Diary of Herbert Vincent Reynolds, 1914-1915 (second diary) - Part 11

Conflict:
First World War, 1914–18
Subject:
  • Documents and letters
Status:
Open for review
Accession number:
RCDIG0001013
Difficulty:
3

Page 1 / 11

Mord 2n August 1915 later one of our beplanes came over from Tmbros &. circled overhead till the enemy plane returned from the Cape. He expected to see a bes of an exciping air fight as the enemy machine was a great deal higher Mhan ours + he dued down at is as though intending to fight id, but the bluff did not work & he turned off & headed for his own lines with our plane following him up. The enemy sans some very heavy shells over on to the gunridge this morning. Three light cruisers have been shelling the jridge of Ache Baba & also some enemy positions in the gully Aehind Rapa Sepe all the afternoon. Large enemy shells have been falling on the gun ridge again today At about 6 pm an enemy aeroplane apparently made a deliberate attempt to bomb the Hospital ship, which was at anchor about two miles out, fortunately the bont exploded in the water about 300 yds away, there were no other versels in the vecinity at the time + no excuses could be made yor the Lasbardly act, the machine same straight over our camp) let another bomb go when he appeared to be imediately overhead however landed near the wereles station in Clarks gully & exploded harmbeuly. Two guns of the Nog Battery set up to fire at acroplanes sent shells after him as fact as they could fire, but without any further result than making him rise higher into the air. A field gun is a very unweildy thing to use againsd acroptancs + no satisfactory results can be expected from them. Fuid 3rd An enemy pcroplane flew over at a great height at about 6am & again about 5 p.m. but he did not dross any bombs in our vecinity. During the morning I had a look through the Frenches captared from the enemy a f lasd Sand morning. Two cruisers have been shelling the Jidge of Achi Baba all the afternoon One of our acroplanes cercled overhead for a while at about 8 30 p.n. Generally things have been quict suly.
265 Wed 4t Therso August 1915 The explosion of a bomb dropped by an enemy aeroplane woke me this morning just after dawn, it fell about 50 yds away + exploded with a deafening crash bat done no damage. We have been engaged today constructing a sand bag shetter for a dressngstation in oura which is situated in our camp at the end of the conunication sap from Pictoria to Shrapnell gullys. a large number of Kitcheners new army arrived here during the night & are bevouaced in the various gullys in which terraces have been dug recently for that purpose, a great amount of work has been sone in constructing caps & shelters of various kinds lately. Sixteen reinforcements arrived early this morning for our unit + one was wounded this afternoon while bringing water from the water depot. An enomy acroplane parsed over here at about 6pm & followed one of our oun machines down towards the Cape, & a little take another oe of our planes circled over head for a while. Another large batch of British troops landed Fid 6 here during the night, extensive preparations are being made for some big movement. During the day the enemy shelled our stores in Anzac Gove very heavily & two naval pinaces & several barges were sunt in the vicinity of Watsons pier. The noise of very heavy rifle + machine gun fire distarbed us about 5 30 am, followed by the sharp reports of our field guns, we soon realized that the enemy were attacking in force the system of trenshes captured from them last Sand momning in spont of Farmania poet, their attack failed altogether in the first instance. & they never made any very determined efford. light bet afterwards Our own casualties were very the enemy seems to have suffered rather heavily. Thousands of frsh toops are camped in all the gallys that offer any shelter, they have been landing during the dark hours of the night for the past week & the small ares in our posession seems undely crowded at present. At midday Bsection had orders to be preparid
