Diary for Roy Rowe, 1915-1916 - Part 1

Australian 
Handy Diary
1915.
No. 10.

No. 1260
Sergt. R. Rowe
No. 2 Stationary Hospital
Australian x I. E. Force

No. 1260 Sergt. R. Rowe
No. 2 Stationary Hospital
A.I. F.
Mena
Egypt

Where my Caravan has rested.
1, Where my Caravan has rested
Flowers I leave you on the grass
All the flowers of love and memory
You will find them when you pass by
2, You will understand their message
Stoop to kiss them where they lie
But if other lips have loved you
Shed no tear but pass them by
Ah - - - - - - - - - - -
Little Grey home in the West
When the golden sun sinks in the hills
And the tail of the long day is o'er
Though the road my be long in the Lilt of a song
I forget I was weary before
Far ahead where the blue shadows fall
I shall come to contentment and rest
And the toils of the day will be all charmed away.
In my little grey home of the west
2, There are hands that will welcome me in
There are lips that I'm burning to kiss
There are two eyes that shine just because they are mine
And a thousand things other men miss
Its a corner of heaven itself
Though its only a tumbled down nest
But with love brooding there why no place can compare
With my little Grey home in the west

Boys flying kites haul in their
white winged birds
You can't do that when flying
words.
Thoughts unexpressed may
sometime fall back dead
But God himself can't kill them
once the're said
Absent
3 And sometimes when the shadows
pass away.
And darkest night turns into 
brightest day.
my heart will throb with ecstasy
divine;
knowing I hold you mine.
Women who wait
You know Soldier Tommy & Sailor
Jack too.
You've shouted hurrah for the day
But while you are cheering the heroes
who fight.
Just think of the women who wait.
5^th November 1914 Guy Fawkes Day.
Blackboy Hill. W.A.
Sworn in this afternoon for
Active Service in for the
British Empire in or beyond
the limits of the Commonwealth
until the the four months after
the war in over unless lawfully
discharged before that time.
Chorus:-
Women who wait, do
You don't fight with guns at the enemy gate
There's no victory for you, but your duty you do
and you're none the less heroes
Brave women who wait
2) For men there the danger & peril of war
A shot may soon settle their fate
But what of the anguish, the sorrow & care
That come to the women who wait.
2 Chorus. Women who wait do
They don't write their name on the scroll
of the great
Your fighting is done far away from the gun.
But God knows that its fighting. Brave women
who wait.

Algy met a bear
The bear was bulgy
The bulge was - Algy
An old fashioned novel:
Man meets Maid
Handshake. kisses
Parson paid
Miss made Mrs.
With a modern sequel:
Weeks of Love
Matter of course
Months of strife
Ends in divorce
The Soldiers Farewell
1/ How can I bear to leave thee
One parting kiss I give thee
And then what'ere befall me
I go where honour calls me.
Farewell, Farewell etc.
2/ I'll think of thee with longing
Think then when tears are thronging
And with my last breath sighing
I'll think of the when dying.
3/ Ne'er more may I behold thee
Or to this heart enfold thee
With spear & pennon glancing
I see the foe advancing
Chorus:- Farewell, Farewell, my own true love
etc.
Thy dear voice calls me
1/ Heart of my heart, I love to hear you sing
No other song such joy to me can being
Thy tender song upon my heart strings play
Throughout the summer day.
Chorus:- Heart of my heart never to part
Sing to me ever thy sweet simple lay
Thy dear voice calls me, thy spirit has called me
For ever and for age.
2. Heart of my heart your dear eyes fondly shine
Filling with love this troubled soul of mine
Thy gentle hand my trembling spirit sways
Throughout the summer day.

