Serapeum, Egypt, circa 7 Apr 1916. Punt crossing the Suez.
Australian War Memorial Collection.
An innocuous incident in which a soldier, fed up with the heavy work pulling a punt across the Suez at Serapeum, and under the influence of some alcohol, swore at his corporal, was overheard by an officer who sent for the MPs to arrest him. The soldier expressed his contempt for "star men", and offered to fight him. This led to the court martial of the soldier, and his return to Australia under a 12 months sentence with hard labour. Still only 22 when released from prison, he tried to put his life back together. The question of whether he succeeded is still open. Read his story here.
No comments:
Post a Comment