Whose Name We Share

5 Training in Egypt, 1916 “ A SPECIAL TYPE OF RECRUIT – and a very excellent type is always attracted to that arm of service.” – General Sir Ian Hamilton, Speaking of artillery on an inspection tour of the Australian Military Forces in 1914. Organised into their new Artillery Brigade, the 103 rd Battery would conduct training in order to prepare their gunners for the times to come. A myriad of mundane tasks and training would occur, including foot drill, lectures, siting and constructing latrines, and according to war diaries they would even attend a marching exercise on the 18 th of March. Following the marching exercise the Battery began to prepare to move away from Egypt. The training in Gun Drill was a heavy focus during the next week or so, but as were lectures on topics such as the customs of war. The comforts of camp life were about to be stripped away as the battery prepared to deploy and the constant reminders of discipline on board ships was met with mixed emotions.