Handwritten transcript of diaries of Apcar Leslie De Vine, 1 January 1915 - 6 October 1918, Part 11 of 26

Conflict:
First World War, 1914–18
Subject:
  • ANZAC
Status:
Finalised
Accession number:
RCDIG0000335
Difficulty:
3

Page 1 / 10

99 no need for us to visit bairs for sheppin as we can buy all we need in the camp, everythin bein conslate including servener stepe ecutfitte 15/1/16 Rerrew of the 1st Division ly Gir A Murrer, as my plation No 4 was detailed for camp duties we the not toke an part in the receiew but saw it from the saluting lose at the tel-il-Rebiz earthweks 16/1/16 Sunday Church parade today, rest of day to aue- selves for washing ite 17/1/16 4th Bn detailed for Divisional duties this week, was detailed for a fourdays guvrd, being afterwards charged to a Pivisional fatigue at the sin stoes 18/1/16 Fatigues all day, fairly eary doy, in divisional duties 19/1/16 Satinee all day 20/1/16 Mounted Divisional Supply guard at 9. 30 am. Guved 3 relief all day 21/1/16 Dismounted guard 9. 30 am, no duties sest of day 22/1/14 Morning porade. Coy in attack, half ilay poradecrl 23/1/14 Sunday Church prade, washing day. 24/1/16 Eiftt hours parade today in disert, advance and rearguard attacks 25/1/16 light hours parade in desert, same work as

99 
no need for us to visit Cairo for shoppig as we can 
buy all we need in the camp, everythng beig complete 
including souvenir shops & outfitters 
  
15/1/16  Review of the 1st Division by Sir A Murray, as 
my platoon No 4 was detailed for camp duties we 
did not take any part in the review. but saw it 
from the salutig base at the Tel-el-Kebir earthworks 
  
16/1/16  Sunday Church parade today, rest of day to ourselves 
for washing etc 
  
17/1/16  4th Bn detailed for Divisional duties this 
week, was detailed for a four days guard, being 
afterwards changed to a Divisional fatigue at the Div 
Stores 
  
18/1/16  Fatigues all day, fairly easy day, on divisional duties 
  
19/1/16 Fatigues all day 
  
20/1/16 Mounted Divisional supply guard at 9.30am. Guard 
all day. 3rd relief 
  
21/1/16  Dismounted guard 9.30am, no duties rest of day 
  
22/1/16  Morning parade. Coy in attack, half day parade only 
  
23/1/16  Sunday Church parade, washing day 
  
24/1/16  Eight hours parade today in desert, advance and 
rear guard attacks 
  
25/1/16  Eight hours parade in desert, same work as

 

100 
yesterday. All the Bn caught in a heavy hail storm 
while marching back to camp, we all got drenched 
New issue of boots today 
  
26/1/16  Eight hours parade for Bn. Platoon in attack 
Coy returned to camp after only 3 hours work, feet very 
sore & blistered, we are all wearing our new boots 
  
27/1/16  Half day only today. Coy drill. Brigade sports 
in the afternoon, heavy rain fell during the sports 
which were postponed unfinished 
  
28/1/16  Half day drill untill 12.30. Sports resumed 
this afternoon. Silent night march at 7.30pm 
and silent attack on Arabi Pasha's trenches 
  
29/1/16  Half hours physical drill 6.30-7. Morning parade 
full marching order without blankets, marched across 
desert to the Oasis about 5 miles each way, returned 
to camp 12.30. Rest of day off, attended concert in the 
3rd Bn lines in evening 
  
30/1/16  Sunday Church parade in morning, afternoon the 
camp did its washing 
  
31/1/16  Long march across desert & attack on an 
outpost, after which we had outpost duties, 8 hours today 
  
1/2/16  Long march today along the canal & railway 
& into the desert. Outpost duty in the afternoon. Work 
for 8 hours today. We are now practising different 
phases of open warfare. Much speculation as to where 
we are eventually to be employed, the nature of our 
work would indicate Palestine or the Balcans

 

101   
2/2/16  Half days drill only, rest of the day to ourselves 
  
3/2/16  Fatigue all day in Sgts mess 
  
4/2/16  Half days drill, close order & Coy attack, rest of the 
day to ourselves. Hours of work not so long lately 
  
5/2/16  Brigade field day, long march by the Brigade 
with an attack. 4th Bn flank guard to the Brigade 
returned to camp 12.30 rest of day off 
  
6/2/16  Sunday Leave to visit Cairo, returned to camp at 
9.30pm. Paid £3.1.7 before leaving. Went to stores at 
Gezah to try & get my kit bag which has been in the Bn 
stores since we left Cairo in April 1915, I was told 
that it had been sent to Galipolli last May, of course I did not 
receive it, so everything is now lost. Also called at pay office 
re old pay book but found it closed. Cought the 7.15 
back to camp 
  
7/2/16  Q M fatigues all day, no parades 
  
8/2/16  Half day Bn drill, rest of day off 
  
9/2/16  Half day Bn drill and an attack by the Brigade rest of 
the day to ourselves 
  
