Sept 1 [Presumably Oct 1]
Troop drill for first time. Horses not shod behind. English horses chief trouble. “Purpura“1 All flanks[?] filled. They look almost square.
Fell into a routine. Daily parades, lectures & rifle drill p.m. Sleep after lunch. Expedition into Cairo in civilian clothes. Pyramids. Mosques. Froppa the pearl place for tea. Discovered the Cols mess bill was 8 bottles whiskey in 16 days irrespective of drink at meals. Heard from Viola2 that she wanted to come out. Was glad she had made decision because I feel everything is so uncertain. Went about rooms at Heliopolis3 House Hotel. £1 a day. Hugh Wylde4 C.O. Archie Clayton5 and WHH6 one troop. Ralph Barnett7 other and me. WHH’s the best helped by Archie. Arnold Ward8 other troop. He is a terrible horseman and spectacle. Tall fat no seat no hands. Figure of fun really.
Polo talked of and we all began buying Strahan the horse dealer knew all the old horses which had been cast & were now in cabs. I got one for £15.10.0. Chief lameness seems worst trouble. No doubt owing to stones under sand.
Mess bills came for our last camp at Luton Hoo. 9000 cigarettes in the fortnight. £1.12 each our share.
Sept 28 (Oct 28?)
Took a party out to try & dig a fox for Nov 1st with intention of letting him out in the mess. Viewed a fox to ground but as fast as we dug the sand fell in.
Major S. G. Sheppard at head of Herts Yeomanry, ‘A’ Squadron leading
Oct 31.
Had a march past for Maxwell9 in Cairo. Supposed to be to impress the natives.
Quite a good lot of polo started at Gezerah [Gezirah?] Bill Cunliffe and Cecil Bing the chief exponents and also dabbling in racing ponies.
Nov 8
Sudden turn out, patrol sent out under me in desert to look for some Bedouins. All very serious until a car passed us on the road with the General in it & some female. Another patrol sent out next day of D.L.O.’s who came across a camp & took the camel saddle. Unfortunate men came on foot later and asked for its return!
By now we had all got feted [fitted?] out by native tailors. Breeches etc. dull stuff Wonderful how they cope. Their breeches not a success in the heat.
Notes:
1 Pupura is a rash of purple spots on the skin caused by internal bleeding from small blood vessels
2 Viola Mary was Thurstan’s wife
3 Heliopolis was an ancient city eventually covered with sand. A new development was created on top of the ancient site in 1905. It was originally outside Cairo but has since merged with the capital city.
4 Hugh James Wylde (16th April 1880 – ?), Major to command A Squadron 25th August 1913. Served 1st/1st Hertfordshire Yeomanry 1914 – May 1916 (commanding A Squadron – Egypt; Dardanelles; Wesern Desert)
5 Archibald Charles William Clayton (24th October 1867 – 1944), Captain. Served 1st/1st Hertfordshire Yeomanry September 1914 – October 1915 (A Squadron Egypt; Dardanelles. Temporary Major while commanding squadron 28th August 1914); and November 1916 – April 1919 (D Squadron – Mesopotamia. Commanding squadron. Despatches twice.)
6 Wilfred Holland-Hibbert (4th January 1893 – 18th February 1961), Lieutenant, Thurstan’s brother. Served 1st/1st Hertfordshire Yeomanry August 1914 – July 1915 (A Squadron – Egypt); 3rd/1st Hertfordshire Yeomanry September 1915 – March 1916) and in Staff Appointment March 1916 – April 1918 (ADC to Viceroy of India and Temporary Captain 17th March 1916)
7 Ralph Francis Barnett (27th August 1883 – 1968), Lieutenant. Served 1st/1st Hertfordshire Yeomanry August 1914 – April 1918 (A Squadron – Egypt; Dardanelles. Temorary Captain 28th August 1915; B Squadron – France; Egypt/Palastine. Commanding squadron 11th September 1916 – 15th April 1918 . Acting Major 6th February – 27th June 1917. Dispatches.)
8 Arnold Sandwith Ward (8th November 1876 – 1st January 1950), Liuetenant. 1st/1st Hertfordshire Yeomanry August 1914 – June 1915 (A Squadron – Egypt) and January – June 1916 (Egypt); commanding a convalescent camp, Cyprus Juune – August 1915.
9 General Sir John Grenfell Maxwell (11th July 1859 – 21st February 1929) General Officer commanding British Troops in Egypt. Troops under his command successfully defended the Suez Canal.
HALS Reference: D/EYO/2/131
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