Diary of Apcar Leslie De Vine, 1915 - Part 6 of 7

 

13/6/15 Sunday Landed 7 weeks 
Vy quiet dy, battleship shelled a
Turkish position for about ½ hour
pennry in several dy broadsides,
watched her during breakfast, trench
digging all day, 1/2 loaf of bread
issued today, one of our aeroplanes
flew over our position under 
shrapnell fire from a Turkish
battery, was not hit, dropped
three bombs on the Turks such
a terrible roar, this happened
while we were at tea, saw
it all, fatigue & sapping all night

14/6/15 Back to the trenches today
quite a relief from the last four days
fatigues & sapping, feel very unwell
after the last 4 days work, quiet

day, last of sniping duty, got a little 

shelling at sundown, trench knocked
about a bit

15/6/15 Reported sick today bad attack 
of Collic & dyohroea, trenches heavily
bombarded with big shells, issue of

tobacco, relieved of all duty

 

16/6/15 Worse today, relieved of all
duty. Coy relieved from trenches
& take up position at bottom of gully
badly exposed position to shell fire

shells dropped at intervals trying to find 
our guns. 4^th reinforcements landed.

 

17/6/15 Unfit today resting all day
pain in stomach slightly relieved
clean shirt issued
 

18/6/15 Unfit today, worse if
anything, vy hot, feel vy weak
1/3 loaf bread today

 

19/6/15 Marked unfit, got a tin of
milk & handfull of rice today for
Myself quite a treat first food 
for four days, shelled in rest camp
today, nobody Hit

 

20/6/15 Sunday Landed 8 weeks
Marked unfit today, easy day
nothing to do. 1/3 loaf today

 

21/6/15 Marked unfit, large mail
today 2 letters from Mother 1 Amos
2 flyers. doctor gave me tin of milk

 

22/6/15 Marked unfit, tobacco issued
Visited Indian in Bally camp
got some curry & a cheupatti cake
quiet day,

23/6/15 Did not report sick today

A Coy went back to the trenches, so I

joined my platoon, better off in the trenches

placed on night work 8 - 8 & no

fatigues the next day, three men on a

post 2 drive & I  awake. change each

hour. 1/2 loaf bread tody

 

24/9/15 Rested all dy, nothg dng

Turks much closer than when we were

in the trenches last, they are still sapping

quiet night, a little sniping more hits

left trenches 8 am

25/6/15 Rested all dy, observation in

the trenches chaged again went in at 7pm

& remain in untill 7pm tomorrow

Turks threw several bombs, similar to 

ours but less powerfull, hit about

10 men otherwise everythg quiet, drew

the Turks fire by gully firg & discovered

the position of two machine guns

 

26/6/15 In fire trench all dy, vy hot

weather getting warmer, the flies are a

great menace, several bombs thrown

at us today not much damage, are

to remain another 24 hours in trench

letters today one from  Greaves & 2 Flyers

from mother

 

27/6/15 Sunday Landed 9 weeks today

In firg line all day untill 9 o/c

when we are relieved by Nos 1 & 2

platoon. shelled to dy by some new

high explosive shells probably captured  

from the French, otherwise quiet day 1/3

loaf today

 

28/6/15 Had a good nights rest, fatigues

all day in the support trench, attack

made on our R of 3 Brigade & L Horse, had to stand

too from 12.30 untill 4 o/c ready for an attack

in our front was in the reports, was not wanted

we were shelled a good deal, attack

successfull on the R

 

29/6/15 Fatigues all day, returned to fire

trench at 7 pm no moon untill early morning

vy dark about 9.30 a dust storm arose with

a heavy wind, stood to arms as we expected the

Turks to make a rush fired several volleys

at their trenches to keep them there, they did

the same to us, storm blew clouds of dust into

our eyes, expected Turks to liberate gas on us

similar to that used in Europe. direction

of wind changed slightly at 10 ^o/c, no gas was

liberated, we have information that they are

equipped with it, both sides succeeded in 

keeping one another in their trenches, & the attack

fissled out at  10.30 everything quiet for the 

rest of the night. issue of tobacco today

 

