to find a camping ground just evacuated by the 13th Infantry Battalion. There were no guides. When as a Brigade we treked to Helonan beyond Maadi & were to camp as everyone knew on exactly the same spot as before "billeting parties" went ahead & galloped back to report with some pomp & circumstance. Here there were no guides. We rested in all innocence at points by the road which as I well knew later were no safe abiding places. Shells were bursting along the valley. "Ours or theirs" was the naive concern of such as I & Hockey who knew, sport that he was, didnt answer. Subject we were to another barrage as we sat there - that of innocent banter from passing infantrymen. "Struth! its the bally Light Horse!" What a come down – "Where are yer GeeGees?" "Find the pack a bit hard dont yer?" This mainly from men of the 4th Inf. Brigade who had been camped by us at Aerodrome Camp & with whom there had been some rivalry. We could stand their chiack. Proud we were to belong to the Light Horse & had we been given such work as that
[On opposite page alongside the comments:
O Lor! it's a circus. where are yer showing tonight?]
