Diary of Wilbert Berg, 1916 - Part 4

29/7/16 The 7^th Bgde made a 
charge but were not 
successful, & got cut to pieces
by German Rifle machine 
gun fire Digging new
trenches & generally fortifying
the positions under x
terrific german shell fire   
30/7/16 Had no sleep hardly 
since we came in Plenty
of digging to do the 2^nd Div
Pioneers are doing good
work. The total strength 
of the Batt is very weak 
on account of casualties        
31/7/16 What is left of 
the Bombing Platoon is 
standing by at Batt Hqrs
all the time We have lost 
a good few Officers 
1/8/16 The 4^th Div is behind
us in Reserve trenches 
Gen Birdwood praised this
5^th Bgde up for their work 
Said that we would soon 
be relieved 
2/8/16 Forty more details came 
up to-day & amongst them
was Dave Webster but
they did not stop long as
a shell landed amongst
them & hit thirty Dave 
got hit on the leg  

3/8/16 Got 20 new men & a 
Sgt for the bombing Platoon
So we are nearly full strength
again the Div is going to   
try & take two lines of trenches
tomorrow night nearly every
is beat through fatigue & 
no rest      

 

4/8/16 Great preparations
being made for the charge
Heavy bombardment by
both sides all day. Moved 

into the trenches at 9 P.M. 
When our artillery opened 
out for the final flutter 
& as soon as the fire lifted 
to the 2nd German line

we were over & into the 
German first line & then 
straight to their second 
line without any opposition 
at all Stayed there all 
night waiting for a counter
attack which never came         
5/8/16 As soon as daylight 
came the germans gave 
themselves up in hundreds
to us Reports say that we 
took a thousand prisoners
in all Were relieved by the 

4^th Div but we came out
early & came down to  
where our travelling kitchens
were & I was sitting down
with some more of the boys
when the Germans put over 

a high explosive shrapnel 
& piece went right through

my leg was taken straight
away by the ambulance 
6/8/16 Arrived at Puncheidlers
by motor ambulance, had
my leg dressed & stopped
there till 9 P.M. & then we 
were put on the Hospital 

train bound for Boulogne 

7/8/16 arrived at Boulogne
Soon after daylight I  

was taken to a Canadian  
Hospital & had my leg

dressed which is very 

painful Everyone very
nice Sisters are lovely
Stayed All day here    
8/8/16 Had a good night 

Had my leg dressed this 
morning very painful

Left the Hospital in Motor 

Amb. for Hospital ship at 
2 P.M. & arrived at Dover 
just before dark & was 
put on Hospital Train
Had a lovely trip across 

the Canal. Ladies giving
out Cigarettes Sweets etc      
9/8/16 We arrived at 
Bradford at about 5 A.M.
& were taken straight to 
the War Hospital Bradford

A very nice Hospital. 
It was visiting day at 
the Hospital to-day & we 
had a good lot of people 

in to see us. My leg 
not feeling too bad.         

10/8/16 Things very nice in

here. The people of Bradford 
give us our tea every 
Mon, Wed, & Sat. Have a 
concert every evening         
11/8/16 Very hot lying  

in bed all the time
Did a good lot of writing 
today My leg feeling 
pretty good on it. I was 
up for a while on 

crutches but my leg

ached & I had to get back 

to bed again 

12/8/16 Visiting day again
had a lot of people Two 

girls came & talked to me 
all the evening asked me
for my pass 
13/8/16 My leg started 
bleeding to-day but it
is not sore Did some
more writing to-day  
14/8/16 Still in bed leg
no better Things very
very quiet here no sort 
of amusement of any
kind in the ward.
Ladies day to-day
15/8/16 Raining all day
My leg is still bleeding
but it is looking a lot 
better on it. I went down 
& under the X Rays     
16/8/16 Raining slightly 

again to-day. Visiting 

day to-day Had my two 
lady friends to see me   
17/8/16 Sent a cable home
to-day I had a cable 
form in my pocket but
did not find it till 
to-day so I sent it 
straight away       
18/8/16 My leg feeling first 
class but still bleeding 
a lot Have not had 
any letters so far since 
I have been here    

19/8/16 Lovely day to-day
Visiting day to-day Got 
an answer from Hdqrs 

saying that they dispatched 
my cable O.K Another
convoy in this morning 

20/8/16 My leg feeling
alright but an infectious
disease set in & 
stopping the wound from 

healing up (Blue pus)      
21/8/16 Just twelve months
to-day since we landed
on the peninsula Sent a 

card from to Mart for his 

birthday. Sick of hospital       
22/8/16 Twelve months 

to-day since we got our
Christening of this terrible 
war Munition works 
blown up to-day felt the 
Concussion here. One of 
the biggest munition 
works there is in England        

23/8/16 Lovely day again
to-day Visiting day 
did not have my usual 

visitors to-day One of 

them had her home blown 
down by the explosion      

24/8/16 Received a letter
from Mart to-day also
four from Aust. My 

leg feeling pretty good now                 
25/8/16 Ladies day to-day
had a very nice tea 

We are having lovely
weather now          
26/8/16 Marts Birthday
to-day Visiting day again
had my usual two 
lady visitors, there were 
a good few up to-day        
27/8/16 Raining very 

heavy all day. 1st Anniversary 
of our 2nd charge on 
Gallipoli Peninsula 

28/8/16 Ladies day again

Went out to-day for a 
walk around Bradford
It is a very nice place 

a lot bigger than Sydney
but not so nice    
29/8/16 I have received 
no reply to the cable 
that I sent home yet.

