Diary of Frederick Harold Tubb, 1914-1915 - Part 3

numbers 868 and 30 officers
respirators are being issued
& instructions how to use them
Things are pretty willing over
there at present, & but a very
hot time is expected before long
I don't think I'll get a boat for
a day or two yet? The Embarkation
Officer tells me a boat is leaving
this week but he cannot say
what day. Frank came in to
see me at 7.30 pm We had
a good talk & he left for home
& I left to write, Frank will
come in on Wednesday again.
Lt Capt Layk & Lt Liddlelow have
gone back to Gallipoli to join
the Bn.  10.30pm I am sitting in
my room at the Hotel Rome, & watching
the passers by & street traffic. A
continuous roar & rattle is going
on. Street cries of all keys & sorts.
Tuesday 29th Couldnt sleep
properly last night. The flag
pavement below gives back the
great rattle & noise of vehicles.
Breakfasted at the Majestic
and am taking out some more
of my stuff to the Base where
I am again going to report

Received the same old
story from the Base, "Report
at half past nine tomorrow
morning I don't think I'll
get away before Friday by
all accounts.  I met Lt Stewart
& Lt Fraser (late RSM) at
Mustapha, they are both
convalescent and will be
going to England shortly
Spent the morning with them
(and Capt Kirby) of the 8th)
at the club. I went out to
lunch at the Carlloŭ with
Kirby. I drew £4 more
from the Paymaster but had
to "work the oracle" with
the staff clerk to do so 
as I am was 4/- over drawn
Am getting to know my way
about Alexandria now
One want's plenty of cash to  
do it in the proper style(!)
Lt. Fraser late R.S.M told
me that the reason why more
of our 7th men were not mentioned
in honors despatches etc was
that the names (24) that were
handed in to Brigade Major
Cass, were lost by him the day 

he was wounded. Fraser says
that the list has been found
since and that the awards
should appear before long I?
Hear that Major Masow has
gone to England to recoup. Some
of our officers have gone to Florence
having from Malta having
received invitations from English
& others to stay with them. It is
splendid of these families & A.I.
for officers who have a royal
time at no expense? .I went
round to the American Kursal
& Casino Bellevue in the evening
and was interested. I had a
look at a game called Pelotta
Basque, played in an enclosure
with a curved canoe shaped
bat & a ball, plenty of betting
is indulged in by the spectators
but I left that alone, It is a
curious sort of a game - Bookmakers
as well as the totalisator were in
evidence. Came back to my
room at 11.30 & have sent a boy
for a bottle of beer. It is very
difficult to get a drink here after
9.30 now owing to the closing
of sale of it at that time.

The blessed place here
never seems to go to sleep
a continuous rattle of Arabic's
& pedestrians keeps up. Have
just seen the Town piquet
patrolling the streets. The
niggers here all have "It's a
long way to Tipperary" pat
& they sing it in tune too?
One hears every sort of language
spoken in this place. It's a
good job that most of them
can understand some English
There's no doubt that English
people are top dog here. The
Australians are thought a lot
of amongst the peoples here
It is noticeable that the
Australians are a superior
race to anything we've seen
yet. - The boy has just arrived
with the beer - drinks are
very expensive in most places
here. 5 piastres each, is the
usual price in the best hotels
but at the Kursal 11½ is charged
119 for Tennets lager + 18pT
for two whiskies and soda's
Midnight is striking by
the big clock in the Bourse
so it's a fair thing for bed? 

Wednesday 30.6.15 - Last
day of June?  Went out to
Mustapha at 9.30. and heard
the same old tale. "Report at
half past 9 tomorrow" I don't
think the boat will go till Friday?
I saw Connolley & he told me
he was going to England shortly
also) I got a few things from the
base, boots, cap, kit bag etc.
Ran up against three of my men
from Mese, & they told me that
Grant & Kong Meay were in hospital
so I suppose Frank won't be able
to come in today? & to go out
to Moharem Bay shooting with
me. Went to Moharem Bay &
found out that the shooting
is tomorrow not to day -
Came back & met Dr Black
of the 6th Bn at the Club, Capt
Black is convalescent but his
wound is not yet healed, The
Post orderly (Jones) informed me
that he put a lot of mail for
Gallipoli on board the Royal George
which sails for Base Y tonight
strange; that I am not allowed
to go over by here  Perkins a
7th man that has just returned

