Diary of Cyril Arnold Pryor, 1914 -1916 - Part 3

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From 17^th to 27^thon duty at Ferry post Ismalia 
28^th & 29^th have good two days in Cairo
30^th leave Staging Camp Ferry post to rejoin
Battalion Australia Hill ten mile walk.
Mar 6 Battalion leave Australia Hill for Ferry
post arrive very tired} Mar 7 leave Ferry post
for Moasca {10 mile} arrive & hand in old
Lee Enfield rifles for new Lee Enfields mark 2.
Mar 8. pitch new camp. Brigade together
8th & 9th w no parades. Battalion refiting
& reorganising 11th Batt route march
on dessert 12^thBrigade Church parade
inspected & congratulated by Gen
Birdwood. Informed we leave for
France at any moment (great rejoicing
March 17^th leave Moascar by train for
Alexandria 7 AM arrive Alexandria 

22

5 am. 18^th travel in cattle trucks.  7am. Go
aboard S.S. Ingoma C Coy 19^th Batt also aboard
accommodation very fair. Ask permission to go
ashore to send cable home. granted by Major.
have six hours ashore rattling good time
arrive back to boat 4 pm. & placed
under open arrest for being absent {quite
a surprise} 20^th innoculated again for the
10^th time. sea rough I feel very seedy.
21^st brought up before Colonel Lamack for
being absent on 18^th from Ship, with S.M.
Brown. Sgt Day, Sgt. Clarke. Sgt. Moore & Sgt
Forman. Sgt Moore & Forman remanded {after
reprimanded} myself & others sentenced Field General
Court martial.} quite indignant trumped
up charge} 22 pass Malta @ 11/30pm.
Summary evidence taken by Capt Rush over case 

23

arrive Marseille 25^th 10pm lovely sight. weather
great} place looks deserted} Given reception from
the few French on the wharf. Leave Marseille 
@ 4 p.m. by train. travel first & second class.
great reception all along the line. Stay at
many fine towns pass many German
prisoners working. Train with French
wounded pass us at Milan
27^th end of train journey arrive at [[?]]
march three miles & billet in houses
- sheds etc @ Steinbecque weather
cold. North of France twenty mile from Flanders}
28^th Spend easy day wandering through town
plenty fun & wine. French girls very nice
Australians treated very well. Mar 29
List Gas Helmet under Gas. [[Reviewed?]]
[[?]] 20th Batt for the [[?]] 

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22^nd Batt for the Sixth Brigade. Lord Kitchener
Speech. {Well Boys I am glad to see you in France
If you fight here like you did in Gallipoli
you will have only one enemy the Germans.
Finish Apr 5^th brought before Colonel
& informed case turned down by General
after a good eighteen days holiday
Return to duty & pack bags ready
for trenches again. Apr 7^th Inspection
by General Joffre leave Steinbecque for the
trenches. rotten morning raining hard.
march fifteen mile arrive xxxx ounsteen 5 pm
billet for the night. Apr 8^th leave by Motor
bus for trenches to inspect trenches for Batt
pass through Armentieres & stay at xxxxxx
Erquinghem. billet with ^24th Northumberland Fuseliers.
[[?]] [[?]] [[?]]

25
very tame after Gallipoli. Apr 9^th Batt in
reserve billet in Farms. ½ mile from front line
14^th Go in front line raining hard. trenches 2 ft
deep in water. Very miserable. 18^th Go into
reserve after four days in front line
27 casualties} 22^nd front line again
relieve 18^th Batt {No. 3 platoon. Stanway
post in reserve} Still raining}
24^th 6 & 7 Brigade attacked. Germans
have bad time & badly cut up.
26^th First taste of Gas. Gunners still
on line 17 Killed 26 wounded 27^th
In reserve ^ for six days. May 1^st Stanway post
weather very fine. May 5^th Germans bombard

line very heavilyfor 3 hours xx xx xx

Stand for 36 hours. Germans bombard

three hours trenches blown

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to pieces .Germans charge &
driven back. Lose 1179 officers & men
Killed & wounded {1 officer & 14 men
& other prisoners - also lose two
bomb mortars. {May 6^th Batt too
weak to hold line & relieved by
17^th & 18^th Batt. Arrive billets @
midnight. At 1pm have to return
to firing line to rebuild trenches
& bury our own dead. Work
hard untill 3 pm the 6^th inst
& return to billets. all men
done [[afs?]] In billets one hour
& shelled out seek shelter
in ploughed field {having
bath at time & do a bunk
naked.} lay out in open
 

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for three hours & return almost
perished. May 13 Leave for Steenwerck

on route for England
on leave. Arrive Boulogne 14^th
leave for England 15^th.
This is as far as I got
am not saying
what’s happened
since.
Yours
C.A.P.