James Emil Huntly Vroland, Diary, 28 August to 28 November 1915 - Part 2

demonstration with shells
and then made an
assault on the bomb pit
- one got in but did not 
leave, our casualties number 

about a dozen. Marshal cut with periscope glass
Tuesday 5^th.

Feeling much better
received letter, May, Jack, Ella, Eve
Wrote Mater Pater, Amy
Wednesday 6^th 
Nothing particular
doing except news
re great progress of 
the allies - very slow
progress continues
Thursday 7^th
a few of our
own lost with big bomb last
night - otherwise nothing  

[* *since died*]
doing
-Hodgkinson * badly hit by shrapnel 
at the beach - just about done
- first casualty for M.G S.
Friday 8^th
Heard Tom Michael has 
gone away crook - diphtheria 
- Wrote Eve, Meg.
Rained a bit during the 
night - heavy wind
Saturday 9^th
Fine fresh morning
after the rain. Wrote Harold, Gerald

Milly, Cecil, storm made a mess of things
on the beach.
Sunday 10^th 

Weather bright as usual.
nothing much doing - Yank got a 

crack on the leg with a bit 
of shell - not serious 

Monday 11^th
Things quiet as usual
slight rain in afternoon
Tuesday 12^th
Fine day - nothing doing
a number of reinforcements came
in from different battalions
Wrote Jock
Received Meg (2) & parcel Molly, Mater &
parcel Mrs Ferguson
Went for swim in evening
Wednesday 13^th
Very chilly
in morning but day clear
Wrote Mrs F Ella, Mater Pater Will & Molly
Thursday 14^th
Cool again, in fact
very cool, things quiet
but we are giving Abdul a
few shells
Thursday Friday 15^th
Quiet as usual
- one man of A23 killed last night
by bullet
Friday urday 16^th
Gave Abdul
a bit of a demonstration
this morning & yelling etc
- not much of a response.
at midday the blighters sent
any amount of shrapnel - but
as far as I know no one hit
Met Les Bell - late of Wang. Wrote Meg
& Ed
Sunday 17^th
Slight rain last night
- cold & cloudy - good old 
bombardment about midday
- no damage Received

letters- Meg. Anton
wrote Anton
One sapper killed in sap
another in a bad way
Monday 18^th
Some rain last
night - received letter Wilf
Ailsa, Harold, Mater, Dave M.
Tuesday 19^th
Abdul is getting plenty
of "backseesh" in the shape
of 6" howitzer shells cool &
cloudy
Wednesday 20^th
Cool & cloudy.
Supernumerary men to be
[[imshied]] to their compound
Went round & saw Green (4^thLH)
& heard that Pinney has a
commission in 5^th Batt
Wrote DM.
Oct
Thursday, 21^st
Glorious day-

Abdul sent over a good deal
of shrapnel after breakfast
sent some H-E & shrapnel in
afternoon killed a couple Wrote
Mater, Wilf & Ailsa
Friday 22^nd
Cloudy & cool
one of the men killed
yesterday was Roy Driscoll
Saturday 23^rd.
Last night was
cold - a foretaste of joy to come
nothing much doing - heard that
Russel McCombe went to England
Sunday 24^th
Cold & cloudy
Bob Sorn nearly blown out by bomb
last night, Yank crook

Monday 25^th
Beautiful day
skylarks singing in great style
Tuesday 26^th
Warm and misty - some
of our warships did a little
bombarding of Beachy. Went
for a walk with Webby, in
search of 8^th LH but gave

up the job - Got news of
most of the Port boys - all
alive-o'-Andes wounded by bomb
Wednesday 27^th
Clear & Warm
Beachy & co gave us "what -ho" at
midday - five casualties in dip
eight killed on beach
Thursday 28^th.
Warm & cloudy nothing 
much doing - flies very thick
Friday 29^th 
Nothing much doing
feeling rotten.
Saturday 30^th
Beautifully warm &
calm. Had a chat with Major Fanning
and learnt that Gary was one last few
killed a few months ago

Hear that Percy [[Mc?]] has gone

away very ill.

Sunday 31^st

No mail yet, Cloudy with

a good deal of mist hanging about.

