wont to insinuate that the best
beloved brands of jam, such as strawberry and raspberry, never got
beyond the Beach, the A.S.C. who handled the supplies being suspected of
a nefarious weakness for these varieties. One hesitates to listen to
such calumnious suggestions, but it must be admitted that for many long
weeks we received an overwhelming proportion of "Apricot Jam" with
which, popular as it originally was, the men became so "fed up" that
they changed its name to "Parapet Jam," because, they explained, it was
so invariably thrown over the parapet instead of being eaten.

In his desire to keep the troops fit, our Divisional Commander issued
instructions that the hottest and most trying hours of the afternoon
were to be set aside as a period of rest similar to that which, he
explained, is officially enforced in the Italian army under the name of
"Riposo." Between two and four o'clock no work was to be done: fatigues
unless vitally urgent were to be suspended: all ranks were to remain
lying down quietly in their quarters: there was to be no moving about:
noise of any kind--even conversation--was forbidden: nothing was to be
allowed to interfere with our afternoon naps. "Redosso," as the men
promptly dubbed it, bade fair to become an extremely popular
institution. But the General had reckoned without the flies. They had
not been consulted and their Union leaders were bitterly opposed to any
form of compulsory repose. The hours which we were supposed to devote to
refreshing sleep were those during which they were usually most active,
and in vehement assertion of the rights of Fly Labour they worked harder
than ever, with the result that our "Riposo" proved a period the very
reverse of restful.

The effect of these reforms, medical and military, was to check to some
extent the ravages of the diseases which most afflicted us; but to
eradicate them entirely, even to prevent their spreading, was beyond
human power. From the middle of July until we left Gallipoli for good,
our effective strength was being continually reduced by dysentery,
pyrexia, and jaundice. There were of course other forms of sickness and
disease, but the number of cases was negligible. The wastage from the
three mentioned was not uniform, but it was constant. The number sent to
hospital during each month would range between 5 and 10 per cent. of our
strength, as that strength decreased from month to month. These, it must
be remembered, only represent