a convenient height; the stretcher was
placed on these, and thus an operating table was formed. Shelves were
made to hold our instruments, trays and bottles; these were all in
charge of Staff-Sergeant Henderson, a most capable and willing
assistant. Close by a kitchen was made, and a cook kept constantly
employed keeping a supply of hot water, bovril, milk and biscuits
ready for the men when they came in wounded, for they had to be fed as
well as medically attended to.

INCIDENTS AND YARNS

One never ceased admiring our men, and their cheeriness under these
circumstances and their droll remarks caused us many a laugh. One man,
just blown up by a shell, informed us that it was a ---- of a
place--'no place to take a lady.' Another told of the mishap to his
"cobber," who picked up a bomb and blew on it to make it light; "all
at once it blew his ---- head off--Gorblime! you would have laughed!"
For lurid and perfervid language commend me to the Australian Tommy.
Profanity oozes from him like music from a barrel organ. At the same
time, he will give you his idea of the situation, almost without
exception in an optimistic strain, generally concluding his
observation with the intimation that "We gave them hell." I have seen
scores of them lying wounded and yet chatting one to another while
waiting their turn to be dressed. The stretcher-bearers were a fine
body of men. Prior to this campaign, the Army Medical Corps was always
looked upon as a soft job. In peacetime we had to submit to all sorts
of flippant remarks, and were called Linseed Lancers, Body-snatchers,
and other cheery and jovial names; but, thanks to Abdul and the
cordiality of his reception, the A.A.M.C. can hold up their heads with
any of the fighting troops. It was a common thing to hear men say:
"This beach is a hell of a place! The trenches are better than this."
The praises of the stretcher-bearers were in all the men's mouths;
enough could not be said in their favour. Owing to the impossibility
of landing the transport, all the wounded had to be carried; often for
a distance of a mile and a half, in a blazing sun, and through
shrapnel and machine-gun fire. But there was never a flinch; through
it all they went, and performed their duty. Of our Ambulance 185 men
and officers landed, and when I relinquished command, 43 remained. At
one time we were losing so many bearers, that carrying during the
day-time was abandoned, and orders were given that it