Diary of Harold William Riggall 1916 - Part 2
-11-
our guns and all other equipment here for the new
batteries to practice with.
Wednesday March 8th
Started to pitch my camp for the 24th Bty. This afternoon
received 114 men - absolutely raw recruits just arrived -
with which to start the battery. They seem good stuff & I
would sooner have them than old gunners from the B.A.C. as
I can more easily mould them into my way of working.
Thursday March 9th
Completed fixing up the camp & horse lines & drew
necessities from Ordinance. Received BS.M. Freeman
B.Q.M.S. Ward & Sgts Christie Potter Shenton & Preston
& Farrier Sgt Micklejohn from the 7th 8th & 9th Btns to
start me with senior N.C.Os. All other appointments I
must make myself.
Friday March 10th
Received more men today bringing strength of the
battery up to full strength & ten men over strength.
Formed the men into subsections. Sgt. Mauley reported
to me for duty. Hard at work now from 6-30 A.M.
to 10 P.M. May leave for England any day now.
Received two letters from you — February 7th & 8th & woollen
cap for self & Bennett from Mrs Stovell & red waistcoat from
my sweetheart.
Saturday March 11th
Had Battery out mounted for first time this
morning & they performed very well. A dismounted
parade before Gen. Hobbs of the 1st Div. this afternoon while
two men of the 8th Bty are presented with medals by the
-12-
Royal Humane Society. Lot of rot as it interferes with
our training. My majority has come out in orders, but
I have not yet received a copy of them.
Sunday March 12th
Copy from Routine Order no 64 10 March 1916
Appointments Promotions &c.
Artillery
1st Australian Division:-
The undermentioned officers are transferred to
the 4th Australian Divisional Artillery
Major (tempy Lt Colonel) King CMG
" F.A Hughes
" R.L.R. Rabbett C M. G.
Capt W.C.N. Waite
" A. F. Roberts Thompson
" P. M. Edwards
Lieut (temp. Capt) Forbes
" Ellis
" Ross Lieut Marshal
" Hodgens 2nd. Scarrott
" Sinclair Patterson
" Garlin Magel
" McCoy Waite
" Pybus Hurd.
" Thompson
" Forrest
" Flemming
" Callinan
" Collins
-13-
The undermentioned officers are transferred to the
5th Australian Divisional Artillery
Major (tempy Lt Col) J W G. Lucas
" " O. F. Phillips
Major Caddy
Capt (tempy major) G. J. Crespin
" Callaghan D.S O.
F. Thornthwaite
Lieut (temp Capt) J. H. Newmarch
" " Gatliff V. H.
" " McCormack
" " Gatliff P E.
" Toomey
" W. J. Knox 2nd Lieut Mellor
" C. M. Orr " Barrow
" B. S. Gaynor " Pascoe-Webbe
" Blashki " Ferguson
" Borwick " Holmes
" Kennett " Gammon
" Ford
" Redmond
The Undermentioned Officers to Lieut Colonels
(temporarily)
Major S.M. Anderson & to command 1st Bde
" W L. H Burgess DSO. " 3rd "
The Undermentioned officer to Brigade major
(temporarily)
Major C.G.N. Miles
-14-
The undermentioned officers to be Majors (tempy)
Capt. H. W. Riggall (dated 12th March /16
" (tempy) D. R. Harris
" G McLaughlin
" F. Biddle
" A.H K. Jopp
" H F. Kingsmill
The undermentioned officers to be Captains (tempy)
Lieut N. Clowes (& to be Staff Captain)
" A M Forbes
" P J Morgan (& to be Adgt (tempy)
" R. F. Manton ( " )
" A. B. Sandford
" E. A. Olding ( " )
" A. H. Raymond
" J. R. Eddy
" J. C. Selmes
" G. L. Strachan
" A. W. Dodd.
The undermentioned officers are transferred from
the 13th Aust. Div Arty to 4th Division
To be Lieut Colonels (tempy)
major C. H. M King C.M.G.
" F.A. Hughes
" R l. R. Rabbett
To be majors (tempy)
Capt. W. C. N. Waite (& to be Bde Major)
" A. F. Roberts-Thomson
" P. M. Edwards
-15-
To be captains (tempy)
Lieut. C R Turner
" J. H. Ellis
" P. J. Ross (& and to be Adgt)
" S. F. Hodgens
5th Division
The undermentioned officers are transferred
from the 1st Aus. Div. Arty
To be Lieut Colonels (tempy)
Major (tempy Lieut. Col.) J. W. S. Lucas
" " O. F. Phillips
To be majors (tempy)
Major H. O. Caddy & to command a bgde
Capt. G. J. Crespin.
To be Captain (tempy)
Lieut. J. H. Newmarch
" V. H. Gatcliff
" P. J. McCormack
" F. E. Gatliff
Ordinary work in battery. Kit inspection in the
morning. Put my crown up & feel horribly conscious
at the congratulations I received. Was over at the 5th
Bty today & received congratulations from the men.
Monday March 13th
Received 54 horses today a mixed lot some not
bad, but some so bad that I am getting the veterinary
officer to come round with me in the morning to try &
cast some of them.
-16-
Tuesday March 14th
Had battery out in morning for battery drill borrowing
12 wagons & teams from the 7th 8th & 9th batteries. Quite satisfactory
Went carefully through each horse with the Vet. in the afternoon
& writing in requesting that 37 be caste as quite unsuitable
for artillery work. Mr Lloyd went to Alexandria on duty to
obtain stationary for the battery.
