Diary of Oberlin Herbert Gray, August 1915 to March 1916 - Part 2

ready for tea ^at 5 -  only one or two sick
patients all day – Four of us slept
on ground near the track, others
at new post. Had unsettled night,
bright moonlight, about midnight
wakened by loud humming of motor.
An aeroplane was cruising round
but could not distinguish it. A
German, - dozed & dreamt I was near
a town & a plane coming, it descended
& ran along like a car - I awoke with
its noise & sitting up, saw the black
mass of a large biplane come over
the hill top flying low down. A
warship turned its searchlight on
it, & foll^d by a burst of rifle fire
it made off over the trenches.
Then I went to sleep again & dreamt
I was back in Hobart - One of the chaps
heard from a fellow who got a trip to
Eng. with a cold - in the Aquatania.
Said there were a great many malingerers 
among the wounded Austⁿ sent Home - 
they can stay in Eng as long as they
like / Continual booming from
28 direction of the Narrows - like rolls
of thunder - it started early & continued
throughout the day & night, a warship
was bombarding near Cape Suvla - 
Murray Jones from Huon ret^d he was
wounded first day & had 4 mths
in England - Johnson, one of the best
chaps in the Bearer Dⁿ transferred
to Tent Dⁿ - I will try to be to - they
are doing more useful work at present

 29 Working on Hospital, getting it
ready for winter. draining etc. The
squad up the gully is busy on the
new dressing station near top of Clks
Valley, warm, had a swim, rather Cool
30 Very heavy dew, fog hanging about
until 10 o'c. a lot of artillery fire
1 Oct not too well. - put on light
duty, had a trip to the aid post on
rt flank & several trips to the beach.
The 1^st Clearing Casualty Station is
moving its headquarters 3/4 mile
further round to left, where several
large tents are erected for them
A big swarm of bees flew past
our hospital.
3^rd Oct Continual booming from the
narrows from the narrows for days
past - warm weather continues flye's pest
4^th Mond Billy Roscoe ret^d & came
into my dugout,  they were expectg
to be torpedoed any time. There are
many transports - Olympic etc - in Lemnos
crowded with thousands of troops -he
was in several hospitals, Ghezirch
Palace for one & treated splendidly.
A big lot of tents arrived for us.
5 Quiet day - up Shrapnel Green
saw several Tassy's - found out
about Alex Campbell for Miss Bell.
he is missing since first day.
6 Oct Ret^d to camp by 9 & had break,
In afternoon erected a tortoise
tent, a big hospital tent it in 4 pces.
 

with a fly - poles all round, it looked
well when it was up.
7 At Shrapnel Green again -  saw Vic
Denne, he looked well -  Ch. Elliott
is also back recently. A demonstration
along the firing firing line,
heavy firing from the left, & a heavy
bombardment from 2 or 3 destroyers.
onto the right - searchlights going.
On the 4^th a big 8.2" shell fell
in the middle of the camp, a
few ft in front of the hospital
It exploded in a dugout &
hurled sandbags & earth in
all directions, one narrowly [[s.b.]]
escaped 3 of us - 4 or 5 more
followed but burst over the hill.
9 a wild night last, my roof
half blown off & several
dugouts wrecked - rain came
in & I got practically no sleep
24 hrs at one of the dressing
stations now & 24 in camp - 
with fatigues etc.-  several big
tents being erected - 3 blew down
last night - Went to Dentist
& had 4 teeth seen too. - stopping.
Have been "off tucker" lately
11^th Havent slept at all well
lately & no appetite - otherwise
all right - we are not
nearly as strong as we were
6 mos. ago, in fact there are
few who were here in May,

 13 Big flocks of wild geese
flying overhead during the
day, in Vs. with long drawn
cries, took couple sleeping pills
14 Dull day - more geese
flying South - migrating
to Cent. Africa - saw 2 plover
16 rained during day & at
night, not very heavy, D^r
Butler returned -  he was wounded
3 months ago
18 Oct Mond ^2 sick & 4 casualties, all
from a premature burst of one
of our own gun shells just
behind the trenches, near the
dressing station - there has
been a lot of artillery fire lately
but neither side seems to want
to attack, & things will drag on
into the winter like this, I expect
19 A lot of artillery fire
a cap of a shell narrowly
missed several of us - recent
rough weather smashed the
big pier -  a barge ran into
it & 2 others were beached
days are getting bleak - 
20 Capt Conrick sent for me
from Shrapnel Green to report.
 

