Photostat copy of diaries of Benjamin Bennett Leane, 1915 - Part 3

28
in that day. Germany's hand
will not be against the
rest of Europe, for she
will have common cause
with all who speak the
language and carry the
countenance of Europe.
And in that day, too,
America will be compelled
to bear her part, for Japan
is her natural enemy.
And that war will
be the greatest and 
the fiercest the world
has ever seen, or ever
will see. But what
the end there of will he
I fear to say.
But I could wish 
with all my heart that
Germany has stayed
29
her ambitious hand so
that the nations of Europe
might have saved their
strength and husbanded
their resources instead
of thinning their ranks
and depleting their powers
in internecine warfare,
the while the East looks
on with placed smile and 
inward satisfaction at the
holocaust which indirectly 
makes her power greater.
The East had wisdom when
the West was yet unborn,
and the East can wait,
wait, until her hand is
strong for the great blow.
And the West will
stagger under the force of
that blow - will stagger  

29  30
I fear me, never to recover,
Please God you do not
see that day, dear wife,
for it will find you in
tears - and a widow.
It may be that in those
days Australia will know
her first Battlefields, and 
if that should be so I
trust that you hand
may be strong to compass
your own end rather than
that you should know the
horrors of a yellow invasion.
But I will be filling 
your mind with unhappy
thoughts if I continue in
this strain. Only I
wish that the great folly
of this present war could
be realised by its parties

30 31
and brought to a conclusion.
If I come through this
war, dear, I intend to
be a soldier for the
remainder of my active
years, and I shall
train and study assiduously 
with this end in view
- that I may be efficient
to take my place with
the men of that day when
the great shock comes.
And if it does not come
in my day, then I can
at least be useful in
training those  in whose
day it will come.
And now, dear, having
talked quite a lot for me,
I'll lay down my scratchy
old nib and finish the

32
novel of Zola's which 
I am at present reading
and enjoying, before I turn
in.
March 8^th — I have been ashore
today. The right half Battalion
were detailed to carry out a 
route march on the island,
so I went off with headquarter
details. We rowed ashore in 
the ship's boats, and landed 
on the beach. It took some
little time to effect the transport
of the 500 men, but when
at length the disembarkation
was complete we formed 
up and commenced our 
march to Mudros, the 
main village of the island, ※
The morning was unsettled,
(※Wrong, Mudros is not the main village.
We found quite a large town on the other side.) 
33
with a clouded sky and
occasional sharp showers.
The wind was keen and
bracing, and laden with
the fresh damp smell of 
the open country. After
about an hours' marching we
reached the village, and
marched through its main 
street! A camera, or 
the artists' brush, would
describe the village faithfully,
but it is impossible for a 
pen to do so. The houses
were all built of the granite- 
like stone which abounds 
on the island. No attempt 
is made to shape the 
stones, but they are built
up much as we build
a house of limestone. The 

34
chinks were filled up
with mud. This gives to 
the whole village a sombre, 
grey appearance, which is 
only relieved by the reddish
brown tiles of the roofs, and
the blue and white painted
window shutters and doors.
Everything is of the most
primitive nature. The
rooms are small, poorly
furnished, and the floors 
uncovered, but everything 
is clean in appearance.
The menfolk appear
to be of mixed descent
part Turkish. The womenfolk
we saw little of, unless
it was a face peeping
from a window, or
34 35
over a husband's shoulder,
or perhaps in a half open
doorway in the distance
The children were like
children all the world 
over — some shy, some
bold and mischievous.
There seems to have been
absolutely no attempt at 
roadmaking in the village
itself, although the highway
S which runs from one 
end of the island to the 
other is not at all bad.
But the village streets are
as nature left them, rough,
uneven, with watercourses 
worn by many a rain
storm, leaving the rough
stones uncovered and 
dangerous to all traffic other

36
that the surefooted little
mules and donkeys, and
the tiny island ponies.
The one building having
any pretensions to architecture 
is the new Greek
Church which stands
out white and prominent 
on the highest portion of
the village.
We passed through
the village to a point
about half a mile the
other side, and then
halted for the midday
meal. This completed,
we marched back again
towards a second village
which lies about three
miles from Mudros. The
roads of this village were
36 37
even worse than those of
Mudros, for the village is 
built on the side of a rocky
hill, and rises with the
slope of the hill. This
village boasted a school,
and as we marched through
the street the natural curiosity
of the children proved too
great for discipline and  
they came scampering out
through the doors to see
the soldiers go by. Indeed
I think their teachers were
glad of the excuse to follow
the children. These people,
whose world is the island
on which they live, live
quiet, uneventful lives,
untouched by the fierce
struggles and clamour

