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