The perfect Life
We seek it ever in this world of sorrow
And strive to find it hidden somewhere here
We turn lifes pages o'er & strive to borrow
Some may way of life that is without a tear
The path which now we tread seems dark & cheerless
No ray of sunshine sheds its golden light
Our eyes turn heavenward full of grief but tearless
And pray for hope which may dispel the night
Chorus:- Behold a voice comes as from heaven
Hope on brave heart it seems to say
Bear thou thy sadness till the clouds be riven
Thou shalt have perfect life alway.
2 As we recall the years that long have vanished
And we behold a glimpse of cherished days
We seem to hear the sound of voices banished
From every care & this life's rugged ways
Tis then the soul dwells in a world immortal
Tis then the light of heaven breaks through the gloom
And our hearts yearn to reach the golden portal
Where love illumes the shadows of the tomb.
Behold A voice cames as from heaven etc.
1915   JANUARY
1 FRIDAY
New Year's Day
At Sea
Have travelled 285 miles today & are
still have 1365 miles from Aden.
I took physical drill this morning
& we had lectures at 9 & 12 oclock
as usual. The only service
today was Communion at 7 a.m.
conducted by Staff Sergts. Stark &
Rooke.

JANUARY    1915
2 SATURDAY
Our unit have been inoculated
for the 2nd time at 2 P.M.
otherwise everything has been
fairly quiet.
1915   JANUARY
3 SUNDAY
The usual Communion
service & church parade
were conducted at 7 & 10.15
a.m. respectably. I attended
the latter & enjoyed it much
better than the previous
service. Address very good. Had
our first Song Service & Prayers
& Communion ^Service conducted by
Col. Nigh tonight & thoroughly
enjoyed each service.

JANUARY   1915
4 MONDAY
Had Physical drill as usual. We
have passed 4 steamers today.
One of them has No 53 on her
bow & is carrying horse boxes. It
is practically certain that she
is an Indian Transport returning
to India. The last one we passed
at 7.45 P.M. was signalling a
little in reply to Kyarra who used
a hand lamp from the bridge. She
was a Japanese boat (     Meru)
propably a cruiser. We steamed
between her & the Secotra Islands
which were sighted at 2 P.M. There
are 4 Islands one of them long
but the other 3 small but high &
rocky &.
1915   JANUARY
5 TUESDAY
Physical drill at 7 a.m. Sighted Cape
Gaurdafui at 6 a.m. &.passed it an
hour & half afterwards. Land
was visible for several miles
after passing the Cape. About
11.30 we saw plainly two
yachts with main sail & jib.
Writing to Mother, Ethel,
Jack & Alice & Claire Pascoe &
P.C's to Frank & Frances in
in Mothers letter.

JANUARY   1915
6 WEDNESDAY

Aden harbour
Orderly Sergts today. No
physical drill. Parade on Lower
deck at 7 a.m. Sighted high
rocky coast at 12.20 minutes
& anchored at 3:30 P.M. in
Aden harbour. The Col. & Ship's
Captain & one or two other
officers went ashore & when
they returned native boats
were not allowed alongside
to sell. Rumoured there is an
epidemic ashore. There are
five steamers in the harbour &
a 3 funnel Cruiser "The Empress
of Russia". Signalling from
shore re:- taking a surveyor
to England. Received news
re :- U.S.A's illfeeling towards
Britain. Posted letters & P.C'.s
to Mother, Ethel, Jack & Alice & P.C's
Claire Pascoe & P.C.'s to Frank
& Frances. Left Aden at 110 P.M. Search
Lights flashing all round.
1915   JANUARY

7 THURSDAY

Red Sea
Orderly Sergt. had an interesting
time this morning watching
the movements of "Empress of
Russia" (cruiser) & the P&O' s fourmasted
steamer with two funnels (Auxillary
cruiser - 8 guns) which moved
all around us as we entered
Red Sea, there were also about
8 others about. We saw the wreck
of the China as we came
through the heads at 9 a.m.
The "Empress of Asia" steamed
passed us towards Aden at
11 a.m. Have seen about
12 boats today. Passed
between Lighthouse on huge
rock & mainland. We
all steaming close to the 
"Frienfells" (prize Steamer).