Diary of Frederick Trouton Small, 1915 - Part 15

316
November 12 FRIDAY 1915 
Turkish Trenches
Diagram - see original document

Found the Turk had barricaded their
gallery leading to trenches at A & 
at 1 protective barricade had
he been erected at B. From B he
kept up a continuous fire at the
sandbags we were erecting at
the seat of the blow. At 5pm
orders came from brigade head qrs
to give him a parcel & this
charge was fire at 550 pm.
In H3 cleaning operations are
proceeding & portion of the
Turkish tunnel is now visible.
Jacko is not agressive underground.
H4 is forging ahead
L8 is now bearing direct to
the Turkish Trenches
L11 has same bearing
L3 is completed
No measurements taken
Listeners report picking ahead of
& on the left hand corner of H4
also L5. Firing continues near
H1.
 

317
1915 13 SATURDAY November
The Turk is still active in H1
but we have the situation well
in hand.
Took the elevation of L5 during
the afternoon. On plotting we
have 30ft backs
Cpl Moy injured as the result
from a bomb explosion.
Lord Kitchner passed through
the trenches at R.T during the
afternoon.
Sorry to learn that H3 was not
tamped before blowing. Crater is
wide open & Turks can throw
bombs into it with ease. It was
explained that the work had to
be done quickly but two hours
tamping would have averted this
mess. I now have to live with

the damn hazzard.

318
November 14 Sunday 1915 

Spent morning censoring Xmas mail,

first received a huge mail from

Con & Mater & Pater, Lola, Times

Papers from Bern & a note from Norm

at Malta. Norm is A.1. & well

on the way towards recovery

He is in Ward 2. Block A. St Georges

Hospital Malta.

Cpl Moy one of my most

promising N.C.O's is dead. He

died from the effects of a bomb.

injury received yesterday.

Wrote to Norm McGill, Mater, Matron.

H1 remains a matter of no little

concern. GSO 5^th Brigade 1 has

instructed to block it until the

7th Brigade decides its course of

action.

Listeners report picking in H 4

L 6 appears quiet.

 

319

1915 15 MONDAY November  

Too tired to write

326

November 22 MONDAY 1915
Inspected L5 small portion

of the tamping blown back

but tight. The gallery is in

good condition. The mine is

one of the best I have laid.

Mahlia party in H1 striking

to the right from the foremost

head

[See original - Hand drawn diagram]

Expect some more trouble here.

 

327

1915 23 TUESDAY November 

Work progressing favourably in

H1. Crater is not deep - about

8ft.

L 12 is held up as we are

working but one shift in 24

hours. Unable to procure

2 miners to replace those killed

in H4.

Picking heard in L 6.

330

November 26 FRIDAY 1915

 

331

1915 27 SATURDAY November 

Blizzard; what next.

Disinfected my feet & filled boots

with vaseline as a precaution.

I wonder if we will ever get out

of this damn place.

Rumours of German howitzers being

sent to the peninsula.

348

December 14 TUESDAY 1915 

Dysentry - blood & mucus. Strain

Strain now crawl to latrine.

 

349

1915 15 WEDNESDAY December 

Evacuated. Hospital ship

Lancashire Too sick to write