he wanted me to act as batmen
for Major Quick, I told him
I would prefer to remain working
with the ambulance, I would not
be doing what I came for otherwise - 
he did not press it, altho'
he wants someone badly.
22 a poor chap in the Lowland
Battery stuck by a shell case
& Killed almost instantly - could
not do anything for him he
was terribly injured in the
head. his brother was in the
same battery - it must have been
an awful shock to thim.
Am feeling pretty well now, but
don't sleep nearly as well as I did.
One of our chaps is always gambling
he stays out till 1 & 2 AM, he won
£21 last night, making £80 in
about 6 or 8 weeks.
24 shower in morning. weather
very bleak & wintry lately - 
Canteen stores from Lemnos, allowed
to put in for 10/- worth - when the
things arrived, found half the
things couldn't be had, I got 2/6
worth, some coffee, biscuits & tapioca.
Some were more fortunate, got

 5/- or 6/- worth - tinned Irish butter,
2/3 lb a luxury.
26 In camp erected a 20 ft
tent with fly - altered roof
of old hospital so as to throw
off rain - Showery in afternoon
a lot of artillery fire - 4 shells
at once coming from Olive Grove
27 Wed At Artillery Rd - at 8 AM, 2
sick patients as soon as we
arrived - very windy & rough sea
watched the hospital launch going out
with wounded - she couldnt make
headway & a tug went out & towed
her out - Later the tug took a
second boat out, went very slowly
tug rope broke, a larger tug went
to assistance, but the launch
drifted into a trawler, poor wounded,
She finally had to return to
shore & disembark Wounded & Sick
Heavy artillery duel at noon - 
narrow escape cooking - a patient
hit in both ankles -  another later
28 Mail in - parcel -  cake & sweets
great treat, dugouts in great
mess - a/c of high wind - tents
let down
30 About 30 reinforcements
arrived to be attached to
our Amb. from Ghezvich Hosp
 

Heliopolis & other hospitals, started
to dig themselves in - 
31^oct Sunday In camp.
half dozen Tas^ns arrived - &
a Shoobridge of Austins Ferry - 
4 nov not too well lately
carrying on as usual - not
so much work to do on a/c [[?]] above
On duty Artillery Rd, about 9
P.M. Turks made a violent
attack to recover trench taken
recently - heavy firing all
along line, piece shell came
through doorway of Shelter at nig
passed over me & hit next
chap. not serious - 
7 Sun Working on beach -
from Tent D^r - to Clearing
Hosp. not too well - temp 102.+
8 Reported to D^r [[Sprent]] &
he put me in Hosp.
11 Wintry day -  On Lt
diet  - have influenza? -
cold improving - they
are working on four
Stations now, very busy.

REPORTED SICK 7/11/15
BOARDS HOSPITAL SHIP
16/11/15
 

14 13 D^r Sprent ordered
me away to the base
for fever - .
Lord Kitchener arrived
on Penin^a. heard cheering
from Clearing Hosp, on
North Beach where I came
from our Hosp. too rough
to go out to go out to Hosp
Ship - Not much sleep -
Sun 14 Another day in
Clearing Hosp - Hosp,
Ship left.
[*ht*]16 Tues Wild night last
night. white sheets
of lightning playing round
the hills & nolls & crashes of
thunder, as though the heavens
were at war. Steady rain
fell for a time - sea rough
this morning, calmed down
by noon, Barge in at 3 & took
a load off. again at 8, away
at 9PM & made slow progress to
H. Ship a long time to get
alongside - Put in G ward -
the luxury of a hot bath, salt
& then in between clean sheets
 

17 A good nights rest -
wash at 5.30 & temps taken,
Very pleasant nurses - Eng doctors
& orderlies - fed on weak oxo &
milk. In aft. went to Embros as
weather looked rough. temp 101.6
18 Thurs Bright & fine - up anchor
& back to Anzac - 100 beds
to fill - elec. fans going during
night - stopped outside harbor
all day
19 Back to Anzac & filled
up by noon, then away
to Lemnos - feel very weak

