This Day in History: 1917-07-04

Not long after the 1st Battalion had arrived at at Es Sinn in Mesopotamia it received a large consignment of war comforts, including 2500 cigarettes and 1300 shirts, which were very greatly appreciated. The Battalion’s main task was digging new support trenches as the old ones were full of graves. Most nights the camp was infiltrated by marauding Arabs. Operations had to be curtailed owing to the excessive heat and sickness. Average daytime temperature in the tents was 124 degrees Fahrenheit (about 51 degrees Celsius) while scurvy and dysentery were both prevalent.