Diary of Wilbert Berg, 1915-1916 - Part 1

Front page of diary - see original

1912 Calendar - see original document

Reg No. 1132
Pte W.N. Berg
D Company 18^th Batt
5^th Inf. Brigade
A.I.E.F
Private address
W.N. Berg.
"Hillcrest"
180 Glebe Point Road
Glebe Point
Sydney
New South Wales
Australia

Hints on battlefields
Shock Patient must be
kept warm, lie him flat
on his back
Injury to head Keep his
head cold & warm about
the feet.
Sunstroke Put patient in
the shade & give him plenty
of fresh air
Frost Bite Rub gently with
ice or snow to frost bitten
part & keep in cool place

Gentle fiction. do not bring
to warmth for fear of
mortification Hot water
& heat must be avoided
Eye Injury do not let
patient rub eye anything
under lid take it over
lid & take out with something
blunt.
Lime in Eye do not
remove any lime that is
adhering to the eye.
Ear trouble never
probe an ear, use
olive or castor oil to remove
insects water will sometimes
do.
Wounds in stomach do
not remove if not in
danger do not let him
eat or drink
Wound in lungs   lie him
on injured side.

Stan Cox, Lacey Clark,
Splinter, Wagga &
Bill Fellow left at
Alexander to bring
mules across.
Diary of the war.
Left Heliopolis on Sunday 15/8/15
at midnight for Alexander
18/8/15 Arrived at Alexander
at daybreak & went on board
the S.S. Saturina & left for
Lemnos Island in the evening
19/8/15 Things very calm have to
have our life belts on all the
time.
20/8/15 Things calm again another
boat sighted. Forty men picked
for Submarine guard & I had
to go on guard nothing sighted all
day saw volcano in action in
the night also had some rain
was sleeping at the time & got soaking

wet. Stayed on all night for the 19^th

so we could have a good sleep.

21/8/15 In sight of land, Islands

belonging to Greece. Arrived at Lemnos

Left at Sunset on a small Greek

Steamer for the Dards - 24 knot beat

22/8/15 Arrived at Gabe Tepe before 

daybreak going off on the punt Cpl [[Shif?]]

was shot in the hand got ashore

O.K. without any shots fired at us

Camped all day at Gabe Tepe went

& had a look at our trenches just

missed two shots left camp at

sunset for reserve  trenches at

Chocolate Hill under fire all the

way Silver Jackson wounded

Big bombardment by warships

22/8/15 Arrived at Chocolate Hill at

daybreak & orders were sent along

to fix bayonets & charge absolute

murder did not know where the

enemy were, our Major killed. Took

4 lines of trenches but no reinforcements

to hold them so had to retreat to the

first stopped in the trenches all day

& night stretcher bearers doing

grand work Doc Brown wounded

in the foot.

23/8/15 Still in the trenches Turks

very quiet nothing to eat since

Saturday evening all done up

Took out of the firing line at midday

had something to eat & then were

sent to dig a new communication

trench. Had some sleep that night

bullets & schrapnel all around us no

one hit.

24/8/15 Still digging the trench things

very quiet Had a roll call Aeroplanes

flying about.

25/8/15  Fatigue parties sent about

two miles to the well for water

having a rest in the hills issued

with bacon, rice, prunes, flour

& bread so had a good feed & sleep

five nights without any sleep the

rest of the boys join us.

26/8/15  Things quiet on water

fatigue all day for the trenches

sent Mart a card for his

birthday also sent one home

to Millie.

27/8/15  Batteries bombard charge

by N.Z & Aust at dusk 300 yds of

trenches taken 9^th & 10^th L. Horse

reinforce great fight with hand

grenades. ^about 6 of us hold Turks for

2 hours till reinforced

28/8/15  Things lively all day

silent charge at night capture

trench on top of hill plenty of

prisoners

29/8/15 Things quiet all day on

water fatigue again Tom & myself

just miss getting hit with schrapnel

Joe Tait & Ned wounded Turks counter

attack at night beaten back

with heavy losses.

30/8/15  Turks bombard

us with schrapnel good few

hit D Coy 19th reinforce Firing line

quiet

30/8/15 Things very quiet again

short service to soldiers by C of E

Chaplain

31/8/15 Improving trenches with

bomb proof shelters firing line

quiet

1/9/15 still improving trenches

attack by Turks at night without

success

2/9/15 Big attack by Turks on

our left at night but they

were driven back with heavy

losses Warships helped.

3/9/15 Water fatigue all day

& shifted at night to the right

flank to Quinns Post.

4/9/15 Resting all day went &

had a swim on the beach and

first wash for a fortnight

5/9/15 Still resting in the gully

things very quiet here.

6^th Brigade arrive 21^st Batt [Too?]

6/9/15 Resting in gully big

advance on extreme left

7/9/15 Resting in gully still

on outpost duty all night very

dangerous job.

8/9/15 Moved into reserve

trenches at Popes Post things

quiet all day & night