Photostat copy of diaries of Benjamin Bennett Leane, 1915 - Part 24

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We got back with an excellent appetite

for tea, and behold it was steak

and eggs!  Who says we don't live

well.  Unfortunately these luxuries

are only occasional, but we have

a pretty good scout out now, and

he has been picking up quite 

a lot of things for us lately.  We

pay through the nose, of course.

Today he got us four tins of salmon, 

two tins of canned tomatoes, and

four tins of fruit - all a/c per

him.  I got on the right side

of the Doc. too, and he is going

to send us up a tin of Scotch

oatmeal daily, so I can see

porridge every morning for

breakfast.  Gradually getting

more like home.

Friday, Oct 8^th 1915.

EXciting news today, or rather

last night.  England has declared

war on Bulgaria..  "So we

fight the bold Bulgarians"

(do you remember the "Chocolate

Soldier", when all those fierce

bewhiskered gentlemen marched

onto the stage singing that song?)

We feel rather relieved than other

wise, for Bulgaria has always

been a very doubtful neutral.

Now we know where we are.

As if to celebrate the event,

the General ordered another 'stunt'

last night, and punctually at

8.30 pm we were favored with

a beautiful pyrotechnic display

of rockets, flares, starshells, and

then rapid rifle fire ^all along our

line.  Old Johnno evidently thought

we meant it too, for he at once

replied with rapid fire, bombs,

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and after awhile shrapnel and

'75' shells also.  It was a

real 5^th. of Novembeer.  Unfortunately

one of our chaps was killed

by a bomb.  Another bomb

landed right on the roof of

my dugout and expended itself

harmlessly there.

The poor chap who was killed

was buried this afternoon.  I attended

the burial, which was conducted

by Father Fahey, the 11^th. chaplain.

Today I had to select a new

sniping position to cover a Turkish

communication trench at the foot

of Holly Ridge.  By actual test

with a rifle I established the

range at 1700 yds. - almost a

mile.  With a good telescope

men and mules could be

seen passing along at intervals

but with the naked eye they cannot

be detected.  It is extreme range, and

I don't think a sniper will be able

to do much harm, but the C.O. wants

it done so that settles it.

Saturday Oct. 9^th.  Busy writing

to you again today.  You're the

worry of my life.

Last night just after dark quite

a storm blew up.  Rain, gale,

and pitch blackness.  The

Turks got very jumpy and kept

up a spluttering fire.  It was

over when I woke at 4.30 a.m.

but reports from the beach state

that the three piers were knocked

about, and that several water

barges were wrecked.  Consequently

there's a shortage of water today.

Just as well we've got Suvla

Bay as a winter base.  The Navy

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told us long ago that they

wouldn't be able to serve Anzac

after September.

Sunday Oct 10^th 1915.

A nice sunny day.  I took

my camp stool out in the sun

and read "The hat" (Ron Beach)

for an hour or two this afternoon.

Everything very quiet.  Rumours

of Allies' troops landed at

Salonika, but nothing official.

Monday Oct 11^th 1915.

Ray's appointment as Tempry.

Lieut.-Colonel came out in orders

this afternoon, to date Oct. 8^th.

I went over to congratulate him

& drink his health this afternoon.

Major Shaw, our CO. was also

appointed Tempry. Lt.Col. same date

James, my Platoon Sergeant, has

been granted a commission and

transferred to 'D' Coy. - same date.

I have a rotten headache

today, and my stomach is all

to blazes.  Couldn't eat any dinner

and don't feel much like tea

but the batman says he's got

scrambled eggs on toast, so I'll

make a big attempt.

It's been raining today, and

the cold strikes right through

to your bones.  I have to go

on watch at 1.30 a.m. too.

Tuesday Oct. 12^th 1915

Mail today.  I received four

letters and two 'London Punches' from

England, and two letters from

mother - the latest dated 31/8/15.

Poor old mother doesn't seem to

be too well at all.  I do hope

nothing happens to her while we

are all away.  I suppose she

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worries a  lot about us, and no

wonder.  She is wonderful

to have stood it so well.  And

then these silly women who

worry her with rumours instead

of trying to keep such stuff

from her - I can't understand

how people can have so little

commensense

No letter from you so far,

so I think there must surely

be more mail yet to come.

I have another wire laying

expedition tonight.  Hope nothing

happens.  Last night though

a Turkish bombing and wire

cutting party came up, and

quite a fierce duel ensued.

