Diary of Gordon Colin Cooper, 1918 - Part 4

FEBRUARY, 1918.
Monday 4
Went round all the
places to get things
to take out with me.
Rang up Mrs Branch
had lunch with
Mrs Rickman; called
round to say au revoir
to M^me Piot.
Caught 6.15 train for
Kantara. Stayed the 
night at Kantara
FEBRUARY, 1918.
Tuesday 5
Caught the train from
Kantara at 6.15 &
travelled all day in
open trucks; arriving
at out destination
about 12.30 P.M. a
long & uneasy trip.
 

FEBRUARY, 1918.
Wednesday 6
Waited till 12.30 for my
nag; Clarrie came over
for me: went over to
football match 1^st v Auckland
Regt. draw:
6^th v composite. 6^th won
3-0
[[Stacy?]] [[Needdy?]] unpired
the first match.
Saw a lot of the boys I
know.
FEBRUARY, 1918.
Thursday 7
Racing like blazes
event round to exercise
horses in morning
an evening.
N.C.O. of pump.
Very miserable day.
Leather turned up
with reinforcements
in evening
NCO of pumping party.
 

FEBRUARY, 1918.
Friday 8
Usual routine. drawing
rations etc.
Rained off and on all
day, went over to
YMCA & wrote all my
PC^s up, sending
them all away
Mary Norma
Elsie  Sadie
Dulcie  Daisy
Viccy
Rex
Lona,
Fluffy
FEBRUARY, 1918.
Saturday 9
Usual routine; rained
all day. [[Few?]] showers of
hailstones.
N.C.O of picquet at night
 

FEBRUARY, 1918.
Sunday 10
Weather clearing up.
Still pretty windy.
Cleaned up harness
in lieu of Church Parade
Rumour of move. very
busy getting all "US"
stuff to ordnance.
Went over to Y.M.C.A.
& heard lecture on
Palestine by Padre
Bates.
Mollie"
FEBRUARY, 1918.
Monday 11
Issued with Steel Helmets
Cleaning up Loading
drew stuff from ordinance
Second round of xxx
Der Football Comp in
Moyress.
Austrland v 6^th Reg. - Aust 6-0
1^st Reg v Composite - 1st Reg 3-0

got word of being
isolated for Measles
 

FEBRUARY, 1918.
Tuesday 12
moved from old camp
to "isolated' possy: in 
the sand;
Fixed up camp and
settled down.
FEBRUARY, 1918.
Wednesday 13
Returned all U S & S. gear
played in Bridge Tournament
got p0ipped"
Medical & inspection for
measles in morning
 

FEBRUARY, 1918.
Thursday 14
Inspection of horses
by Gen Butler in
evening; usual medical
inspection in morning.
Sent home some "Stunt [[?]]
Got parcels from England
2 from Jess one from M^r
Scott-Breland.
FEBRUARY, 1918.
Friday 15
On watering parade.
Usual Medical Inspection
Did some washing.
Sent PCS No/02
Home  }
Jess      } 1.
Lucie    }
 

FEBRUARY, 1918.
Saturday 16
Moved off at 8 & proceeded
through Ras Deiran and
onto Railway junction.
Travelled with transport:
Camped the night at Railway
Junction, went up to
YMCA, (drew a blank).
Turned in early.
FEBRUARY, 1918.
Sunday 17
Wakened up early; grazed
the horses for a while in
the creek; left Railway
Junction about 9 
proceeded onto Zacariye
travelling a good part
of the day: came up
[[?]]; country beginning
to get very hilly but
good roads, with transport.
 

FEBRUARY, 1918.
Monday 18
Left Zacariye early &
proceeded through the
Judean Hills to [[Kaudr?]].
We travelled along
the old Roman Road &

saw several old ruins
of Roman buildings;
such as pillars with
Roman lettering & stone
steps almost worn flat
Arrived pretty late
and camped the night
only 2 miles from
Bethlehem & travelled
with limbers
FEBRUARY, 1918.
Tuesday 19
Left [[Kaudr?]] pretty early
& proceeded to Bethlehem.
Saw Rachels Tomb &
passed through one
of the main Jewish
Quarters; very fine
buildings; Solomon 
[[?]] Freres being one
of the main hotels.
Left Bethlehem and
proceeded through the hills
which was very rough
& we had to lead the
horses several miles; till
we got to [[?]]; then
we descended into the Wadi
en-Nar, at Ibn [[?]]; walked
up & drew [[?]] at 6. & then
proceeded onto [[?]]
 

FEBRUARY, 1918.
Wednesday 20
Left El [[?]] early &
proceeded through the hills
leading our horses: only
a goat track most of the
way: and only room for single
file: eventually we got onto
the flat near the Dead Sea
watered up and went about
5 miles after dark, raining
FEBRUARY, 1918.
Thursday 21
Revaille at 2.30 pushed onto
Jericho, still in the hills
which we did not get out
of till 9 oclock. here we struck
the Dead Sea at the Junction
of the Jordan River: had
lunch and then pushed
right on to Jericho; were halted
when Jericho opened up
artillery, but pushed on right
to the town & watered up and
then marched till almost dark
when we went into camp
for the night just beneath the
Mount of Temptation (Jebel Kuruntul)
6 Taubes over during day but
did not bomb; rained most
of the day.
 

FEBRUARY, 1918.
Friday 22
Camped beneath (Jebel
Kuruntul) Mount Temptation
all day; grazed horses, and
had a loaf around: the monastery
is a marvellous bit of [[work?]]
built right on the face of the
cliff: (it is where Jesus fasted
for 40 days & 40 nights, being
tempted by Satan to hurl
himself over) waited till
dark and proceeded back
along the old Jerusalem - Jericho
road to Tel-el [[?]] where we
watered up and proceeded into through
Jerusalem & Bethlehem back
to [[?]] & camped: travelled
all night; raining & very cold
and wet all day & night: arrived
back at 6 AM. worn out.
 

FEBRUARY, 1918.
Saturday 23
Passed through Jerusalem
about 4.30 A.M. Moon fairly
full & saw some of the old
buildings, such as Tower of
Ascention; Garden & Mosque of
Gethsemane. Old Jerusalem
Wall; and Tomb of Omar.
very pretty cemetery. but
not being daylight could
not see it properly. Came in
through Bethlehem to
[[?]] arriving at 6 AM
Turned in for an hour [[?]]
& then usual routine for
rest of day. very cold
& wet; raining periodically: