6th March 1915

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Left camp Friday evening 8 o/c (with a ration of 3 biscuits to last until 9.30AM today) Marched through Heliopolis town & 7 1/2 miles along Suez road (not a sign of civilization on this desert road) in the dark. No smoking or talking is allowed. At a dead slow pace that took us 4hrs we took up our position for a sham defence. Tried a hand at trench digging at 1o/c midnight & then spent the coldest night I can remember, sleeping on the sand with great coats for a blanket pillow etc, until daybreak, then we took our places in the trenches keeping back an imaginary foe. At 6.30 we marched back to camp hungry & tired, hoping that these games would be wiped off the slate for ever Had the rest of the day well off.

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Trench defences by the Suez Canal. A camp is on the opposite bank.

Reference: Australian War Memorial

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Diary of an ANZAC soldier. A WWI diary found in 2022. One man's story, told 108 years later.

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