10/2/16 Bn drill, half day only 
  
11/2/16  Holidy today, no parades 
  
12/2/16  No parade in morning, full muster parade this 
afternoon to reorganise the Bn, as it has been descided 
to split the Bn's of the 1st Div into halves, making one

 

102 
half a nucleous of a new division to be known as the 
5th Div our sister Bn is to be known as the 56th 
The new Bn will wear our Bn colours green & white 
but will wear them verticaly instead of horizontally  
this new method of wearing colours will distinguish 
the new Div. as all their colours will be the same 
as their parent Bn in the 1st Div. About half of  
our strength is transfered to the 56th. All the 
original Bn in 1914 up to the men present with the Bn 
at the evacuation of Galipolli remain with the 4th 
the remainder join the 56th.  Each Bn will now 
be heavily reinforced to make up the full strength 
many reinforcements are now arriving from home & 
sick & wounded men from Anzac are joining each 
day. Some of our original men eventually transfer 
to the 56th to secure promotions, several hundreds of 
officers and NCOs  will be required in the new division 
Capt Simpson, Capt Fanning, Maj Scott & others of our 
original officers join the 56th also Mr Massy our  
Adjutant. Major Scott will command the Bn 
  
13/2/16 Sunday No church parade, tent orderly 
The Bn was finally separated today after being detailed 
yesterday. We then mooved to the vacant site of the 
old 5 Bn lines, who have themselves been split up 
to form the 57th. We are now the new 4th Bn very 
many men are dissatisfied at the idea of leaving 
their old Bn many tried to transfer back, there 
has been may applications but all are refused. 
The camp has now correspondently increased in 
length by the birth of a new division 
  
14/2/16  No parades today, fatigues instead, we have 
been reinforced by the 7th reinforcements of the

 

103 
19th Bn.  We are now nearly up to full strength 
we still have our old CO. Col Mcnaughten 
  
15/2/16  No parade tody, detailed to help the postman 
with a very heavy mail instead. Gen Birdwood 
opened a new YM.CA hut behind the lines 
  
16/2/16  Fatigues all day, no parades 
  
17/2/16  Fatigues all day 
  
18/2/16  Applied for a transfer to the 56th but was refused 
by Capt Judge. OC. A Coy. Paid 300 pts = £3.1.7 we 
received our new pay books from the pay office in Cairo 
old book audited total payments in old book from Oct 1914 
£38.6.7. 
  
19/2/16  Parade today, first I have attended for 9 days 
  
20/2/16  Sunday  No church parade today assisting postman 
to sort out a heavy mail 
  
21/2/16  Parade this morning, rifle instruction 
  
22/2/16  No parades today, QMs fatigue 
  
23/2/16  Parade in morning. Made L/Cpl today 
  
24/2/16  Parade in morning, nothing in afternoon 
  
25/2/16  Parade & drill this morning full marching order for kit 
& pack inspection this afternoon. Being late for early staff parade 
this morning was ordered to parade withe the guard durig 
evening

 

104 
26/2/16  Long parade this morning for 6 hours, no parades this afternoon 
  
27/2/16  Sunday  Church parade 9 o/c, we expect to be 
sent to the Suez Canal area about Wednesday 
  
28/2/16  All day at the rifle range. All our present 
rifles are changed today for the new Mark VII amunition 
& have HV barrels 
  
29/2/16  All day at the rifle range, rifle instruction 
struck camp in the the evening, all packed up & ready to  
move tomorrow 
  
1/3/16  Entrained at Tel-el-Kebir at 9.30am for 
Serapeum on the Suez Canal Asiatic side, arriving 
there at 12 midday. After loading up our transports 
we march to the Canal pontoon, built of engineer 
boats that can be swung open to let traffic through 
reaching our new camp about 1 mile on the other side 
at 4pm, we found the camp all ready & pitched 
waiting for us. We find the conditions on the Asiatic 
side of the Canal quite different to the African, the 
whole desert there is terribly dusty, being quite 
different to the firm sand at Tel-el-Kebir, here 
you sink up to the ankles at each step 
  
2/3/16 Parade this morning with full packs, we got 
caught in a heavy dust storm, while marching in the 
desert, the storm was vey heavy, causing us considerable 
discomfort, we were complety lost for a while, when 
we eventually arrived in camp after the storm had 
died down to allow of visibility, we found it complely  
covered with fine sand, inches thick

 

105 
3/3/16  No parade today owing to the sand storm which 
is even worse today, everything is completly covered with 
fine sand, the wind is still very high. A swimming parade 
called at 2pm, we all rush the chance of a swim in 
the Suez Canal, the water of which is very cold 
  
4/3/16  Parade today full marching order with packs, 
musketry instruction. Full Cpl BO 200 
  
5/3/16  Sunday Church parade 9 o/c Very windy during the 
afternoon, much sand still being blown about. Appointed 
Cpl of the Coy scouts with 1 l/cpl & 14 men  
  
