Diary of Apcar Leslie De Vine, 1915 - Part 1 of 7
The Official War historian of the Commonwealth
Government (Dr. C. E. W. Bean), after his study of the
collection of private war records preserved in the Australian
War Memorial Library wrote:-
"The private diaries in this collection furnish some of its most
valuable historical records, like all private memoirs which were
not compiled with any historical purpose, they should not be
regarded as first-hand evidence except where it is certain that they
are so. The diarist is almost always sincere in his desire to record
accurately, but he is subject to no obligation or inducement to
indicate whether he is recording his own observations or incidents
told him by friends or heard at third or fourth hand at the mess-table.
Thus, in some of the diaries in this collection, scenes described with
vivid detail, and without any warning that they are told at second
or third hand, have been found to be completely inaccurate in
important details. A certain number also have been written up
or revised long after the events, though doubtless usually from notes
made at the time. In most cases the student must rely on his
experience and on internal evidence to guide him in judging what is
and what is not likely to be historically accurate."
Pte A. L de Vine
A Coy 4 Batt
3rd Platoon
No 9 Section
Mena Camp
Cairo
Egypt
Left Sydney Oct 19th 1914
on the TSS Euripides
Arrd Albany Oct 26
Left Albany Nov 1
Arrd Colombo Nov 15
Left Colombo Nov 17
Arrd Aden Nov 25
Left Aden Nov 26
Arrd Suez Dec 1 2pm
Left Suez Dec 1 11pm
Arrd Port Said Dec 2 - 12 am
Left Port Said Dec 2 - 12 night
Arrd Alexandria Dec 3
Arrd Cairo Dec 5
Left Cairo April 3-15
Arrd Lemnos April 6
Left Lemnos April 24
Arrd Gallipoli April 25
Left Gallipoli Sept 14/15
Jan - 11 - 1915
From Jan 1 to 9 5 sick in
Camp, light duties.
10/1/15 Attended church parade
11/1/15 Went on the march today
half way to second Pyramids
rather a sevear test, nearly
broke down, returned to camp
vy tired, marched from 8am untill
3 p.m = 7 hours
12/1/15 Marched gain to same place
made an attack on the sand
hills, march each dy 7 hours
13/1/15 Long march in the desert, vy
fagged out, letter call blew to
night 10 o/c, all the boys ran for letters
got one from mother & one from
Australia, my first mail
14/1/15 Marched across desert to distant
hills on sky line; platoon drill, attended
lecture in evening on the Geometry by
Mr Quibell, curator of Cairo Museum, at
Ezbekiah Y M C A tent, first Brigade
feeling much better today
15/1/15 Marched across desert to
sand hills, had sham fight, weather
vy windy, covered with fine sand
got another letter from Mother
Night parade - vy tired
16/1/15 Long march over desert, sham
fight on hills, divisional Gig in picquet
to-night, stand to arms all night & sleep
in equipment, letter from Mother tody
17/1/15 Sunday Attended Church parade
private married in the 10th Batt
great fun, went into Cairo & visited
the citadel & few mosques, saw
a military funeral at the citadel &
an arab wedding, had a hot bath
at the Bristol, & a square feed
received date notice question - vy
tired
18/1/15 Very hot today & some heavy
marching across desert, full Batt
parade under full war conditions
with full pack, vy heavy,
inspected by the Brigadier, several
men collapsed, severe heat, wore
heavy synglets, graylack & tunic, too
hot, out for 8 hours
19/1/15 Had a long brigade march
with full transport , marched to
Ghezich & turned off to the left &
followed the canal, passed through
several native villages, the column
about 5 miles long, our first full
brigade march, wrote Mrs Greaves
20/1/15 Very slack dy no parade.
General leave for battalion from
12 o/c until 9-30pm, went to Cairo
sent Mrs Greaves Chocolate box &
things to mend for me, pay day
65 piastres, had hot bath, came
back to camp early.
21/1/15 Long march to rifle range
at the Vally of Despair, passed
all shootg tests, A & B Cos on
range, heel on left foot vy
sore, nearly fell out on march
22/1/15 Marched to Vally of Despair
for Company traing, C & D Coys
on rifle range, vy cold dy
wore overcoat all day,
night parade, shortage of food
general complaint
23/1/15 March into desert &
back slack day
24/1/15 Sunday Attended church
parade, reviewed by General
Birdwood after parade, sermon preached
by the Bishop of Egypt, no leave
granted, warned for Guard, mounted
quarter guard at 6 pm third
relief 10-12 & 4-6
25/1/15 On guard all day, heard
sentence of a court martial read out
on Batt parade,
26/1/15 General leave for 4th
Batt, from 12 o/c - 9:30pm,
Broke no money but mange to
borrow 50 piastres from Bob Pearce,
went into Cairo, vy hot day,
glad no marchg to do
27/1/15 Marched into the desert,
Vy windy & cold dy, got into a
sand storm, covered with sand
eyes, mouth & ears full, rotten dy for
a skirmish, got back to camp
covered in sand
28/1/15 Marched to the Vally
of Despair, drill &
extended order work.
29/1/15 Left Camp at 8 o/c for a
long march in the desert, the
whole Batt marched 3/4 wy to Sakkarah Pyramids
fought a rear guard Action all the
morng, at middy dug some vy long
trenches & held position, we formed
the brown army, the whole army
attacked in about 3 o/c pm, Had
an excitg fight, ball cartridge used
in muskette, nobody hurt
20/1/15 heat-mid dy vy grt &
trenches digging stopped for 1 ½ hours
for a lg lunch & rest, absolutely
no shade in the desert, hard to
be in the sun all the time
vy hot, after sham fight reformed
& marched to the Canal,
had a hot tea, water vy
scarce, all run out durg the
heat of the dy, was absolutely
parched with thurst, after
tea had a bit of a rest
then took up positions for
the night & dug a long trench
struck rock about 18" down
vy hard digging, could not get
down far enough before whole
army attacked, ball cartridge guns
widely used, heard the bullets
whistle quite close to me
attack stopped at 12 o/c midnight
vy tired out, with long day
bivouacked in overcoat, not
a wink of sleep, feet too cold
no blanket
30/1/15 Up at 5 o/c to man
trenches had a fight before
breakfast, back to bivouac
about 8-30, had breakfast
bred & bully lucky to get a
little tea, absolutely no water for
bottle, fought a rear guard
action all the way back to
camp, arrived in camp
about 10-30 pretty tired
another hot day, no further
duties today, rest untill
Mondy
31/1/15 Sunday
Attended Church
parade, vy quiet day
went into Cairo in the
afternoon, back early to
Camp
1/2/15 Marched to the Vally
of despair for rifle practice
did vy well brought down my
target in two shots at 600 yds
passed all tests
2/2/15 Marched to the Vally of
Despair for field firng exercise
A Coy did vy well at all ranges
after practice a dust storm
arose marched back to
camp through the storm
3/2/15 Rest in Camp completion
of first sylibus of training
7 & 8th Batt off to
Ishmalia all the boys
turned out to give them
a warm send off, Pay
to day 130 piastres, no
leave granted, passed the day
in darning & mending & washing clothes
4/2/15 March in the desert for
Batt firing competition, my Coy
disqualified walked into a machine
gun without knowing it, sent back to
camp, competition won by 3rd Batt
Leave from 2 o/c until 11 o/c went
into Cairo, received mothers parcel
Ham & cake
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