by a hospital ship states that
the 74h Bn roll call; when he
left was 523, my word that
is very little considering the
large numbers of reinforcements
sent to the 7th since April 25th
Frank came in at 7.30 & we
had dinner at the Grano Palase Cafe
sat out on the green & yarned
till he left for Camp at 9 pm
It gets nice and cool here in
the evenings, being right on the
sea the breeze is cool, F
told me there was trouble in
a unit in Miex Camp: the men
counted their officers out & otherwise 
misbehaved themselves. I
am glad to say nothing like
that is every likely to happen
in the 7th Bn?!  Am putting
in the evening studying French
and Arabic  10.30 am off to bed.
Thursday July 1  Reported at
Base Mustapha & received
same reply "Report at 9.30 tomorrow"
I met Capt Greig & we went to the
Metropole record office. I got some
papers from O.R.S. to take over. We
went down to the docks. had a
look in shed 20 to see if there
were any letters. Was told that 

there would be some in tomorrow.
Found out that the [[Barnfaro?]] Castle
was going to Gallipoli to day. Strange
that we cannot get away yet?
Went out to Moharem Bay in
the afternoon to a pigeon match
didn't feel too well so only shot
in two or three sweeps. Met two
of my old Transport men. Wignell L
& Jones & we had dinner together
at Grand Palace Hotel. I missed
Frank tonight he could not come
in as Kong Meng is in hospital
I went into a Jewish Synagogue
where music was being played
I watched the band. The master
& players & instruments interested
me. Am off to bed early  -
Friday Reported at Base
received orders to report at 9 am
tomorrow found out that the "Norran"
is the boat we are probably going
in Expect to get away tomorrow
I went out to Indian hospital
at Bacos to see one of my Euroa
men J Bonard. I found him
looking fairly well. he is on the
road to recovery having passed
through rather a bad time. I
stayed wish him for 1 ½ hours

he says he is treated splendidly
and the ladies are specially kind
donations of cigarettes & other
luxuries are supplied freely to
them there in the hospital
It is a lovely tram ride out
to Ramleh & Bacos, lovely
gardens & houses gorgeous
accasias & flowers, grapes are
ripe now.  The date palms have
the fruit in green stage hanging
in clusters :  The Indian
hospital is right on the beach
where it is fresh and cool.
I saw many cases of patients
with legs missing?  I went out
to Deaconess's hospital after lunch
and saw Capt Finlayson whilst
there Major Blezaro & Lt Broart came in
Capt Finlayson looks ever so much
better  we had a long talk
together, Lt Stewart came in. He & 
Connolley are leaving for England
by the "Delta" this evening
Major Blezaro hopes to go home to
Australia shortly; he is doing
well but is not really right yet.
I went out to the Tennis courts
with Lt [[McIvie?]] at 4 pm &
we had a great game of tennis

We played singles & doubles with
M Marshall & Mrs Willis. I met
Frank on the green in front of the
Majestic at 7.30. We yarned
till he had to go back. Good old
Frank I wonder when I will see
him again? Saturday Up early,
getting things together 8.50 off
to report at the base 8.20 .
Having breakfast in Majestic. just
seen Lt Price, Embarkation officer
& he told me that it is the Scotian
we go in, and she leaves between
3 and 4pm today. I forgot
to mention that last night, when
I was wakened by a great row
outside in the street at about midnight. 
& looking out of the window
I saw a crowd of Australians in full
cry after about a dozen American
sailors (off the Indian Tennessee I
think) they ran them to earth
at the Grand Palace hotel cafe
just opposite my window.  Some of
The Australians punched the
Yanks hard. The town guard
turned out (Australians) &
it took over an hour before
things quietened down. The
Americans were called many names

They had been making pro German
protestation that angered our boys
Only for the Guard I think the
Americans would have been half
killed -  It was fun to watch
it. The niggers fled as soon as the
punching started? Got to base
& received orders to embark on
T.S. Scotian, went back to hotel
and gathered things together &
took arabiah down to Wood quay
found the boat & got aboard
11.20 am, had my Cabin allotted
to me No19 a good one. The boat
is very fine, plenty of room &
fine saloons etc. Lt Fraser is
not going to England as before
stated. he has yet to go before
medical board. There are a
lot of ships here some disembarking
British Troops. Have had a look
round. It is a lovely boat a
fine lounge every convenience
The Cuthbert & Pera are on our
Port sid starboard side. boat 47
& others on the Port side. Major
Young Supply officer is coming over
also - There are about 30  46 officers
aboard. At 3 pm a big draft
of men, reinforcements & 

convalescents from Zeitoun came
aboard. There are about 24 33 of the
old 7 th boys that have recovered from
their wounds amongst them. A
boat on the Port side is discharging
horses Artillery from England
6.50. We are off 7pm the
tug has left us & we are leaving
Alexandria behind Mex is
receding in the distance in the
Starboard astern. A number of N
Zealanders are amongst us & some
British English officers also. Col
Whitehead of Burma is O.C. Troops
Sunday July 4 It was terribly hot and
stuffy in the cabins last night
The ship was kept darkened for fear
of submarines - This ship of the
Allan Line was built for
Canadian trade and is not suitable
for hot weather. The windows of the
cabins won't open excepting a
small ventilator window there are
no port holes. I couldn't stand
it in the cabin & went up to
cautiously in the dark and got
on a couch above the saloon
where it was nice and cool.
From conversation in the smoke
room. I gathered that the reinforcement
officers that joined

