Despite the severer conditions, the health of the Battalion was not materially affected during the month of February. There was a slight increase in the number sent to hospital--the total reading one officer and 73 other ranks. Unfortunately two deaths from disease occurred, and with the loss of Company Sergt.-Major R. Wolstenholm and Private E. M. Edwards, Australia was deprived of two very promising and popular soldiers. Cerebro-spinal meningitis was reported to have broken out in Australia and, despite the precautions taken, a few cases made their appearance on the Canal. As a preventive against the threatened epidemic, the Regimental Medical Officer caused each company to parade daily and indulge in a little gargling exercise with a mouthful of Condy's fluid. [Illustration: THE CAMP OF THE 28TH AT FERRY POST. Lake Timsah in the background.] [Illustration: THE SUEZ CANAL. A liner in the fairway and feluccas tied up to the banks.] The proximity of Army Headquarters and Corps Headquarters (at Ismailia) led to fairly frequent visits from Generals Murray, Birdwood, and Godley, and their staffs. Other visitors were Sir Arthur Henry McMahon, the High Commissioner for Egypt, accompanied by Lady McMahon and members of the family. On one occasion the Commander-in-Chief was escorted by a number of frock-coated gentlemen, wearing tarbooshes, who constituted some of the "notables" of Egypt and had been invited to witness a display by the Air Service of the Army. FOOTNOTES: [Q] It was reported that 50,000 camels were requisitioned for the operations in the Sinai Peninsula. CHAPTER XII. PREPARING FOR FRANCE. Early in 1916 the Australian Government decided to raise and maintain three new Divisions of the Australian Imperial Force. One of these--the 3rd--was to be recruited in Australia and the other two--4th and 5th--found from _personnel_ available in Egypt. By this decision Australia was committed to providing, straight off, a new formation of 20,000 men and, in addition, to increasing her monthly flow of reinforcements by 150 per cent., in order to adequately maintain the five divisions in the field. When the 1st and 2nd Divisions moved down to the east bank of the Suez Canal, the 4th and 8th Brigades were taken back to Tel-el-Kebir camp to form the nuclei of the 4th and 5th Divisions, respectively. As a means of preserving the admirable spirit of the A.I.F., and also to ensure a backing of trained and experienced _personnel_, 50 per cent. of the new infantry brigades, technical and departmental units, was secured by splitting up the four original infantry brigades and their attendant auxiliaries. The balance was furnished from the accumulating reinforcements at the training camps, near Zeitun. By this means, the two original Western Australian Battalions--11th and 16th--became the parent units of the 51st and 48th Battalions, respectively.