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 a

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 the
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.
& then our artillery opened
out for the final flutter

& as soon as the fire lifted

to the 2^nd 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 Pinsheidler

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 house 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.

were leaving France shortly

for the winter over there

16/9/16 Visiting day again

had my usual two
lady visit and they brought

up [[?]] cake cigarettes
etc. The nurses inpatient

had a visitor arrive in the

ward the other night
17/9/16 Went to Church this

morning I went out to

Mrs Thompsons place for

tea they are very nice people

She is a South Australian woman
& he is a Victorian they

name ships 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 visitors

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 very 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