cablegrams, letters and threats that were meant

Notes of assurance came through the post

And we knew that our thrust had not all been lost

Boxes from Canada came for Tommies to share

Conditions began to improve then and there

We do love the Leon - The British so brave

But true to their teaching we can't be their slave

If things are not right it is up to the name

Of the lion so strong to cause him some pain

We are here and to show that we are united

Where chaos is found, of course we must fight it.

Our first and our best friend, the navy so true

The Glory loomed up on the Aegean blue

They had helped guide us safely across the Atlantic

Heard of our fate here and immediately grew frantic.

Fresh water they carried in kegs from the Pier

And with bread that was not sour our hearts they did cheer

Their picnics & parties did help to relieve

The mind of the Sisters who had just cause to grieve

Next came the Bleuheim with splendid Capt. Pitts

Who showered us with dainties fit for the Ritz

His kindest intentions to last and to all

Made everyone feel they were glad of this call.

For duty brought with it such friends good & true

That pleasure alone made hardships seem few

The H.M.S. Cornwallis then came to call

And the puzzle now is "Which is nicest of all."

Now we understand why Britain rules the seas

If all their trusted officers are men such as these

Glory, Bleuheim, Cornwallis, Agamennon & Scourge

You have all helped to keep us from singing that dirge

Of discontent, unhappiness & worst still of all

The failure to cover the faults big and small -

Of those who had forgotten the Canadians true

Were here to help to keep floating the Red, White & Blue.

Our Canada the home of the loyal and free

Whose Master only Great Britain must be

Then here's to the hope that the hatchet we bury it

"[ ] [ ]" the conditions which ever discovered it.

[no date]

Pictures from Lemnos

Lembet Road

White Tower

6 small ones

Serbian refugees

Greek Highlands

French Soldier

Lemonade Seller