Diary of Oberlin Herbert Gray, August 1915 to March 1916 - Part 1

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F. S. Gray
76 High ST
Hobart
Tasmania
36 Prince St
Mosman
O H Gray . 2552
C Section
3^rd Field Amb.
AAMC.
Home
AE
Tom
G
BW 18/9
Syd 3/9
StD. ar
Tradiqur House
Bow E

Mab
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Fd Hostel Glen Rd
Kellurn
Wghon.
St. M Corres College
100 Russell St
Melb.
A Alice
Matron
A Sol. Pen.
Young 18/9
MEN 20 PK Rd C. End.
E F 4/10/.
7 Aug. 1915. Had bacon & tea & then
turned in & had a few hours sleep -
can't sleep well in daytime - flies troublesome.
heavy artillery & rifle fire continuous.
Ted Lang has left us, miss him a lot. Out
at 5 & had stew & rice & strong tea - Soon
after all went out again. Each taking
a stretcher. all night long casualties
pouring in, up to dark a lot of shrapnel
flying about during night star shells
used which lit up the hills & valley. Like
day - Had a cup of cocoa about midnight
& most of us got about 3 hrs sleep. Lying
down just as we were, rather cool
but nights are still mild. Heavy firing
commenced at daybreak. Turks using
a great many bombs. cruel wounds -
& the men bear them without a murmur
Doctors hard at work & some helping others
stretcher bearing & helping the wounded
8" howitzer shells falling near
Relief ofdressg stations & in hillsides &
8^th Aug. deafening reports from guns &
batteries round about. The Turks are
trying to get at batteries on top of hill -
Some poor fellows suffering from
shock, trembling & sobbing like children, their
nerves all to pieces, heavy firing from cruisers
& battleships, in bay & Glhaparna  Bay - Ghurka
charged & lost a great many. they had to
be stopped by the Tommies on left wing -
Guns - howitzers field pieces etc  everywhere
fighting throughout the day - saw a thrilling
encounter between German taube & Eng..
biplane, the former, disappeared N.E. vol.
planing down with a trail of smoke
from the exhaust - A terrible Sunday
terrible sights in many places, pitiful to see.
Some of the wounded - About 2000 Turk.
prisoners been taken on left flank -
Relieved, about 9 until 8 at night retd
to camp had something to eat & rested dozed
till 4 getting up for some dinner, a
great deal at shipping in view. 79 or 80
vessels of all sizes - 5 hospital ships
 

shrapnel bursting the camp, one of our amb
just retd from Hosp. wounded. Went down &
had a refreshing bath, tea on return &
out for the night - the battle still raging.
The Turks making fierce attacks on the
trenches with bombs etc, several cases
during the night - at daybreak the firing
broke put with renewed vigor & a Turkish
attack repulsed. dozens of bombs thrown.
in - cruel wounds - men with limbs torn off
covered in blood, some dying. It is
9^th Mond. HELL. 6 of us called to go into
trenches. Went through saps & trenches, passing
men covered in dust & dirt, some bandaged
up. officers calling for reinforcements. for
sandbags, bombs, Went through trenches
shrapnell & bullets flying overhead. bombs
bursting in diff. places - wd men being
carried or crawling to dressing station
Dressed several & helped 2 stretchers out
many dead lying about & near trenches -
Big trenches are being dug for burial -
Relieved about 9 - couldn't rest much.
hoped to have night off but all in camp
out again at 8. had a dip before tea
The beach was xxxx shelled from Olive
Grove. a number of mules & 4 Indians hit
mule transports With ammn going to left
flank, saw a dozen shells fall burst over
the beach, in sea & on barges near
pier. Two aeroplanes up - fairly
quiet night on right, from early morn
10th the thunder of firing from left
dozens of guns, naval & land firing
deafening reports from those near at
hand. Irish Hazlett killed yesterday while
getting a wounded man in. he lived
in dugout next mine - Maidos is on
fire & yest. heavy smoke was rising
from Nth - Batteries were landed
on beach to N. & taken up on hills
near - wounded are being taken in carts
see boatloads going out to Hospital Ships.
