INTRODUCTION 



Almost every officer who looks beyond the somewhat 

 cramped fields of regimental soldiering — the " baby- 

 farming- cum -novel -over -ante -room -fire " of Lord 

 Esher — hopes some time or other to join the Egyptian 

 Army. It is considered the plum of extra-regimental 

 employments abroad. Strange, however, it is that, in 

 spite of the fact that one or more men from almost 

 every regiment or corps has belonged to the E.A. at 

 one time or another, very little is known about it. 

 This is explained in several ways. The man who 

 once has been in positions of considerable trust and 

 responsibility more often than not does not rejoin his 

 regiment. If he does rejoin he probably finds that 

 local scandal holds a more favoured position than 

 Imperial questions. Above all, there will be a certain 

 jealousy among those who have never aspired to any- 

 thing but regimental life, and a suspicion that the 

 ex-bimbashi or bey is drawing on his imagination for 

 experiences. 



I divide the Egyptian Army into three distinct ser- 

 vices. First, that in Cairo. The life there is the one 

 that most people in the service and out of it suppose 

 that any one with E.A. before his name in the Army 

 list leads. To live in Cairo with ;^40o a year at least 



