Diary for George Lush Finlay, 1915-1918 - Part 1










Bussed from Roisel to
Bazuel yesterday on
the Hargicourt Bellicourt
country and Hindenburg
Line. Very interesting.
Nov 11th Hostilities ceased
at 11 o'clock today
Marched from Bazuel to
Sambrelon. We continue
to march on to the frontier
Nov 15th. Moved back from
Sambrelo to Bazuel on
the 13th & moved from
Bazuel to Boheim on the
14th. Stay here 10 days
& go by rail to Germany
to the Coblenz area
Saw Gordon today.
Geo. L. Finlay2nd Lieut & capt7th Rein. 5th BattnD Coy 5th BnA. Coy A.I.F.
Next of kin.
E. A. Finlay.
"Noorie"
Cambridge St
Auburn
Victoria
Correspondence
Uncle. 30/8/17
Auntie √ Mar 19th. 21/4/17. 12/6/17. 1/8/17. 25/10 22/11
Ivie √ 8/4/17. 15/5/17 9/6/17. 1/8/17. 24/9/18
Muriel F. 12/4/17. 7/9/17. 12/10/17
Muriel M. 17/4/17. 15/5/17. 26/6/17. 7/9/17. 18/10
Annie √ 1/5/17. 16/8/17. 2/10/17. 10/12.
Elise √ 26/4/17. 2/10/17.
Fred √ 26/4/17. 2/10/17 Mrs R 2/12/17.
Sim √ 19/3/17. 10/5/17
Phil. Apr 12th 3/1
Gordon Mar 19th. about Apr 26/5/17. 8/6/17. 29/8/17.
Mollie. Mar 19th. 15/5/17. 31/10/17. 1/12
Ricketson 8/4/17 Maureen 13/10.
Mick 14/4/17. Mrs Read 7/12
Len S √ 19/6/17. 12/10 10/12/.
Len R. 19/3/17. 24 24/10. 25/12/17 2/10/18
Enid
Jessie √ 26/2/17.2 18/8/17. 7/9/17 14/9/17. 12/11
Alice 29/4/17. 19/10 6/8/19
Mrs Shelman. 19/4/17
Bup. 19/4/17. 16/8/17.
Rob √ 29/8/17. 1/10/17. 9/18
Williams 15/5/17
Nell 24/6/17. 16/8/17. 7/9/17 8/11/17.
Madge 24/6/17.
Barby 7/9/17
Marge 30/8/17. 3/12.
Mary 2/10/17.
Morris 2/10/17
Jan 10th. Sat Aft. Have decided to start
my diary seeing that events have
occured which may seem to be
worth recording. Arrived at
Seymour after a rather exciting
quarantine in Sunday last & settled
down almost at once.
Work with the company proceeding
steadily men working well owing
in great part to the efficiency
of Huber. Seem to have gained
the confidence of my men
& N.C.O'S judging by the way
they work.
On Thursday Huber was
relieved of his command
owing apparently to his having
refused to stand for the King so the tale
goes but I consider that it won’t
hold water. In consequence
I am O.C. & so far have
got on well. To continue
to do so I must keep
myself up to the mark.
I sincerely hope that some
little whippersnapper of a
C.F. officer is not placed over me.
I would like to continue in
command though of course I do
not at present consider myself
fit for all the work. I hope
to placing shortly however.
Sunday June 19
Nothing very much
of importance to relate
Barham has been sent back
to the school for further
instruction this leaves me
on my own. I must see
the SO regarding a subaltern
or an OC. I hope its a subaltern
Am getting along as O.C.
alright.
Len S. arrived in camp
on Friday last.
Sunday July 4th
Sunday seems to be the
only day on which I consider
this book. Just retd from leave
after having a good time
& having a lot of nice things said
about me. It's to be hoped
I can justify them.
No sub appointed yet.
I suppose they'll appoint
someone on the day of sailing
telling him to get his kit
together & sail in 24hrs.
Wrote to Gordon today, also to
D & Co.
Sunday is always a bit of a
lonely sort of a day. It seems to
hurt a bit to see the men all
fired up with "young things"
while I am departing without
anybody nearer than a friend
However its best to go like that
since I haven't the money.
I haven't even got the girl
but I got a lot of good friends
so why worry?.
Still hoping to remain O.C. I'll
hurt some if some one is put
over me even though I might
feel more sure of my ability
than I do.
Sunday July 18th
Again on Sunday I
write up my doings.