Zepp raid last night on 
London but very little 
damage done       
30/8/16 Visiting day again
had no one to see me

so helped the Nurses cut 

up bread & butter Good 
news still continues to 

come to hand from 
the front.     
31/8/16 My leg is doing 
 first class now one of 
the wounds is just about 
healed up but the other 
is still discharging a lot    
1/9/16 Ladies day again 

had a big plate of ham
cake etc & I enjoyed it 
very much. We are 
having lovely weather  
2/9/16 Visiting day again 
had my usual two 
visitors Brought up some 

fruit etc also some books 

to read & a pack of cards
3/9/16 Feeling a bit off 
colour to-day so I stopped 
in bed most of the day
It was too wet for us to 
go to Church. Had a 
nice musical evening 
in the ward 

4/9/16 Ladies day. Wrote 
into Hdqrs asking them 
 to make enquiries about 
my cable. My leg is 

doing splendid     
5/9/16 The Doctor marked 
me for convalescent 
to-day but it will be a 
while before we go. Another
convoy expected.      
6/9/16 My leg feeling pretty 
sore on it to-day. Visiting 
day again but we did
not have many visitors      
7/9/16 Got four letters 
from Aust. to-day. Went 

down Bradford for a 
walk around to-day
& had a nice outing &
arrived home for tea        
8/9/16 Ladies day to-day. Got 
the photos of the ward that 
we had taken about a 
week ago they are very 
good. I am sending mine 
home. Leg doing first class 
9/9/16 Visiting day to-day

W Had to go to bed again
as I had a temperature
of 101^o but I am not 
feeling sick on it     
10/9/16 Still in bed, the

Doctor came around & I 
asked him could I get up 
again & he said I could 
get up tomorrow    
11/9/16 Ladies day again
Burning the flesh down on 
my leg so the new skin 
can grow over the top of 
the wound.
 

 12/9/16 Went down town
for a walk to-day Got 
some more letters from 
Aust. Also one from 
Mart. Good news still 
continues to come through 

from all the fronts       
13/9/16 Visiting day again 
Met an Aust. lady to-day 
in the ward had a good 
talk to her & she invited 
me out to tea on Sunday
She is the wife of a Doctor          
14/9/16 Another convoy came 
in early this morning 
but we were full up & 
did not get any new 
ones. My leg is healing 
up lovely now.  
15/9/16 Went down town for
another walk to-day We
heard to-day that the Aust.
we were leaving France shortly
for the winter over there
16/9/16 Visiting day again

had as usual two 
[lady visit  on they brought
up [[?]] cake cigarettes 
etc  The nurses inpatient
had a visitor arrive in the  
ward the other night 
17/9/16 Went to [[?]] the
morning I went out at last
Mrs Thompson place for
tea they are very nice people
She is a South Australian woman
& he is a Victorian [[?]]
nameships after soldiers
there one from Qsld & the 
other from W.A. & myself from

N.SW so all Aust was Rep. 

18/9/16 Went down this afternoon
with one of the boys & had 
a look over a clothing 
factory, it was very nice
& interesting  

19/9/16 Went out to tea with
three other boys from here
had a real good time &
asked out to tea again      
20/9/16 Visiting day again
& did not have any visitor
so I had a sleep It has
been raining all day
My leg is healing up lovely   
21/9/16 Went down town
this afternoon but came
home again for tea went
to the pictures with the
rest of the boys after tea
They were every nice            
 22/9/6. A notice came up
from the Orderly Room saying
that I was to leave to to-morrow
for the Aust. Conva. Home
at Harefield Park    
23/9/16 Left Bradford this
morning at 9-45A.M. &
arrived in London at 2-10
P.M. Caught the tube train
to Baker St & then another
train for Harefield Park
& arrived there at 5 P.M.
24/9/16 Not a very nice place
at all but the Hospital
etc is very good, there are
all Aust. Nurses here but
real old pieces Saw the
Doctor this morning &
asked him for furlough
Met a few boys that I
knew. 

25/9/16 Had a stroll around
the village in the afternoon
& then went to a concert 
in the night  
26/9/16 Left Harefield Park
for London when we arrived
there we were taken for a
motor ride around London
through Hyde Park Buckingham
Palace etc & then to Waterloo
Station where we caught the
train for Salisbury Plains          
27/9/16 Getting our furlough
passes etc fixed up Saw
a good few boys that I knew
met George Avon from Glebe         
28/9/16 Left Salisbury this 
morning on furlough to
Bradford Arrived at Bradford
at 6.30 P.M stopping at
Hotel Metropole.
29/9/6 till 13/10/16 Enjoyed
my furlough had a good
look around etc sorry
to go back again