ABSTRACT
Commissionedintothearmylikeallhiscontemporariesat Oxford,BelgravefoundhimselfonatroopshiptoEgypt,wherewith hisnoseforadventureheappliedforandreportedinhisdiaryin 1917'gottheCamelCorpsjob.'HerehebegantolearnArabic,and sawsomeactiveserviceinAbyssinia.Thenasthewarwasending,he foundhimselfintheEgyptianFrontierForce-stillofcourseunder Britishadministration-and,assuch,assentasPoliticalOfficerto Siwa.ThisistheoasisfartotheSouthintheEgyptiandesert,famous inhistoryastheseatoftheoracleofJupiterAmmonandof Alexander'spilgrimage,andmorerecentlythesceneofsomeof
ColonelGaddafi'slesspublicizedexploits.Amoreconventional Britishofficer,aloneinthispost,mighthaveconfinedhimselftohis primarytaskofkeepinganeyeontheSenussi.Belgravethrew himselfintothelocaladministration,'cleaning-up'thetownand causingtheinhabitantstoclearoutwells,re-establishwater irrigationchannels,andreplantdategardens.Aftereighteenmonths hecaughttyphoidandnearlydiedbeforebeingretrievedby armouredcartoMersaMatruh.Aletterfromhospitaltohisfirst cousin(myfather)showshimattheageoftwenty-eightuncertainof thefutureandseekingadvicewhethertoapplyforaregular commissionasanarmyofficer.Intheeventhereturnedhomeand spentayearenjoyingthecompanyofhisfamilyandofthosefewof hisfriendswhohadsurvivedthewar,andwritingabookaboutSiwa - byfarthebestofthethreebooksheeverpublished.