JUSTRAIIA August 1915 to move at 3 30 pm, that involved each man sewing band 4d deep (abovt thb0 Patch a white p on each arm6 square on the back of the Aunie, these are intended as identification marks for our artillery observers n a precaution againt our own hroops being ifored upon by our artillery when the advance is in progress. At s s0 pm with 48 hrs iron rations & a fall waterbottle each we proceeded as a Shaprell gulle poind in retley at the old 4th Battalon Aid poed where we had orders to awaid further instructions. little after 4 30 por the 7th. Patt who had been in supports passed as + went on tto the Frenches. At 5 pm variaus warships that had suddenly come in whe scine along with every gun of our field artillery comenced to Honbard ithe enemigs positions, the eneorys sitillery inediately retalliated, & the incersan t crackle of rifte & machine gun ifire comensed & the whole atnoe phere in a few mincitee seemed to be in a regelar aid uproar stells were screuming nwhining through the air exploding overy where with a hearing crack only exceeded by the deafering report of the big gans on the warships, Strapnell shells began to explode in large numbers, lower down the gully over the hundreds of hoops sheltering there in receive & casualties were fairly numesous. We expected to receive orders any minutt to proceed to some part of the line where our services were required, but hours passed & none came, we began to get anxious, particulerly over the enactivity of the situation, there was little shelter + every minute large hourtz er shells were exploding in our vicinily showering masses of earth over us as tthey cracked & exploded in the ground al times only a faw yards away, one actually cracked mnong a doy or more of us The explosion Aossing us in all slightly directions, but fite was knd & only one chap who ounded wther not cerieuly, therg the conceission gave every one a therough shaking up. Any thing in the way of activity would have been a releef, it was impossible to beleeve we were not required somewhere, taking risks in performing a dangerous daty is passed by without farther notice, but
105 August 1915. inaction under the circumstances si e repent the un apticisting, as deribly despongabl t the derves, it was a welcome relief when we received orders at about 7 het for 7 sguads to report back to our camp my lof to be 2 ito remain at the post, It fell to one of those left, but for what purpose none of us Lwas shat knew, as there was nothing for as to do, evidently, the comunications above us were blocked & the cacualties we were expected to te handles through h were being diverted into other conuinications the only o duing the muttie o attented at night were g tthat what casualties we did handle in our inediate vicirity had occurred on the comunications none were from the trenches themselves, this state of affairs lasted through out the al day th I welooned the opportunity of olco taking of carualty down to the C.C Station fued to releive the effects of this forced inactively up thg a little. After about 8 pm. the noese & uproar of the continual arkillery cation t ty abated considerably but it went Sat y on eparmodically through the night, oshad to otet oure sver witl apserding anther nght tot might enditions. All comunication with the line seems to have ceased along the hack altogether, we had nothing whatever to do during the night, Te monaged to get a ysu minuter eleep at entervals. At about 6 am one of our large biplanes forced an enemy machine to ad descend in his own Aerritory. After spending the when much morning waiting for orders we were releived gave us inchuctimg, orders al 3pm, to proceed to the ct Zealand from which dressing Nation in Monach Fully we acristed to clear the wounded. We received a surprise upon reaching the Cove for anchored off Suvla were a doz numbers of or more transports & other smaller vessels along with several light cruisers & a number of T.B.D.s. which were continually on the move. The scene reminded British Kroope one of the landing here in Aprels. Cape during the night made a new landing on Suvlap
25 August 1915 they are fighting to yoin up with our left plant & force their way inland, while our own toops are attacking from their positions the commanding points of the platiau of Lare Bah the principal objective being hell 971, which the New Zealanders are aing som diperde fighting desperately to capture Our own infantry have captured Hhe enemys positions on Lone Pene after a terible chuggle + are making a wonderfully stand against the reseated counter attacks of the enemy to hold the Lone pine platean. furt before dusk we received orders to return to our camp, where we obtained ind a very welcome hot drink & had a meal, affer which we sommod 2 other squads + relayed the wounded from our caup to the EE.s about 8 pm a batch of a doy captured Turks were brought down from the Frenches there appears to have been a fair number of prisoners atheed taken. all the woun ded we should have handled during the night were brought The enemys down though Tistona, Clarks Pullies artillery has been rather give all day but ours has been very active a the war boats have done a considerable amount of firing. Car aerereft have been very active & since the enemy plane was forced down this morning no enemy planes have shewn up. The 1st Light Horse Regd suffered very leavy cosses today when charging the enemys positions. Lunds Some exhemely sever fighting has Laken place today all along our frond, & a desporate struggle is gaing on for the heights of Sare Bair hill g712 the heights obegond Luola plain The advance into the enemys Herritory has not been a complete success we have captured meny positions, bas the objectives have not been taken, the heights of Sar Bothe Bair are still in the enemys hands & it sums to be a hopeless tash now to capture this keg position, the unexplained olclay by the new shoops in attacking from the new randing at Subla seems to have settled our chance of capturing the Sare Bair heights, through the advantage of a sarprise attack upon the enemy from that direction being completely loed.