The casualties are awful & everyone
is feeling the strain. Hear ? the road to
Constantinople is in hands of British-
Hill 971 on left taken by Britishx, Turks
brought up 1000s of reinforcements &
charged them out they are now entrenching
half way down hill - Saw thrilling chase
of German Taube by Brit. biplane
She fled to NE. baloon up in bay -
monitor close in blazing away. She
misfired once & sent a shell into hill
200 yds away near 2 F Amb. buried 2 men,
they were rescued. A night in camp
after 5 nights out with very little sleep
in day Had to keep going as long as
could stand it at first bec. of great
congestion of wounded. - a mail in -
store ship sunk out in bay by rammed
by one of our boats accidentally - An
interesting drama with supposed Germ.
officer last night, Turned out to be
a swede { a lrg shell 10" burst near
tanks yesterday & mortally wounded
3 or 4. one lost all his limbs - Two of our
chaps nerves broke up yesterday - Rumour that
Hill 971 is surrounded & going to be bombarded
by naval guns. Bengal Lancers advanced to
the outskirts of Maidos & had to retire. Hear
that 3^rd F Amb have to be prepared to advance
2 miles when the infantry advance 3.. Have
the night in. Heard from AE that she had
seen me wounded in Daily Graphic of 14/7
Thank God, I am still well except for a
cold. So far there have been 3 2 hit
out of C section 50. incl. reinforcements
11 ^th Had a good night in. had break
& out at 7.30. close to the trenches, big
 

trenches ^being dug close to us burying the dead in
The British troops suffered heavily on the
left - 3 Bns cut up - 6 retd out of one -
They were out on left to support the NZ. &
were told to dig in. A staff officer came up &
told them to move as in a dangerous spot, &
soon after hidden Turk machine guns were
turned on them - a quiet day, not very
many wounded. H Rogers crook, artillery firing
all day, one battery close to us deafening
The Turks were trying to silence it all day
one 8.2" shell fell about 30 yds beyond us
burying one chap, they quickly rescued
him - 2 more shells fell back of the
dressing station 30-50 yds & the next
buried itself behind the dugout where
some of our chaps were sitting, it
shook in xxx lot of earth but fortunately
didn't explode Had 2 cases not far
away, a chap let his rifle off accidentally
& got one thro leg & one thro the cheek.
A lot of shrapnel pouring into the opposite
hill where dozens of brands & crosses show
where many of the Australians are resting
Relieved at 8 PM - back to camp &
had a good meal - stew & rice
12th a day in camp, cleaning up etc.
the baloon up in the bay - Shrapnell
felt pretty near us - heavy bombardment
going on at Achi Baba & Gaba Tepe &
on our left the warships were pouring
in broadsides, also the 18 pounders RFA
aldershot & howitzer near us - Aeroplanes
of observing during the day - Lime juice
issued & one loaf among 6. - Out at 730 PM
Had a yarn with Fred Nich who had come 
thro alright. Met a chap who used to live
in house opposite Westbourne", A huge
pile of clothing & equipment brought out
of the trenches. A terrible smell of
dead most of the night - the wind
was our way. A few cases from
bombs during the night. a cruiser
throwing the searchlight on to Gaba Tepe.
13^th Friday Warm - On Sanitary work in camp
in morning. Three of our ambs
were away sick in afternoon, I helped one
down, am alone again in my dug but now.
Just as we reached Clearg Hospt. on beach a
75 mm shell burst about 40 yds away & wd.
2, one badly another burst & churned up
the water a little later you can't hear them
coming & they burst with terrific force.
Several shells came over from Olive Grove,
one hit 10 near the Cemetery. I went down
& had a good wash after dark. A new moon
up & a glorious Sunset. A great many sick
have gone, hear 100 a week ? are dying at Lemnos
The baloon up & 3 aeroplanes flying round
in afternoon & evening - slept badly out
at 8 up Victoria Gully - had an egg
each this morng & mince went well poached.