6/3/16  Parade today with full pack at rifle range, detailed 
for rifle instructing. Swimming parade this afternoon, we all 
had a long swim in the Canal. Several French transpots 
filled with coloured troops passed through on their way 
to France, also a few English transports pssig through to 
the Red Sea filled with troops. It has been very hot 
all day, the water in the Canal feel very cold, which 
is very refreshing. A concert is given in the lines tonight 
  
7/3/16  Parade today with full packs for outpost duty 
afterwards to the rifle range. Swimming parade in afternoon  
Paid 150 pts = £1.10.9 
  
8/3/16  Parade again with full packs for outpost duties 
afterwards rifle range, feel vey tired & knocked up after 
todays march so did not fall in on swimming parade 
  
9/3/16  Parade with full packs for route march across 
the desert, we are now undergoing a lot of hard training 
in anticipation of an early removal to another sphere 
of operations, as we are now reinforced well over

 

106 
strength. By our system of training we think it will 
be Mesopotania as we are not training in open 
warfare. After long march an hours practice on 
the rifle range. The march knocked me up a bit 
am feeling pretty sick, full days work, no swimming 
  
10/3/16  Sick parade today marked for light duties 
easy day 
  
11/3/16  No parade today, Bn sports this afternoon, very 
windy & dusty, sports delayed untill storm over 
4th Bn for Divisional duties next week. Warned 
for Coy Ord Cpl for the week - commencing 5 o/c in evening 
  
12/3/16  Sunday Commenced duty as Coy Ord Cpl for a 
week, exempt from all, guards, fatigues, & parades 
for the Division during the week 
  
13/3/16  Camp all day 
  
14/3/16 Camp all day, All inoculated this afternoon 
against enteric fever TAB/2 in the arm 
  
15/3/16  Arm very stiff today. Farewell inspection by 
General Cheauvell of the 1st Div who leaves us to 
take up a command of Light Horse. A large number 
of the men fall out of the ranks owing to the 
effects of inoculation which we all feel badly  
  
16/3/16  In camp all day, arm much better, swelling less 
  
17/3/16  No parade today very windy & dusty. Paid 300 pts 
= £3.1.7. The 12th reinforcements joined us this evening 
making us considerably over strength

 

107 
18/3/16  Full muster parade this morning on the Bn 
square, everybody in camp had to attend, afterwards a Kit 
inspection as orders have been received that we are to 
leave here tomorrow Sunday. An advance party leaves us 
today to join up with other party of the 1st Brigade 
it is rumoured that our destination is France, although 
we doubt it, as it is very unusall for the militay to tell 
you where you are going, as all movements of troops are 
to be kept secret, however the whole camp is very excited 
at the prospect of something doing. We are all picking 
Palestine as our destination. 
  
19/3/16  Sunday  Church parade this morning, afterwards 
inspected by The Prince of Wales & Gen Birdwood, orders re 
todays move cancelled untill Wednesday 
  
20/3/16  Parade today full marching order. Bn was addressed 
by Capt Stacy who told us officially that we are to moove 
off on Wednesday for France, everybody in the highest of 
spirits. Concert in Bn lines tonight 
  
21/3/16  Parade full marching order, no parade in afternoon 
swimming in the Canal for the last time as we leave here 
tomorrow, it is a very hot day. All the Bn quite fit 
& very healthy 
  
22/3/16  Parade today with packs, we are under orders 
to leave at 4pm. The final list of names issued during 
day of all men who are to accompay the Bn to France, 
as we are considerably over strength many men are left 
behind these will follow later & form a nucleous from 
which the Bn will draw to make up its strength after 
casualties. Keen dissappointment is felt amongst many 
of them, but it cannot be helped as we may only leave

 

108 
with our exact number. Am included in the list 
leaving for France with the Bn. Bn parades finally  
all packed up at 3pm, after may delays we move off 
accompanied by the good wishes of all those left 
in camp, & by other Bns who will move later, we 
march across the Canal to Serapeum Station 
where we bivouacked untill 3.30am next morning 
We receive hot tea at 2.30am. Capt Stacy is 
now in temporary command of the Bn. 
  
23/3/16  Entrained for Alexandria at 3.30am arriving 
at 12am, embarked on the P&O. SS. Simla at 1pm 
Managed soon after to slip off the ship & into the town 
for a few hours during the afternoon, as we hear that 
we are not sailing untill late in the evening so about 
half the Bn take French leave strictly against orders 
After shopping I returned to the ship about 8.30pm 
as money ran out after a good dinner, fortunately for 
me, we sailed at 9pm leaving many men behind 
who are still having a good time in the town, as no 
leave was granted we all took a risk when breaking 
ship, fortunately by for the greater number returned 
directly after dark and were allowed on board by 
the guard. No questions asked 
  
24/3/16  At sea, muster parade 9.45am. After calling 
the roll we find that 6 men from A Coy alone have 
been left behind & 37 all told from the Bn 
  
25/3/16  Parade 9.45am. A Coy mount guard today 
75 men required, nearly the whole of the Coy used up 
for all duties, detailed as BnO Corp mountg with 
the guard at 1.30, no other duties for the rest of the day 
All inoculated for the second time TAB/2

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Jacqueline KennedyJacqueline Kennedy
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