Our chaps threw about 80

bombs, and in the end the

Turks were routed..  They may

come at it again tonight, but I

hope we get in first anyhow.

Wednesday 13^th. 1915.

Still no letter from you, but

this morning came a letter from

Ethel, and a parcel and two

London Punches from Aunt Agnes.

The parcel contained camphor (she

sent her pretty little bridge purse

for me to carry the camphor in

suspended round my neck, and

says she wants me to restore it

in person at the conclusion of the

war);  also tobacco, soup, a sponge,

& some thirst tabloids.

We got through our wire laying

alright.  For a wonder there was

very little firing, and we made

a lot of noise falling over old

wire and stumblingh through jam

tins.  Only one shot that I saw

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was aimed directly at us.  We

had been exposed on the skyline

for a few minutes when I saw

a flash from a Turkish loophole

a bit to our right, and immediately

after the dirt spurted up

about ten yards in front of us.

His line was excellent, but

his elevation was bad, fortunately

for us.

General Walker was wounded

yesterday by a Turkish sniper.

The bullet passed through the

loophole;  through the shoulder

of the man observing, and on

through the arm of the General,

finally lodging in his thigh.

Bitterly cold today.  I've

shivered ever since I got up.  I

intended going for a brisk walk

this afternoon, but the '75's' came

over so thick and fast that I

deemed it wise to postpone the walk.

Thursday, Oct. 14^th. 1915

Had some salmon for tea last

night, and think it must have

been a bit 'off.'  Anyway, I have

been ever since.

Things were pretty brisk again last

night in the bombing line.

There was a strong Turkish party

in the gully, and one fanatic 

came right up and looked into

our bomb possie.  He started to

jabber away in Turkish, but our

man said "Oh --- you" and

fired his rifle at him.  When the

dust cleared away the Turk was

gone, so we don't know whether the

he was hit or not.  The man should must

have got him at point blank I 

reckon, so I'm going out to have

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a hunt for him tonight.  Still

no letter from you, but "I 

'as 'opes."

Friday Oct. 15. -   I got a big

surprise this morning when they

brought me up three more English

letters, a letter from a [[?]] Whitworth

(I told you about him - my bathing

acquaintance) of Alexandria, and

your dear old parcel containing

tobacco, socks, & a handkerchief!

But the main thing it contained

was that beautiful faint suggestion

of perfume that is always in every-

thing you send me, even in

your letters.  It brings you

nearer almost than anything

else could.  It is bonny.  But

still your letter hasn't come dear,

nor has that photo of yourself

and baby.  Aunt Agnes

tells me in her letter this week

that she posted me a big

hamper a month ago - cake

biscuits, tinned fruit, sweets

etc., and also the scarf -

but it hasn't come to hand

yet.  I do hope it doesn't

go astray like so many others

do.  Those blighters at the

base post office or wherever it

is the pilfering is done deserve

to be tarred and feathered and

sent back to Australia in that

condition.  Still, it may come

yet.  Inglis got one of Fowler's

"Lion' Plum Puddings from his

mother in Australia today, so we

have tucked into it.

Had to go out in front 

again last night.  The Turks

have cut some of our wire

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and I wanted to see if they had

taken it right away.  They

haven't done that, but they've

made a good bit of it quite

useless.  We also had a

short trench to fill in.  We

were only out an hour and

 no casualties in my party, but

a party out from the next

company (B) had a man

shot in the foot.

Saturday. Oct 16^th. /15.   Had a

special "stunt" at 4 o'clock this

morning, so that meant "standing

to" for two hours instead of

one.  We had a party out

filling in Hancocks Trench last

night.  They got about half of

it done.  I did not go out

last night.  I have been busy

censoring, and answering my

English letters all day.  Vigorous

bombardment of Narrows all day today.

Sunday Oct. 17^th. /15.

More censoring and more

writing of letters.  All finished in

time, however.  I received

another parcel this morning.  It

was from Mrs Lamb, of Fallonfield,

Manchester, and contained fly

net, chocoate, and letter cards.

So perhaps my parcels may yet 

come along, for this one was

posted on Sept. 8^th.a week before

the earlier of Aunt Hester's parcels.

I hope they do, anyway.

