Camel in full marching order

Camel in full marching order

Camel, Abassia, full marching order by George Lambert, 1918.  A pencil and watercolour drawing of a camel at the Imperial Camel Corps training depot, Abbassia, Egypt, by the Australian official war artist, George Lambert. 

"The riding saddle had a stout wooden peg at front and rear, and from these were hung horizontally the bag of durra [camel feed] on one side, and the fantassi of water on the other.  Across the saddle were hung two stout canvas saddle-bags containing the rider's rations, and his spare clothing and personal equipment.  Above these were spread his blankets, usually four in number (two issued, the other two commandeered) neatly folded to make a comfortable seat in the hollow of the saddle.  A rubber ground-sheet covered these and kept off the rain, and above all his worldly goods sat the rider, cross-legged, with his calves and feet resting on a leather apron hung from the front of the saddle over the camel's shoulders."

Trooper John Robertson, No 16 (New Zealand) Company, Imperial Camel Corps

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