utmost to fling them down.

The next day something of a sensation was caused by a sudden order to
furnish one officer and two N.C.O's. per company as advance party to
journey at once to Port Said, there to embark on February 2nd for an
unknown destination. Two days later the battalion entrained in "trucks
de luxe," and after a nine hours' extremely lumpy journey we reached
Kantara. There was a feeling that having helped to escort the railway to
its present destination we had really earned that ride. On the journey
down we met elements of the 53rd Division marching up to take our places
at El Arish, and we shouted greetings and expressions of goodwill to
them. At Kantara a draft from England with 2nd-Lt. G. Norbury in command
joined the battalion. A pleasing feature about this draft was that it
was largely composed of old members of the original 7th who had been
wounded or invalided from Gallipoli, such men as C.S.M. Lyth, Sergeant
McHugh, Q.M.S's. Andrews and Houghton, being amongst its numbers.

The 42nd Division crossed the Suez Canal for the last time on February
5th, twelve months to the day after the 7th Manchesters had crossed over
to the east side at Shallufa for the first time. The first days march
ended at El Ferdan, very much to the relief of everyone. We had been,
all the way, on a good hard road--a new experience after the life on the
desert--and this brought into play muscles of the leg, not used on the
soft sand. Everyone suffered badly from aching shins and thighs and
very sore feet, so that next day, when the trek was completed to
Ismailia on hot, dusty roads many men fell out, and we were a weary crew
on arrival at Moascar Camp.

Our three weeks' stay here was occupied chiefly in preparing for our new
scene of activities, now definitely known to be France. Eastern kit was