8c. ANZACS in Egypt before GALLIPOLI [History]

ANZACS in Egypt before GALLIPOLI

You will remember that Britain got control of the Suez Canal in 1882, so it controlled Egypt. This meant that it was a base for the British Empire  and they wanted to protect the Suez Canal so the First Australian Imperial Force of 20,000 men (and nurses) left Australia in November 2014 to help defend the Suez Canal and they were based at Mena Camp near Cairo.

They were excited young men, and woman and were larrikins, a bit boisterous. They had even taken kangaroos from Australia as mascots! The AIF (ANZACS) were different to the British forces because the mucked around, they got drunk and there were quite a few who got VD (and were even sent home in disgrace).

The Lighthorseman were also here, but they didn't go to Gallipoli to start with because the terrain wasn't right for the horses. The AIF were there training and doing patrols for a few months with General Birdwood, who was the commander of the Australian and New Zealand forces. The soldiers wrote letters home. I liked this one about how Egyptians used the opportunity to make money from the soldiers pay and when they had R & R (rest and relaxation). 

Some of the boys were out for a good time. There was an incident on 2 April when the Aussies were involved with a punch up in Cairo. The British were exasperated (very irratated) by the Aussies so Cairo was declared out of bounds to Australians!

Private Egan wrote:

“All the restaurants and saloons have been renamed in Cairo, such as the Triple Entente Dining Room, the Allies Café. But the Australians seem to take precedence also, for everywhere you will see the names such as the Australian Bar, Kangaroo Café, and they have special prices for Australians and New Zealanders and say “Come inside Australia, for Australia very good”

Private Plows wrote

 “It would be a good camp were it not for the sand. There is not a single thing growing on the desert. It is nothing by a great sandy waste and it seems a pity to see miles and miles of country lying waste. It makes a good training ground, however. Walking through the heavy sand is good exercise.”

 

 The photo above is of the Australian nurses in Cairo. They were based in Lemnos, a Greek island SW from the Gallipoli peninsular, where they set up hospitals as well as working on hospital ships in the Aegean Sea. You can see Lemnos (which is also spelled Limnos) in the map below.