vouac areas allotted to them--for these things were arranged
beforehand now--we did not sit and grill in the sun while the Staff
dealt with the question. On arrival platoon commanders got their areas
from the company commander, and explained to their men that they might
bivouac "between that clump of scrub and that mound." Arms piled,
equipment taken off, a rush for the most desirable sites, fatigue
parties detailed to unload, and the cooks set to work to produce tea or
heat the Maconochies. Hard words over a missing roll of blankets, bitter
complaints at the loss of someone's bivouac pole, arguments between the
loading party and the escort who "had had to reload six camels by the
way," a little digging of trenches for the night outposts--and so ends
another dull day with the same business often to be repeated on the
morrow.

On December 4th we moved forward again to Salmana, three days later to
Abu Tilul, and the next day to Bir el Mazar, twenty-five miles west of
el Arish. Part of these mobiles lay over Sabkhet, where it was possible
to keep step and the pipers attached to each company could amaze the
desert rats with alien music. The hard work fell on the flank guards,
who had to move over heavy sand and to keep up with the column rejoicing
in the better going, and putting on the pace accordingly. The sun at
this time of the year was not so fierce that balmorals could not be worn
with safety all day, but sun helmets were still retained, and had to be
worn whenever we moved, there being no other way of carrying them. We
were allowed a good deal of latitude in the matter of the tunic and a
man might choose whether he would increase the warmth of his body by
wearing it, or the load on his back by putting it in his pack. Water
sterilisers were part of each man's kit--in order that in the event of
his having to drink unauthorised well water he should be able to kill
off some of the more ferocious bacilli likely to be found therein. They
were contained in glass bottles, which were easily broken in the pack,
and the little tablets, especially when damp, showed the most
extraordinary power of eating holes in the kit, and even of making their
way through the pack itself, till it looked as if it had been partially
burnt. As damaged articles could not be quickly replaced, a ragged pack
often added to the bizarre aspect of the British soldier, with his
dew-whitened helmet, squashed out of all decent shape, shirt of varied
hue ro