Allsop Diary

[Top Left] 1916 31 days [Top Right] December

carriages. Natives boarding [Centre] 7 Thursday the train every stop. Indians guarding the trains. Stations not fenced. Our chaps singing at every station "Brothers in Arms are We". "Australia will be there". Arrived Zeitown Thursday [Centre] 8 Friday 1 am marched through sand and dust to camp. Same day moved over nearer Heliopolis. Thursday evening went to Cairo. Wassa etc. Shepherds Hotel. Savoy Hotel. Friday night 10th. Dec. went into Heliopolis. Fine Hospital rather pretty place. Hosp built by King of Belgium 1500 rooms. Saturday afternoon 11th. we went on [Illegible] Car to Cairo thence carriages to [Illegible] carvings done for Pharoah (Ramesses II) home of Moses. Inside Curios

[Top Left] December [Top Right] 12th Month 1916 back to 4000 B.C. Mummy [Centre] 11 Monday of Pharoah Jewellery of his wife etc. 162 Children 111 Boys Mummies embalmed in pitch wrapped in bandage (roller) Mummy Case then bodies sometimes encased in 4 or [Centre] 12 Tuesday five larger cases. Old Cairo Sultans Palace Barracks University. City of Dead Magic Pool (Rheumatism) Tombs of Mamilinkey. Old windmills built by Napoleon for grinding of wheat for troops. [Centre] 13 Wednesday Traces of Babalon visit Mosque of Amr. Churc in which the Holy Family stayed when in Egypt. Mosque of Amr only used once a year no two columns alike in design. Holy water in centre. Dirty urchins outside. Visited

[Top Left] 1916 31 Days [Top Right] December Nile. Crossed in small boat [Centre] 14 Thursday paddled from bow. Singing as we crossed. Women washing clothes in water Id of Rodah, water mark Moses found in bullrushes. Returned Cairo for tea. [Centre] 15 Friday Sunday [Illegible] orders for action. Left Heliopolis about 9 pm 13th. Dec Monday amidst cheers from the camp and landed Ell Confuien station at 6 am 14th. Dec then had a most miserable [Centre] 16 Saturday march to [Serapeum] Camp 8 miles south of Ishmailia. Dry bread cheese & water for 2 days. Sandy place on Canal bank. Canal 140 yards wide & [Centre] 17 Sunday - 3rd in Advent 88 miles long, lakes here & there. Between 14th & 19th. Dec saw the H.M.S. Implacable

[Top Left] December [Top Right] 12th Month 1916 going towards Suez. [Centre] 18 Monday Ceramic (big boat) going towards Port Said laden with troops. Wiltshare with troops. Royal George (Toronto) fine ship going to Bombay with Black Watch aboard. Numbers [Centre] 19 Tuesday of ships with Indians on board going to Persian Gulf. Mongolia bought first mail. Sonlay going Vickers with Botany boys for ammunition Tobacco etc thrown ashore for troops. Artillery Indians [Centre] 20 Wednesday [by Aust at Serapeum. Hyderahbad Lancers & Miners Sappers ect. Well spoken English Marajah of Mysone & Mar of Hyderahbad at Serapeum. 8 am 19th Dec Sunday 31st Battalion 70 camels & 12 AMC with Capt

[Top Left] 1916 31 Days [Top Right] December

North left as advance party [Centre] 21 Thursday to occupy Bridge 8 miles off as first line of defence and and opposition to Turks Gillies Wall Calf Berry Herford Henderson Watson [Centre] 22 Friday Allsop (A.M.C.) Today 20 Dec Monday nothing doing but tomorrow we move a few miles further into Arabia to occupy another Bridge. Sandy track & wilderness. In dim distance can see Canal [Centre] 23 Saturday & line of trees. Traces of fight last Feb 1914. Turkish graves & camel bones. Thousands of Turks killed. They bought Iron Puntswhich are now Ishmaila's. Actually [goes] [Centre] 24 Sunday - 4th in Advent across the canal. At present hundreds of natives are busy