Diary of Wilfrid Wanostrocht Giblin, 1914 - 1915 - Part 8

several Hundred Turks today.
Aug 14 I have been too busy to write
diary lately. Now things have settled
down & are quiet. The t new landing
appears to have been a failure.  Delay
of some hours cost them the advantage
of surprise, so they found serious opposition
only advanced a few miles, were held
up & are now entrenched & no material
advantage gained. This is of course as far
as I can judge without sure information
The Aust. Division took some trenches in
Lone Pine Plateau. We had heavy work
evacuating the heaviest day 1900 odd passed
though our hands next day 1200  There are
two British Cas. Clearing Stations working
further north. They have great difficulty
in adapting themselves to the local conditions
I have six RAMC lieutenants working with
them and they are Campbell, Davy, Sykes &
McKay also Blackham & Thompson  Sir Ian Hamilton
the G.O.C in C has expressed his appreciation of
the work way in which this Casualty Clearing
Station carried out the work of evacuating
wounded from Anzac Beach during the recent
operations.  Col Keble is going away today &
is leaving me the position of A.D.M.S. L of C Anzac

this will mean severing giving up my
command of the C.C. Station but it also
entitles me to promotion.
Aug 24^th  I have been busy & slack lately
(partly from illhealth) which has made me
remiss in my diary. The progress on our
left has been unsatisfactory.  We hear rumours
of advances & loss of trenches again. It looks
like settling down to a winter campaign for
the weather shows signs of breaking. The troops
are showing marked signs of their long stay, &
many are being evacuated daily for sickness.
The 5^th Brigade, part of the 2^nd Aust Div. landed
a few nights ago & got well into the fighting
Gen Skien told me they are up to standard.
There seems no question about the fact that our
Australians are stronger & better fighters than any
of K's new arm who are out here.  This is not
the opinion only of Australians but of English
& Indian officers too (Skien & Evans)
We got the Times of Aug 6^th a few days ago & in
it saw the list of names mentioned by the C. in C. in
dispatches. For the Aust. Casualty Clearing Station
Major Corbin & I were down also Pte Cowham.  Pte
Cowham getting the D.C.M. was as unfortunate mistake
as many of the other members men were more deserving.
27^th We had slight rain last night after severe threatening
of a thunderstorm. Today there is a strong N wind where
it gets round to the S.W. I dont know how we shall
manage. We had hoped by this time to have either
finished off this Turkish campaign or at any rate
to be across the peninsula where we could have cleared

from a port in the Dardanelles. This west coast
will be impossible in winter
Aug 31 Lt Cols Balfour & Buchanan members
of medical advisory Committee arrived
I received them found them dug outs &
showed them round generally.
Sept 5^th I was very knocked up after walking up
to the top of the big hill behind Anzac and on
the advice of Colonel Howse & Major Gordon decided
to go to the Base for a rest. I have lost weight
considerably & feel weak so it is necessary to
recuperate.  After spending the morning in
straightening up my affairs I handed over the
command of unit to Major Gordon & went
on board the 'Maheno' during the afternoon.
The Maheno is now a New Zealand Hospital
ship under the command of Colonel Collins of
Wellington.  I was comfortably cotted in a
ward with a number of other officers & N.C.O.s
The food was good but limited owing to the idea
the medical officer apparently had that I should
be dieted.  The three days rest before we left
the ship at Mudros did me good. I am
now at the 1^st Aust Stationary Hospital at
Mudros.  I am very comfortable here as they
have given me Colonel Bryant's tent & I mess
with the officers who are all old friends. Col
Bryant has returned to Egypt en route for
Australia & Major Powell is in charge with
Major Newland Capts Fonco, Le Mesurier, Matters,
& three others. The hospital has been enlarged
to receive 1000 patients instead of the original
200 for which it is staffed.

