Danny, 8341 again. The "thing" sitting in a crate on the right is a cookhouse item. Exactly what, I don't know - possibly a boiler or similar. The beer was very welcome. Quality not as good as we would like, but beer is beer and it was very light on quantity. Come leave time with a day or two in Alex or Cairo, we guzzled Tiger beer, marvellous for constipation!!
Those young lads standing around were all good workers. Don't be deceived by their temporary motionless attitudes. The petrol and oil barrels filled with sand served to anchor the Mess and cookhouse marquees. We had constant sand storms with very high winds, as I've mentioned earlier. All tented shelters needed heavy anchors.
I don't remember complaining about my khaki gear. I do recall a funny incident when we were in Sicily after its capture in July/August 1943. There was an Italian owner in the vineyard where we were billeted, always offering help. I handed him a pair of Khaki shorts and told him to ask his wife to take in the waist to 32 (inches). He came back next morning holding the shorts, saying loudly "trente-due, trente-due" and indicating that his wife pointed out she couldn't reduce them to 32 centimetres! Incidentally, I still possess a once-smart khaki desert jacket with a distinctive Desert appearance.