Photostat copy of diaries of Benjamin Bennett Leane, 1915-1916 - Part 17
106
Father Divine. home of your
comfortable, sleek finest about
him, but a tall gaunt, sharp
[[?]] Irishman, with a head
that takes a 7 3/8 hat - by he
way. I lost drinks to him over
the size of his head - a voice
[[?]] is manly, a keen sense
of humour, a laugh that is
[[?]] and a mind that is
broad. He is the type of
Catholic who makes you wonder
why the protestant church is so
bitter against his [[?]]
His particular friend is Capt
Woolland our mo - an atheist
and a propaganda, as he calls
himself. So sure as the Padre
takes up one line of original
the Doc will take up the opposite
He is very clever, and has a strongly
developed humorous vein, so you
can guess that the discussions
become both lively and personal
- but always with good feeling
and an [[enlive?]] absence of malice.
He is a little yellow, about 5'5'
but he can straffe with the best.
He is never lost for a word
He abuses the Padre most unmercifully
calls him "The man of God" the
[[Jes?]]" The Parasite of Faith
and several other xxxxx unpleasant
names - and the Padre chuckles
away until he has finished and
then opens out on him with equal
force. But they are real good
friends.
We had some war news
[[?]] [[?]] yesterday. [[?]]
108
[[?]] [[?]] second of the North Sea
battle. From all accounts the
Germans lost several vessels while
we did not even get our new
[[?]] scraped off. But I always
feel dubious about these one -
sided reports, don't you
Tuesday June 6th
Just so! Today we get
news of the loss of at least
three ships" and - the 'Queen Mary"
'Invincible' and Warrior".
We have been hearing some
exciting news of our own today.
we have passed within close
call of no less than three
submarines, the skipper says.
One of them gave chase to
the "[[Kunf?]] Castle" on which
are the 46th Bn and our Brigade
Headqrs. I'd like to see one of
these queen fish pop up, so
long as she didn't get us
This afternoon we had a very
good concert on the saloon
Deck. We have quite a lot of
talent in the 48th both
among officers and men.
Perry, my bolman, came
to light with a comic song
and some rather clever [[patter?]].
He quite surprised me. I didnt
know he had it in him.
He quite brought the house
down, and made me feel
decidedly proud in a sort
of reflected glory "fashion.
Carter, one of our new officers,
has a splendid baritone voice.
Jove, I wish I could sing. [[kidd?]]
110
Wednesday June 7th 1916
Very bad news today.
The 'Hampshire' with Kitchener
& his staff on board, has
been sunk off the Onkney
and it is practically certain
that all are drowned.
now it is particularly unfortunate.
Others will arise, I suppose to
fill the vacancy, and may
fill it even better, but there
is no doubt that his loss will
give the Germans as much elation
as would the capture of a whole
Turkish army corps. However,
we're not going to lose the war
through it, are we
We expect to reach Marseilles
about noon tomorrow. Where we
go from there I don't know, and
won't know until the mLo
comes aboard.
Thursday June 8th 1916 11 am
All day yesterday we
had the coast line of [[Land?]]
in sight, but this morning
all is grey mist and a
fair sea is running. The
boat shows very little motion
though.
The skipper reckons to
berth about 4 pm. He had
to alter his course yesterday
on account of submarines. A
steamer about two miles from
us sighted one ad fired three
shots at it.
11 pm We berthed at about 5.30 pm
112
and are now laying alongside
waiting to disembark in the
morning. So far we don't
know where we are to go.
I hope we are not kept long
away from the trenches.
I bought a Daily Mail of June 7th
today, and in the list of
killed there are two officers of
the old 10th One, Capt
[[P?]], was a particular chum
of mine, and a fine fellow.
He was also a chum of [[Heritages?]]
Poor old Charlie came through
Gallipoli safely only to meet his
death of the hands of these cursed
Germans. I hope I may be
able to get one in for him.
The other name was that of
Lt Shaw. Shaw was the chap
who swapped jobs with me just
before the landing on Gallipoli,
and went back to the Base as
Orderly room Sergeant in my
stead. I never had too much
faith in his [[?]], but he
has evidently had enough to
get himself killed. Poor chap.
France - or that much of
it that I have seen so far, -
is not at all as I had pictured
it. The coast line as one
approaches the harbor, is very
rugged and not particularly
[[fertile?]].
The cliffs appear to
rise almost sheer from the
waters edge, and are built up
of [[slrala?]] upon [[slrala?]] of grey
clay or sandstone. Further
inland the hills appear to be
114
well timbered. The first
thing to be observed on approaching
Marseilles itself (after the
lighthouse which stands on a
low rock well out to sea)
is what appears to be a
castle perched high on a
hill peak. A closer view
proves it to be a R.C Cathedral (Notre Dame de la Garde)
with an enormous gold figure
of The Virgin Mary [[?]]
its tallest spine. The town
itself - as seen from the
ship - is like most other
big seaport towns , rather
closely packed, rather smokey,
and rather dirty. As we
steamed in past the first
docks we got our first welcome
to France - three or four
buxom working girls in very dirty
overalls and with very unkept
appearance altogether, ran down
the quay and waved their
greetings. An old man
caused much amusement by
leaning against a public
fountain as we went by
quite oblivious to the fact
that on the other side of the
board a good stream was
running from the tap, suggesting
something that set us all laughing
at which the old chap looked
all round to see what the
joke was, but still remained
in his suggestive attitude.
