Diary of a World War 1 Soldier

March 1. Went to Cairo in the evening and posted parcels home. Sent a “Signal Service” design tablecloth away also. Had first mail from home today. March 2. Nothing interesting happened today. March 3 and 4. Nothing doing on these days. March 5. Went to Church in Heliopolis this morning. Very fine church beautifully decorated. The sermon was preached in French. Went to Cairo with Lindsay and Linton in afternoon and saw the Kovlovan mosque (no reference found about this mosque in Google). Very fine gold leaf roof on minaret windows, about 78 feet high. Had tea at Ezbekeih Gardens and afterwards tried to find a RC church. Found the Irish one instead. 

March 6. Dreamt I was home again last night. Nothing doing today. 

March 7. Nothing much doing today. Have not heard from Australia for 3 weeks, tis pretty rotten not hearing from anyone.All our mails must be going down the Canal to our units I suppose we’ll get it one of these days. No mails going for 6 weeks and last closing on the 16th. 

March 8. Big move on tomorrow, draft leaving for desert this evening. (This move could be the transporting of the 1st AIF from the various camps around Cairo to Alexandria. The 1 and 2 Divisions started to move in from the desert where they had been training and by the 13th the 2nd division was being sent by night to Alexandria followed by the 1st division on the 21st. On the 23rd March the ANZAC Corps began landing in France, mainly at Marseilles.) 

March 9. Some of last div, sigs. who came in last week are moving out during the week. Went on guard duty today. 

March 10. Payday today, remained at camp in evening, still no letters, it is getting over the fence! March 11. Went to Cairo in the afternoon to see citadel. Very fine place and full of interest. Built on top of solid rock and is in a very commanding position. ( It is one of Cairo’s most popular tourist attractions which houses a number of museums, ancient mosques and other sites, located on a spur of limestone that had been detached from its parent Moqattam Hills by quarrying. The Citadel is one of the world's greatest monuments to medieval warfare, as well as a highly visible landmark on Cairo's eastern skyline Particularly when viewed from the back side (from the north), the Citadel reveals a very medieval character. The area where the Citadel is now located began it's life not as a great military base of operations, but as the "Dome of the Wind", a pavilion created in 810 by Hatim Ibn Hartama, who was then governor. Indeed this area was well known for its cool breeze. These early governors, not realizing its strategic importance, simply used the pavilion for its view of Cairo. Between 1176 and 1183, Salah al-din (Saladin to Westerners 1171-1193 AD), an Abbasid Ruler, fortified the area to protect it against attacks by theCrusaders, and since then, it has never been without a military garrison. Originally it served as both a fortress and a royal city). The mosque is very beautiful it contains 200 ft high towers. (There are several mosques in the Citadel, The Mosque of Sulayman Pasha al-Khadim, The Mosque of Al-Nasir Muhammad and the Mosque Mohamed Ali. (not the boxer). It was designed by the Greek architect Yussuf Bushnaq, the mosque was begun in 1830 (finished in 1857) in the Ottoman style by Mohammad Ali Pasha, ruler of Egypt, and founder of the country's last dynasty of Khedives and Kings. The mosque is the Tomb of Mohammad Ali and is also known as the Alabaster Mosque because of the extensive use of this fine material from Beni Suef. Its two slender 270 foot minarets are unusual for Cairo. From the arcaded courtyard, visitors have a magnificent view across the city to the pyramids in Giza. Just off the courtyard is the vast prayer hall with an Ottoman style dome which is 170 feet above .It seems like the latter one as it has 2 270 foot high minarets and a feature is under the large centre dome are the large rings of electric lights). Cannons are based all around the ramparts. Most of them are obsolete though. A few cannon balls are still embedded in the outer walls, - relics of Napoleon’s military. Several specimens of old guns rifles, swords etc are to be seen in some of the rooms. Before one could enter the mosque one had to remove their boots and put on slippers. Several very old “Egyptians” were prostrate on the floor praying as we entered. A few grave looking Indians in native dress were also there. The ?? are really wonderful. A huge circular row of electric lights run completely around the centre and numerous rooms in all. Rich Persian carpets cover the floor which is of alabaster and a special throne is reserved for the use of the Sultan. Had tea in the city and returned via Heliopolis. 

March 12. Church at Zeitoun in the morning. Wrote some letters in the morning and afternoon went for a walk before tea. 

March 13. Nothing doing today.

March 14. Went over ostrich farm today and took some snaps of it. Went to picture show at Zeitoun in evening. All shows in this country are open air. March 15. Very warm today. Some of our chaps went to Ishmalia (Ismailia was one of the main training camps along side the Suez Canal) in afternoon. Went to pictures at Heliopolis in evening. Saw some Australian war films. March 16. One of our chaps died to-day and was buried in old military cemetery which contains hundreds of graves of English soldiers some of which are very old.