August 1915 Lund 8. Our enfly are consolicating their captured positions at Lone pene & up to the present have beaten athacs, which off successfully all enemy counter have been made with great violence. [Our air craft have been very active all day+ no eremy planes have been -seen. Vory large enery shells have been explading on the gim judge all day. Mond 9t. The serrific noise of a bombardment of the evenys poritions, by our warsheps the howibzer field gin batteries on shore woke me early about 5 am, when somce very severe fighting to the place & continued practically all day, great numbers of wounded cane down & we had the greated of difficulty to handle them & when relief came about 1pm we were well done ap= The 7th Pattalian suffered very heavily during the morning when the enemy counter ablacked their positions & very hearly bombed their frenches but facled to capture any. Very heavy fighting has been in progrees doring the day on the left flant as Savla, & this afternoon a fire started in the scrub & burned for hours. about 4pm Beachy Bill landed several very deshactive shells on Dawken's frind where the Indea maletranspord column suffered a number of casualties & lost 9nules. A mumber of art & in reenfs arrived this morning. Fueedwth. Early this morning the war boats & field gins Keavh Tothbarded the enemys positions our air craft have been extremely active today. as about ypm an enemy plane attenpted to destroy the captie balloon on the ballson ship, but one of our planes drove him off & he was insuncesfull. forced to return back over his own lines. I have been rather unwell for the part week but went down to it today while on Ration fatigac & was unable to go with my makes into the line tonighfat 7 pr
057 Wedn August 1915 Reported at Seck parade this morning & was pus off duty & instructed to remannen hed + take only milk diel. to have been Things seem very quick Loday, though it may have beemonly The my forced inactivily hes g me that impression v yor they have certainly been quiet with me, auite an unnatural sort of experience after the fact few months which have been the most perhaps, that exciting & strenuous in my life is what is telling on me, I do feel domerahat useless & room out now though I cannot day that I naticed it or felt it till yesterday. What a day It has been; what a budgett of experiences, if I could only hee put all my thoughts & recolcctions of the past four months on paper. The experiences & dangers have taken on a greater significance today, somewht unsettling, & things not noticed t offn when one is actively engaged in becomes carrying out some definite duly, c very apparant when one is left with only his thoughts as a means of occupation. One becomes rather unconscious of the disabilities of others while he himselfis not suffering any of them, & it has come home to me today, through my own experience, that we are here facing something at the present, very much more dangerous & powerfull than the enemy in his trenches opposite, & hat is sickness & disease, it is astounding that this situation did not give me any great concern before, as it has been very much in evidence during the part far weeks, f great numbers of our men have been drifting away to the hospitals as a result of it, & what is more Though concerning is the fact that as this is going on so also is the physical endurence of those left being reduced daily, though they doenet
SIN August 1915. seem to realize it, & here one feels rather in doubt about our efforts of carring through to a successful issue the Rremendous basd facing res, as our own Aushalian toses are continually greater than the number of seinforcements who come along to replace tthem. One thing amounting to a positive certainty helps one to cast aside sone of the uneasiness these thoughts bring when he knows & realizes that the average. Aushailian will stand up to his yob wice it tthrough or go down in the attempt it is humanely impossible to do more. thing to be Is is an bl unenviable. found wanting by your mates when they require your help & s this umoritten law among our hoops is reponsible for them standing up to the Gob. so well i