I believe the 2nd Division
had a 58 ms train journey
after they landed. I wonder
116
is that in store for us.
I sent you a postcard
yesterday dear, and I have
a letter ready to post as
soon as we get ashore. I
am enclosing several snaps
in it, also that menu I
told you about. I wish
we could have brought our
cameras with us, instead of
having to leave them behind
in Egypt. I expect w'll
find that everybody else has them.
Saturday, June 10th 1916
I am writing this in the
[[?]]. so please excuse
of the writing is bad. We
have just passed through Lyons
and we now travelling
through beautiful country very
like that of dear old England.
There is a wealth of greenery
everywhere, all washed clean
with last nights rains, with here
and there a red roof on a
white wall, or perhaps a
silver streak where the river
wands its way. Ray is
enraptures with the beauty of the
place, just as I was with my
first introduction to England.
Swe disembarked yesterday
just after lunch. Unfortunately
we have had to dispense with
all baggage except our values.
I handed mine over to Cook's
agent with instruction to forward
it on to [[?]] {{?]].
We left Marseilles at 5.30 pm
118
[[and?]] expected to be three or
[[?]] journey. However, we have
a comfortable first class carriage
and a kerosene case full of
[[provi?]], so it won't be any
[[?]] hardship. The men are
all in horse trucks, thirty
to a truck. I notice that
all the French troops who
have gone past have been in
3rd class carriage. Just a little
discourteous of our allies, I think,
considering the fact that we are
their guests. However, things
could be worse.
We picked up five bags
of mail at Marseilles ,and have
sent them on the journey
I was lucky enough to get two,
[[?]] from mother and one from
you. Yours was dated may 1st
Dear old sweetheart, it was so
[[?]] to have home letters to
meet me on my first day in
a new land. I have answered
it at once.
There are five of us in this
carriage C.O, major [[Inlay?]]
the Doc, the Padre, & I. Last
night the Padre slept on the floor
while the rest of us tangle up
together on the two seats. I think
the Padre was most comfortable of
all, except that once or twice
somebody placed their feet
on his face. At 11.30 pm
we reached a place called
Orange where hot water was
obtained for the purpose of
making tea. The station was
120
[[?]] let and we all floundered
about in [[mindfuless?]] and
make holes for about half an
hour. Then suddenly without
warning the train whistled and
moved off and there was a
wild scamper to get aboard.
It is indeed beautiful country
we are passing through. The
all the vineyards and orchards
and woods re such a bright
clear sparkling green. It seems
[[?]] to bring war and all
its horrors into such a
paradise. And everywhere
are poppies, poppies, great
scarlet [[?]] among the green
fields. And among the poppies,
working in the fields are
women, women and the old men,
taking the place of the young
men - the husbands, brothers, sons
- who are away in the
trenches. And not one of them
but waves or throws kisses to
us as are rush through to go in
their men folk in [[stemming?]]
the progress of the invader and
forcing him back to his own
country. One old chap
[[?]] his hand across his
throat several times, pointing
in the direction of the front
The [[while?]] as though to urge
us on to slit the windpipes
of our [[?]] enemy.
The old Padre just raised a
joke unintentionally. He was
looking through a [[?]] of
122
[[?]] the Parisienne (a French
[[?]] devoted to [[stakles ?]] of
the French girl in various stages
of [[?]] - very [[?]] and
any [[?]]) when he [[suddenly?]]
and well, these are not
good [[?]] at all Of course
[[?]] all deliberately misunderstood
[[?]] and rushed to judge
[[?]] [[?]] the [[?]] in
[[?]] of the "[[?]]"
progressing great disappointment
when we found that he
[[referred?]] only to the [[?]].
The poor old chap went [[?]]
and straffed us for having
[[?]] [[minds?]]. But he is a
good old chap and always
[[?]] most [[hear?]] when
the joke is against [[having?]]
Sunday 11th
Still travelling. The country here
is ever more like England than
is the country further south, We
passed through the [[?]] of
Paris about eight o'clock this
moving, but not near enough to
see anything except the Egypt Tower
We are now well into the North of
France. It has been a long, but
a very interesting journey from
Marseille. We have passed through
all the southern country along the
route Marseille - [[?]] - Lyons =
Dijon - Versailles - Paris - [[?]].
According to a French [[R.?]] at
the last station we should reach
[[Hazel?]] our destination at
2 am tomorrow, [[Hazel?]] is
away up on the border of Belgium,
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