Wednesday March 15th
Ordinary work. Made a nominal roll of the men I will
keep on the establishment of the battery, detailing surplus men to
remain as reinforcemts to the 24th Battery. Gave a lecture
to the 3rd Bde tonight on "Economy in the Field".
Thursday March 16th
Battery out mounted today. All innoculated this
afternoon with antivacine against typhoid. My arm is
aching badly tonight. Lloyd returned from Alex.
Friday March 17th
Ordinary routine work.
Saturday March 18th
Route march to El Kourin village of 1st Arty Div.
An awful day wind blowing & dust flying. Kamseen,
Told we will be leaving next week. Up till after midnight
making out indents for harness etc.
Sunday March 19th
Ordinary routine today. Plenty of office work
Monday March 20th
Battery carried out its preliminary
shoot today. Lt. Lloyd had command of the
battery & they did very well.
-17-
Tuesday March 21st
Gunnery series today. We fired twenty
rounds on a most difficult target & as far as shooting
went, the battery performed well. Told in orders
today, that we leave tomorrow night for ?
Wednesday March 22nd
Received orders to leave Tel-el-Kebir tonight
Struck camp during the afternoon. Very cold night
slept a little in the open with my greatcoat round
me but without much success. All our baggage
under a guard of 10 men went to the station at
5 o'clock. P M
Thursday March 23rd
Horses left at 12-15 AM with 35 men
under Lieut Hely to be loaded on train leaving
at 1-30 AM. Fell in remainder of men at 2-30
AM & we moved off at 3 AM. after having
personally seen that camp was cleaned up.
Arrived station at 3-30 AM & entrained in
open trucks which were all that was provided
for us. Had a little sleep on floor of truck
which was both very hard & very dirty
with manure & train bumped a lot.
Arrived Alexandria at 10-15 AM. Ordered
on board M.T. Tintoretto of which I was O.C.
Troops. Carried mixed details consisting
of 224 men & 420 horses. Left Alexandria
at 4 P.M. for Marseilles. Sent you cable.
Lovely day very warm. Issued lifebelts &c.
18
Friday March 24th
Much colder today. Was innoculated again
today for typhoid. Skipper very complimentary abiut the
way we keep the ship clean, says he has never had it
so clean for months as he has been carrying K's
army who he says are too awful for words. No
discipline at all. No wireless on ship.
Saturday March 25th
Ordinary work today. Arm alright today
I never felt this dose much. Bennetts arm is very
bad
Sunday March 26th
The men are working splendidly. Arrived
Malta at 4 o'clock reported ourselves & proceeded
on our way. Harbour of Malta was full of French
men of war who make it their head quarters. Bennett
is much better.
Monday March 27th
At breakfast time this morning we saw
Tunis coast which looked very inhospitable.
A stiff breeze is blowing from the North which
makes it cold compared with the weather we
have been used to.
Tuesday March 28th
Saw Sardinia in the distance at 8
o'clock this morning. A beautiful day.
Wind got up by midday & a very good
sea was running. This afternoon a
lot of the boys are down to it.
19
Wednesday March 29th
Arrived at outer harbour Marseilles 3-45 A.M.
this morning & anchored. Proceeded into inner
harbour at 5-30 AM. Everything very misty & could
not see much. Saw Chateau d'Iffe & Notre Dame
Anchored out in stream until midday when we
moved into berth (No 8 Hangar) & proceeded to
unload. Unloaded & horsed moved off to :a
Valentine Camp, which was 8 miles away at
3-30 P.M. I went with Bennett by tram
to camp & found that they knew nothing of our
coming. Fixed things up for my own men
who arrived at dusk very tired. The remainder
of the 3rd Brigade I had sent to Fornier camp as
found there was no room for them at La Valentine
Altogether had a very tiring rushy day.
Thursday March 30th
La Valentine a very pretty place in the
hills. Went for a ride this morning into the
country. Everything very lovely & green to the
eye but horribly wet & cold. Went into
Marseilles for dinner. A dull city full of old
men & women & soldiers.
Friday March 31st
Received orders to leave La Valentine
& report to Fournier Camp to rejoin the 3rd
Bde. We moved off at 1 o'clock & reach
Fournier Camp at 5 PM. It is a very dirty
Camp situated among factories in a
20
piece of land that is used as a stock yard & is
full of coal dust. Very like Footscray & very
sodden with damp.
Saturday April 1st to Thursday April 6th
Nothing doing in this camp as it is impossible
to work the men. The men are allowed leave every
day merely keeping enough in to do the necessary
work. They are behaving awfully well I am
pleased to say. I have seen more of Marseilles
but cannot say I am any more taken with it.
Had dinner in town on Sunday night with
the Colonel, & we went afterwards to see La
Poupée played, it was awfully good. On
Monday afternoon rode to some place about eight
miles away where we could have a bath. Found
that we bathed in the open in a sort of semicircle
place with stone promenade almost all round
it. After a bit of difficulty with our French we
(Capt. Raymond Lt. Robertson & myself) got
some bathing gowns & got into sort of caves &
undressed. Imagine our surprise when we came
out to go into the water to find the whole (I am
sure there were not many missing) population
of Marseilles watching to see us go in. Well
we went in pretty quick & found the water
very cold but we did not like to show the
French that we found it almost freezing
so we stayed in too long swimming
about & when we came out we had a
D CoatesThis transcription item is now locked to you for editing. To release the lock either Save your changes or Cancel.
This lock will be automatically released after 60 minutes of inactivity.