Dropped anchor in the
harbor before dark
20 A lot of shipping in harbor
6 Hosp. Ships - Aquitania
here, now a Hosp. Ship to
save her ^from torpedoes - she brought
out 9000 troops, & was nearly
torpedoed on way - left in
afternoon, fairly calm-
21 Sun Full steam ahead.
going sw by w - rolling a bit
 sea not too calm
Chaplain brings round cigs
every other day. held a
service to day  -
22 Going to Malta, rolling - 
still on Bovril & milk.

rough in afternoon - crashes
of plates (enamel) from Kitchen
seas dashing against ports
fans going - passed through
a thunderstorm at midnight
woke up by crashing - flashes
lighting up the ward
23 Fairly calm - rained -
clothes & valise ret^d, found
that all my curios - writ pad, [[towel]]
2 Khaki hakfs. 6 tins cigs & tob. & other things
were taken - no chance of getting
them back - turned fine day
arrived at St Paul's Bay, went in
& anchored - Malta -
24 Left St. Paul's Bay & came
to the main harb. at Valetta
About 9.30 disembarking - carried
ashore on a stretcher & put
in motor amb .with 3 others
soon started, & went along
narrow streets - Some cut out of
solid rock -  past fields - stone
walls every where - rough road
7 miles to Imtarfa Hosp.
Carried into ward & washed
& put in bed -
25 Nothing to eat - only milk
bovril & cocoa - Doctor
examined us - I have Enteric
fever - organs quite sound.
 

D^r Took a sample of my
blood from lobe of ear.
26 Order of the day - 4 AM woke
up to get washed by night
orderly, he comes on 8 PM to 7 AM
temper. etc taken about 5 AM
a drink of tea 5.30, break
8 AM, milk & tea, at 10 drink
milk 1030 Doctor comes round
a Scotchman, 12.30 dinner, bovril
& milk 4 PM tea only - 6 PM cocoa
9 PM milk - & Doctor comes round
6.30  - Have wash & temp taken
4 o'c - The matron is in now
& then - one sister & a nurse during
day, a day & a night orderly -  all
English nurses etc -
27 All patients are Eng & Scotch
except one other in this ward.
Windy - windows closed - clock
just outside, strikes 2 for
every quarter & after 8 strokes
it chimes the hour- one
of the chaps, nearby well,
great talker, he was on
a transport 5 hrs behind
Royal Ed.^d left Alexandria,
R.E. was torpedoed, had a
Scotch regiment & RAMC men
on - The other transport
went straight on for fear
of submarines - 

passed the wreckage etc.
28 Had some custard for
dinner - very good -
wrote home -  One of Hosp.
Ships sunk in Channel 10
days ago by a mine -
they lost about 70 patients -
She had taken patients
from here - A Hosp. ship
was fired at by subm. when
about 200 miles out from
here recently- perhaps by
mistake
29 A lady came round
wards with cigs - & papers
Saw Malta Chronicle - 
Kitchener is in Rome - most
of Hosp. Ships are Italian
that leave here - not
too well -
30 Nov. Our D^r is going to
Sicily in a few days. there are
2 or 3 British Hospitals there -
On milk diet now - feeling better
Porridge & bread & butter in morning
Beef tea, milk & custard - dinner
& tea & bread & butter 4 PM & cocoa
at 6  
Dec 1 Into another month & hear
compulsory service is
coming into force in Eng.
shortly - a warm day
 

Dec 2 McGill the Scotchman has
a letter - snow is 3" deep in Glasgow
Here the sum as shining & all windows
open - Our nurse is a Scotch girl,
very nice & jolly - A concert in the
rec. room - [[Hosner]] went to it -
Dec 3 Asked the D^r Last
night if I could get up - this morning
he let me. convalescent patients
wear bright blue coat & trous & red
tie & red hakf for belt- up in
afternoon for an ½ hr, after 3½
wks on my back.
Dec 4 - The orderly says that all
Australians are going to be sent
away from Malta shortly - owing
to the disgraceful behaviour of
many of them - there is a huge
convalescent camp at [[Ghain]]
There was a big row a day or
two ago, one Austⁿ was killed
the riot act was read- It
was rumoured last night that a
mob was going to burn Sliema
- the same thing as in Egypt.
A great many Aust^ns seem to
think they can do as they like
& have given Australia a bad
name wherever they go, &
they usually carry the mob
with them. Our day Sister is
going shortly to Sicily

