Handwritten transcript of diaries of Apcar Leslie De Vine, 1 January 1915 - 6 October 1918, Part 8 of 26

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quiet on our front, very little sniping. Turks very quiet
large mail arrived today. The Colonel later evacuated
wounded in the knee. CO now Capt Scott
11/8/15 Another quiet day, spent our time in cleaning
ourselves up a bit, also consolidating our position and deepening
the trenches, also burying the dead, of which there is a great
quantity

12/8/15 11 o/c Pm back in the front line again for 48 hours.
Am attached temporarely to Brigade Hdqrs as dispatch carrier
making man trips through the new communication trench
to BnHdqrs in the line. The 7th Light Horse are
temporarily attached to our strength, which is less than
200 out of over 800 men that took part in the chase
on the 6th. Quiet day

13/8/15 Dispach carrying all day. Very quiet

14/8/15 Brigade Hdqrs heavily shelled this morning, plenty of
high explosives flying about today, not seriously hurt only
hit across the knuckles of the R hand by a splinter of
shell that entered the leg of a telephone operator who was
sitting next to me, we are been shelled all day. Their
guns are searching for Brigade Hdqrs to knock it out
shells fall all around but do not hit it. as it is
very well placed & not easy hit

15/8/15 Sunday Landed 16 weeks. Quiet day only a few
odd shells flying about, no damage done, very few
casualties are occuring now, The dead are being buried
in huge pit fulls.

14/8/15 Everything quiet, down to normal, cosy time at Hdqrs
 

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17/8/15 Did not hear a simple shot fired today.
Several times up to the firing line with messages
everything exceptionally quiet. visited the beach today
for a swim

18/8/15 Quiet day at Hdqrs absolutely nothing doing
in the firing line. another mail today

19/8/15 Very quiet again. Turks must hove had enough
only a little sniping during day

20/8/15 Everything OK.  5th Brigade landed tonight
and placed on the left flanc, otherwise nothing
doing at all, repats all along the firing line. All well

21/8/15 Quiet day on our own front, a big advance
is made in over left flanc. Was carrying a dispatch
to the 4th Bn Hdqrs when I saw the advance of
the infantry over the flat country between our left and
the Salt Lakes, they were advancing in open order
with fixed bayonets, and were heavily shelled, but
make good progress.  Watched the advance & artillery
duell for about 2 hours as we are on very high ground
evacuating the whole of the plain of Suvla Bay
& the Salt Lakes

22/8/15 Sunday Everything still very quiet, progress
still being made on our left at Annoforta Bridge
we expect an attack on our front today

23/8/15 Everything still very quiet. progress still
reported on our left, not much news but told that
we are doing well
 

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24/18/15 Letters from home today, everything quiet

cuptured positions consolidated on our left

25/8/15 All quiet on our left and on our front in
the "Line" Achi Baba heavily bombarded

26/8/15 Achi Baba very heavily bombarded for 48
hours. all quiet

27/8/15 All quiet on our front, another attack made on
our left and some progress made

28/8/15 Brigade Hdqrs shelled, otherwise quiet day

29/8/15 Sunday Landed 18 weeks Hdqrs heavily shelled
with HE, several casualties

30/8/15 Hdqrs again shelled several casualties. HE Shells
again used, simply blowing men to pieces, we have had
very little of this kind of shell used on us untill now
one man blown to pieces while sitting on the left side of me
but personally was not touched. these shells have a terrible
local effect but do not spread.

31/8/15 Vey few shells today. a few HE bombs only, no
damage done or any casualties, it has been decided to
move Brigade Hdqrs

1/9/15 Quiet day, nothing doing, 1 egg issued today quite a
luxury

2/9/15 Few Shells today, another egg & 1/2 lb of stock issued
we hear that a relief is to be expected in about a weeks
time, and that the remainder of the 2nd Division who are
 

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now in Egypt will be coming over shortly

3/9/15 Quiet day, prisoners taken today say that an
attack is to be expected this week end

4/9/15 Exceptionally quiet week end, no shelling today.
The 6th Brigade landed tonight which is part of the
new Construction Division for our relief,

5/9/15 Sunday Landed 19 weeks. All day exceptionally
quiet, hear that our relief will take place in a few
days, everybody pleased

6/9/15 No attack made this week end, everything quiet
other units of the 2nd Division landed tonight

7/9/15 Quiet day. Officers of the 2nd Div visited the
firing line, and are shown the positions their Bn &
Coy will occupy when they have taken over. Great
preparations are being made for the 1st Brigade to
be relieved.

