Loose page diary of Clarence Herbert Dakin, 15 August 1915 - 12 March 1916, Part 7

26
Jan 1. 1916. Happy new year & anyone hearing the 
noise last night & after midnight would think so. There
was a terrible row. The Buglers played last post at midnight
& then played marches. rockets were sent up & things
were quite lively. The Hospital ships laying out in the Bay
look very fine especially the enormous 4 funelled Mauretania
which came in yesterday. The only mishap is that after
having an hour or two sleep after the rejoicings I woke up
& found I was sleeping in a pool of water So I roused the
tent & had to sit up till daylight it is still raining & the
15 of us are sitting in the tent. trying to be happy
We have been granted a holiday to day.
A Brigade Machine Gun School. has been formed & we have
been attending it all week. 5 of us in this section
being Instructors, taking our Squads right through 
from the start. Our Advance Guard went yesterday
morning & wild rumours are flying round that we will
Soon be following them. We certainly dont want to
remain in this awful place. Last Wednesday afternoon
being a half holiday we went for a walk over to
a couple of villages they are certainly picturesque.
& novel to us but the sanitary arrangements & miserable
narrow lanes are not very nice. we were much 
interested in the deft manner in which the woman
who sit out in front of their hovels, Spin wool they
have a roll of wool in one hand & spin off this on to
a stick which they cone Keep spinning & producing
wool.

27

4.1.16 We have been through quite a lot Since last I did

any writing. On the night of the 2nd we got orders that we would

leave at 9 a.m. next morning so we had to pack all the gun gear

& get it down on to a transport which took them to the wharf.

next morning reveille went at 5.30. & our troubles began. just it

commenced raining then we had to have breakfast such as it was

get all our blankets rolled & all ready to fall in at 7.30 a.m.

which we did after a good deal of struggling. we moving off at

8 a.m. the road was terribly greasy making it awful to march

with all our pack & equipment on. They took us about 4 miles

to absolutely the farthest pier they could passing about 3 to do

so we had one spell after about half the Battalion had

fallen out the men being unable to go further. we arrived

at the pier about 9.30. & had to wait till 3. p.m. before we

left the pier for the transport which is the Maritan a fairly

large & decent boat there is only the 20th Batt 5th Feld Hosp.

& a great number of Horses & mules. which have all the best

space the troops having to go down to the 3 deck down

we are laying out in the harbour waiting for more mules

6.1.16 We moved off at 3.45 a.m. this morning we mounted

guns last night & started keeping watch from midnight

This morning we picked up another transport with an escort

later we picked another escort so we now have two out in front

of us. this is a fairly slow old boat we were going to do a little

practice firing with our guns but that has been knocked on 

the head as they are frightened the shooting may be heard

7.1.16 Hauled out of bed so that they could Swab the decks

down. The Sunrise was most beautiful & we are steaming straight 

into it. Has been a miserable we ran into a squall strong

head wind & heavy driving rain making it most unpleasant

on the F'casle we had the first fresh meat on board today

 

[*I forgot to mention that we had on board the 

22 men. Spys & prisoners from Salonica*]

28

8.1.16

 Put in a terrible time all last night the squall we

ran into got a lot worse & the boat was pitching badly the worse

part was the fearful wind & driving rain we had no place to sleep

so just had to make the best of it. It has been a nice day no rain

& the wind easier made Alexandria at 3 p.m. & are now laying

out in stream probably disembark tomorrow as soon as we got into

port we were rushed by the boats selling oranges etc. & we rushed

the oranges.

10.1.16 disembarked at 2 p.m. yesterday then entrained into

 those awful cars that we had previously experienced from Suez. to

Cairo we started off at 3 pm after spending a good deal

on oranges & chocolates. we had a most interesting trip while

it was daylight passing through the most beautiful country

made so by irrigation & hard work. fields of cabbages,

turnips. Sugar Cane. & all Kinds of crops. but everything

looking most delightfully green. it was indeed most interesting

until it got too dark to see then we had a most

monotonous trip having no room to stretch or move. this

State of affairs lasted till we reached Tel-el-Kebir at

11 p.m. after spending 8 hours cooped up like cattle.

we then marched out to the camp about ½ mile distant

we 12.1.16

We received a very large mail to day. Some of our

section getting as many as 40 letters I received about 9. so

did not do too badly. we are not getting fed well in

fact it is rotten the trouble is that they have not got

enough dixies to cook the food. we had a big newspaper

today. we now have plenty of reading matter. we have not

yet got tents & we have to sleep out in the open at the

present time we are enjoying splendid weather nice

warm days but very cold nights & also very heavy dew every

night. we wake up in the morning wet through & cold

well it is too cold to sleep with our present outfit

Orders read out. we are to be careful about catching pnemonia

& to take all precautions from cold.

 

we received a parcel mail yesterday The 20th committee

parcels have not yet arrived they contain all our

Christmas stuff.

Camp Routine

6.30 a.m. Reveille

7. - 7.30 a.m. physical drill

8. a.m. Breakfast -

9.30 am - 11.30 am parade

12. midday dinner

1.30 pm. - 4.30 pm parade

5. pm tea

9.30 pm first post

10. pm last post

10.15 pm lights out

fairly easy day. The Brigade M. G. School

is being carried on. the same as at Mudros.

 

 

29

15.1.16 last night had a great surprise

a lot of our parcels were given out. also

a pay. I received 4 parcels. then got

2 more that were for sick men. we

have a wonderful collection of eatables

I think we have every conceivable thing for

the stomach. Brigade inspection by the

Brig Gen Holmes this morning & inspected

in the afternoon by Gen Murray, who

said in praise of us that the Canadians

were good troops. but the Australian

troops were better, & the finest troops

he had seen. We have just had more

bad news. first we were allowed 2% leave

for 48 hours. then it was reduced to

1%. which means we get one man off

for 48 hours every 3 days. today they

have reduced it to no night leave

at all.