Diary of Theodor Milton Pflaum, 1915-1916 - Part 3

and Skeletons of soldiers                                                       
who fell in the Battle of Tel-El-Kebir 
  
Wednesday 23/2/16 
Out on a tactical scheme 
with the Battalion - Dug 
M.G. emplacements and got 
my hands full of blisters. 
wrote letters at night. 
  
Thursday 24/2/16 
Drill as usual - Nothing 
very exciting 
  
Friday 25/2/16 
Went about 5 miles into 
the desert on a scheme 
and stayed out until Sat. 
morning 1am. Mail 
waiting for us when we 

got back. 
  
Saturday 26/2/16 
Cleaned up the Guns and 
did very little work - too 
hot - Its gradually 
getting warmer here. 
  
Sunday 27/2/16 
Handed in our rifles for 
others - missed church and

got hauled over the mat 
A rotten day - blew hurricanes. 
  
Monday 28/2/16 
A big crowd of soldiers 
have been coming in daily 
Saw Lance Rhodes of the original 
10^th      Wrote letters at 
night.  Inspection by Birdwood 
  
Tuesday 29/2/16 
Usual parades and 
got our two guns (old ones) 
ready to hand over. 
They are forming us into a  
M.G. Coy and we are to 
lose 2ap worst luck. 
Hann was shot accidentally & buried *same day.* 
  
Wednesday 1/3/16   
A hot day not much  
work done - more men 
arrived. 
  
Thursday 2/3/16 
Half day off was principle 
feature - very hot & 
dusty. Sent home some 
photos of B. Self. 
  
Friday 3/3/16 
Handed our guns over to 52^nd

Battalion - Jolly glad to get  
rid of it. 
  
 Saturday 4/3/16 
Max interviewed the Brigadier 
and received his commission. 
[*not granted*] 
Wake was offered & accepted MGO of 
new Lewis Gun Section. Heard 
Pat had gone to Ismailia. 
  
Sunday 5/3/16 
Went to Church Parade in 
the morn & for a ride on 
the MG. Horses in the afternoon. 
Johnie (HS) & I had a high tea 
cooked by ourselves. 
  
Monday 6^th/3/16. 
Rumour no mail for 6 
or 8 weeks. 
  
Tuesday 7/3/16 
Cleaned up guns and had 
a bit of difficulty. 
  
Wednesday 8/3/16 
Nothing much doing -

Thursday 9/3/16 
Half holiday - Transferred 
to M.G. Company 
  
Friday 10/3/16 
Got things a bit ship 
shape in our new 
quarters - half holiday. 
Mail came in. 
  
Saturday 11/3/16 
Range taking in morning 
& mechanism in the 
afternoon -  We are 
starting all over again in 
M.G. Work 
  
Sunday 12/3/16 
Church Parade     Had 
a good bath and 
wrote letters. Parcel of chocs from M. 
  
Monday 13/3/16 
Hot day. - Out on 
Section Drill.  Capt M. 
Stirring the crowd up 
  
Tuesday 14/3/16 
Hot day - flies getting a 
bally pest.

Wednesday 15/3/16 
Innoculation again Typhoid 
 - other previous innoculation 
found to be ineffective 
Concert in Y.M.C.A by 
Countess DeLavison 
  
Thursday 16/3/16 
Pay day - cabled for 
tenner.  Innoculation 
stirring us up.   I was 
jolly crook last night. 
  
Friday 17/3/16 
Out on Gun Drill & Signalling 
Had a note from Tab. He's 
gone into Hospital at Abassia 
  
Saturday 18/3/16 
Nothing very particular beyond 
the heat & flies - they are 
getting the Devils own pests. 
  
Sunday 19/3/16 
Went up to the photographer 
to get my films - wrote 
letters in the afternoon

Monday 20/3/16 
Started non commissioned officers 
 [????]  school - Crowd in 
for promotion. 
  
Tuesday 21/3/16 
Max's com. came out - 
Has adopted an air of Lordship 
already - Am afraid I'll 
have a bit of Trouble in 
remembering to call him "Sir" 
  
Wednesday 22/3/16 
Had a visit from the Prince 
of Wales. I happened 
to be on the Gun at  
Section Drill and consequently 
had a good look at him 
as he pulled up in front of 
me to see us work.  Had 
a big body-guard. I got  
several photos of him as he 
was on his way back to 
lunch. 
  
Thursday 23/3/16 
Had a bit of  Squad drill 
in the morn & washing 
parade in the afternoon. 
Ray moved off in the morning

Thursday 23/3/16 
and at about 4 oclock PM 
we got orders to be ready 
to move at 6pm. bought 
Boarded trucks at 7PM and 
were ordered to detrain at 
Moaskar.  Bivouaced there 
for the night and marched 
from there to Ferry Post in 
the morning - about 4 miles with 
full pack & blankets. 
↓ 
Friday 24/3/16 
Looked Ray up & found he 
was out in the trenches on 
guard. His crowd have 
a tip top camp overlooking 
Timsah Lake on the Canal. 
(*just near the Canal from Ismailiah*)  
We are about 1_^1/2 miles from  
him.  Had a swim 
before tea, the first for a  
good while. 
  
Saturday 25/3/16 
Were on straightening things 
up a bit - digging latrines 
etc. Had a bonza 
swim.

