Handwritten transcript of diaries of Apcar Leslie De Vine, 1 January 1915 - 6 October 1918, Part 9 of 26
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25/10/15 No parades today, kit inspection, very cold wind
blowing, all kits made up & we are ready for embarking
26/10/15 Orders for embarking tomorrow, probably we will
go to Anzac to relieve the 3rd Brigade, who have not
yet had a rest. Although it is not definately known
our movements are to be kept very quiet, there is much
speculation amongst the men, as to where we will be
going to next, all preparations are made, and we have
packed up ready for tomorrow.
27/10/15 Revelle 5.15am, full marching order, we march
to the Engineers pier, through the Hospitals and
Convalescent Camps, everybody turning out to see us pass
We embark on the tug "Wave" and tranship to the
"Osmanieh", we stay all night in the harbour, wind
and water too rough to proceed to sea. Two days
rations issued. Very cold. Our rest on Lemnos has
been for 42 days, from the 16/9/15
28/10/15 In harbour all day, very windy & rough outside
so we remain in harbour all night & parade in the morning
and 1 in the afternoon, fortunately short ones
29/10/15 In harbour untill 1 pm then sailed for Gaba
Tepe, the sea is now fairly smooth, we arrived at Anzac
under cover of darkness, and wait for the naval boats
to take us off, landed about 12 midnight at the New
Zealand pier and march along the beach to the Right
flanc of our line of trenches, we sleep the rest of the
night in "Clarkes Gully" in the rear of the trenches
near "Shell Green"
30/10/15 Ordered to the reserve trenches, water fatigue
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only today, easy day, "Stand too 5-6 am & pm
31/10/15 Taken from the reserve trenches and bivouacked
on side of a hill where we dig "dugouts" for ourselves
all day, this is to be our permanent position for
some time, as we are not intended for the front
line being too weak in numbers, so we remain a
permanent fatigue party
1/11/15 Digging our "dugouts" & shelters, tobacco issue today
2/11/15 Fatigues all day. Was detailed as guide for
our 7 & 8th reinforcements who are landing tonight
Guided them to our old rest camp in front of
Brighton Beach for the night, where they make themselves
comfortable for the time being. Large mail today
3/11/15 Digging large drain all afternoon, no fatigues
in the morning. "Beachy Bill" opened fire this afternoon
causing short artillery duell
4/11/15 Wet miserable day, rained all day, digging
drain for the camp. The Light Horse made an
attack tonight
5/11/15 Fine sunny day. Battle cruisers bombarded
Turks this morning the Light Horse attacking and capturing
a post. We are shelled in retaliation this evening
6/11/15 Plenty of shrapnel flew about this morning, fatigues
all day. Coy for duty on ration fatigues to beach last
thing at night, a fatigue we all hope to get, as we get
a chance of getting away with some "extras" for ourselves
unseen managed to get 2 tins of jam & 3 loaves of bread
81
7/11/15 Sunday Parcel from mother arrived today
everything spoiled by sea water, must have been torpedoed
only got 2 tins of milk out of it. At night the 5th Light
Horse made an attack on a bombing trench which has
been causing them some trouble on the extreme R flanc
A & B Coys of the 4th Bn are sent to support them.
The position to be taken is very near the sea being
next to "Tasmania Post" which is the last one on our
right and situated in front of the "Pimple". We lie in
support for several hours under machine gun fire
which is just sweeping over our heads all the time
many bombs are thrown on both sides, in fact the whole
stunt is completely carried out by bombing parties on both
sides, their bombs caused us some casualties. The trench
being eventually captured. Several of us lying in
reserve had a narrow escape from a large size bomb
one falling between Cpl McClennan & myself just out
of our reach fortunately without exploding. We had
to watch the Turks very closely in case we were outflanked
by them creeping behind us along the beach, which is
constantly being swept by the searchlight of a destroyer
stationed just off the beach for that purpose. The light
at intervals illuminates their position like daylight
while the guns bombard the position assisted by the NZ
Howitzer Battery, their trenches are very considerably
knocked about, As the attack was completely successful
we return to our camp at daybreak. Only 4 casualties
in A Coy
8/11/15 Returned to camp two hours after daybreak, easy
day, no fatigues tonight
9/11/15 Turks threw plenty of shrapnel about this morning
knocking out one of our 18 pr guns with HE shelling
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fatigues all day
10/11/15 Rained during the night, we get wet through
turning very cold through the night, we get a little
sleep at daybreak, very wet & miserable all day. Coy
for duty, fatigues all day
11/11/15 Gass alarm at 10am, every man had to
parade with equipment & fighting order with gas
helmet, the new type now pulls over the head
with square mica eye piece. The alarm was only a
practise one much grumbling in consequence. Day very
dull, rained at night
12/11/15 Rained several times during the night, all the
blankets are wet through & we are perishing cold, as
we only have very light summer clothes, with no legs to
our trousers, no singlets, & shirts without sleeves. Am
exempt from all parades & fatigues today, warned for
camp picket to see that camp is kept clean.
