Diary of Gordon Colin Cooper, 1916-1917 - Part 10

JULY, 1916.   
Thursday 20
Filling bets & getting things
ready for Jhonnie Turk
in case he arrives.
Wrote Emmie.
JULY, 1916.
Friday 21
Packed up at the afternoon
and waited till 12 oclock
and got ready to go Qâtia

JULY, 1916.
Saturday 22.
Arrived back at camp at
1. PM. slept till stand to
arms at 3 P.m. and stayed
in camp till 12.30 at night
we camped till it was time
to go out.
JULY, 1916.
Sunday 23
Left Camp at 1.30 and
proceeded to Qâtia got
there at sunrise. waited
there till 2 pm. then went
with a squadron of 3^rd
L.H. out near Ogratina
to support advance
The artillery got some
good shots in at 4.800
Great air duel between
Taube & one of our planes
both our men got hit but
were able to land at Railhead.
Got back to Qâtia at dark
and got back to Romani
at 12. no stand to arms in
morning.

JULY, 1916.
Monday 24
Great surprise woke
up & found the sun was
up before us: almost
the first time on record.
the Brig. let us off "Stand
to arms"
Wrote Home & Jess [shorthand]
JULY, 1916.
Tuesday 25
Went out in shade of
palms; all day: had a
great sleep.

JULY, 1916.
Wednesday. 26
Spent all day in Palms.
with horses, wrote letters &
PCards to Jess Moore; Mollie; Theo.
& Dulcie went home & got
things ready for night.
JULY, 1916.
Thursday 27
Left Romani ab 1.30 AM and proceeded.
by circular route to Qâtia
went straight past and making
towards Oghratina, we went
on until our advance guard
became in contact with Turkish
outpost, waited there till 9
oclock. a Taube came right over us
but did not lay any eggs; then
we went down into Hod-de-Bakich 
and stayed there till
4 oclock; then advanced toward
Oghratina again till we came
within view of Turkish Camp
south of Oghratina: & saw a great many
Turks both mounted & dismounted.
then returned to Qâtia about 7.30 &
came home & got back about 11.30.

JULY, 1916.
Friday 28
Arrived back from Qâtia at 12 pm had
a feed and went to bed &
slept till 6 oclock.
After breakfast went out to Palms
with Mundallie & "Brozner" & waited
there all day; wrote letters, to Mrs Walker
Vera &  E.S.Hay, did some washing
and got some tucker from Canteen
JULY, 1916.
Saturday 29
Started from camp at 130
& went on a circular route
to Qâtia & past to a place
about 2 miles east. &
camped in a Hod-nearly
all day, the artillery had
a few shots, which brought
shrapnel close to us.
6 shots lobbed within
a 100 yards of us. but did
no damage, got home
at 11.30 escorted the Military
back; Had a few causalities

JULY, 1916.
Sunday 30 
Revaille at 6.30, wrote home
and Jess [shorthand] got mail.
had to go to Kantara for
remounts; got there at 7 30
and had to walk 1½ miles
& had to leave at 9.30 for
Hill 70. got there at 1.30 to.
the N.Z. Mobile Corps & fed
up & went to sleep till 5.30
JULY, 1916.
Monday 31
Got up at 5.30 and started
off for Kantani: had a
very crook ride leading 2
draught horses. Hostile
aircraft dropped 28 bombs
and grenades and spikes
not extensive damage,
got phots of G.I.T.R. Staff
Wrote Norma.

AUGUST, 1916.
Tuesday I
Squadron out in Palms
had to be ready for
attack saddled up & waited
till 12 p.m. then went out
on Stunt, towards Qatia
Got to Qatia & waited till
2 P.M. and escorted Artillery
a little way out then went
AUGUST, 1916.
Wednesday 2
Got to Qatia at 5.30 &
waited there till 2 30 then
escorted Artillery out
to fire a few rounds
Turks fired 110 shots
at one of our planes
who did some bombing
left Qâtia at 5.30 & went
about 2 miles out &
waited till we all
got together and then
went home 

AUGUST, 1916.
Thursday 3
My birthday, and what
a one: got cable from
Mother saying sending
cash; got parcel from
Aunt Emily; hot day
Had to leave camp at
5 30 and go out about
2 miles from camp
& wait for attack from
Turks.
AUGUST, 1916.
Friday 4 
About 11.45 first shot fired
by Turks who at 2 30
charged with fixed
bayonets yelling "Allah!!
Allah" I got gun into
action at daylight the
Turkish guns & artillery
got onto us pretty quickly
had a very lively hour
or so had to retire, & were
shelled all the way back
one burst right in amongst
us wounding several horses
and men My horse got a pellet
in the neck, very close shave
waited in a Hod till 430 then
went round & relieved 3^rd L.H. & camped
there till daylight, got a great number
of prisoners, numbers not yet Known

AUGUST, 1916.
Saturday 5
Moved out of camp at
Daylight and followed
Turks up, who must
have been retreating very
fast back to Qâtia, got
several prisoners quite 50
who were absolutely done
in; had a pretty fast trip
to Qâtia and got there at about
3.30 some very heavy firing
going on, especially big
guns, had pretty rotten
day, all day in sun
& very little water; a
few planes have been
hovering about all day.
left Qâtia sunset and went
back to Romani got back at 12
AUGUST, 1916.
Sunday 6
Took horses out to Palms
and stayed there all day
had a good sleep

AUGUST, 1916.
Monday 7
Horses taken to palms
wrote Mother & Jess IV
and Mrs Branch, got some
stores; saw Clarrie Moore
several other Inverell chaps
AUGUST, 1916.
Tuesday 8
Horses were taken out to
the palms but. I was
day stableman and had
to look for horse; at the
Regiment, horses brought
back at 12 & packed up
and proceeded to Qâtia
at 3, arrived there
about 5, and had to
wait till watered up.
Left Qâtia about 11 and proceeded.
 onto Oghratina