  
Sunday 26/3/16. 
Church parade in the morn 
Innoculation in the afternoon 
but wrote my letters before I 
felt the effect 
  
Monday 27/3/16 
Didnt have much sleep 
last night & am still 
feeling pretty crook. Went 
up to Ray but he was  
out in the Bastions. 
  
Tuesday 28/3/16 
Went into Ismailia on 
duty on a bike - about 
4 or 5 miles.  The roads 
are beautiful in this country. 
Had a swim this afternoon 
and pulled our tents down 
ready for the desert stakes 
tomorrow 
  
Ferry Post  Wednesday 29/3/16 
Reveille at 4am Breakfast 
[[on steam?}} 4.30am  Moved 
off 5am.  Had a jolly 
hot march -  Left the 
crowd at the Rail Heads &

Wednesday Continued 
came on here [(Seraco?)] (haven't named 
the place as yet) arrived here 
9.30 am and rigged up 
shade with blankets etc. 
Bonza & cool Towards evening 
  
Thursday 30/3/16 
Anxiously waited all day 
for water & could only get 
a dixie full each when the 
32^nd Batt arrived tonight. 
They had a rotten march 
& more than half dropped 
out on the way.  They 
had had no water except 
what was given to them 
in their water Bottles when they 
left.  A few camels with 
fantasas came with them but 
hardly enough for each man to 
have a drink when they arrived. 
I went back to meet Ray & 
Cyril James.  They went to 
the pack & I found them 
about 2 miles behind the 
rest of the crowd straggling 
along. I carried their packs 
in and managed to get a

bit of water for them. The 
water problem was getting serious. 
We heard of the terrible march 
of the 14^th Batt from Tel. El. K. 
9 men died on the way & 
one shot himself. This crowd 
would have all been lost 
in the desert had it not 
been for the N.Z. Mounted 
Rifles -  They helped them 
& gave the worst what little 
water they could spare. An 
aeroplane also noticed they 
were going off the track and 
directed them. If we 
had not caught a train when 
we did from Tel-El-Kebir, we 
would have been in the same  
boat. 
  
Friday 31/3/16 
Our Section under Max Lille- 
crapp (Sec Lieut) were ordered 
to take up our posts in the 
first line of trenches. We 
marched out with a pannican 
of water each on the chance 
of getting more from those 
that are relieved & were lucky 
enough to get it. We are

Friday 31/3/16 
getting water daily from camels. 
Was put in charge of my gun 
team at an observation post here 
at Gundagai. A tip top 
position. We draw our 
Rations from Capt Fisher of the  
31^st. This is about ten 
miles from Ferry Post. The 
engineers have put up some 
fine trenches here. Am 
occupying a bonza little dug 
out with two bunks in it. The 
nearest I've had to a bed since 
I left.  Had a visit from  
Col Toll (31st I.B.) & was given 
orders. 
  
Saturday 1/4/16 
Max L came across today & 
bought some letters for us. Capt. 
Marsdon also turned up and 
paid us & gave Max instructions 
for us to move over to Bas's 
position - the other two guns 
are coming here.  We will 
be right on the extreme left 
flank of the 8^th Brig which 
is holding 8 miles of front. 
Bas has got another stripe now.   
  
Sunday 2/4/16 
We are doing all our own cooking. 
The N.Z. crowd left us a larder 
& we are doing first class - Have 
got a little kitchen underground. 
Which we have improved on 
a lot. The fellows have also 
made bunks for themselves in 
the trench. Got advice of 
my money from the Anglo- 
Egyptian Bank - dated 23/3/16. 
Moved over here to 31A - relieved 
by Max  & party. There 
are 17 of us over on this post 
with Sgt B in charge 
  
Monday 3/4/16 
I put up a bunk in Bas's 
dug-out - a cosy little spot 
too - have been hanging photos 
on the wall 
  
Tuesday 4/4/16 
Max came over to see us. 
The other fellows are busy putting 
up dug outs for themselves in 
the trenches. Jolly hot & flies 
enough to send a chap barmy 
Wrote a few letters

Wednesday 5/4/16 
Capt Marsdon over to see us 
Wrote a couple of notes 
  
Thursday 6/4/16 
Received an alarm that 100 turks 
close handy - stood to arms 
but nothing doing. 
  
Friday 7/4/16 
Part of 31^st just below got orders 
to pack up - to be relieved 
next day.  Sgt McKie gave us 
a larder. Got parcel from home 
& one from Mary Chap. 
  
Saturday 8/4/16 
Put the drivers through qualification 
shooting. Have got 2000 rounds 
to fire away. 
Doctor of 31^st came out - entertained 
us for ^1/2 an hour & left some 
cigs for the fellows. 
One of our chaps killed two  
adders close to our dug outs 
Most of the men suffering 
with diarrheoa 
  
Sunday 9/4/16 
Did a little firing & finished 
drivers. 
Mail arrived hence everybody  
busy      None from M.      
  
Monday 10/4/16 
Did some application practice 
Capts Marsdon  & Bridgford out 
to inspect 
  
Tuesday 11/4/16 
Firing with stoppages in the 
morning & fixing up overhead 
cover in the emplacement 
in afternoon 
Billy cans came to light 
one amonst 3 of us and 
a bit of stuff extra - It 
was a treat absolutely. 
Diarrheoa still rife. 
  
Wednesday 12/4/16 
Inspection by General McKay 
& heads - did a little firing. 
Jolly hot day.