World War, 1914-1918 -- Campaigns -- Turkey -- Gallipoli Peninsula; World War, 1914-1918 -- New Zealand
Good Friday was a bad day for Australia and New Zealand. This was the
occasion of the great riot. There were reasons for this outburst. On
that holiday morning all troops were given leave for the day. There
was nothing to do in the town, so some men got more than was good for
them of the wretched liquors sold in those tenth-rate cafes and dancing
houses. Soldiers under the influence of drink do not behave any better
than their civilian brothers. They are necessarily high-spirited people
and very fit. In retaliation for some real or fancied grievance, a few
irresponsibles commenced throwing things out of a top-storey window.
The red caps were not popular, and both sides receiving reinforcements,
a melee ensued. Some fool fired the broken furniture lying in the
street, and from this it was only a stage to firing the houses. An
Egyptian fire brigade arrived, but the soldiers, by this time numbering
thousands, cut the hoses and pelted the unfortunate firemen with their
own gear. Realizing that only disgrace could come of the affair, the
sane people gradually got the rioters away, and after about four hours
of Bacchanalian revelry the city was again quiet. A legend has grown up
that the work was a good one, and that the soldiers had determined to
rid the city of those sinks of iniquity. It is almost suggested that
the good work was the result of a religious revival among the troops.
It must be admitted that it was a bad business; but, it may be honestly
set down that throughout the four years of War there were few instances
of excess participated in by New Zealand troops.
Leaving Cairo.
The men of the Maori contingent were disappointed to find that
they were not to join up at once with the Division, and after an
entertainment and haka before Sir John Maxwell, the High Commissioner
of Egypt, one of their officers made an eloquent plea to be sent on
active service. The promise was made that the request would be acceded
to after a short term of garrison duty at Malta, for which station they
left Zeitoun Camp on the evening of Easter Monday, embarking on the
S.S. "Runic" at Port Said.
[Illustration:
[_Lent by Capt. Boxer, N.Z.M.C._
KIT INSPECTION IN THE FIELD AMBULANCE LINES.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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