certainly inspires them to do things that nothing else could, but this sickness proves to a man his limitations & how iuny his physical powers, when all things are considered. Spent a very uneasy day have been unable to Therent keep any food down. remained in bed all day. aircraft have been exceptionally active today Cur hospital rection came achore todays fook Snid B. over the sick hospital from 2nd Hld Amb This evening the sumble of a veryhearg artillary bonbardment can be heard ohar going on down at Helles. Spend an exhrenely uncomfortable day in bed have been sweating very freely ith Very much worse itoday alnoxt helpless, received Sad 14 injection to counteracd the voniting, Sersible headache & dreans. Head a little clearer otherwise no better Sund 15th removed to sick hospital between Pectnria Shrapnell gullies today, mates arrested me to walk the shou distance seem to have no sheught left at all.
August 1915 Mard 16th Capt. Poke examined me tthis moning & ordered me to hospital Temp 102? Leven Hickel marked Mudros P.C. W05. & told to makng way to C.C.S to eatch the hospital barge before it left. However it was almost impossible, for me Ao walk more than a few yds a a time, many give me a help along but I could not go for without a resd + at Hell Spit I got down for a spell & was too helplers to ged up, never will I forget that space of time in that epos within a few yols of the cemeteng in which so many comrades take their lasd fully long rest it is impossible to Describe ones through being so helplies & tenny to grving o leaviing feelings to gng ag many then t t then them behind knowing that the yil they gave their lives for is not completed. After the dapse of some considerable time a hap paving t telp no along again + I fenally reached aboat noon He C.C.S. in Angac bove, only to find the barge That meant had gone out to the Hospital ship Jusdl 17th waiting till 10 pm for the next. I must have slept for some hours as I woke with aretard when some shells exploded very close atent at about 6pm the shelling lasted some sime & dad a good deal of danage to the stores, besides causing a number of carualties s being killed very close to where we were. at about 10. pm a number of us were put on a barge ad Watonsipier & a piriace howed as out to the Hospital Ship Eleiwa we were broughton haard & examined by a doctor I was grven some neducine & pat on a mathers on dect & queen Several blanketts never before was a bed so welcome I practically fell down on it & was suched in by an orderlie but a fit of vomiting, gassed me some concern for a while, as also did the tempting ford which was hought to me I could not look at it, all I seemed to want was to sleep. briakfars Had a very unsetled night. Exhenely tempting
AUS7 was provided but could not look as any food, continually roniting feel too weak to move. About 10 am a Rawler Good Design came alongside & a number of us were taken on board, & honeferred across to Imbros harbour repat on board the suprovised hospital ship Georgian. at about 6pm we steamed out of the har boar. Wed 1th juit after sunrise we interedt Mudros hadbour + anc hored. a few patients were hanefrred to the hospitals on shore daring the day but practically all of us are to remain on board a oving to all the hospitals being fell. There were 1060 pahint in board lasd night with only two doctors several nurses? very few orderlies to attend tto us, the old bast is a a cattle boat of the Lexland Line sigrace; it has recently carried a cargo of mates & horses+ after unloading was cleaned out whitwashed, & makesses laid on the deck where the stalls had been renoved from, for ces to ale o beaks. Vanting onot so bad today had a little wilh fo wee puading al medday. Thous. Feeling enfet sich all day, no attention whatever, food hame are ress + smell of tthe place makes one crave to get off the bect August 1915 Thid 20th Faling slightly better today, attempted little porridge for bbreakfest & kept it down for short ahile, managed to keep libble bocled suce milk down for dinner & slce of bread? buther fortea Hill at Anchor, seems we are not going to be put astore here, any where would be preferable to being on this derty Sub in such uncomfortable quarters. Spen a bad dlay vomiding again Sat21 fund 25 Feeling better today kept some food doon, Breakfast consists of a little porridge with a small slue of hread a batter & a bowl of tea, for dinner wve get bully beefr petadoes in their shine sometiaes ruce & milk & for sea a slice of headr batter ryan & a bowloftea, it has to beygam for the butter is beyond anyone Ire tacked nething like il. about 8 pm we weighed anchor + steamed out of Muros harbour, Mond25t. Sem to be picking up now faling lot better to day. Sea has been wonderfally calm like shet of glacs
L.100 210