13/11/15 Cold & wet all day, artillery are having a duell
today, many shells fired otherwise a quiet day
14/11/15 Sunday Quiet day large mail arrived today
15/11/15 Very cold today, big artillery duell this afternoon
plenty of shrapnel in return flying about our camp, &
nobody hurt, it all passed overhead looking for our guns
16/11/15 Quiet day today. The artillery again open out
on each other, in afternoon rifle fire broke out in
the front line trenches, otherwise very quiet
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17/11/15 Very cold and windy day, detailed for General Hd
Qrs Guard at Imbros Island, we get ready but it is too
rough to leave today, postponed untill tomorrow, rained
heavily during the night, swamping out several dugouts. Slept
in the wet, very cold all night, the weather is now
showing signs of breaking up after a very hot summer, as
we are still wearing our summer clothing, we feel the
cold change very much, many men are now falling sick,
it promises to be a very sevear winter
18/11/15 GHQ Guard at Imbros paraded today for
embarkation, marched off to Robertsons Pier at 12.30am
embarkation again postponed, too rough for a crossing, returned
to Coy, heavy bombardment today, we are being constantly shelled
behind our lines with HE. Firing line very quiet
19/11/15 Paraded for GHQ Guard, mooved off for Robertsons
Pier at 12.30am, weather warm, the storm having died down
during the night, we were pretty liberally shelled while making
our way to the beach, odd shells falling all over the place
The beach is so congested with stores etc etc that they cannot
miss hitting something. We all reach the Pier safely, and
are taken off to a trawler at 2.45pm, several shells follow
us untill we eventually get out of range, they all missed us
Landed at Imbros after dark, we are given hot tea and
bread & jam, we sleep in tents for tonight after being
issued with blankets. This seems to be a soft job, and
good tucker for a change.
20/11/15 Doctors inspection at 9am, everybody passed, nothing
to do today, with us are a few men from other Bns
also many troopers from the Light Horse. Visited the many
canteens belonging to the several Brigades of the AIF and
the English Army troops who are operating at Suvla Bay
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Also found time to visit the Turkish prisoners camp
they seem to be very contented and are being used as
labourers, building camps, roads, etc. We are allowed to
stroll at leasure in their camp which is very large
& is just like a miniture town. We are warned
for inlying picket tonight. Paid £2
21/11/15 Sunday Inlying picket all day, exempt from all
other duties, very cold day. Paid £3
22/11/15 Very strong wind, terribly cold today, everybody
shivering, we cannot move for the cold, and are all
sitting around the coke braziers that have been placed
in each tent. We can hear a heavy bombardment
all day at the Dardanelles. QM fatigue today
23/11/15 Wind dropped today. quite warm, warned for
inlying picket, quiet day
24/11/15 No wind today, sun shining quite warm,
no fatigues, inlying picket all day
25/11/15 No wind quite warm during the day, no fatigue, easy
day
26/11/15 Warm during the day, with heavy gales & rain
during the night, which worked up to a heavy storm
with very vivid lightening
27/11/15 Very cold with snow falling, our first experience
of snow, wind very keen
28/11/15 Sunday Heavy snow fell during the night, the
cold being much more intense with a blizzard blowing
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We were visited in our camp by General Birdwood
everyone was in bed covered up with their blankets
he had a long talk with us & expressed regret for
the cold conditions. Inlying picket tonight
29/11/15 Very keen wind blowing all day, the roads are
covered with ice & frozen solid
30/11/15 Quite warm all day, sun shining, we are under
orders to return to the firing line tomorrow, weather
permitting
1/12/15 We did not leave this morning, received word
that the piers at Anzac have been washed away, and
that noone can land, we must wait untill a landing
is possible, we will have to wait a few days. The
harbour at Imbros is full of wreckage
2/12/15 Lovely sunny day, quite warm, the damage done
the last 3 days by the blizzard is very extensive. Today
parties of sailors are trying to salvage the wrecks in the
harbour of ships blown ashore etc consisting of 1 Liner,
1 Destroyer, 1 Picket boat, 1 Water barge, and several
other boats of various sizes, the sea shore is covered
with wreckage. A German Taube flew over GHQ
this morning but was driven off by our anti-aircraft
guns. We had a very easy day, nothing to do, we
expect to moove at any time and are hourly expecting