14 Sat quiet day except for some heavy
shelling on left - guns firing from
the right several shells dropped close to
us, one fellow was buried, a good deal
of shrapnel - Fch 75mm. bursting near
Retd at 8 bringing one chap to our
Hospital - Flies are numerous, hear they
are worse at Lemnos, a great many
Septic cases preported from Egypt. Had
a rather bad night - couldn't sleep -
15 A Turkish attack on the trenches
at Lonesome Pine. they threw bombs but
a counter attack drove them out of their
trenches. 2 were killed & 19 wd - 2 very badly
Heavy booming from NthE. Where more troops
have been landed - church service in
evening
16 Three of our F amb went away sick
we are getting very much reduced
Mail in - some papers & pc. Hear Warsaw
has fallen - Some of those who went
 

to Eng wounded have just returned
They were treated like lords & had a
great time Heavy firing on the left -
17 Bombarding on left. Turks continue
to bomb trenches near centre & are
using a lot of 75mm shells, a piece of
one fell less than a yd from me. A major was
badly wounded & one poor fellow I carried
down would lose his right hand. About
18 wd. to day - mostly by shrapnel.
A Taube flew over in evening & dropped
several bombs. Hear that a transport
has been sunk near Lemnos - torpedoed
& about 1500 lives lost. Royal Edward.
18 Parade & roll call in mornings 6 15.
Dont have far to go for water now
it is pumped to tanks 100 yds away.
This are a great test. Days are very
warm still. When will it be over?
The weeks seem to fly past.
4 aeroplanes up in afternoon &
evening when they had gone - two
Taubes appeared on left flank &
flew around over warships & then
made off with shrapnel bursting
behind them
19 6 Hospital Ships in - 300 Turks
taken prisoners on left - The Royal
Edward coming from Egypt with
2000 of Kitcheners Army torpedoed &
sunk between Alexandria & Lemnos
over 500 were picked up by Hospital boat
& some by trawlers but they know
over 1200 perished - a disaster as big
or bigger than the Titanic - about
10 knot in front put on full speed
& got 15 knot up to reach Lemnos.
Some of the Clearing Hosp. were
on a boat coming behind - Nicholls
& Perkins came by her.
20 Quiet. Heard Fred Nich wasn't
well. As many sick as wounded
bringing down now one chap badly
hit by bomb suffering badly from
shock - Several 4.7 shells fell near
our camp during afternoon - A
big no. of fresh troops from Aust.
the 5^th Bgde arrived a day or two ago
they are going round on left.
? Hear the Kaiser is approaching Pope
to intervene for peace as he doesn't
want another winter Kampaign -
No one here does! - Heavy firing on
21 the left flank during the night
we hear they captured 3 lines of
trenches At 5 o'c in afternoon heavy
rifle fire on left continuing throughout
night. 6 hospital ships in - wounded
continually being taken off to them -
one leaves nearly every day -
22 4 or 5 shrapnel burst over the
camp about tea time - one chap wd
in foot & FK Gill one of the finest fellows
in the 3^rd F.A. hit by a pellet in the
head & died without a sound. he was
sitting in his dugout & his mate didn't
find him dead until ½hr later -
We carried him down & buried him
by moonlight. I had a long yarn to
him only yesterday afternoon. he was
from WA. Just after the funeral, a heavy
burst of rifle fire & we had to take
cover for a time -
23 Quiet, last night the Turks made
an attack upon Lonesome Pine
10 were wounded, one fatally, & in the
morning 5 were lying outside the
trenches waiting to be placed in

their last resting place. I was out in
the trenches & firing line - men were
deepening them & repairing breaches in
the parapets with sandbags, one new
firing line,  all underground sap.
& at intervals steps going up to openings
24 Tues Signs of rain, a cool change
A hotchkiss gun mounted about 100
yds from the camp & some trial shots
fired- it is an anti aircraft gun
artillery fire from C Hilles - late aftern
thunder -a mail in letter Tom & WZ.