August 1915

later one of our biplanes came over from Imbros &

circled overhead till the enemy plane returned

from the Cape. We expected to see a bit of an

exciting air fight as the enemy machine was

a great deal higher than ours & he dived down at

it as though intending to fight it, but the bluff

did not work & he turned off & headed for his own

lines with our plane following him up. The enemy

sent some very heavy shells over on to the gun ridge

this morning.

Mond 2nd. Three light cruisers have been shelling the ridge of 
Ach Baba & also some enemy positions in the gully 
behind Rapa Tepe all the afternoon. Large enemy 
shells have been falling on the gun ridge again today 
At about 6 pm an enemy aeroplane apparently made 
a deliberate attempt to bomb the Hospital ship, which 
was at anchor about 2 miles out, fortunately the bomb
exploded iin the water about 300 yards away, there were 
no other vessels in the vicinity at the time & 

no excuses could be made for the dastardly act,

the machine came straight over our camp & let another 
bomb go when he appeared to be immediately overhead 
however it landed near the wireless station in Clarks 
gully & exploded harmlessly. Two guns of the No 9 
Battery set up to fire at aeroplanes sent shells after 
him as fast as they could fire, but without any 
further result than making him rise higher into the 
air. A field gun is a very unweildy thing to use against aeroplanes & no satisfactory results can be expected from them.

Tuesd 3rd. An enemy aeroplane flew over at a great height 
at about 6 am & again about 5 pm but he did not 
drop any bombs in our vicinity. During the morning 
I had a look through the trenches captured from the enemy 

a few last Sund morning. Two cruisers have been 
shelling the ridge of Ache Baba all the afternoon. 
One of our aeroplanes circled overhead for a while at 
about 5.30 p.m. Generally things have been quiet today.

 

August 1915
Wed 4th. The explosion of a bomb dropped by an enemy aeroplane 
woke me this morning just after dawn, it fell about 

50 yds away & exploded with a deafening crash but done 

no damage. We have been engaged today constructing 

a sand-bag shelter for a dressing station in our camp

which is situated in our camp at the end of the

communication sap from Victoria to Shrapnell gullys. 

A large number of Kitcheners new army arrived here 
during the night & are bivouaced in the various gullys 
in which terraces have been dug recently for that 

purpose, a great amount of work has been done in 

constructing saps & shelters of various kinds lately. 

Sixteen reinforcements arrived early this morning for 

our unit & one was wounded this afternoon while bringing 

water from the water depot. An enemy aeroplane 
passed over here at about 6 pm & followed one of our 
own machines down towards the Cape, & a little later 
another one of our planes circled overhead for a while.

Thurs 5th. Another large batch of British troops landed 
here during the night, extensive preparations are being 

made for some big movement. During the day the enemy 
shelled our stores in Anzac Cove very heavily & two 
naval pinaces & several barges were sunk in the vicinity 

of Watsons pier.

Frid 6th. The noise of very heavy rifle & machine gun fire disturbed 

us about 5 30 am, followed by the sharp reports of our 

field guns, we soon realized that the enemy were 

attacking in force the system of trenches captured from 
them last Sund morning in front of Tasmania post, 
their attack failed altogether in the first instance. 
& they never made any very determined effort 
afterwards. Our own casualties were very light but 

the enemy seems to have suffered rather heavily. 

Thousands of fresh troops are camped in all the gullys 

that offer any shelter, they have been landing during 

the dark hours of the night for the past week & the 

small area in our posession seems unduly crowded at

present. At midday B section had orders to be prepared

 

August 1915

to move at 3 30pm, that involved each man sewing

a white patch band 4" deep on each arm ^ above the elbow, &  a patch xxx 6" square on the back

of the tunic, these are intended as identification marks

for our artillery observers & a precaution against our own

troops being fired upon by our artillery when the

advance is in progress. At 3 30pm with 48 hrs

iron rations & a full water bottle each we procceded to a

point in xxxx valley  Shrapnel gully at the old 4th Battalion Aid post

where we had orders to await further instructions. A little

after 4 30pm the 7th Batt who had been in supports passed

us & went on  in to the trenches. At 5 pm various

warships that had suddenly come on the scene along with

every gun of our field artillery comenced to bombard the

enemys positions, the enemys artillery imediately

retalliated, & the incessant crackle of rifle & machine

gun fire comenced & the whole atmosphere in a few

minutes seemed to be in a regular mad uproar, shells 

were screaming & whining through the air exploding everywhere 
with a tearing crash only exceeded by the

deafening report of the big guns on the warships. Shrapnell

shells began to explode in large numbers lower down the

gully over the hundreds of troops shelling there in reserve.

