26th September 1916 to the 6th October

"Lying in Kantara rest camp waiting on orders to shift to the Western Front."

“Oh! Mary! This deserts a wonderful place,

There’s nothing to see but a dry arid waste,

The sun in full radiance always doth shine,

But still there’s a something for which we all pine,

We are all fond of waists but not what is here,

We’ve to drown all our sorrows in bottles of beer,

So we are wishing that someday sent back we shall be,

To where Cupar’s Eden flows down to the sea.

You possibly want to know what we have done,

In our own little way, a strafing the Hun,

Well we spent a few months on Gallipoli soil,

And turned up much earth in our hour of toil,

Then after that place we did evacuate,

For Mudros we sailed in a good ship of State,

But even with our travelling we’d much rather be,

A’watching the Eden sweep down to the sea.

Then after one month’s stay, again we set sail,

And landed in Egypt to further the tale,

From Alex we trained it right to Port Said,

We were speculating on the shift we had made,

But still through it all we were anxious to be,

Where Cupar’s dark waters run down to the sea.

For a short time at Salt Works we had a nice rest,

The swimming and fishing caused many a jest,

But shortly the Suez Canal claimed its own,

And the bold Lieutenant had to defend that zone,

So there we got settled the month before May,

We patrolled through the night and fatigued through the day,

So it’s small wonder then that we’d much rather be,

Where the beautiful Eden flows on to the sea.

But where we are now is the worst of the lot,

It is sore on the eyes even to look at the spot,

We don’t fix our bayonets because they would gleam,

 Though polished equipment can’t fail to be seen,

But then if the enemy is seen by our scout,

We just turn our buckles, wear them inside out,

But for all that we are doing we might as well be,

Where the Eden of Cupar flows on to the sea."