37 38
of the big outside world.
So that this invasion of
their peaceful harbour
by warships and transports
laden with soldiers is
quite an epoch in the 
history of the island, and
will be told to children's
children for generations
to come. Never before
has their beautiful harbour
seen such a concourse
of shipping. Never before 
has their quiet countryside
known the tramp of so 
many armed men. I 
wonder if in their superstitious
minds they read ill
omens in our coming.
Small wonder if they did.
After passing through
38 39
this village we skimmed 
over the hills in rear,
making in the direction
of our boats on the shore.
We paused for a spell
on the summit of one of
highest rises, and I 
had ample time to admire
the enchanting picture
stretched out on all
sides. To the left the
valley, green and smiling,
spread for some miles,
with an irregular range
of hills in the background.
Away beyond the hills
could be seen the ocean,
and beyond that again
the faint blue of a distant
coast line — the Dardanelles.
To the right lay the 

39 40
harbour, blue and peaceful
but for the presence 
of so many grim, black,
war vessels; its waters sparkling
and flirting with the
sunlight. And beyond
the harbour the other
side of the island with
its rugged blue hills
and the clouds lending
beautiful effects with
patches of light and shade
It is a beautiful little
Eden, darling, and I 
would give much to be
able to bring you here
some day. I imagined
that you and I were
here on a holiday, and
I could see you scuttling
down the hill side like
39 41
the big tomboy you are,
or standing on the headland
with your skirts and your
hair blown by the wind,
or else you were tramping
along by my side, breathing
in the fresh pure air
and getting up a splendid
appetite for tea.
If ever I make a fortune
we will visit this bonny
little island, Kiddie.
Well, we soon reached 
the beach again, and
clambered into our boats
and were rowed to the
ship again. I had a 
hot bath, and changed
my clothes, and ate 
a most hearty tea.
And now I'm going to bed.

42
March 9^th — The whole Brigade
went ashore early this morning
for a route march and field
training. I stayed on board
and had a quiet day. 
The Battalion returned at about
3.30 pm. They had a 
fairly stiff day apparently,
trudging over the hills with
their packs on. I saw them
in the distance at one
time. The column looked
like a huge brown
centipede as it worked
its way over the distant
hills.
March 10^th — Today the weather
has been very blustery, and
even our peaceful little 
harbor has been affected
43
by the general turmoil and
worked itself into quite a temper.
We had intended to go ashore
for training again today, and
some of the boats had got 
away and landed, but
the weather became more
boisterous and it was decided
to cancel the programme. Those
who had gone ashore were
recalled, and after a hard
pull against the waves they
came ashore aboard wet through.
Some had even been sick.
This afternoon I heard that
Ray had been injured, so
as a boat was going to the
various transports with orders, 
I obtained permission to go
off in it. It was a bit of
a job to get into the boat from 

44
the "Ionian's" high platform,
but eventually we pushed
off. We had a splendid
boat's crew — four of them
ex-sailors and two old  
rowing men — and the
trip was very enjoyable.
They pulled as one man
and the boat shot through
the water like a motor 
launch, in spite of the 
choppy sea. We went
first to the "Malda", then
to the "Suffolk" on which
are the 11^th Infantry. I found
Ray in his cabin with two
other officers. His leg was
in splints and propped 
up on a couch, but that
was the only part of him
that seemed to be at all ill.
45
It appears that as we were 
crossing the Kasr el Nil bridge
on the night we left Mena Camp,
his horse slipped and fell
backwards. Ray was unable
to release his foot from the 
stirrup, and consequently he
received the whole weight of 
the horse on his left leg, which
was in a twisted position,
feedbag saved his leg from
being badly torn strained. He
has been confined to his cabin since
leaving Egypt, and his leg looks 
as though it would not be fit
for duty for some time yet.
He is very optimistic though,
and vows that he'll be in the 
first scrap we get.
After leaving the "Suffolk"

46.
we went to the "Nigam" and
then to the "Devanha", finally
arriving at our own boat, the 
"Ionian" just as darkness was
setting in.
Today another Union Castle
Liner came in with Troops
on board. I don't know
yet what troops they are.
March 11^th. nothing of interest today.
and I do not want to take 
up too much space with uninteresting
matters. There
will be enough of the other
sort before long. Reports
from the Flagship "Agamemnon"
now in harbor state that
the bombardment of the forts
along the Dardanelles is being
conducted with great success, 
47
and that the Russian Black Sea 
Fleet is making for the Bosphorus. 
(That is the strait from 
the Black Sea to the Sea of Marmara
up near Constantinople, that I 
told you about some few days ago).
So our job should commence
shortly. We don't like waiting.
March 12^th — We had another 
Brigade Field Day today. We
conducted a landing under
imaginary fire, and also
skirmished for many real
miles of over innumerable real 
hills, and attacked an 
imaginary enemy. It was
a beautiful day, and I thoroughly
enjoyed the exercise. The longer
I stay here the more I want 
to come back here some day