Loose page diary of Clarence Herbert Dakin, 15 August 1915 - 12 March 1916, Part 6

21
We stepped on to our lighter about 3.45 & we moved off

about 10 mins later we only heard one shell from Beachy Bill

lob between were we were at the Jetty & the Director of Works.

There were a big crowd of us on the lighter mostly machine guns

& the few men who last manned the trenches these were men

from nearly every Batt. we were then put on to a troopship

the Prince Abbas we just lay anywhere over this boat & were unable

to obtain any grub or something hot to drink we landed in Lemnos

& went alongside a big Transport at 10.50 a.m. which we went on

board & waited till about 5 30 p.m we were the last lot to go

having to go to west Mudros. We were landed at a pier & told

we only had 10 min to go So we fell in & picked up our

gear guns & tripods it was a fearful load we struggled on

for about a mile & a half getting hurried on by the Coy. Officer all the

way until we were done then we had to leave our guns & tripods

& struggled on with the rest of our gear which seemed a

fearful I have all the skin off my left shoulder from carrying the

gun . we plugged on passing Hundreds & Hundreds of tents, thinking

every fresh lot we saw were ours until just when myself & another

chap were pretty well done & a chap told us that we only

had another mile to go so was only we threw our rifles & equipment

down & left them alongside the road. Only carrying our pack

to the finish & it was enough. then we got in sight of the

Sea again & we were amazed to see that our camp

500 yds from the Beach. to think that after all we had been

through & put up & not had a decent feed for 2 or 3 days that

They should have marched us between 3 & 4 miles when they

could have dropped us so close handy I can say that the

men who were responsible for it must have had burning ears.

& also to have let us attempt to carry the guns from the

start. We went up this morning for our rifle & gear but it was

gone. that doesn't worry us although we are promised all sorts

of penalities, at an

22
21.12.15

Before leaving Gallipoli we destroyed as much

as possible everything that might have been of

use to the Turk. There will of Course be a great

deal of stuff along our lines but in our 

particular position we were very thorough.

A few old guns were blown up & left.

It was a great achievement our getting our getting away

without a casualty our only complaint is

the way we are treated here. 

22.12.15

Water is more precious than gold in this

awful hole they cannot get water to make

us tea & we have to walk some distance &

all we can get is a drink & are not

allowed to bring any away.

Did well yesterday 6 chaps went over to a

village close by & brought a few F worth

of things back so we have had a feed for a

drink we open tins of pineapples & drink the

syrup

23

22.12.15

According to rumours we will soon

be clearing off to Egypt & no one shall

be happier than us. We are being

paid today & yesterday we received

committee parcels quite a large number

I got one that was dispatched on the 

28 of August only 4 months we had a

good number of parcels to share up

belonging to men who had gone away sick

so we did well. The 8 of us who were

in the rear guar are to be spoken to

this afternoon by Gen.Godley. I believe

24
23.12.15  Last night a received another small parcel

containing a pair of socks & a tin of chocolates.

There were not many parcels a lot more

are about somewhere also a large mail

We all marched down & brought up our

guns & tripods this morning & in the 

afternoon gave them a good cleaning

This island is nothing but large

camps in fact it is Said that there

are a million men camped here.

24.12.15 Christmas Eve. & it is raining the

No' Parade has blown So we have

nothing to do but read & try & be 

cheerful & contented.

25.12.15 Christmas Day & a Swallow & Ariel

pudding between 2 men they are really

fine little puddings most of them

had a letter note from the Kind person

who sent. Then we got Billy cans

there were 4 short of one each in the

coy. So all the men were given one

25

cont

25.12.15 each & the Seagents had to draw

for them I was lucky enough to

get one. A party of us went over

to the village & purchased ₤4 of

gords as a present from Mr Webb

in all we had about ₤8 worth of

stuff for the Christmas season it

did not last long but we had a

good time. It is very picturesque

over here in the village nearly every

house in the place sells goods

out of their windows mostly figs

chocolates etc. we went through

the local church it is a fine large

place inside with a great lot of

tinsel & gaudy looking ornaments,

26.12.15 We had a Thanksgiving Service this 

morning.