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

Conflict:
First World War, 1914–18
Subject:
  • Documents and letters
Status:
Open for review
Accession number:
RCDIG0000342
Difficulty:

Page 1 / 10

is tobaces & ciserth ison bitter Lond on 1 st & 12 men scontares voly 4 return. others pooteol musing. Receive to more mark? Turt blowap miai aoter our hinel pvery litte Romago Alone lovin raly I sass, bvery wther my to mn are blown both ours I hasto Can Lear harks lalkoes ster our him. St miss sught under then firt heved I blow the has rght up. Wos unkorown Nos 14th Gat grreat near being relievid by 26th Ballaton Noo 15, Releeved by 26t I more out to Mosast Calhs for re Misatt lonely paron b to a hos guarter for thell fir los 6 me fersd suys Have b bor
Dalkers Ridg eveny night for a wee with 4 other s6 lid patiol 26 Bath Nt Bass not for subable] 20 hurnes ont l lo almost 24 her pe day faligu wat on the besck & minire & Lumos & Bonskanys p Noo 21st 26th Baralm love bomb Sth Lave b ge boed cretor b Penk t retate closi so in thre Loass ther moved bock b Monard Gobly 86th Bassalion nhasse by 2 Basalioss thugh at here; swhabl from Noo 21th Dec 13th Carry 1n nasious Tabegue woth Bened Crantney Popes. Lunnia & Sbeel. Nov 28h Dec 24 now Sec 12 Reans allers to move waed Ha Patt end hame IRIE 1003
lin again tenet day back Io lave three Majoni & 17men, prodaon wow than ever I stell fore very bot Dec 13 broops having Has ac proparire for an exenation Deck Sent nst 50 men o meek new Sreneder at Plerggus fom Sor Ad H Ladlabin Lon H. Sinal Moon Brrigad Bal 15 Beack gettin as te 2 have in clon deserted Din finish Lrucker boe Mre men Paswells hop away, July 2or Mn Rossalt men of Lr remain fir
Hb los porty will on seletion of Is men b remain untell all other kneps emborked, Lo soo men far h mose oa a nacions intervals on lod day of corcantion 18. Beack abmost deserted nearly all snch away safele. f for every thin B Barky Soth saccesfat M weth 10 mer. nowved on CCp. every thing of. eseritemens enderce with thoss remanes, A 2 p.M C.I Barks 4 men moned and leaving only 40 holdling the lie p Tps mackn Ganners to scoved at leaving 28 holding the lin Lavin, a man my own party 4845 pooled Q. intmts
A 335 Lave Cpl Edwards debect hes lasts croen lng t ome he only ben ylls of ye Edwards got the paw with heer thats, (a) 3.40 It lost partest 3 moved and leaveng behard Halsmalss supler bosat trape Loason ofher hape for the Pere on moving ond we let on min alyht o immestiatly thesas ane besuferse exp losion, th Fersh spened a ball of charge mr goong whil we marhed out of breaches & down on hth beae I on Sth Aeloyer awares as the whole Has as prortion was f Maos of caused by OR1
fou mines Esspected every minut tthe tuk would discover the move. but they were complitely bluffed, from H Awhonier we embarted on hambo a mile on to look back at sea I wer abl on the scene, wne hard t forge. The lanks kept ap th fow for oner an how I then we moned off for Lome not a htple sorry to see th ba of t Dondaneth after sive month handoh the lost party aflerwards having names taken for CoLrockson by Arrny Corp beine Capt Ross H Con 2. Lun Hos King Can Lat C beor Lat Day P97 Mor, So& Wood Lat McGreary, Cpl. Murray. Cpl Ferris L.Cp. Pullen, LCbe Edwards. Rept Mathes Par Gone L4 He Hwndte n on Mart n Russell
Baldwen, Cambell. BrownL Ryen McLannie Adams Barwn D. Leddon Flickwell R. Pullen, Lignallers Gornoll Hnbell. (A Line HM. prove from Barkanille for Lemnos Ialand, have good hime on board lraspshap $3, please of food & amything we rnquired bving body neary & bigh 21st Hovrine Lonnos Folonk & Awentarter marched to Mudros Cast I gouned battation wh were alreods camped party greated with wad cleng frm Bap. Reture in camp receve lay 22 mail, have a bod over Midhios Great canp mearling a sllion boope stationed Stake 11 ford not to plentifu hvine stell on the assut bubly bat cte Dast bull again 1ORI
a day Boys not ho pleased alont It after then solid word I protes again getteres the hour cal down to 3 hourd. Go for roub morch h Mucline pe 24 25th Bme Dons. Every man preveated weth a littly care contining ladding closealats sc fort good fied for many ciguntle Spen June 25th 4 Jan2. Month as bull with doate marchs Lave Lenror L hid by S £a4.8 Blanston for H Bcanb Haren H a ths forr Cl. C.l. Kebn have Hocerte fongth foe up camp in the Peases first I secand Hasharlon Dincone her gat a large canp but from ceviligaton mile IRIA
Jang b 28t as Fel. CC. Rebir Spen hard brainen Jan 23 break casp V G. L. Lago Le9 Spea a good day fuot for man morth Releesn at eight I find bakation ready b moor off. Malught Batl leave by hain for Iomaliet arria thee I manl foom hovs to a posrd along Peez Canal, Camp for night 24th move on further aloe Canal & erros & eight bungeres on ent thrabi mt on the Canler sell of th Canod & 25th Fllow on again another 7 mile helel fents one again Raening Lard & weathe cold. Battation without ford 26th Sart Arell again &2 loan a Ray ball shak for ford I better conditions Shry Bry lialey. D7. Camphen prmal Opain
He Guard on Arny Lern Jan 27 flows well 26 men. 4o metes from obadt camse Gord got I very good ford Pesssan on lnard anfell feb 8th relieved, by 21 Battation Grard march on to new camp. BV Coy. leave not of bottalio & go further alesd I wel from Canal. Febg. Thoming take t men on L H. labign Rant Lead Afteranon dugpey rencles. Heb. W wuthdlay oben beto breaf folt on betin Mor Law first Luvee Feb 40 Grard, 24 hnn Alrine 5 letter Feb 18th pande Feb 14 Gs t. Tomahil for a wee under him Tyros. Laker charg of all men from 5th. Bagad gore on Gr4 leave for Carn Feb 15 Lomalia h mef hain 950. Feb 16 S tay at Lerey poot, 17 Ssmalas