& casualties were fairly numerous. We expected to

receive orders any minute to proceed to some part of 

the line where our services were required, but hours

passed & none came, we began to get anxious,

particularly over the inactivity of the situation, there

was little shelter & every minute large howitzer shells

were exploding in our vicinity showering masses of

earth over us as they crashed & exploded in the ground

at times only a few yards away, one actually crashed

among a dozen or more of us the explosion tossing us in all

directions, but fate was kind & only one chap was ^slightly wounded

& not seriously though but the concussion gave everyone

a thorough shaking up. Anything in the way of activity

would have been a relief, it was impossible to believe

we were not required somewhere, taking risks in performing

a dangerous duty is passed by without further notice, but

 

August 1915

inaction under the^se circumstances which we spent the

nightwaiting, & is terribly destructive  trying on the nerves, &

it was a welcome releif when we received orders at

daybreak about 7pm for 7 squads to report back to our camp &

2 to remain at the post, it fell to my lot to be

one of those left, but for what purpose none of us

knew, as there was nothing for us to do,  it was evidently  that the

comunications above us were blocked & the casualties

we were expected to be handle though this service were

being diverted into other comunications the only 
casualties we attended during the night were ones that

what casualties we did handle had occurred in the comunications ^in our imediate vicinity none were from

the trenches themselves, this state of affairs lasted 

all throughout the day with us & we welcomed the opportunity of

taking ^ an occasional casualty down to the CC Station about

upon just to releive the effects of this forced inactivity

when the occasion a little. After about 8 pm the 

noise & uproar of the continual artillery action

during the day abated considerably but it went

on spasmodically throughout the night, we had to
content ourselves with spending another night out under
last night conditions.

Sat 7th. All communication with the line seems to have ceased

along this track altogether, we had nothing whatever

to do during the night, we ^& managed to get a few

minutes sleep at intervals. At about 6 am one of our

large biplanes forced an enemy machine to land

descend in his own territory. After spending the

morning waiting for orders we were  much releived xxxxx ^when

instructions  orders at 3pm ^gave us instructions to proceed to the N Zealand

dressing station in Monash Gully where ^from which we assisted 

to clear the wounded. We received a surprise upon 

reaching the Cove for anchored off Suvla were a doz

or more transports & ^numbers of other smaller vessels along

with several light cruisers & a number of T B.Ds which

were continually on the move. The scene reminded

one of the landing here in April. British troops

made a new landing on  Cape Suvla post during the night

 

August 1915

& they are fighting to join up with our left flank

& force their way inland, while our own troops

are attacking from their positions to capture the

commanding points of the xxx plateau of Sari Bahr

the principal objective being hill 971, which the

New Zealanders are doing some desperate fighting

desperately to capture Our own infantry have

captured the enemys positions on Lone Pine after 

a terrible struggle & are making a wonderful stand

against the repeated counter attacks of the enemy to

hold the Lone Pine plateau. Just before dusk we

received orders to return to our camp, where we obtained

a very welcome hot drink & had a meal, after which we xxxxx  releived

2 other squads & relayed the wounded from our camp to the C.C.S.

About 8pm a batch of a doz captured Turks were brought

down from the Trenches there appears to have been a fair

number of prisoners captured taken All the wounded

we should have handled during the night were brought

down through Victoria & Clark's Gullies. The enemys

artillery has been rather quiet all day but ours has been very active

& the war boats have done a considerable amount of firing.

Our aircraft have been very active & since the enemy

plane was forced down this morning no enemy planes

have shown up. The 1st Light Horse Regt suffered very

heavy losses today when charging the enemys positions.

Sund 8th. Some extremely sever fighting has taken place today all

along our front, & a desperate struggle is going on for the heights

of Sari Bair hill 971 & the heights beyond Suvla plain

The advance into the enemys territory has not been a

complete success we have captured enemy positions, but

the objectives have not been taken, the heights of

Sari Bahr Bair are still in the enemys hands & it

seems to be a hopeless task now to capture this key

position, the unexplained delay by the new troops

in attacking from the new landing at Suvla seems

to have settled our chance of capturing the Sari Bair

heights, through the advantage of a surprise attack

upon the enemy from that direction being completely

lost.