 Dec 5 Sunday - up for 1½ hrs - 
yest - feeling better - a football
match between Imfanta & another
Hospital yest. aft - former won.
A bright cloudless day -
Dec 6 Walked over to Rec Room
& had some draughts - & to canteen
in same building - up from 12 to 5
a cinematograph on in evening -
7^th up all day - 4 sent to
ward upstairs - one of them -
the [[NFLder]] going to Eng. shortly -
helped in ward - temp. up at night.
Doctor let me have mince diet prev.
8 Not allowed up - temp still up
D^r put me on liquid diet
again - Another patient in ward
more coming to-morrow -
12 Up for an hour - 3 patients have
come in - ward full up- Very
cold on Penin^a, heavy rain -
dug outs flooded & trenches - 
14 Took things upstairs to ward
63 to sleep, had [[?]]meals in
61 today & to morrow
15 Blowing hard all day
Has been fine & warm
up to now - heavy rain
fell at night.
16. Cold & wintry, rain
& hail - more patients
have come in, many
suffering from frozen feet
 

16. Marquees being erected for
50 more orderlies. Hospital
going to prepare for 2000
patients - accommodates about
1200 at present
17 Had a good walk round
feel pretty well now. - pretty
view of country - fields
intersected by Stone walls
Valetta in distance, & stone
houses scattered about the
country - ground rises in
terraces on the hills, held
up by stone walls
19 Went to Church of Eng. Service
held in Chapel at end of one
of the blocks. & for walk round
grounds, the D^r comes round
in morning - we have to be
in ^the ward then. A good deal to
do in keeping every thing scrupulously
clean. one or two patients still
in bed - Rise about 6. & the
weather is milder.
21 7 out of the 14 in this ward
left for Eng. where they
Spend their convalescence
cleaned ward & prepared

21 for new patients - there
has been talk in papers
of evacuation of Anzac
22 The Malta Chronicle publishes
the announcement of the
evacuation, of Anzac & Suvla
Bay. without the Turks being
aware of it. The paper says
that all guns & stores were
taken off with Small (?) loss.
& 2500 Turkish casualties
What will the people in
Australia think; after all
the Sacrifice of life &
limb, -  I could scarcely credit
that so soon after I left
this had taken place - there
was an immense amount
of Stores for the winter on Anzac
Ward 65 moved into 66,
several had gone from each
ward. - An English mail
in - none for me. - 
23 Helped prepare for new patients
in Ward 65. Afterwards
McGill & I decorated ward for
Christmas - Ivy- cold paper &
flags on the pillars & electric
lights, with a portrait of Geo. V
above the fireplace - More
from our ward leaving shortly.
Lord Methuen came round
the Wards yesterday - came
 

23 in as we were having tea,
(Smelt the butter to see if it
was good) & wished the
compliments of the season. Methuen
is the governor of Malta & [[dep?]]
24 Decorating the wards
downstairs etc
25 Christmas Day - M^rs Dixon
brought round present for each
from St John & Red Cross Soc. All
up patients had dinner in one
ward- also tea - Sisters provided
jellies, cakes custard etc. - 
Concert held in Rec Room
very enjoyable.
27 Gymkhana for RAMC Orderlies
various events - caught cold
staying our till 4.30 when the
sun had gone down- A number
of orderlies & officers dressed up
as clowns etc.- foot races
throwing cricket ball - putting
weight - donkey race - Obstacle
race, etc- Several events
had to be postponed till Tues.
Concert in evening - I didn't go
29 Repetition concert of the 25^th
Madame Tess an Italian
visiting Malta with an Opera
Company sang 4 songs - 
words in Italian - very dramatic.
The N.Z. & Austns all had to
report to the Medical O.C.

 to have papers charts looked at,
with view to returning home
for convalescence - Some are
sent to Eng. I would prefer
this, be able to see them at
Bexhill & not far to rejoin
the Ambulance -
The days are warm &
cloudless - cool in shade &
towards evening. Sunrises
& Sunsets esp. the latter
are glorious - pinks & blues
tinged with the colour of the
Sea -
Imtarfa is on a kind of
natural rocky island - lime
stone rock with many traces
of fossils - coral etc- one time
at the bed of the ocean -
The Blocks of Stone buildings
are on a fairly level
plateau on the Sth & East
the rock falls sheer away
& below are fields of crops
on the hillsides the fields
are in terraces, each
supported by stone walls,
st Walls of white stone divide
all the fields - There are
no trees to be seen - Stone
houses are scattered about &
of in the distance Valetta
Domes & towers are