orders. Walked today to a very high point on the
Island and had a magnificent birds eye view of the
Peninsula, from Cape Hellis to Suvla Bay, which could
be seen very clearly through the glasses. The whole of the
Peninsula was covered with snow, the roads showing
up very black, owing to the traffic along them
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The whole of Imbros Bay was also seen full of
wreckage, with many wrecks lying about the beach
3/12/15 Very dull day, drizzled rain all day, warned
for guard tonight, mounted at 5.30 pm
4/12/15 Guard all day, very quiet, We turned out &
presented arms once during the day to Gen Birdwood
when he left for Anzac. We are under orders to leave
for Anzac tomorrow morning
5/12/15 Sunday Revelle 4 am packed up to catch the
early trawler at 7.15 am for Anzac. The trawler
first called at Suvla Bay & stayed for two hours, here
we got a fine view of the country the English Teritorialls
landed in last August and the hills beyond where
they are now fighting. We left about midday for
Anzac. While off Anzac we saw a hospital
clearing station heavily bombarded with HE shells
several direct hits were made on the tents, the
casualties must have been very heavy, saw tents &
the occupants blown into the air in all directions
about 1 doz shells were deliberately directed on to the
hospital smashing the whole place up. We saw
everything very plainly from the trawler, as it
happened directly in front of us. We noticed that
many heavy guns & limbers are being removed on huge
floating rafts, we wonder where to. We heard rumours
of evacuation that were very strong while we were
at Imbros but did not believe them at the time
although they came from sources connected with GHQ
now it dawns on us as being correct. Landed at 2 pm
and return to the Bn who are still in Clarkes Gully.
English mail in today
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6/12/15 Detailed for sapping. Digging Bn winter
quarters all of which are underground. We are today
issued with the latest type of English service caps that
can be pulled down over the ears & fastened under
the chin for warmth the back portion also folds
down covering part of the neck. they are made of soft
karkhi & very warm, we are also issued with a
new pair of trousers for the winter. Our casualties
during the blizzard have been very heavy, many men
dying from exposure & cold, sickness is now very
prevalent owing to the exposed conditions as we are all
wearing our mid summer clothing
7/12/15 Fatigues all day. Col McNaughton returned to
the Bn today. Heavy bombardment by the navy this
afternoon on the "Olive Grove" gun positions, trying to
find "Beachy Bill". however without success as
Beachy gave us a few on the beach after bombardment
was over. All attempts to find this gun up to the
present have failed.
8/12/15 Bn sapping all day, with a few fatigues
in the evening, for this we get all night in bed
warm day, no shelling
9/12/15 Bn sapping all day.
10/12/15 Sapping all the morning. We saw a big naval
bombardment on Gaba Tepe and the Olive Grove by 6
battleships, the bombardment being very heavy & effective
We are under orders to relieve the 2nd Bn in the firing
line. Order cancelled late at night
11/12/15 Fatigues all day. Under orders for the firing line
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we move up in the evening to the reserve trenches
12/12/15 Sunday Several 75mm shells fired at us
in the reserve trenches this morning, otherwise a quiet
day here, very heavy bombardment all day at Cape Helles
we hear the big guns very plainly, something must be doing
further south
13/12/15 Fatigues all day 1st Div Hd Qrs mooved
All letters have been stopped each way, as it is
feared that information may leak out regarding
our movements & preparations. Many guns & great
quantities of stores have been removed & shipped
away. The preparations for an evacuation of the Anzac
position are now very obvious, the rumours to
this end are very strong, but we are told
nothing officially, although it is freely discussed
among the men, who can see every day guns leaving
the position & whole batteries being embarked, we
all express regret that the end should come like
this
14/12/15 Fatigues all day. Heavy bombardment of Cape Helles
15/12/15 Very easy day, only one fatigue. The shelling
is still continuous at Cape Helles. Great preparations
are now being made to evacuate Anzac. Orders
are issued that we are to observe a complete silence for
48 hours, not a shot is to be fired, although we are
to keep a full & carefull watch. We hope to mislead
the Turks into believing that we are not there, as
a try out for the real thing when we leave for good
in a few days
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