 

August 1915

Sund 8th. Our infty are consolidating their captured positions

at Lone Pine & up to the present have taken

off successfully all enemy counter attacks, which

have been made with great violence. Our

aircraft have been very active all day & no

enemy planes have been seen. Very large enemy

shells have been exploding on the gun ridge all

day.

Mond 9th. The terrific noise of a bombardment of the enemys 

positions, by our warships & the howitzer & field gun

batteries on shore woke me early about 5 am, when

some very severe fighting took place & continued

practically all day, great numbers of wounded came

down & we had the greatest difficulty to handle them

& when relief came about 1 pm we were well done up.

The 7th Battalion suffered very heavily during the 

morning when the enemy counter attacked their

positions & very heavily bombed their trenches but failed

to capture any. Very heavy fighting has been in

progress during the day on the left flank at

Suvla, & this afternoon a fire started in the

scrub & burned for hours. About 4pm

Beachy Bill landed several very destructive

shells in Dawkins point where the Indian

mule transport column suffered a number of

casualties & lost 9 mules. A number of

art & inf reinfs arrived this morning.

Tuesd 10th. Early this morning the war boats & field guns

 heavily bombarded the enemys positions. Our air craft

have been extremely active today. At about 7pm

an enemy plane attempted to destroy the captive

balloon on the balloon ship, but one of our

planes drove him off & he was unsuccessfull

forced to return back over his own lines.

I have been rather unwell for the past week 

but went down to it today while on ration

fatigue & was unable to go with my mates

into the line tonight at 7pm.

 

August 1915

Wed 11th  Reported at sick parade this morning & was 

put off duty & instructed to remain in bed &

take only milk diet. Things seem to have been

very quiet today, though it may have been only

my the forced inactivity has given that gave me that impression

they have it has certainly been quiet with me, quite

an unnatural sort of experience after the

past few months which have been the most

exciting & strenuous in my life, perhaps that

is what is telling on me, I do feel somewhat

useless & worn out now though I cannot say

that I noticed it or felt it till yesterday.

What a day it has been; what a budgett of

experiences, if I could only have put all my

thoughts & recolections of the past four months

on paper. The experiences & dangers have

taken on a greater significance today, somewhat

unsettling! & things not noticed xxxx xxx

xxxxx when one is actively engaged in

carrying out some definite duty, comes becomes

very apparent when one is left with, only

his thoughts as a means of occupation.

One becomes rather unconscious of the 

disabilities of others while he himself is

not suffering any of them, & it has come home

to me today, through my own experience, that

we are here facing something at the present,

very much more dangerous & powerfull than

the enemy in his trenches opposite, that is

sickness & disease, it is astounding that

this situation did not give me any great concern

before, as it has been very much in evidence

during the past few weeks, as  for great numbers

of our men have been drifting away to the

hospitals as a result of it, & what is more

concerning though is the fact that as this is going

on so also is the physical endurance of those

left being reduced daily, though they do not

 

August 1915

seem to realize it, & here one feels rather in

doubt about our efforts of carring through to

a successful issue the tremendous task

facing us, as our own Australian losses

are continually greater than the number

of reinforcements who come along to replace

them. One thing amounting to a positive

certainty helps one to cast aside some of

the uneasiness these thoughts being when

he knows & realizes that the average

Austrailian will stand up to his job & see

it through or go down in the attempt &

it is humanely impossible to do more.

It is an enviable unenviable thing to be

found wanting by your mates when they

require your help & xxxx this unwritten

law among our troops is responsible

for them standing up to the job so well.

it certainly inspires them to do things

that nothing else could, but this sickness

proves to a man his limitations & how puny his

physical powers, when all things are considered.

Thurs 12th. Spent a very uneasy day have been unable to

keep any food down, remained in bed all day.

airccraft have been exceptionally active today.