Sept 10^th Still waiting at the Stationary Hospital.  I am
feeling much better for the rest, but am still weak
I get tired if I walk a couple of miles.  There is no
indication of any ship (hospital) for Alexandria
As far as I can hear the hospitals in Egypt are
fairly full and they are sending all base cases to
Malta Gilbraltar or England, chiefly the last.  The
Aquitania (48,000 tons) has been converted into
a hospital ship and came in last night.  She will fill
& go to England.  I have decided to go in her
as there seems no chance of Egypt.  The Mauretania
sailed last night.  It is probable that the
Germans will make every effep  effort to sink her.
The torpedoed Southland is ashore in the outer
harbour here.  She was bringing up Australian troops
of the 2^nd Division when she was hit & the troops
are reported to have behaved with great bravery
& contrasted with the behaviour of the crew who
attempted to rush the boats.
Sept 15 Left the 1^s ASH & was transferred to the
Hospital ship Aquitania.  There was considerable
delay in getting patients on board.  We arrived
at ship at 5 p.m. but some of the stretcher cases
did not get taken off the motor barge till
after 10p.m.  Two days ago the convalescent
Depot at Imbros was broken up & the patients
six hundred in number were transferred to the
Convalescent Depot at Mudros under Col. Ford.  They
arrived late in afternoon.  He had had no notice
to warn him of their ar  coming.  He was already 

full with 1500 cases.  As a result he could
only get half under cover & the remainder
had to sleep out.  During the night there was a
heavy fall of rain about 1/3 nijh inch.
There is no telephone communication with the
Headquarters ship Aragon.  It was cut off some
time ago by a trawler dropping her anchor
but no renewal of line has been made.
I was put into a very comfortable cabin in
which there was two beds with bath room attached
Size 10 ft square chest of drawers & beds handsome
inlaid wood. Electric heater. My fellow cabin
companion was a padre named Moore
attach to R. N. Division. Very pleasant. He left
Sept 18^th Our departure from Lemnos was delayed
owing to a Northerly wind which rendered
the exit of the harbour through the boom difficult
for a ship the size of this. We got away at 7am
today & made good headway passing Cape
Matapan about 7 p.m. The following are the
particulars of this boat.  Tonnage 47,000 tons
Speed 23 knots Length 901 ft. Breadth 97 feet
Depth 92 ft 6 inches Accommodation for 3250 passengers
1000 crew. My cabin companion is now
Lt. Col. Archer, RAMC, a genial Irishman.
Before leaving Lemnos the Navasha came
along side to discharge patients. Lt Col Bird
was on board and came to dine with Col
Mayo-Robson who also invited me to
dinner with him.
I hear the cabin we occupy cost 100 guineas
for the Atlantic voyage

Sept 19 Arrived Naples 5.30. Very fine view
of coast, Capri, Vesuvius etc.
" 20 coaling at rate of one ton per 10 seconds
This boat uses about 900 tons per Diem.
" 21 left Naples 7 am.
" 23 Off Gibraltar at dawn let 7.30am.
"24 We have not been travelling at full speed
as coal we took on at Naples is American.
There is a swimming bath on board this
ship 36 ft by 12 ft 5 ft to 8ft deep. Very
enjoyable. Marble sides, enamel floored.
Decorated to represent old Roman bath.
I bathe once or twice a Day.
Sept 25 Reached Southhampton Water about 4pm.
Anchored for some hours for tide. Fine
view of Isle of Wight. HMS Victory in the
distance in Portsmouth Harbour.
" 26 Kept all day awaiting disembarkation
Got away by train for London about 4pm.
Arrived about 6pm. Sent to No 3 General
Hospital Wandsworth. In ward with 20
other officers all Australians.
27^th Boarded given 4 weeks sick leave. Saw
Col Syme. Put up at Piccadilly Pahan Hotel.
Dined with Sup. McCall. Lunched at Cork
28^th Saw Dr DLR Bolton & old fellow student: Lunched
at Pyms. Capt. O'Brien had dinner with me
& afterwards to Gaiety 'Tonights the Night'.
29 Lunched with O'Brien at British Empire Club
afterwards took him to Barts. Dined at the Troc.

Sept 30^th. To Cheltenham to stay with Ronald &
Bessie.
Oct 1^st R had news from War Office of Eric's death.
on 28^th inst. Also a letter from Eric of that date
saying how well the gas had acted in killing off
the Germans.

Plan of A.C.C. Station. Site used from 4/7/15

                                                    till 10/10/15

Mrs. Richards
Mount Morgan
Queensland Australia
Sick in Hospital 4 days: Pneunmonia
gone to sea in her, rapily
recovery
MAJOR RICHARDS
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26
25
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23 Gib 7.30
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21 Naples 7 am
20 ^__
S 19 Naples 5.3
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