the Brigade in May have been
sent back to Alexandria to prevent
them from superseding the first officers
which is quite right?
When our Bde went to Cape Helles from
Gaba Tepe on May 8th they lost 1800
in two hours out of 2,800 the
reinforcement of our Bde that joined
us when there were not sufficiently
trained in many cases some of the
men could not load a rifle properly.
Poor beggars, they went
right into a terrific fight as
soon as they landed 10.00 Am
sitting on deck enjoying the breeze
the Captain has joined me & we
have had a long yarn. he told me
that England is building 12 floating
batteries, Monitor type they only draw 8ft &
have 15 inch guns, they will be of great
assistance as time goes on? for they
present only a small target. The
Capt. told me a lot about Canada
where he has been going off & on for
20 years. There are 1400 of us aboard.
a mixture of all sorts reinforcements &
recovered from wounds men for units
nearly of every part of our Aust Divisions
Lieut Yates of the 8th Bn is my
cabin mate, He had done over
a fortnights fighting before he was
outed. He is now recovered & is going

back to his Bn. I am officer of the
Guard & on duty from 10pm to 2 am
have just inspected the sentries at
midnight There is a big guard &
special instructions have been issued
regarding submarine attacks. The
men are armed with ball cartridges
Orders are to concentrate rapid fire
on the orders of ships officer, men to fire
just shortf short of periscope to
obscure view of submarine etc.
Whilst discussing things in the
smoking room tonight A Naval
Officer said that there were 6
submarines of ours at Port Mudros.
Two German submarines & one Australian
were known to have come here
Two are supposed to be accounted
for. (The Surflshuce claims to have
sunk one) The Queen Elizabeth
has been sent home for repairs
her boilers or engines went bung.
She couldn't steam more than 12 knots
so she had to go back. The Navy
say that they have got 27
submarines altogether. They have
a first rate system of netting them
now ("something like fishing for
herrings") about of a mile of net
is trawled capable of sustaining
180 lbs pressure before breaking

when a submarine strikes or the
net it breaks. On the net are
buoys with 180 fathoms of thin
wire which uncoils easily
the submarine with the net
clinging to it is followed by the
buoy & eventually accounted for
Monday July 5th 1915 A fine sunny
day - 9.30 am passing Ambros & other barren islands island 
We are nearing our destination. Iron
rations will be issued at 11. am but we
don't expect to disembark till tomorrow
evening? The 5 & 6th Brigades (training
at Zeitoun) Officers & N C O's are in on
instructional school there. Ceylon Tea
Planter Officers are at present drilling
the men. Have heard that the 7th Bde
are at Suez & that the 8th is on the
water. Australia is sending them
quickly & before they are sufficiently
trained; by all accounts? 11.30
Parade to draw iron rations. Sgt
Garner of 7th Bn just informed me
that 7 men recovered from wounds
from Mustapha are aboard also
making 33 old 7th & we have 54
reinforcements besides - 87 altogether
Birrell, who won the D.C.M is amongst
them. We are travelling a different
course to last time - A long island
on our starboard side at 1 pm is unfamiliar

We passed the island of Skiros on the
starboard side at 2. pm This island is
where Naval Division & 29th Div & French
concentrated prior to the attack on April 25th
Got into Port Mudros at 6.30 & anchored at 7
There are about 40 ships all told that can be
seen here now. We are in the entrance of the
horse shoe shaped harbour with of the island of
Lemnos The B12 has just gone past us & the
N CV.2 is following: We expect to disembark
tomorrow. Tuesday 6.7.15
Moved into inner harbour early this
morning. I notice a big difference
in appearance the island has got browner
& tents & camps are much more plentiful
There are a number of war ships around
us. Heard this morning that 1000 yds
of trenches has been captured? Had
a talk with Sgt Birrell D.C.M. he
says that the British fired at them, in
the dusk at Cape Helles on the night
of the Attack by the 2nd Bde, mistaking
them for Turks, he is sure of this
happening as one of the 7th men (Cartwright)
heard the English officer give the command
Many of our men were hit the bullets
coming from the left rear!? Birrell
would not or could not say why he
was recommended he does not know
where it was or who recommended him
he thinks it must have been at Gaba Tepe

11.30 still anchored no order yet
re our going off. Time is
drawing near for us to
disembark. Thinking it
wise not to take this [[with?]]
me I am getting the Padre
to post it for me
Good luck to all at
St. Helena Love from F