HLI Chronicle 1921 - The Royal Highland Fusiliers

16 HIGHLAl'lD LIGHT INFANTRY CHRONWLE.
•
the armoury, one to see the docks, and others
again to the Malta Union Club.
On leaving Malta we found that there was
a distinct swell from the East. Manv' wellknown
faces disappeared from deC'k and
arrangements for a dance on deck had to
be cancelled. However, remarkably few
people were laid entirely hors de combat.
We reached Alexandria about 9 p.m. on
the 26th, and remained in the outer harbour
during the night. On the following morning
a tug came out to berth us, which she accomplished
after two hours. Unfortunately, the
baggage was not berthed opposite the quay,
which was about half the length of the ship.
The advance party left by the mId-day train
for Cairo, and took over as much as they could
from the 7lst at Abbassia Barracks. The
Battalion remained on board until eleven,
o'clock on Sunday night, when they left by
train for Cairo. The military siding is in
barracks, so that there was no distance to go
after detraining.
We found the 1st Battalion on parade at
Abbassia waiting to take over our train.
While the unloading was going on bands from
the 11th Hussars and the Middlesex Regiment
came over to our parade ground. Our own
pipe and brass bands began to play as soon as
they had had their breakfasts, so that the 7lst
were played off by four bands.
There was a tremendous amount of handshaking.
First of all it was "Hullo" a.nd
" How are you~ " and then very soon after
"Good-bye and Good Luck."
Our first impressions of Cairo are very
favourable. The weather at the moment is
delightful, and there seem to be more trees
than one was led to expect.
There are rumours of more moves,but
nevertheless we all look forward to having
a good time this winter, and have no more
fears of being put on a summer ration of coal!
" A" COMPANY NOTES.
AFTER the Assaye Day celebrations on the 23rd Sept.,
the Company, or those of us who were not on the
various detachments, settled down again to the daily
routine; but we were not to be left in peace for very
long. Fatigues and unloading stores at Princes Street
Station filled up most of the time, and, on the 16th
October, the Company, with about lOO, men drawn
from the rest of the Battalion, were ordered to East
Fortune, on fatigue duty. We paraded in the early
morning and marched tO'the Waverley Station, where
we arrived just as the train was about to leave. En­
. tra41ing was carried out in record time, and about one
huur later we arrived at our new quarters. We found
a detachmeI)t of Seaforth Highlanders awaiting us.
and they lost no time in clearing out after our arrival.
We were quartered in the former airship camp which
was composed of very good huts, but we missed the
comfort of Redford, especially when, owing to thee
strike, we were put on the summer ration of coal!
However, the weather continued to be fine, and things
might have been worse.
Our work consisted of shifting boxes of ammunition
from a dump into one of the airship sheds, and although
we had the assistance of gravity rollers and light
railways it proved to be hard and monotonous. The
hours of work were long, but there ,was little else to do,
and recreations were confined to Saturda.y afternoons
a,nd Sundays. So the time went on and it soon became
obvious that the work could not he completed before
the depa,rture of the Bat,talion for Egypt.
On the 10th November. Company headquarters
and all men who were going abroad returned to Redford.
The remainder of the detachment were Jeft behind to
complete the work, and were transferred to the 1st
Battalion.
Our departure from Edinburgh had ,been postponed
so often that when the 17th was given as our date of
sailing many of us thought that it was only the prelUde
to a further postponement. However, on the 16th
November we entrained and arrived in due course at
the same shed in Southampton Docks where we had
disembarked three months before. We found the good
ship" Teutonic" 'awaiting us, and as soon a,s we had
embarked we set sail.
We were lucky in just missing one of the worst storms
in recent years, and the "Bay" was not too bad,
although it proved quite bad enough for several of
us, who spent one very miserable day.
Doubtless the voyage is fully described elsewhere.
It was disappointing that no one wa.s allowed ashore
at Gibraltar, but those of us who were privileged. to land
at Malta spent a. very enjoyable time visiting t.h.
various sights. .
At the deck sports " A" Company were as u8Wlil
well to the fore, and put up a particula.rly good shQ'W'
in the tug-of-wa.r, easily defeating a.ll comers excepi<
the ladies, whom they met in the final. As, however..
the latter had a,s many on the rope as there Wall r~
for, they only had to lean hack to be quite illllllG'N.~ t
After leaving Malta we ran into a heavy swell, th&
result of a recent storm, which cauBed many to have a
serious relapse, but, as I write, the weather is improving.
and we hope for a pleasant two days to finish up the
voyage. We are all looking forward to our winter in
Cairo.
We all regret the departure of C.Q.M.S. Souter. who
has left us for the 5th Battalion in Glasgow, but we
wish him the best of luck. In the meantime Sergt.
Gibson has taken over his duties.
"B" COMPANY NOTES.
SINCE our last literary outburst, our experiences have
not been numerous but amphibious.
The brief month's embarkatio~ leave came to an
end only too soon, and we returned to Redford Barracks.
Edinburgh, to resume our share in the Herculean
fatigues and multitudinous duties.
Few paradea took place in October, as only three
companies were availa.ble--" A" Company being at
East Fortune on detachment. The average daily
strength for parade of "B" Company at this time
varied from 3 to 8! .
On November 11th, however, all work~ parties
were, "off," and a, fairly, strong turnout took part.
in a simple yet impressive ceremony commemorating