Photostat copy of diaries of Benjamin Bennett Leane, 1915-1916 - Part 1

Spine of Book

DIARY

OF

MAJOR B.B. LEANE

48^TH BN.

 

VOL. 11.

26^TH DEC. 1915

TO

27^TH NOV. 1916

 

181.1

A.W.M.

LIBRARY

 

67/3

 

 

A.W.M. LIBRARY
Classn. No.	181.11
Catd.
Illusns. Indexed
Majs. Indexed

 

No. 4

 

AUST. WAR MEMORIAL LIBRARY

 

 

THOROUGHLY

 

 

At Sea

HMT "Seaingbee"

Sunday Dec. 26th 1915

Dear old Phyllis,

Away once more,

and back to Egypt. It isnt everyone

who can afford to spend two

consecutive winters in Egypt, you

know. Anyhow, I'm not sorry

to be getting away from Lemnos.

It's a bitter, bleak hole in the

winter, and not a bit like

the paradise we found it when

we first came last April.

We had Reveille at 6 oclock

this morning, and altogether

have had a very busy day,

what with clearing up camp,

embarking, and getting he

men settled down on the troop

 

2

decks. I felt very groggy to start 

with this morning; jaundice isn't

all its cracked up to be. Perhaps

the sea [[?]] and the change of

food will fire me up alright.

We embarked on the "Seaingbee"

at 9 oclock this morning. We

have our own battalion, Brigade

Headquarters, and a few other

details on board. I have

been appointed Ships Adjutant,

so have the privilege of a

cabin to myself right amidships,

also an office in the saloon.

The "Seaingbee" is better than

she looks — and it's just

as well she is, for she

doesn't look much. The cabin

accommodation is not as good

and luxurious as some of the

 

3

boats I have been on, but it

is comfortable, and one appreciates

it after a long stretch of sleeping

on the hard ground. But the

food is excellent, not only in

the saloon, but as regards

the men also. There will be

very few complaints if they

continue to feed us as well

right through. Altogether

we have 1080 troops on board.

I have been busy this afternoon

getting out my Ships Orders,

detailing guards, boat stations

etc. We moved out to the

harbor anchorage about 3pm.

and expect to move out early

in the morning. It is about

11pm now so shall turn in.

 Night night dear girl.

 

4

Sunday Dec 27^th 1915

I was awakened about 6.30 this

morning by Hooper, who was having

an early morning bath and singing (?)

in measured tones 'King Solomon

had xxx was a trifle gay, He had ten

thousand wives they say" etc. As

a matter of fact I think six

hundred is the correct figure, but

a few more or less doesn't matter.

I wonder why it is that a man

always want to sing when he's

taking a bath. I waited till

the steward brought along my tea,

and then got up and had a hot

bath myself. (When I come to think

of it I believe I also sang — or made

a noise in imitation of it).

When I got up on deck I found

breakfast was not until 8.30

 

so went up onto the boat deck in

the sunlight. It was a glorious

morning and as we left Lemnos

very early (about 4 am) we were

well out to sea. After breakfast

I had to get busy re orders

for submarine guards, and allotting

deck spaces and boat stations. In

the afternoon there were two

summaries of evidence for Court

Martial. Had dinner at 7.30

(excellent meals) and read

"Ann Veronica" (H. G. Wells) until

about nine. Took a final

turn round the various decks

to see that all lights were

out and ports darkened, and 

then came down to turn in.

Tuesday Dec^r 28 1915

The sun is getting noticeably

 

6

 

warmer as we near Egypt. We

expect to get in tomorrow afternoon.

The [[?]] and the well cooked

food is doing we a lot of good and

I feel much better and am

losing my Chinese appearance complexion. Wrote

you a short letter this evening.

Wednesday Dec^r 29^th 1915.

Got in rather sooner than was

expected, and anchored in the 

outer harbor at 10 am. Went

alongside the wharf at 5 pm.

At about 6.30 pm we received

orders to disembark and

entrain. It will take two trains

to shift the battleworn, first train

is due to move out at 11.0 pm.

I shall wait and see the 

ship clean, and go on by

the last train, leaving at

 

11.15 am. Our destination is Zel-el-Kebir,

on the route between 

Cairo and Ismailia. It is about

6 hours journey from Alexandria

by train. I've had a 

very busy day today and

am feeling very tired, so 

will be glad to get a few 

hours' sleep on the train.

Thursday Dec^r 30^th 1915.

Out in the desert once

again, after 12 months (or 

nearly) absence. We are

camped on the battlefield of

Zel-el-Kebir, and within

less than half a mile of 

the trenches constructed by

Arabi Pasha, xxxxx which

were taken by the English after

about half an hour's [[?]]

8

 

fighting 33 years ago. The

trenches still remain — a

long, straight shell of [[?]]

without a single traverse or

communication trench. Here

and there are gun emplacements

and at the north-east and

the trench breaks into two

forks, forming a kind of 

"Y". Our gruesome birds 

have already been out digging

for "trophies", and as a

consequence several sets

of bones have been exposed.

We'll have to put a stop to it.

Our journey up from Alexandria

was like most night journeys

in troop trains in Egypt. A

monotonous jogetty-jog, jogetty jog

until you fall asleep; then

 

a grinding of breaks and a 

series of bumps as the train

pulls up in some out of the

way siding while the engine

wheezes and pants in an

[[endurance?]] to get its breath.

Then after much argument

and tooting of trumpets and

blowing of engine whistle, the 

train gets a further series

of bumps and moves on.

After a while you fall asleep, 

only to be awakened by another

series of bumps and a voice

at your ear saying in husky 

tones "Orangees, choc-lat."

These native vendors are one

of the _∧modern plaques of Egypt. No

matter where you go or at

what hour, some dirty, dank