30/6/15 Quiet day, only a little sniping

Vy dark tonight similar to last night

vy strog lightg at 9.30 & a downpour of

rain, stood to arms for 1 hour while storm lasted

same thg as last night, each side kept the other

trenches by the fire of the other, lightng very

brilliant just like daylight could see the

whole of the Turks trenches, They did not

attempt to leave them, wet through

another downpour at 1 ^o/c everything pretty

wet, nothing doing through the night 

 

1/7/15 Nothing doing today, got an 

explosive bullet in my periscope while

observing, blew the top of the periscope

away & splashed my face & eyes with

broken glass & cut my nose badly

nasty shock, bled pretty freely, got cleaned 

at ambulance, off the rest of the day, lucky

eyesight not injured

 

2/7/15 Attended doctor today to get

my face dressed, another day off

 

3/7/15 Attended doctor today - light

duty. letter today from mother

 

4/7/15 Sunday Landed 10 weeks today

Attended doctor - marked fit, activity

man

5/7/15 Back in trenches to relieve

man for the night, stomach

troubled me again ; nasty attack

of XXXXX collic again.

 

6/7/15 Reported sick light duty

2 oz tobacco issued, several

10'' shells from howitzers fell

in the volly & tore up a lot 

of ground, no one hurt, two letters

mother today, our sap blown in the

evening at 11.30

 

7/7/15 Reported sick , no medicine

light duties, guard on L3 sap

blown up again tonight

 

8/7/15 Did not report sick, useless 

there is no medicine, was put back

into the firing line, feel vy weak 

half loaf of bread issued, heavy 

bombardment of trenches opposite us

this afternoon at 5 o/c returned from

firg line 

 

9/7/15  Resting in the supports all day

light duties, vy easy day finally 

blew up a sap on us this evening doing 

10/7/15 very little dammage, the 

crater of their blew up vy near

our previous one. two or three men 

hit by falling earth

 

10/7/15 Orderly man today, water

vy scarce now in the valley

had to wait 3½ hours for water 

for tea,  Australian mail letters 

from Amos, returned to firing line this evening

 

11/7/15 Sunday Landed 11 weeks today

firing line all day, nothing doing 

quiet day

 

12/7/15 Attack made today on our 

left to gain the German officers

trench, subject to a lot of shelling

to which thy capture & shocked 

several of us out, watched the 

bombardment of Arci Baba by the fleet

this afternoon from our observng post

the hill was vy heavy bombarded

could see it vy plainly, the whole thing

seemed to be entirely blown away

piece by piece

 

13/7/15  Firg line all day, quiet dy

expected attack at night, several

flares used, religious feast of the

Turks started today, expected them

to run mad & attack us in the morng

religious frenzy Feast of Ramadam, but

they were pretty quiet we were ready 

for them, tobacco & maches tody

 

14/7/15 Relieved from the firing line

& sent to the rest camp, quiet day

 

15/7/15 Rest camp orderly man

1/2 loaf issued, inoculated against

Cholera today over the heart, went

to the beach for a swim & to do 

washing. quiet day

 

16/7/15 Rest Camp, nothing to do. Quiet day

had a swim, letter from mother

 

17/7/15 Rest Camp. swimming, went to the 

firing line this eveng, as reserves

as an attack was expected, nothing

happened, aeroplane dropped a bomb

on our rest camp early this morning

doing no damage another did not 

explode, otherwise quiet day

 

18/7/15 Sunday Landed 12 weeks

today letter from mother

this afternoon about 18 Jack Johnsons

fell on our rest camp, blowing up 

large quantities of earth, but doing 

vey little damage, some artillery 

men on our L were hit, only

excitement we get today made

camp guard at night

 

19/7/15 Rest camp, told off for 

fatigue, dragging huge trunks

up the hill from the beach

 A Coy made permanent fatigue Coy

all officers sick except Mr Lloyd

attack expected tonight went

to firg line as reserves, not rested

Nos 1 & 2 platoon 3 & 4 platoon to be

up for DGM to take up 60 boxes

of our rations, fatigue lasted untill

12 midnight

 

20/7/15 [[Told?]] off as sapper at

4 ^o/c am. 8 hours on & 16 off

A Coy now [[paid?]] all sappers. went into 

reserves at night, letter away today

Heavy attack expected

 

21/7/15 Sapped 4 o/c till 1 o/c returned

to rest camp, reserves at night attack

expected, nothing happened