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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 14th Get great news being relieved

by 26th Battalion

Nov 15. Relieved by 26th & 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

 

11

Walkers Ridge every night for a week

with 4 other Sgts to do patrol. 26th

Batt not too reliable.} 20th Batt rest

turned out to be almost 24 hrs per day

fatigue work on the beach & mining

at Quinns & Courtneys post.

Nov 21st. 26th Battalion lose bomb 

crater to Turks. 20th have to go back

to retake doing so in three lines &

then moved back to Monash Gully.

26th Battalion relieved by 28th

Battalion through not being reliable

From Nov 21st to Dec 12th Carry on

various fatigue work Beach - Courtneys

Popes - Quinns & Steels. Nov 28th to Dec 2 {Snow

Dec 12th Receive orders to move back

to Walkers Ridge to go out firing

 

12

line again First day back 20th

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 word 50 men to make

new trenches at Pluggers point

for 18th battalion to hold for 

the final move.

15 Half of the 5th 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 20th left on Russell s top

17th Selected to remain for

 

13

the last party with own selection of

20 men to remain until all other

troops embarked. Last 200 men of 20th

to move out @ various intervals on

last day of evacuation.

18. Beach almost deserted. Nearly all

units away safely. So far every thing

successful. 19th C 1 party 20th

moved out @ 9 PM. with 150 men.

everything OK. excitement extreme

with those remaining @ 2 PM

C:2 party 71 men moved out

leave only 40 holding the line

@ 2/30 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 & immediately 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 awaiting us.

the whole Anzac position

was one mass of fire caused by

 

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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 McGreary, Cpl Murray. Cpl Ferris. L. Cpl.

Pullen. L Cpl Edwards. L Cpl Mathers Pri Rowe

L Cpl Howard (B Coy) Pri Morkham. Russell

 

16

Ryan. Baldwin. Cambell. Brown W.

McLaurie Adams Brown D. Leddon.

Flicknell E.R. Puller. Signallers Gornall

Antill. @ five AM. move from Dardanelle

for Lemnos Island. have good time on board

troopship X3. plenty of food & anything we

required. Everybody merry & bright}.

21st Arrive Lemnos Island & disembarked

marched to Mudros East & joined battalion

who were already camped, party 

greeted with much cheering from Batt.

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. pack 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

25th Xmas Day. Every man presented with

a billy can containing Pudding chocolate

cigarettes etc. first good food for many

months. From 25th to Jan 2nd Spent

at drill with route marches.

Jan. 2nd Leave Lemnos Island by S.S.

Manston for Alexandria

Arrive Alexandria Jan 8th.

leave Alexandria for Tel. El. Kebir

Jan 9th 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 9th to 22nd at Tel.El.Kebir

spent hard training

Jan 23 break camp & go to Laga Zig

Spent a good day first for many months.

Return at night & find battalion ready to

move off. Midnight Batt. leave by train

for Ismailia arrive there & march five hours

to a point along Suez Canal. Camp for night

24th Move on further along Canal & cross,

bringing us into Arabia xxxx eight

miles on the Eastern side of the Canal.

25th Move on again another 7 miles &

pitch tents over again. Raining hard

& weather cold. Battalion without food.

26th Start drill again 7½ hours a day

Call strike for food & better conditions

things very lively. 27th Everything normal again

 

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Jan 27th. on Guard over Army. Service

Stores with 24 men. 4 miles from batt

camp. Good job & very good food.

Remain on Guard untill Feb 8th.

relieved by 21st Battalion Guard.

March on to new camp B & C Coy. leave

rest of battalion & go further ahead. 3 miles

from Canal. Feb 9th Morning take 6 men

on 2. M fatigue Rail head. Afternoon digging

trenches. Feb 10th Birthday. open Sgt's

mess have first  good breakfast on Active

Service} Feb 11th on Guard. 24 hours } receive 5 letters.

Feb 12th. parade. Feb 14th Go to Ismailia for a

week under Lieut Byrnes. taking charge

of all men from 5th Brigade going on

leave for Cairo. Feb 15th Go to

Ismalia to meet train. 950. Feb 16th.

Stay at Ferry post. 17 Ismailia

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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