8/9/15 Preparations nearly complete for the relief of the 1st
Brigade. The 2 Battalion leave tonight at 12o/c
with the 1st Bn. Shelled tonight, Turks must know
we have a new Division behind the lines in the fully

9/9/15 Preparations made for our departure which
must be before the end of the week, when the
whole of the 1st Division will be relieved, very
busy today, at Brigade Hdqrs finalising matters for the
trench relief. A little shelling today

 
10/9/15 Very quiet day in our sector, nothin doing

 

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hear that we are leaving on Sunday for Mudros

11/9/15 Leaving tomorrow, very busy getting ready and
packing up our personal equipment, regimental stores etc
also handing over to the 2d Division our organisation, systems
etc. Shelled for about 1 hour this evening by 8th howitzers

12/9/15 Sunday Landed 20 weeks. Everything ready to
hand over to the 2nd Division at 12 midnight, when we
prepare to leave. I rejoin the 4th Bn at the rest camp
where the have been waiting earlier in the evening for
orders to embark. We finally get ready to moore off at
2 am the next morning with the 7th & the 3rd Bns. We
marched to the beach & remained there untill 6 am
then orders are issued to return to the rest camp as
it is not possible to get us away before dawn. The
7th & 3rd  Bns have taken longer to embark than the
time allowed, we are last and of course have to wait
untill tomorrow. Language of the men nearly turned the
air blue all very much disapointed, we are consoled with
the fact that we may get away tomorrow night (really
meaning tonight as it is now Monday morning}

13/9/15 Rest camp all day, where we have been since early
this morning ofter our disappointment last evening. Ready
again this evening for another attempt to embark, again
we are disappointed as the remainder of the 7th & 3 Bns
get away before us, again leaving it too late to embark
before daylight, so we return for another day in the
rest camp. We all feel pretty "fed up" with the
whole business

14/9/15 Rest camp all day, leaving for sure tonight
just Killing time, and waiting for orders to move
 

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At 8 pm we are ordered to pack up and get ready
to move off. Later we move down to the beach and
embarked on large ponts at 9 pm for the "Osmanieh"
We wait for other troops that are being relieved
who are slowly coming aboard throughout the night
Ship very much overcrowded, We leave it 4 am

15/9/18 Left Anzac at 4 am everybody glad to be off
The ship is totally overcrowded with troops
including. Artillery, NZ Infantry, Field Ambulance, and
the 4h. Bn, the men sleep all over the deck,
saloon floors, passages etc, in just anywhere they can
get, we are packed like a lot of sardines, there
is hardly room for us all to lie down at once.
We hope to be in Lemnos before midday. Arrived
Lemnos at 12 am, we are taken off the "Osmanieh"
by the "H.M.S. Waterwitch" ot 4 pm and landed, we
had to march about 4 miles to our camp, all very
tired & weak from dysentry etc, fell out of the line
for a rest several times, but arrived in camp which
had been prepared for us, at dusk, when we
were given 1/2 large bottle of stout, this is to be
a daily allowance under medical orders, for
tea we are given two eggs, all very tired, this is
our first real rest, no firing line, guards, etc
to worry about here

16/9/15 Spent the afternoon in the Greek village buying
eggs, bread, chocolate, milk, cheese etc, it rained very
hard all the morning, swamping the camp, which
was situated in a hollow, it has been decided to
shift the camp to the side of a hill tomorrow,
ground very wet & muddy, we have to sleep in the mud
all night. Such is military forethought
 

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17/9/15 Shifted camp up the hill side today, feeling
full of aches & pains, through sleeping on the wet ground
last night, very windy today, the ground is drying
quickly. The marine band of one of the warships
played selections to the boys in camp today, the first
music we have heard since we left Egypt, a good
tonic

