Diary of Cyril Arnold Pryor, 1914 -1916 - Part 2

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tobacco & cigarette issue better.
Send out 1 Sgt & 12 men scouting only 4
return, others posted missing. Receive two
more mails} Turks blow up mines under
our trench {very little damage done losing
only 1 man. Every other night mines are
blown both ours & Turks. Can hear
Turks talking under our lines. So
mine right under their first trench
& blow the line right up. loss unknown.
Nov 14^th  Get great news being relieved
by 26^th Battalion
Nov 15.  Relieved by 26^th & move out
to Monash Gully for rest.
Monash Gully proves to be a hot
quarter for shell fire lose 6 men
first night. Have to go back to 
 

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Walkers Ridge every night for a week
with 4 other Sgts to do patrol. 26^th
Batt not too reliable.} 20^th Batt. rest
turnes out to be almost 24 hrs per day
fatigue work on the beach & mining
& Quinns & Courtneys post.
Nov 21^st  26^th  Battalion lose bomb
crater to Turks. 20^th  have to go back
to retake doing so in three Lines &
then moved back to Monash Gully.
26^th Battalion relieved by 28^th
Battalion through not being reliable
From Nov 21^st to Dec 12^th  Carry on
various fatigue work  Beach - Courtneys
Popes - Quinns & Steels. Nov 28^th to Dec 2 {Snow
Dec 12^th  Receive orders to move back
to Walkers Ridge to go into firing 
 

12
line again First day back 20^th
lose three Majors & 17 men, position
worse than ever & shell fire very hot.
Dec 13  troops leaving Anzac, preparing
for an evacuation.
Dec 14  Sent with 50 men to make
new trenches at Pluggers point
for 18^th battalion to hold for 
the final move.
15  Half of the 5^th Brigade
leave Anzac. The Beach getting
deserted more every day
16  finish trenches & Go back
to Russells Top. More men
from brigade go away, only 200
men of 20^th left on Russells Top
17^th  Selected to remain for 
 

13
the last party with own selection of
20 men to remain untill all other
troops embarked. Last 200 men of 20^th
to move out @ various intervals on
last day of evacuation.
18.  Beach almost deserted. Nearly all
units away safely. So far every thing
successful. 19^th  C.1 party 20^th
moved out @ 9 pM. with 150 men.
every thing OK. excitement exteme
with those remaining @ 2 pM
C:2 party 71 men moved out
leaving only 40 holding the line
@ 3/30 machine Gunners x moved
out leaving 28 holding the line
my own party. having a man
posted @ intervals of 40 to 50 yds 
 

14
@ 3.35 Lance Cpl Edwards detects
two turks crawling to our lines
only ten yds off. Edwards got the
pair with two shots. @ 3.40
the last party C3. moved out leaving
behind Automatic rifles  bomb traps
& various other traps for the Turk.
on moving out we Set our mines
alight & immediatly there was
one terrific explosion. The Turks
opened a ball of fire thinking
we were going to charge.
While we marched out of the
trenches & down on to the beach
& on to the destroyer awaitig us.
The whole Anzac position
was one mass of fire caused by 
 

15
our mines. Expected every minute the
Turk would discover the move. but they
were completely bluffed. From the destroyer
we embarked on Transport a mile out
at sea & were able to look back
on the scene, one hard to forget. The
Turks kept up the fire for over an hour
& then we moved off for Lemnos.
Not a little sorry to see the back
of the Dardanelle after six months hardship
The last party C3 afterwards having names
taken for distinction by Army Corps.
being Capt Ross A Coy 20  Lieut Hosking Com
Sgt C. Pryor Sgt Day, Sgt Moore. Sgt Wood
Sgt M^cGreary, Cpl Murray. Cpl Ferris. L Cpl.
Pullen. L Cpl Edwards. L Cpl Mathers Pri Rowe
L Cpl Howard (B Coy) Pri Markham. Russell 
 

16
Ryan. Baldwin. Cambell. Brown W.
M^cLaurie Adams. Brown D. Leddon.
Flecknell  E.R. Puller. Signallers Gornall
Antill. @ Five AM. move from Dardanelle
for Lemnos Island. have good time on board
Troopship X3. plenty of food & any thing we
required. Every body merry & bright}.
21^st Arrive Lemnos Island & disembarked
marched to Mudros East & joined battalion
who were already camped, party
greeted with much cheering from Bat^t 
22.  Resting in camp. I receive large
mail, have a look over Mudros Great camp
nearly a million troops stationed.
Water & food not too plentiful. living
still on the normal bully Beef etc.
23. Start drill again six hours 
 

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a day Boys not too pleased about it
after their solid work & protest against
it getting the hours cut down to 3 hours.
24  Go for route march to Mudros West
25^th  Xmas Day. Every man presented with
a billy can containing Pudding chocolate
cigarettes etc. first good feed for many
months. From 25^th to Jan 2^nd  Spent
at drill with route marches.
Jan. 2^nd  Leave Lemnos Island by SS.
Manitou for Alexandria.
Arrive Alexandria Jan 8^th.
leave Alexandria for Tel. El. Kebir
Jan 9^th  fix up camp in the dessert,
first & second Australian Divisions
all here quite a large camp. but
miles from civilization. 
 

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Jan 9^th to 22^nd  at Tel.El.Kebir
spent hard training
Jan 23.  break camp & Go to Zaga Zig
Spent a good day first for many months.
Return at night & find battalion ready to
move off. Midnight  Batt. leave by train
for Ismalieh arrive there & march five hours
to a point along Suez Canal. Camp for night
24^th  Move on further along Canal & cross,
bringing us into Arabia xxxx eight
mile on the Eastern side of the Canal
25^th  Move on again another 7 mile &
pitch tents over again. Raining hard
& weather cold. Battalion without food.
26^th  Start drill again 7½ hours a day
Call strike for food & better conditions
things very lively . 27^th Everything normal again 
 

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Jan 27^th  on Guard over Army. Service
Stores with 24 men. 4 miles from batt
camp. Good job & very good food.
Remain on Guard untill Feb 8^th.
relieved by 21^st Battalion Guard.
March on to new camp B & C Coy. leave
rest of battalion & go further ahead. 3 miles
from Canal.  Feb 9^th Morning  take 6 men
on Q.M Fatigue’s Rail head. Afternoon digging
trenches.  Feb. 10^th Birthday. open Sgt's
mess have first good break fast on Active
Service} Feb 11^th on Guard. 24 hours } receive 5 letters.
Feb 12^th. parade. Feb 14^th Go to Ismalieh for a
week under Lieut Byrnes. taking charge
of all men from 5^th Brigade going on
leave for Cairo,  Feb 15^th  Go to
Ismalia to meet train. 950. Feb 16^th.
Stay at Ferry port. 17. Ismalai