Diary of Apcar Leslie De Vine, 1915 - Part 3 of 7

& captured trenches etc back 
to camp at 3.30 AM 16/3/15 

16/3/15 Rained today, first 
rain this year, parade postponed 
for 1 hour on account of rain, sporadic 
to fill in trenches, leave granted to 
go into Cairo back to camp at 
11 o/c 

17/3/15 Had a Brigade attack
against the 2^nd Brigade from
 9 o/c untill 2 o/c back to camp 
at 2.30, Warned for Guard, 
mounted ¼ guard at 5.30, no post 
fatigue for guard instead 
  
18/3/15 Guard all day, no post 
acted as fatigue man for 
guard off guard 4-30. Quiet 
day

19/3/15 Holiday tdy. muster
parade 9-o/c. leave for 
Cairo 2 o/c - 9-30, arrd camp
11-30 o/c. Pay dy 65 pts 
  
20/3/15 March & drill today   
sham fight A&B versus
C&D back to camp at 2-30 
  
21/3/15 Sunday attended Church 
parade, pass for Cairo  did
not go, "broke", washed & mended
clothes all afternoon, vey
quiet day.

22/3/15 Parade without rifles 
marched out with picks & 
shovels, worked hard, digging
trenches etc untill 12 o/c
back to camp, warned ( all A Cy) 
for inlying picquet, mounted picquet 
4.30 called out 7-30, 1 & 2 
platoons raided gamblers at  
canteen, caught 12 of them,  
after dismissed mostly etc day  
went to bed early. 

23/3/15 Two hours close order 
drill on desert, warned 
for an all night bivouac 
fall in 5 o/c with W/proof 
Sheet & O Coat, warned for sentry 
mounted post 12 to 1 o/c, reserve all 
night rest day for 4^th Batt 
  
24/3/15 Came back to camp at 
7-30, no parade today, 
Holliday all dy, leave granted to go 
into Cairo, did not go gave pass 
away, pay day 65 pts 
  
25/3/15 One hours parade & close 
order drill on desert, return to 
camp 11 o/c, warned for night 
operations, carry coats only no WP 
sheet left camp 6 o/c, attacked  
barb wire entanglements & trenches near 
pyramids returned to camp 2 o/c 
next morning, Kit inspection today 
on the square everything had to be 
shown

26/3/15 Two hours parade today 
rifle & bayonet inspection on desert 
short drill for about 1/2 hour, return 
to camp & had foot inspection 
everything OK, did washing this afternoon 
night parade for tonight postponed  
attended lecture on Mellaria. Y.M.C.A on 
Gordon & the siege of Kartoum 
27/3/15 March today to [[Guezah?]] back 
to Camp at 11-30, no parade 
rest of the dy attended lecture 
in [[?]] YMCA on [[Ceylon?]] 
  
28/3/15 Sunday Attended church  
parade, vy severe dust storm 
in camp, worst we have had. Went 
into Cairo, [[?trainig]] broke down 
had to walk over half way 
back to camp at 10 o/c 
  
29/3/15 Inspection & march past 
by Sir Ian Hamilton, 
Letter from mother today, attended 
concert in [[?]] YMCA 
  
30/3/15 Close order drill on desert 
practice outpost & senty walk 
feet inspection, 152 second reinforcements 
arrive 6 30 pm 
  
31/3/15 Close order drill on desert 
& senty march, warned for 
¼ guard tonight Py day  
65 pts

1/4/15 Guard all day, whole  
Brigade out for Divisional 
attack, Vy quiet in camp 
  
2/4/15 Good Friday, Church  
parade before breakfast 
leave granted tody, went into  
Cairo, Riots in Cairo 
Wasser burnt, out very late 
great fun, 10 men shot by police 
patrol, Rumours leaving Cairo 
on Tuesday 
  
3/4/15  Excitement in camp, first 
Brigade packed up, packing up 
all day, march into Cairo 
in the evening to the railway 
with full active service kit 
long march, heavy fatigue to lead 
team, left 10-30 pm for 
Alexandria arrived 3 o/c in the  
morng 
  
Sunday 
4/4/15 Arrd Alexandria 3 o/c 
 a m, heavy fatigues loading boats 
etc Lake Michigan A8 a cattle 
boat used for the Canadians, 
left for an unknown destination 
12 o/c midnight 
  
5/4/15 At Sea, parade tody 
at 9.30, told by the 
major that we are going  

to the island of Lemos 
outside the Dardanelles, heavy 
gale tonight, ship rolls a good deal 
  
6/4/15  Mess orderly today, off all 
parades, 200 rounds issued 
waiting in harbour for orders, 
arrived Lemos about 12 o/c am 
  
7/4/15 Sweeper today, severall 
other transports arrive tody 
harbour full of battleships & 
transports 
  
8/4/15 Tied up alongside the 
City of Banares which arrived 
last evening with the staff 
and the transport aboard 
paid today £2-15-0 english 
money, the Naval Flying Reserve arrive 
today with several other transports 
men over the side for a swim 
  
9/4/15 Nothing important Happened tody 
several other transports arrive 
another pay today 10/-, everything 
quiet, men over the side for a swim 
again parade twice each day with full 
pack & marchg orders, do nothing 
  
10/4/15 Two parades today full 
marchg order, several other 
ships arrive , some with Home  
regulars on board - warned for  
guard in the morng 