March 17. St. Pats day today (Saint Patrick patron saint of Ireland). Wonder where I will spend the next one. Thought of all the fun I had at the previous one at the ?? ??( I have an early photo of him in a Lodge regalia) the work too in connection with the ghosts of which Des O’Connor (no relation) and self were secretaries of. Rather warm and donkey flies a nuisance. No Australian mail to hand yet. 

March 18. Had our first rain since landing in this land of flies, sun and heat. Was very nice to hear it falling on the tent. Went for a walk in it after tea. 

March 19. Church in morning and went to Communion as well. Spent the afternoon in letter writing to Ron, home and Tom. Went on picquet (guard duty) at Zeitoun railway station at 4.40pm. Came off at 12 pm and arrived back at camp at 1 am. Thought of Ron in the evening when I saw other couples going home. Big crowd leaving for France tomorrow. (be 1st Division)

March 20. Same old routine today. Very warm today. More men from our camp left for Ishmailia in afternoon. Had a good game of cricket after tea. We have not heard of any mail yet I suppose we will receive it someday. Wrote to Auntie in evening in one of the huts. 

March 21. Pay day today. Had a game of cricket to fill in the afternoon. Went to Heliopolis afterwards with Frank and Dim and Arty. Had a meal at the Empire Café, bought some soap for washing with. More of our fellas moving out very soon. 

March 22. Nothing very interesting occurred today. Some of our chaps are moving. Caught for guard in evening. Doing 2 shifts and have recommendation of a day off. Still no mail.

  March 23. Big cla??? Of Engineers moved off today. Rumours of force going to France. Had supper at Helmich Tea rooms in evening and had a splendid meal. Arrived back at camp at 9pm, weather very warm and dusty all day. 

March 24. Route march on today (in morning). Remained in during afternoon and did some washing. Had hair cut and photos taken in evening. Went to Zeitoun Pictures in evening with Frank ??. Returned at 9pm to Camp 

March 25. Very warm today, remained at Home in afternoon went to Kursade (not found in modern Cairo directory but written as Currfesston?? in other diary) at Heliopolis after tea.

Below: Climbing the Pyramids

March 26. Did not go to Holy communion today. Went to church at Heliopolis in morning, three non-Catholics came with me, one was a Jew and one a Copt (Coptic Christian? If so would be an Egyptian) ?? Son? Singing was very beautiful. Went out to Pyramids in afternoon, on our way out we passed near the Nile near the spot where Moses was found in the bull rushes. After an hours ride in an electric tram we reached the world famous pyramids. Before climbing them we tool our boots off and entered the King’s and Queen’s chambers. Passage very hot and musty, today problem of being slippery. It makes one feel very small crawling around in the passages and to think of the immense weight of stone above. It took us a good half hour to reach the top, it was worth the trouble for the view amply repaid us for our troubles. As far as the eye could see included the desert, silent and grim and only broken by the silver thread winding in and out of it. A faint touch of colour was added by the green - though a dirty one, of the palm trees and lucerne patches growing near the river. How many men have these silent watchers of the desert, seen go cheerfully out into the wilderness determined to wrest the secret of the desert from the keepers though whose bones are left to bleach in the scorching sun. What changes have the greatest and most historical ruins known. What events of bygone days caused these two in confu???? With the Sphinx with its eternal ?? ??. Cheops is the highest pyramid, 579 feet to flag pole and covers 13 acres of ground. (The Giza Necropolis stands on the Giza Plateau, on the outskirts of Cairo. This complex of ancient monuments is located some eight kilometres inland into the desert from the old town of Giza on the Nile, some 25 kilometres southwest of Cairo city centre. The pyramids are the only remaining monuments of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. This ancient Egyptian necropolis consists of the Pyramid of Khufu (known as the Great Pyramid and the Pyramid of Cheops), the somewhat smaller pyramid of Khafre (or Chephren) a few hundred metres to the south-west, and the relatively modest-size Pyramid of Menkaure (or Mykerinus. The Grest Sphinx lies on the east side of the complex, facing east.) Had tea at Meu? House and returned at 9pm.

March 27 to 29. Still feeling sore after climbing Cheops. Things very quiet. 

March 30. Had a dust storm in morning, some storm too. Can still feel the grit in my mouth. I am writing this in Y.M.C.A. just before supper. 

March 31. Heard our mail was at Base PO so obtained official leave to get it. At arrival at BPO were informed that it had been sent down Canal again. Had a ?? night in Cairo tonight. We leave tomorrow to Tel-el-Kebir (This was one of the main army camps in Egypt after the training had finished.) as replacements as ?? for vaccines? (All the Australian troops were inoculated before they left for France but this sentence then does not make sense.) Chris and Ron and I am going to try to get into Signals Office if possible.