& 2 Argus - wish they had been Mercury's -
Several reinforcements come - 2 FA who
were wd 3 wks ago just returned. Say
that the hundreds of convalescents at Lemnos
do pretty much as they like, raid the
neighbouring vineyards & get into villages
near, where they
saw a hare racing for its life on
25 a hill some distance off, it raced along
the hill through a barb wire entanglement
over & through the bushes & disappeared
in a vacant trench, a big wht biplane
up over the trenches in evening -
26 Rain threatening, a few drops last
night - Have been making a roof
in spare time - of a jam box & some
biscuit tins - Don't expect we shall
be here for winter, but likely to have
rain soon - 200 were sick in 12^th
Bn. & so all of the original 12^th were
medically xxxxxxxx & only 9 were
reported fit for duty - Each unit
is having and amt of canteen goods
issued - pickles- choc. vinegar, tooth powder
candles matches etc. for sale - Works
out 2 or 3/- per man- A canteen could
not be run on the beach, for want of
room & danger of shrapnel fire. In the
afternoon getting stores, had to get a mule
cart from the Indian transport column
A wht. Sgt. called the head Indian a
fine looking fellow in wht robes, who ordered
a driver to follow me. he got his pr of
mules & then had to find an empty
cart - Much lightningh, in West, &
during night a light rain commenced.
but did not last - Heavy rifle fire
about 10 PM & early in morn. heard that
27 Turks made an attack & got into trenches
on Lonesome Pine - poor beggars! they are
fighting for their Country - A fine new
Hospital ship came in yesterday. There
were 1300 casualties in the last attack
Heavy firing from naval guns onto
left & later heavy fusilade of rifle
fire which lasted far into the
night & recontinued in the morning
- we had only a few wounded
from bombs during the night
28 Monitors & destroyers firing during the
day - 2 Taubes were over last
night - saw some of the 2^nd FA who
came with us, one was killed in
the attack, they had 5 killed & a
number wd. during it. Dull day.
1000 wd were on a boat that one of our
chaps was on. A Taube flew over us
this evening & hung over the hill where
some of the batteries were for a time
29 Two taubes were over Hd Qrs early
& dropped bombs & after breakfast one
came over & dropped 2 in the next gully
to where I was, I saw one leave the
plane. - Another flew over towards
evening & dropped 2 bombs near beach
I saw it plainly through glasses,
painted black, a biplane seems
 

larger & more like a bird than the
British - Had water & medical stores
to carry from beach. A sick man I
brought to our Hosp. said that the
British & Ghurkas had taken Hill 66
last night - on the left.
30 Mon Building another ward for the
Hospital into the hill, with sandbag
walls there are an increasing no. of patients
being looked after here
31 Received a packet of Stationery from
Aunt E, also the other day a parcel
containing a cake & coffee - with cocoa
chocolate & biscuits missing -
rather sad but might have been
worse Finishing, the new ward
1 Sept One of the Indian's Sheep
escaped & gave a couple of Indians
a chase. it nearly fell through
the roofs of several dugouts, & got
caught in a telephone wire -
A great deal of rifle firing on
left flank heard that British had
advanced 500 yds & taken a
good many trenches. Several more
of our men have left - sick -
2 Sept A taube, flew over the
camp & proceeded West to
Embos - Rain has kept off
3 Two Hospital Ships close in,
they are fine vessels, 2 funnels, painted
cream - & big decks - A big white
biplane flying in the clear sky.
It is autumn now, but the weather
is glorious, it would be splendid
here if it were not for the war
not too well the last few days -
The Indian Mtn Battery practising
with their mules in White Gully -.
a taube flew round overhead in
the evening
4 The 6^th Brigade arrive - one of the
transports conveying the 21 Bn was
torpedoed near Lemnos - in the bow
they began to take to the boats & a
number lost their heads & jumped
overboards, about 50 were lost
including a Brigadier General who died
after being picked up. They got her
into the harbor - Heard the mail
was aboard - Must seem strange
to new-comers to see the way the
Austns go about, with, only Knickers
on many of them, they are brown
as nuts - some darker than the
Sikhs - Night before last aching
in limbs & back, couldn't sleep
for it - thought it was rheumatism
but the Dr thinks its just run
down a bit - still have it slightly
but feel pretty right.
