would pour into little holes dug in the
sand and covered with a waterproof sheet. Then a leisurely undressing
and a hopeless effort to soap oneself--soap will not lather in brackish
water--and a delicious coolness as a comrade poured a tinful down one's
back. Under garments would be rinsed and beaten out, and the party would
hasten back to the bivouac, and let someone else have a go. But there
were long periods when a man could do no more than save a canteen lid
full from his water bottle to get a shave, and there is no doubt that
the lack of washing water aggravated the septic sores which afflicted
the great majority. Wherever the skin was exposed on face, hands, arms
and knees, any little cut or abrasion would fester till a big and
painful sore had risen from the tiniest scratch. And with many men,
however carefully they were dressed and bandaged to exclude the flies,
they would not heal--or if they did another crop sprang up to take their
places. It was a real hardship to have to dig with hands thus marked,
but one that the men put up with with surprising cheerfulness. In fact,
however septic, dirty, dull, hot or tired they might be, they never
failed to find something to laugh at, something to argue over, and
something to hope for.

On the 27th of October the Brigade moved forward again to Salmana, just
south of the great flat expanse of the dried up Lake Bardawil. Four
hours' heavy marching brought each company to its position in a new
outpost line, and we proceeded to dig positions with such effect that by
nightfall 500 yards of trench were ready for occupation. Barbed wire and
extra tools were brought up from Bardawil station by tired camels, and
tired camels are if possible more exasperating than fresh camels,
especially to tired men. On the 29th the Commander-in-Chief rode round
our new line, which was by this time in good order, and the spear-head
had again been pushed a mile or two nearer the Promised Land. It was at
Salmana we received instructions issued by G.H.Q. and carefully passed
on to battalions by the intermediate staffs to report immediately all
submarines observed, stating time and direction proceeding. This put us
on our mettle and the desert was carefully watched without success on
our part, but a neighbouring unit was able to report a submarine moving
north across Sabkhet Bardawil. The information was acknowledged with
thanks and it was then stated we could relax our vigilance as the
message was