Frid 13th. Our hospital section came ashore today & took

over the sick hospital from 2nd Fild Amb

This evening the rumble of a very heavy artillery

bombardment can be heard down going on down at

Helles. Spent an extremely uncomfortable day in

bed have been sweating very freely.

Sat 14th. Very much worse today almost helpless, received

injection to counteract the vomiting, terrible

headache & dreams.

Sund 15th Head a little clearer, otherwise no better

removed to sick hospital between Victoria &

Shrapnell gullies today, mates assisted me to 

walk the short distance seem to have no strenght

left at all.

 

August 1915

Mond 16th Capt Pote examined me this morning & ordered

me to hospital Temp 102.8 Given ticket marked

"Mudros" "P.O. W O" & told to make my way to

C.C.S to catch the hospital barge before it

left. However it was almost impossible for me

to walk more than a few yds at a time, many

gave me a help along but could not go far without

a rest & at Hell Spit I got down for a spell & was

too helpless to get up, never will I forget that

space of time in that spot within a few yds of the

cemetery in which so many comrades take their last

long rest it is impossible to  fully describe ones

feelings in going away through being so helpless doing them xxxxxxxxxxxx & leaving

xx xxx them behind knowing that the job they

gave their lives for is not completed. after the 

lapse of some considerable time I got a chap

passing to help  helped me along again & I finally reached

the CCS in Anzac Cove about noon only to find the barge

had gone out to the Hospital ship & that meant

waiting till 10pm for the next. I must have slept

for some hours as I woke with a start when some

shells exploded very close xxxxxxx at about

6 pm the shelling lasted some time & did a good

deal of damage to the shores, beside causing a

number of casualties 3 being killed very close

to where we were.

At about 10 pm a number of us were put on a barge

at Watsons pier & a pinace towed us out to the

Hospital Ship "Rewa" we were brought on board

& examined by a doctor I was given some medicine

& put on a mattress on deck & given several blankets

never before was a bed so welcome I practically

fell down on it & was tucked in by an orderlie

but a fit of vomiting, gaved me some concern for

a while, as also did the tempting  food which was

brought to me I could not look at it, all I

seemed to want was to sleep.

Tuesd 17th Had a very unsettled night. Extremely tempting breakfast

 

was provided but could not look at any food, continually

vomiting, feel too weak to move. About 10 am a trawler

Good Design came alongside & a number of us were taken on

board, & transferred across to Imbros harbour & put on

board the improvised hospital ship "Serogian". at about

6 pm we steamed out of the harbour.

Wed 18th Just after sunrise we entered Mudros harbour & anchored.

a few patients were transferred to the hospital on shore during

the day but practically all of us are to remain on board xx

owing to all the hospitals being full. There were 1060 patients

on board last night with only two doctors several nurses &

very few orderlies to attend to us, the old boat is a

disgrace  a cattle boat of the Leyland line it has recently carried a cargo of mules & horses &

after unloading was cleaned out whitewashed, & matresses
laid on deck where the stalls had been removed from, for us
to be used as beds. Vomiting no so bad today had a little
milk from rice pudding at midday.
Thurs 19th Feeling awful all day. no attention whatever, food
turns me up & the smell of the place makes one crave to get off the 
boat.

August 1915

Frid 20th Feeling slightly better today, attempted little porridge for

breakfast & kept it down for short while, managed to keep

little boiled rice & milk down for dinner & slice of bread &

butter for tea. Still at anchor, seems we are not going

to be out ashore, any where would be preferable to being

on this dirty tub in such uncomfortable quarters.

Sat 21st Spent a bad day vomiting again.

Sund 22nd. Feeling better today kept some food down.

Breakfast consists of a little porridge, with a small slice of bread 

& butter & a bowl of tea, for dinner we get bully beef & potatoes

in their skins sometimes rice & milk & for tea a slice of bread & butter

again & a bowl of tea, it has to be jam for the butter is beyond

any one I've tasted nothing like it. About 8 pm we weighed anchor

& steamed out of Mudros harbour.

Mond 23rd. Seem to be picking up now feeling lot better today. Sea has

been wonderfully calm like sheet of glass.

 

 

 

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