18/9/15 Feel pretty bad today, return of dysentry feel
very weak, quiet day nothing to do, all men are completely
resting. Parades will start on Monday, meanwhile
rest while we may. Large mail in today letters
from home

19/9/15 Sunday Church parades, did not attend any
of them, men issued with clean shirts, socks, camp shoes
trousers etc. quiet day, nothing to do, not even fatiques
the whole camp & surrounding districts are very quiet
dotted over with small native villages, the men
are now well scattered through them & have bought
up everything there is to eat in the way of fruit
figs, chcolate etc

 

20/9/15
Two hours drill 9-11 am rest of day free
 

21/9/15 two hours drill, squad & rifle, visited villages
in afternoon. Received 15,- pay

22/9/15 Two hours drill. Very cold & windy day
 

23/9/15 two hours drill. Very windy heavy gale blowing
 

24/9/15 Two hours drill. Gale much less today, sea

beach strewn with wreckage. Several ships have
 

 

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been blown ashore during the last two days

25/9/15 Two hours drill. No wind today, the sun is
shining all day, rather warm, went into the village for
stores for our mess.

26/9/15 Sunday Attended church parade, warm day
visited several villages

27/9/15 Two hours parade & medical inspection after

28/9/15 Two hours parade and another medical inspection
passed and placed in class X=fit for service in 4
weeks. Rest of the day off

29/9/15 Two hours parade, washing day, mail from home

30/9/15 Two hours parade. Visited No 2 Hospital across
the harbour during the afternoon to see some of our
boys who had not passed the medical inspection
the other day, most of them are bad cases of
dysentry, was given as a present by a few friends there
6 tins of milk, 2 tins of chicken, & 1 lb of cocoa
we live well when we can

1/10/15 Two hours drill. Today received ₤2 went to
village for further supplies

2/10/15 Two hours drill, mess orderly. A coy for fatique
duties in camp all day

3/10/15 Sunday Church parade, after visiting
villages in aftenoon & the town of Portialus [[Portianou?]] over
the hills. town situated on side of a mountain
 

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4/10/15 two hours drill, hot day- laye Australian mail

arrived today

5/10/15 Two hours drill,  water fatique, the water has to
be drawn and carried from a village over the hill, one
mile from the camp, this water is required for the cooks
fatique, very tiring job carrying water over rough ground

6/10/15 Late for parade and so missed a two hours march
with the Bn so fell for a water fatique in the morning
and a 2nd fatique in the afternoon, heavy day, very hot

7/10/15 Two hours drill. Outpost duty

8/10/15 Two hours drill. Fatigue all afternoon digging
trenches, rained nearly all day, stormy night

9/10/15 Detailed for fatigue on the beach to refloat
a large boat that had been blown ashore during the
storm last night, so missed a route march, fatigues for
the rest of the day

10/10/15 Sunday attended church parade after visited
villages

11/10/15 Two hours parade during morning, night parades to
commense this week 7.30-8 pm, full marching order with
packs

12/10/15 Inspected by the General commanding the island
and in command of the lines of communications 9-11.30
am, in full marching order, very fatiguing
 

13/10/15 Two hours parade, very windy & cold, night parade

 

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1.30 to 8 pm

14/10/15 Two hours fatique instead of parade, 2 M
fatique in afternoon, very cold day

15/10/15 two hours Bn drill & bomb throwing, very
windy and cold day, rained heavely during night

16/10/15 Thee & half route march, and outpost duties
no wind today, much warmer

17/10/15 Sunday attended church parade

18/10/15 Two hours marching and skirmishing . All attended
concert tonight in Y.M.C.A. tent being the anniversary
of our departure from Sydney. Bottle of beer issued today

19/10/15 Two hours drill. Mean wind blowing today

20/10/15 Two hours Bn drill. Cold day

21/10/15 To hours route march across country & skirmishing

22/10/15 two hours route march, and attack on hills at
rear of the camp, very cold, rained nearly all day

23/10/15 Two hours march. Inspection by the Brigadier. Attack
in trenches by bombing parties, very cold morning, rained
all the afternoon and night, very cold wind blowing

24/10/15 Sunday Very cold and wind all day, rained
all day, church parade postponed, orders issued to
prepare for an early embarkation possibly on Wednesday
our rest is at last coming to an end