11/4/15  Sunday Mounted guard 
7am - no 3 relief  - 3 - 7 & 3 - 7 
placed under arrest by Erwin 
2 o/c, did not mount guard in 
consequence, more transports arrive 
Hydroplane tested in harbour this morng 
  
12/4/15 Did nothg today - under 
open arrest, rest of company 
went for row around harbour 
& landed, first mail today vy 
large an get 2 letters & paper 
one from mother & amos, Colonel  
on board the Queen Elizabeth leaving 
for the Dardanelles, everthg quiet 
today several more transports 
arrive 
  
13/4/15 Parades today with full 
pack, before May stage 
tody got 2 extra guards, things 
pretty quiet, hear that we are  
leavg on Thursday 
  
14/4/15 Whole Brigade landed 
today - arrangements vy faulty 
had to wade ashore from the  
boats, had a small march & 
an attack, met the Dub Fusiliers 
ashore, very tirg dy all had  
full packs with ammunition 
vy heavy, warned for guard for 
tomorrow

15/4/15 Guard all day 7-11 am 
& 7-11 pm, vy quiet dy 
feeling bad today, whole dinner for parade 
before Colonel & shown [[al?]] aboard 
16/4/15 Landed again today with  
the Brigade & had a few  
miles route march, rest of 
the dy wandered round the  
beach & brought food etc from  
the natives also some onions for 
tea quite a treat food been 
vy bad lately 
  
17/4/15 Landed on Island again tody 
had a route march through 
villages, vy pretty country, after 
march went for swim from beach 
letter today from mother 
  
18/4/15 Sunday attended  
church parade today 
Transport arrived today with 
marine gunners & 1-15" gun 
rest all day - vy quiet today 
wrote letters today & did sewing 
  
19/4/15 Quiet dy today, detailed 
for a sweeper, no parade 
heavy swell today , letter call 
blew 3 times got two letters 
wrote to friends. Dewitt 
& Grant tody 
  
20/4/15 Went ashore today for a  
route march back at 
12 o/c  no parade this afternoon 
Heavy gale in harbour all dy

21/4/15 Very wet day tody, no 
parades, expected to move away 
by 4-30, orders cancelled owing to  
bad weather, warned today 
to be an ammunition carrier 
when we land, one of our  
transports drifted ashore during the  
storm, stuck fast at the stern, failed 
to tow off tody 

22/4/15, Birthday today, nearly 
forgot it, rather quiet dy 
tody - two parades as usual, 
Lecture this afternoon by Maj. 
McNaughton on the Turkish 
position on Gallipolli & where 
we might have to attack, showed 
us vy fine map of the country 
warned for guard tomorrow 
  
23/4/15 On Guard all day 7-11am 
7-11 pm, transports began to 
move out this afternoon, 9 or 10 
went this afternoon after 4-30 
we are under orders to move off 
12 o/c tomorrow, landing will  
probably take place early Sunday 
morning, awaiting orders 
  
24/4/15 Under orders to sail at 
12 o/c, iron rations for three  
days served out, two tins of roast  
beef, tea & suggar & oatmeal 
biscuits also rations for first dy 
of landing, bully beef & biscuits 
had to rearange pack to get  
all the food in, had to tie  
my overcoat on outside, parade 
at 2.30 & an address given

by the Colonel who explained 
what our operations were for 
tomorrow viz - We were to 
sail at 12o/c & meet the rest 
of the transports at a meeting 
place & wait there untill 
12o/c midnight when we will 
be joined by the fleet & 
proceed to the spot of disembarkation 
covered by the gun fire of the  
fleet, he also read a letter  
from the Brigadier Col McLauren 
one from Sir Ian Hamilton the 
G.O.C & one from the King 
The men were very light hearted 
& gave cheers for the Colonel 
& the Major, special tea 
to night Bully beef & eggs 
the men were specially 
hillarious at teatime & sang 
all the time & kicked up 
an awfull noise, no smoking 
allowed after 7-30 & all 
lights out, filled water bottle  
to last three days, also carried 
a small soda water bottle of 
water as an extra ration of water 
under orders to report to Capt 
Christian on landing to be 
held as ammunition carrier to the 
firing line if wanted, carrying 
small supply of wood for lighting 
fire to boil tea, feel vy 
fit & anxious to set about 
the job, went to bed early 
vy tired, & anxiously awaiting 
tomorrows events

25/4/15 Sunday Landed tody 
before landing battle ships open 
fire at dawn & shelled a fort 
& the trenches, smashed the fort up 
all but one gun that gave us trouble 
& shelle our boats & caused 
many casualties, first Batt to 
land was the 12^th who routed 
the Turks out of the trenches 
which were constructed right to  
the waters edge the 12^th suffered 
heavily, reinforcements of the 3^rd Brigade  
were poured in & we effected 
a landing, the troopships at 11 o/c  
came under heavy howitser fire & 
had to move to a safer ancorage 
no body was hit, landed myself 
at 12 o/c midday under a hot 
shrapnell fire, all landed safely 
was detailed to carry ammunition 
to the firing line all the rest of 
the dy under heavy shrapnell 
fire, many casualties, was not touched 
had several narrow escapes 
had to take water to the 2^nd Batt 
in the trenches at night, delivered 
water safely, but lost myself coming 
back to the base, was seen by the  
Turkish snipers & fired on, not 
hit, got back safely under cover 
of darkness, vy tired have been 
under shrapnell & rifle fire all 
dy managed to get a few hours 
sleep, our firing line retreated on L 
& lost about 2 miles, rifle fire  
around me all night