Diary belonging to Archibald William Lawton Wookey, 1900-1901 - Part 1

Conflict:
South African War (Boer War), 1899–1902
Subject:
  • Documents and letters
Status:
Awaiting approval
Accession number:
AWM2020.7.117
Difficulty:
4

Page 1 / 10

Cover of notebook- see original document. 

 

End papers of notebook- see original document. 

 

No 19th Section No. 3.
Trooper A. Wookey.
No. 2659. 14th Compy
N.Z. 5th Contingent
Mounted Rifles 
No Horse. 2139.
Dark Brown. G.
White Hind.
feet.
Died 10 June 1900  No 2134
Bay mare white star on forhead 
Left Wellington 31st March
Arrived 28th April travelled
by train from "Biera" to
Bamboo Creek 10 AM 22nd May 1900
We seen two lots of
Locust and when they
arose it you could not
see the sky arrived
@ creek 6 pm Tuesday
Same day Camped for 5 days
left Sunday 27th May in rain
for Umtalli arrived
7 oclock Monday 28th May left
8 oclock same day for Marandellas
arrived 6.30 AM 

 

Sunday 8th June 1900 1st Hymn O God our
help in ages past 2nd Hymn How
sweet the name of jeesus sounds
in a blievers ear 3rd Hymn
The King of love my Sheperd
is Monday ^4 June sick Tuesday 5th June
about the same Wensday 6th june
put me in the hospital tent
very bad head also cold
if is much quiter
Received letter from B.F
10th june 1900 Sunday
Left Marandellas 15th June
Friday, mounted at 4 pm
travelled 5 miles camped
(We had 4 wagons for provisions)
(& horse feed)
for night Started at 7 pam
Saturday 16th June about 6 miles
had dinner left 4.30 pm
camped for the night
9 pm guard over wagons
left 7 am Sunday 17th camped
10 pm left 5.30 ^am Monday 18th June
camped 9.30 am left
3 pm oclock camped 6 pm scarce
wood Started 2 pm am Tuesy
(19th June (00) camped (Fort Charter)
6 am left 5 pm travelled
6 miles camped @ 7 oclock
left 8 am Wensday 20th June
16 miles camped 11 oclock 

 

left 3 pm, 12 miles camped
8 pm oclock struck camp
Thursdy 21st June @ 5 am
Still travelling S.W. to
Bulawayo 12 miles per day
Monday 25th June \got flour)
eat dumplings till we could
hardly move. Travelled about
Sat 30 June quite well
waiting for wagons not
much wood 10 am oclock minding
horses while they graze
Bulawayo 10th July 00
left for Tuli 2 days
after went within
ten miles of Fort.
Tuli & then received
orders to return to
Bulawayo 21st July
Sunday left Bulay
2nd August for Mafeking
received letter from
Gertie & Photo from
B Foster Fridy 3rd August
quite well
Left 50 men @
Crockadile Pools 4th Aug
60 miles from Mafek
48 of us built a fortfcamp
40 miles from Mafeking 

 

August 5th - 1900 Posted
Piquet on three hills
around camp no sign
of Boers up to the
present Monday 6th August
returned to C Pools &
camped till Spt 7th 1900 

 

Spt 8th left Crocodile Pools
for Tuli about 400 miles
190 by rail
Spt 10th left Palapye for
Tuli Camped for 3 days 
six miles out received mail
here
Description
of my Horse
Light Bay Mare
Black points
White Star on
her Forhead
"Name"
Gert 
N.o 2134 

 

Spt 12th received letters
from My brother Rupert
& my Sister Olive also
one from .G.
Spt 18th left Stot for
Tuli 
Spt 26th Camped last water
30 miles from Tuli 
Spt 27th started 2 oclock
travelled allnight till
2 oclock next day arrived
Tuli Spt 28th 2.30 
Oct 2nd Killed Heifer
for our troops
Oct 10th All the stores
at the store sold out
not expecting any more
for a fortnight
Oct 18th Killed two
battle rations running
short no sugar
Coffee & tea 1 dessertspoon
of either for 12 men
per meal 

 

Oct 25 Horse feed
short 4 lbs oats instead
12 lbs per day
Oct 20th paid my boy
& he ran away on
the 23rd Oct
Oct 22nd wrote to ..G. & .M.
also J & B. T. N.Z.
Oct 26th in Orders
the General said he was
very pleased with us
At the inspection, 
Oct 27th engaged boy
6/- per moon "Bob" N.o
horse feed.
Oct 28th Church 7 am
Minister preached also
7.30 pm by the Camp
fire all invited
29th Oct Remounts arrived
at camp
31st Oct Shower of rain
while grazing horses 

 

Nov 2nd .Sharp words with
Trooper J & it ended in blows
by which he got the worst
of it Heavy rain through
the night
Nov 3rd Rain Cleared off
finished my Bunk
Nov 4th Church ; evening
service Text Subject joseph
"Sunday"
Nov 5th, Put on guard across
the river 24 hours Concert
in the evening 
Nov 6th very hot six wagons
arrived from Plapye with
horse feed
Nov 8th 20 picked men left
camp for to find water first
night camped 7 miles from Tuli
Nov 9th fine day. took horses
6 miles to water
Nov 11th started 3-30 Am and
camped 10.30 Am had scoff
water very scarce 

 

 

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