5 Sunday a glorious cloudless day -
calm sea - In camp & scarcely
heard a shot all day. - was very quiet
yesterday also -  Had a narrow escape
yest. from a piece of a Fch 75
a piece struck just behind me.
One of our chaps was struck on
the head - they are very high exp.
& come without warning.
church service in evening, a
 

pleasant speaker - text from 46 PS.
The Lord is my refuge & strength, a
very present help in time of trouble
6. Quiet, very few wounded, no
bad cases in our sector - one
chap had narrow escape: from a
piece of bomb, peak of his cap
saved him/ Will Robinson &
7 2 others 3 FA left sick - WR with
rheumatism - Engrs are building
a road up one of gullies near
us, a, truck line is laid on
beach -6^th FA & Bgde has landed
Talking to some of chaps from boat
that was torpedoed near Rhoda
Is. She was towed into Lemnos & beac
She had Hd Qrs staff, a big mail &
$45000 in bullion? on - The sub. fired
2 torpedoes, hit once near bridge, all
took to boats 50 or so killed & drowned.
8 Wed Felt off colour, but havent
had to got off duty yet. -
9 Nursing division transferred to
beach as clearing station. We
remain at old base - Hear to be
relieved in few wks. - Mail in
yesterday - a very descriptive letter
from Uncle - also A.A. "Ivan". &
heard from FJ. letter took 4½ wks
from Alexandria - Had 2 Shimps
pulled, took cocane, went down
to beach, a pleasant young dentist
in 2 Field amb. - Firewood getting
10 very scarce, most of it has to be
dug up, roots etc, about 3 PM an
order to go out & take over to
new dressing station. 8 at one, 8 at
another, right round on the right,
flank. Expected to be relieved at
night but had to stay till morning
nights more chilly - Fitz crook. has been
11 Sat sent away to Lemnos, now I am
the only one of our 4 who left Tas.
together, here. A big mail in, - one
from F. & Tom - A lot of artillery.
fire from the batteries near us &
to right. The 1^st F Amb have
left for a months spell - a glorious
Sunset - Took a patient down
in evening
12 out at 8 AM for 24hrs near the
trenches. Things are very quiet now.
some chaps were playing cricket
on Shell Flat just outside the trench
rain threatening. it came on lightly
during the night.
13 A lot of shells falling near the
beach & on it - 21 injured, some
seriously - includ. one of our men.
A great many swifts about. they dart
all over the place 
14 3 more of our men gone away sick
some of the 1^st F Amb have come
to us while the main lot have
gone to Embros for a spell of a
month. rained during the night
The tent Dr has taken over the
clearing stn on the beach.
15 Only a few sick all day, stores
of meat & biscuits etc being brought
up from beach to big platforms cut
out
of hills near us, other supplies
 

being placed along on the left flank
where positions are being made for
Clearing Hosp when it has to vacate
the beach- tramways are erected &
several piers are being built in bay
towds C. Suvla - The 1 2 & 4 Bgdes have
16 Thurs gone away for a spell, we
will be for some wks longer - 2 aeroplanes
up in evg. - 6" Howitzer firing- rain
in afternoon - my dugout waterproof
with a tin roof & wp sheet in front.
18 The dressing station in the Gully
near Shell Flat will have to be shifted
before winter comes on in very low
position - Heavy rifle fire in afternoon
all along trenches from Lonesome
Pine to right - had a number
of wounded mostly shell of which
a lot were flying about. Recd a letter
from HP Rogers who has been sent to Malta
took 20 days to come
20 Aust mail in - 3 letters & paper also
a letter 20/6/. which had been wandering
round, I got it from Clearing Hospital -
letters of 5/8/- Arthur says he is not leaving
till the 28^th - I see the Ballarat had
taken a load of wounded back. A qn
quantity of clothing & boots for 3^rd FA
arrived - fine boots - Guns from Olive
Grove sunk a 3 mast Sailing Ship
not far from shore - in Anzac Cove
it has been firing a lot to day
hit a mine sweeper this morning.
