Church parade at 8:30. Bathed after stables, A1. Siesta during the afternoon. I had my hair cut after tea; we’ve got a man in the battery, Taylor, who has become barber to the brigade and does it very well. Bathed soon after six, very nice as long as you were in the water, but the mosquitoes let us know as soon as we got out. Tomorrow the colonel, battery commander, and a subaltern from each battery – I’m the lucky one – have got to leave here at four o’clock in the morning and go to Railhead. There we shall get horses from the Anzacs and then ride eight miles across the desert to a place called Mahamdiya, which is on the coast in line with Romani and Katia, to reconnoitre for a position for the brigade. They don’t know if the place is held by the Turks or not – we shall very probably have some excitement. If the position is alright, the idea is to send a big force of infantry there with our brigade, so we shall be able to get in behind the Turks and cut their lines of communication when they attack down the Northern Route.
Franklyn and Elliott have just come in with four very decent bass, one weighing over four pounds! I will turn in early, it’s been so hot all day, the shade temperature was 98 degrees at midday and a great deal more in the tents.