Monday Oct. 18^th. 1915 -   I got one

more parcel this morning, but it

was from [[Parladi Naha?]] Ibrahim, of

Cairo.  I ordered three more of

these refills for my diary, some fountain

pen ink, & some pencils.  The

blithering idiots sent me the wrong

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kind of ink, and some useless

little note books about 3" x 2"

with two leather covers for same!!

Unfortunately we can't post parcels

from this end or they'd get the

lot back.  But I'll have to

keep the rubbish and content

myself with a warm note, which

they most certainly will get.

ninety bags of mail for our Brigade

today kiddie, but I can't understand 

why I haven't got a single letter

out of it.  I've always been sure

of your letter if no others came.

I hope nothing has been wrong.

Inglis got a "Chronicle" of Sept 11^th

today, and in it was the announce-

ment of the birth of Dick's son (S[[?]])

I must write him.  I do hope

everything has gone alright with

them all.

Tuesday Oct. 19^th 1915.  - Received two old

letters from England today.  One from

Sergt. Hempel and one from a Mrs Knight,

a friend of Mrs Dean's.  But none from

you.  Kidddie I've got a terrible

craving for apple dumplings and

cream - the sort mother used to

make.  I can't think of anything else.

Of course they're impossible, but I

think of them until I nearly go silly.

Inglis got a cake today, so I'll help

him eat it.  I wish you would

think to send things like that.

Wednesday, Oct. 20^th. 1915.

Just twelve months today since

we left Australia - and I'm

tired ot it all, and just longing

to settle down quietly with you once

more.  Jove, but I'll appreciate home

comforts after this.

The 12^th Bn. are giving us a a two

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days spell from firing line duty

again, so that's two mornings we

won't have to get up to "stand-to"

There is some talk of our being

relieved for a long spell on Oct. 24^th.

I hope it proves correct.  I don't

suppose we'll get further than 

Lemnos, but it will be a change

from these everlasting trenches.

Thursday Oct 21^st.  -  Didn't have to

get up to stand-to this morning.

After breakfast Inglis and I went

for a walk round the hills, also

did some root grubbing for exercise.

Major Beevor Capt. Jacob came back

from England today.  They are both

actually senior to Shaw Giles, our

present CO and 2^nd in C. so I don't

know what is going to happen.  Still,

I don't think it would  be altogether

fair to displace this two who have

stuck it right through.

I think we overdid our exercise

this morning.  I've been feeling fagged

ever since.  This afternoon Allan

came over with his C.O. on an inspection

trip, so I have seen him now without

the exertion of going over to his lines.

Anyway, I am sure I could not

walk the distanc.

Friday, Oct. 22^nd.  -  Twelfth Battalion

moved out again today and we

have taken over again.  I went

over to see Ray this afternoon and

found Ted there too, so killed two

birds with one shot.  Ray is not

looking too well these last few days.

His face is very thin, and the skin

instead of being tight and vigorous

as it was, hangs loose and baggy.

I think the strain is at last

beginning to tell, and no wonder.

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I think his physique must be

wonderful to enable him to stick

it like he has.  Anyway, the

12^th. relieve them tomorrow, and I

think it is only a matter of a few days

before his battalion go to Lemnos;  and

we will soon follow.  I hear that

the 3^rd. Brigade are to get no more

mails here, so that sounds healthy.

There is also talk of our being sent

to England to winter, but I don't

put much faith in that.  However,

I think once we get away it will

be months before we will see this

place again, if ever.  Time will tell.

I am feeling much better today, and 

tonight I ate the heartiest meal I have

had for a long time.  We had fresh

meat - mutton - and it was real

good.  I was so hungry I ate a tin

of sardines afterwards, and then sent

back for more bread and finished

up on bread and jam.  The cold 

nip in the air always did sharpen

up my appetite.  What wouldn't

I give for a good  tuck in at

a batch of your lovely old scones,

with fresh butter and honey!  Oh my!

Kiddie, I've just been looking back,

and I find that the last letter I

received from you was on Oct 3^rd.

nearly three weeks ago.  It's awful!

I do hope I get a batch next mail.

The expected has happened.

Poor old Shaw has had to drop his

temporary Lieut.-Colonelcy, and take

2^nd C., while Giles has gone back

to D Coy.  Major Beevor is tempry. C.O.

What is going to be done with Capt.

Jacob I don't know.  He is really

senior to Shaw, and thinks he ought

to get 2^nd in Com. but it'll be rough