Before leaving England we had been warned of the need of becoming exposed to the sun very gradually - a maximum of five minutes a day to start with and increase by that amount each day. It was as well to have followed this advice. Some did not and became severely sun burnt.
I was allocated to the dysentery ward at the British Military Hospital Fayid, not the most exciting commitment but in fact some sufferers became extremely ill and had to have intravenous drips to avoid serious dehydration. Another concern was that an occasional case of appendicitis masqueraded as dysentery and it was essential to check patients very carefully as it was all too easy to assume everyone in the ward had dysentery.
The Officers' Mess consisted of regular and National Service doctors. Unfortunately some National Service doctors were very bitter at being in the Army and were often rude to and resentful of the regular officers. So much so that regular and National service officers sat on separate tables for meals - a highly regrettable situation.
It was quite pleasant to walk out in the desert behind the hospital and on one walk I came across a cactus plant quite on it's own in the desert and with a delightful little flower. The words in Gray's Elegy "Full many a flower is born to blush unseen, And waste its sweetness on the desert air" came to mind.
On one occasion I was required to accompany an Army lorry taking goods across the desert road to Suez. The road was dusty and hot and in the middle of nowhere we came upon a little hut in which an Egyptian was selling tins of lemonade. I got out of the lorry and bought some. When coming to pay I only had a large denomination note and the Egyptian did not have enough change to give me. I went to put the tins back, but he insisted on me having them for nothing! This I did but looking back on this incident, I should have insisted on him having the large denomination note without me having any change. I could have afforded to let him have it far more than he probably could have afforded to give me the lemonade. One of Life's regrets!