Nothing doing

Monday 1^st Nov

Beautiful sunrise

glorious day - everything

in the garden's lovely except

the flies and the midges which 

refuse to come to light 

Over  

Tuesday Nov 2nd

Fine but windy,

saw Arthur Steele 1^st Brigade

has returned.  First casualties in

old gang - Webb & Hickey hit by

shell - neither seriously hurt but

both will go away.

Wednesday 3^rd

Beautiful day

Nothing doing

Thursday 4^th

Weather still

good but still nothing doing

Friday 5^th

First night a serious

mistake was made -the display

of fireworks should have been

today. There was a rare 

old demonstration - several 

hit & two killed

Letters R.G BGT

Saturday 6^th

Enemy aeroplanes

dropped a bomb in afternoon

Last night we had one

killed & about ten wounded

by shrapnel & bomb

Sunday 7^th

Fine weather as usual

Rec. letters Mater, Phema, Wilf, Molly,

HWA, Ailsa, G Hild, Em [[Ca?]]

Fello nearly blown out

by bomb. Abdul sent over

some big shells. no damage

Monday 8^th

Glorious day. Went

around to 2^nd Batt discovered

that Hereford & Harper have 

been away some weeks

sick.

Tuesday 9^th

Weather still

fine - great activity

among navy - think

they have spotted a

submarine. Write Ailsa,

Mater, & Phema, Mrs Smith, Will, & Em

Wed. 10^th

Slight rain. walking

to 1st Brigade, saw Bob Dick

Heard that Fred Berge has gone

away sick (malaria)

Went for a walk to beach

in evening - feeling as weak

as a cat, but otherwise

well enough

Thursday 11^th

Strong southerly

breeze. wrote Em C, Grise

Ailsa

Friday 12^th

Cold and rather wet

wrote Jack, Amy

Stick bombs did severe

damage killed Charlie Dalyiel

wounded Clayton & Cameron

Three AMC killed several

wounded

Saturday 13^th

Cloudy & cold

another man killed in

the dip today (shrapnel)

Reported that Kitchener is

on the peninsular

Sunday 14^th

Last night several

men were killed and many

more injured by bombs

Abdul's  "Stick bombs" are the

very devil. This afternoon

the navy are doing a bit

of a bombardment and

Abdul is getting nasty, though

I am fairly safe in my dugout

I do not feel remarkably

comfortable

Saw 'Dick' Maxwell this morning

he seems fairly well

Rec letters Mater, Skipper, May

Amy, Cecil

Monday 15^th

Rec Letters Mater, Pater, W Amy

Wilf. Wrote, May, Skip

Tuesday 16^th

Last night it rained

rather heavily but today is

warm & clear. went to 20th

Batt and saw Cradland & W Crome

Two L H killed on No 2 post and

Watt slightly wounded by

a "stick bomb" - it made

an awful mess

Wednesday 17^th

Warm and windy

felt very rotten last night

- better this morning

Thursday 18^th

Heavy rain

about 9 pm yesterday, the trenches

& dugouts were in a lovely

state, very cold later on

The day has been cold but 

clear, went to see Pinney

& Hart but were unable to

find them,

Abdul's aeroplane came over

in afternoon and got what- ho

-very nearly knocked - turned

and went for his life

Friday 19^th cool & calm, saw

the quack - not much 

satisfaction. Abdul did a

lot of shelling last

night

Saturday 20^th

Weather windy

& cold. Saw Pinney

but did not have time

for a yarn, Rec letter

Ailsa

Sunday 21^st

Cold & cloudy

most unpleasant weather

Nothing much doing

Monday 22

Cold & cloudy- Saw

quack. Wrote- Cecil Mater

saw Hart

Tuesday 23^rd

Weather rather warm

Marshall sent to beach with

Jaundice

Wednesday 24^th

One L H man killed

on No 2 post - this is a most

unlucky post - was on post

at the time

Promoted Sergeant

Thursday 25^th

Cold again and

cloudy. We are trying a 

new caper - not a shot

from rifle or gun - not 

a bomb until further

orders - the idea is to

get Abdul to attempt an

advance and then- What ho!

Friday 26^th

Another man

killed ^last night on No 2 post (shot

in the eye through loophole)

Weather cold as usual. Dwyer (QM)

badly hit by shell.

Saturday 27^th.

Heavy thunder last

night but not a great deal 

of rain. This morning is as cold

as charity. Wrote Meg

Sunday 28^th

Snow last night

& this morning - the snow

looks pretty thats all

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