A 6" howitzer continually trying
to silence it, but it is well protected
21 Tues Had a shock to-day, a very
sudden death - our squad of 8
directly after breakfast set out for
Shell Flat with blanket & tucker for
24 hours - over 3 hills: a good walk.
pretty steep in parts -  Bauer, one of chaps
from the 1^st F. Amb, has been with us
a fortnight, 47 yrs old, he signed on
as 40, was in the Treasury, Sydney.
he was behind us & was a hit Knocked
out, we were all pretty pluffed -
He came up to the dressing station &
almost at once collapsed., breathing
stertorously & went very pale - We laid him
on his back, loosened clothing & threw
water on his face. he stopped breathing
& Johnson tried artificial respiration
color seemed to come to his face, but it
soon went purple & he had stopped breathing
& had no pulse. We had sent for a
doctor & two came in a few min.
but pronounced life extinct. 4 of us
carried him down to F.Amb & then to
mortuary where Conrick saw him. He had
in his notebook remark on walking over these
dreadful hills again with a pack. he left
his wife very well provided for. Later in
the moonlight we went down & saw him
buried his mates wanted him buried in
a separate grave so we used one &
promised to come down next day
& dig one for it - Back to camp at
22 8.30, Didn't have much sleep last
night - Later 3 of us went down &
used pick & shovel for 2 or 3 hrs, very hard
 

digging. A good many shells passed
over from Olive Grove to Beach. one was
wounded. Others came from Nth
& fell in the water, one fell 30 yds
away from us & some pellets also. At
9 this morn. a German taube flew over
it dropped 3 bombs, the last we heard
whirring down, it fell on a hill 200
yds away - Did some more at the
grave after dinner, but had to knock
off on a/c of shells falling near us
from Olive Grove - nearly a full
moon - a cool night.
23 Very windy. Some shrapnel struck
a few yds off as we were carrying a
young fellow along the beach - He was
from Essex, a mere boy he looked - Baker
said that a great many of the new Dⁿ
are going away sick - Met young
Muncaster used to go to F.H.S. -
One of the chaps is always gambling, he
won 7 £ the other day & £5 to day, banca
& two up. - Up at Lonesome Pine 3 days
24 also a sgt went to throw a bomb
it exploded & killed 3 & wounded 5.
The next day the same thing happened
he went to light it & it had burnt
down the centre & expd in his hand
killed him & 2 others & wounded 5 -
Met one of the guard of Ian Hamilton
who are over at Embros - 50 Austns &
50 British - Ian H visits here occasionally
the other day he was over in an
aeroplane, There is an airship at Embros
& there have been several visits from
Taubes to try & get it. an aviator
went up, after a taube the other day
& was shot but managed to get down
The Germans dropped at 30 bombs
& did some damage - one didnt explode
& the guard fired at it with rifles -
Samson the aviator flew over & dropped
a 200 lb bomb, on a German Aerodrome
the chap said
There are hundreds of Officers living
over at Embros, Eng. Aust, Fch etc. living
on the fat of the land - wines etc. &
doing nothing - The escort get all the
milk, eggs, fresh meat bread etc they
want - Venezelos with the Greek staff
was over there yesterday. - The Bulgarian
army reported to be mobilising yesterday
26 Fatigues - Stores & water to carry
also wood from beach, a drain
be dug round the Hospital to
carry off water in the winter, a
lot of artillery fire during day. a mail
xxx letters & paper of 8^th Sep - speaks
of failure to advance from Bay
of Suvla & advocates compulsion
27 Heavy artillery duel in morning -
on our way to Clarks Valley Stn
10 shells burst over & near the track
18 pounders nigh exp. Quiet in the
trenches. We had to dismantle the
aid post & carry timber iron sand
bags, stretchers etc up the hill, a
stiff climb, to where a fresh station
will be erected for the winter near
the trenches, dined off bully
beef & fried onions & tea, & were