This was the concentration camp whence brigades were despatched for a
spell of trench-digging and guard duty at the outpost line. There was
a good deal of rivalry between us and another brigade known as "The
Chocolate Soldiers." They received this nickname because they were the
most completely equipped unit that ever left Australia. They were
commanded by a well-known public man, and the womenfolk had seen that
they lacked nothing in sweaters or bed-socks. They had a band for
every battalion, while we had to tramp along without the aid of music
to enliven our lagging steps. Maybe we were a bit jealous, because
they on several occasions went by train when we had to hoof it. When
we went to relieve them in the trenches we met on a narrow concrete
roadway where there was only room for one set of fours. The proper way
to pass would have been for each to form two deep, but our boys
spontaneously called out, "Give the gentlemen the road!" and we stepped
aside into the sand. It took us about half an hour to pass, and all
the time there was a running fire of comment. To no one in particular
our fellows would remark, "Why, look? Some of them even shave!" "What
a nice _figure_ that captain has!" "They let them have real guns,
too!" and as the transport passed piled high with officers' kits, there
was a shout of "There go their feather beds!"

We had a sports meeting in the desert, and everybody in our brigade
from the brigadier down to the cook's off-sider was delirious with joy
when we carried off the "championship cup," beating the "Chocolates" by
two or three points. We might not have been so elated had not the
"Chocs." been such "nuts" on themselves, for they had been offering ten
to one on their chances.

The part of the trenches that we occupied was known as "Hog's Back."