Diary of Samuel Hedley Hemming Hawkins, 1914-1916 - Part 4

24 February  1915

WEDNESDAY
Trench Digging
Completion of first
days work.

1915  February 25

THURSDAY
Rest Day, & Washing
Parade

 26 February  1915

FRIDAY
Long Route March
about 25 miles
Bivouac at night.
About 4.am. 27 receive
attack.

—
Nights are very cold
but on account of the
long marches out &
home & the battle
practice one prefers
the cold to taking a
blanket with him.

1915  February 27

SATURDAY
Skirmishing until
12.30. Drill in
afternoon.

——————
Receive letters
written 1^st & 21^st of

Jan.

28 February  1915

SUNDAY
2 IN LENT
Church Parade
——
First Contingent
of Infantry leave
Mona

——
No letters home.

1915  1 March

MONDAY
Trench Digging
Getting near our time
to leave so our tent
becomes noted
as the psalm -

singers.

——————
It is our practice We
Sing hymns for the
pleasure of the orderly
officer & adjutant &
K.S.M. (Generally priggish)
of course to stop us would
displease the parson

2 March 1915

TUESDAY
Rest Day.

Shooting in Morning
Rifle Range.
Our Section scores
10 hits at enemy.
This is the highest
score on this range

————
This of course is excellent
so our officer tells us.
Ten hits out of twenty one possible.
as in the boer war it is
said that it took a
ton of lead to kill one
man.

3 March 1915

WEDNESDAY
Route March. & sham fight
Nos 1 & 2 Companies
have sham fight
with 3 & 4 Coys. 

————
Sham fights are all getting
rather stale now we are
all longing to get to
the dinkum thing

4 March  1915

THURSDAY
All Aust & N. Zleand
troops defend Cairo
against an imaginary
attack by the
Turks. March over
desert for about 12
miles & then defend
City.

—
Wind very bad. One
can hardly breathe.

5 March 1915

FRIDAY
Rest until 9 a .m.
Attend morn parade
Rest again to 9. pm
whe we leave for
15 mile march (4^th
tower) Entrench
sham fight & return
to camp at 9. a m
Saturday Morn

 6 March  1915

SATURDAY
Return to Camp.
—
Rest for remainder
of day
—
Write Herb
& Family
Flo letter others of Fam
Cards

——————
Guns commanding
city. Cannon balls
in. well used by
Napoleon when trying
to take it

——————

7 March 1915

SUNDAY
3 IN LENT
Church Parade
Terrible dust Storms
here which are not
unfrequent

—
Visit Museum. Chief interest
Great coffins of rocks.
Rock about 1 ft broad & shaped
inside like pres coffin.
Mummies.
Paintings & Inscription on
coffins. Colourings 2000
yrs old still Good.

All sorts curious Old Statues

——————
Citadel. Commands view
of all Egypt. Mosque
beautiful 24,000 lghts
Great vaults. struct. 4 Great
pillows. Inside all Alabaster
special provision for bluish
build 18. Greek Architect
Second to none.

8 March  1915

MONDAY
March out at 12. a.m. to
third tower (10 miles). Bivouac
at night when guards
are posted for instruction
on protection on march.
Myself with four others
formed the advanced
guard. Everybody digs himself
in.
Silence is mantained
& one gets a very fair
insight into the work
of a guard when in close
touch with an enemy.

—
Very windy & dust almost
blinding

1915  March 9

TUESDAY
Alarm 4.30 a.m. Enemy
advancing against us.
Sham fight and leave
for home about 1 p.m.
arrive about 3.30. when
we all turn in & have
a well earned rest

10 March  1915

WEDNESDAY
Sham Fight with New Zealand
Troops. Fight takes place
about five miles from
camp.
Both sides claim victory

1915 March 11

THURSDAY
General Inspection.

Kits Inspected by Staff
Captain in morning
& the whole afternoon
taken up by Inspection
by Brigadier.

12 March  1915

FRIDAY
On Guard guarding guard
Tent. All our transports are
in tent for refusing to
take Emu Feathers out
of their hats. They are
awaiting court martial

——
Receive four letters
Feb 1 ,3, 3, 8. Respectively
————
1915  March 13

SATURDAY
Revelle 4.30 a.m.
Rifle Range. Shooting at
disappearing & walki
moving targets.
This early revelle is to
avoid afternoon parades on
Saturdays. 

————

14 March  1915

SUNDAY
4 IN LENT
Church Parade.
Very Dusty with Dust
Storms.

Write home Father & Mother

1915  March 15

MONDAY
Rest during morning

Leave camp 3p.m. for night
march. Bivouac at
night.

Beautiful Rains on desert
starting about 12 noon.
Large heavy rains & all sand
is laid. Get drenched while
on march. No overcoats
are used.