Diary of Cyril Strahan Parry - Part 1

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JOURNAL OF
PAY CORPS

SGT DURING

WW1

S.Sgts. Collins. Wickham. Parry.
Kaser-el-Nil Barracks. Cairo
Photographed in December 1914

[Sample of fabric attached.
Refer to original.]
 

H.M.A.T. (A3)
''Grirelō''
Australian Imperial Force.
1^st Australian Army Pay
Corps.

No 3.
Staff Sergeant C.S. Parry.
 

1

19^th

August 29^th (Saturday.)

Left Angelsea Barracks (Hobart) for

the Concentration Camp at Pontville,

to open and take charge of Camp Pay

Office.

September 18.

5.30p.m. received telephone message

from Major Ralph (Hobart) as to my being

appointed to 1^st A.A.P. Corps.

September 19.

Left Pontville Camp for Hobart and

handed over duties.

September 20.

Left Hobart per "Express" at 3 p.m for 

Launceston. arriving there at 10p.m.

2

September 21.

Left Launceston for Deloraine 12.30p.m

then sailed for Melbourne per T.S.S.

"Loongana". After arriving in

Melbourne went to Victoria Barracks

where I was attested. In Melbourne on 23^rd

September 23^rd

At Broadmeadows camp on Pay Duties

In this camp. were 10, 000, men,

some (7000) being for the first

contingent and (3000) for the second.

September 26^th (Saturday)

Today we are being issued with

Uniform & Equipment at Victoria

Barracks, & at 3.45 I am ordered

to go to Adelaide(S.A) on duty.

3

Left at 4.30p.m. per "Express" and

after travelling all night, arrive

in Adelaide at 10 a.m. on Sunday

morning. On Sunday afternoon

visited Keswick Barracks, & on the

27^th commenced work, During my

stay in South Australia I was on 

duty at the Concentration Camp ay

Morphettville (6 miles from Adelaide)

and partly at Keswick Barracks.

(2 miles from Adelaide). At the

camp at Morphettville were stationed

between 3000 & 4000 troops for the 1^st

& 2^nd contingents. During spare 

time I visited Glenelg, Henly Beach, 

Semaphore, Port Adelaide, & all 

the Suburbs. Unfortunately I

4

manage to arrive there during a 

severe drought, but even so everything

was very beautiful.

October 14.

Left Adelaide at 4. 30p.m. & arrived

in Melbourne at 10 am. on the 15^th

October 17^th

Farewell Dinner at the "Savoy"

Afterwards left for Camp at Broadmeadows,

arriving there about 1.30

a.m. (18^th) & returned to Melbourne

the same day at 5 p.m (Sunday).

October 18^th 19^th & 20^th

On duty at Victoria Barracks.

October 21^st (Wednesday)

Embarked at Port Melbourne per

troopship A3. "Orerito" at 3p.m.

5

the Railway Pier being thronged

with cheering crowds. We put

straight to sea & arrived at King 

George's Sound (Albany W.A) at

8 p.m. on 26^th October & joined

the remained of the Fleet. Had a

good passage across the Bight.

October 27^th

Entered the inner harbour (Princes

Royal Harbour) & took in coal & water.)

October 28^th

We sailed into the Outer Harbour &

anchored at 11 a.m. Immediately 

afterwards the New Zealand

Transports (10) arrived a combined

Japanese & Australian Escort, & 

anchored in the Entrance of Outer

6

Harbour. At 2.30p.m. we were

inoculated against Enteric Fever.

From today all letters and

communications from the ship have

been stopped (Received letter from

home today)

October 29^th 30^th and 31^st

Waiting in Albany and visited by

ships from the shore every day, but

no leave is granted. Suffering

from the effects of Inoculation.

November 1^st (Sunday)

Put to sea at 6. 30a.m. under

Escort. Ships form into three

columns about 1 mile apart &

ships following each other at

half mile intervals, the New

7

Zealand Transports are at the 

rear. All day we are passing along 

the Sought Coast of West Australia

towards Cape Leewin, the land

being very close to us. At 10. 30a.m

we have Church Parade on the 

Boat Deck under the Methodist
Chaplain.

 

November 2^nd

Passed Cape Leewin at 2.a.m. Today

we are passing up the West Aust. Coast

to pick up Troopships "Medic" & "Ascanius"

from Fremantle with W.A. Troops.

November 3^rd

Inoculation Second time against

Enteric Fever at 11a.m. Picked up 

Medic & Ascanius at noon.