I haven't had much time
before this to write them up
however. First item of
importance is my appointment
as O.C. unit, B O'Sullivan
having been given his
commission & appointed to the
5 Battn as my subaltern
I had a very busy time
issuing kit etc. before
leaving but finished up
square.
Embarked on Demosthenes
on July 16th. Twelve hundred
on board.
Disgraceful management
of the public who visited
the pier on day of sailing, the
barrier being let down just
as transport was moving
off, the consequence being
that the first of the mad
rush that ensued just
got to the end of the pier
as we cleared. Damned
shame. Weather for
the first two days
perfect but today
& last night the weatherwas has been pretty dirty.
I have not yet missed a
meal but I cannot say
that I won't miss one for
I don't feel too secure.
Am very comfortably
situated in a cabin
to myself which is adorned
with various photos that
have been given to me
one of which although I am
very glad to have it, does
me no good. Which is another
way of saying that I don't
know what's good for me.
I shall stick to the photo
however & keep on wishing
that events had turned
out differently than to
what they have done.
I am afraid I am a fool!
Have just returned
from seeing some poor
beggar pushed overboard
sewn up in canvas. Rotten
luck for him and worse
luck for his mother.
I believe another is
down with the same complaint
-meningitis - & is in
a pretty bad way.
I feel sure I am going
to enjoy my trip to Egypt
or wherever we may be
going, & I must say
that I am more than
thankful that I received
a commission before
sailing. To be kept
on one of the troop decks
in weather such as we
are having at present
must be hell. When
paying the men yesterday
I noticed the closeness
& stuffiness of the air
& was very glad when
I had finished.
I have not yet received
my second star but I
believe that it is on its
way, so Gilchrist
informs me.
We are at present
just entering the Bight
Tuesday Jul 20th
Weather very rough
I am still all right, although
a fair number of officers
are still keeping to their
cabins.
I hear that we go
direct to Aden & to not
touch at Colombo.
Damn!
Friday July 23rd
Have had quite an
exciting day, a day which
demonstrated that discipline
is like Zam Buk - must
be rubbed in & for a hell
of a long time
We arrived at Fremantle
at about 8.30, this morning
I had been detailed as O.C.
Guard & consequently felt
that the job was not the
sinecure it had previously
been. After a good deal
of messing about with
a number of men required
to act as guards it was
finally decided that 20
men would be sufficient
These men I obtained
from my own unit &
had them posted. The
The men on board
were not allowed off
& were lining the side
of the ship - up the
rigging - everywhere.
These were naturally
pretty hilarious.
It was arranged that
the officers should each
have an hour off to
see Fremantle & I
left at 9.30 to return
at 10.30.
In company with
Lewis & Fred Street I went
to the town sent a wire
& then did a tour of the
town in a car. Nothing
to see but as a port
the place compares
more than favourably
with Port Melbourne. It is
perfectly clean.
On my return to the
ship, I found things getting
lively. The crowd had
arrived & the men were
"skiting". As we were
taking 150 more men
on board the usual
following of relatives
& lovers thronged the pier.
It was at this stage
that the fact that our men
have not got the duty
germ as strongly as
the should have formed up. They
were horribly weak in
dealing with the crowd.
I am glad to say that
my men showed less
sentiment than the men
of other units.
We were told that
we would be leaving about
three hours after arriving
vis 11.30. We left at
2.45.
The longer we
stayed tied up the
more rowdy the men
became. Misguided
relatives & friends
on the pier passed up
beer & whisky to the
men on board - W.A men
mostly & consequently
a good percentage
very soon got squiffy.
At about 1.45 things
got very brisk, the men
on the poop deck taking
exception to the action
of some of the police
I received instructions
to have the deck cleared
& up I went accompanied
by our men guards. I got the
men on the deck gradually
going when some blighter
- terribly drunk - raised
a row. A sergeant &
a couple of the guards
under my orders attempts
to take him to the clink
He was in a fighting
mood however & resisted.
Three or four more
men who were also
potty assisted their
CO distressed & things
got mixed. I was of course
called some very fine
names & got hit on the
arm by one of the men
In the midst of the scuffle
another drunk collapsed
I was of course called
to look at him & this
complicated matters
I sent for the doctor
& returned to the
lovely drunk bird
I decided that it
would be best to
get the deck cleared
first & leave him up
on the deck & remove
him to the clink later
I got the deck half
cleared & there was
a rush to the far
side of the ship.
Some drunk apparently
thought he'd like
a bath & jumped
overboard. Another
man jumped in
after him & pulled

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