Diary of Lindsay Robert Turner, 1917-1918 (Vol. 2) - Part 5

40
camp have dinner and tea there and
commence our journey again at 8
oclock. Everyone appreciated it in
spite of the muddy state of the roads.
It at least gave all a chance of stretching
their legs and seeing Something of
an Italian town. I had to remain
on Guard at the Station until 4 and
when relieved made my way straight
to the Hotel Corona some 10 minutes
walk from the Station for a much
needed hot bath. There was a great
rush on the one bath the place
possessed so Cairns and I booked
a wash and then started out to
see the town. Faenza is very
much like Suez as far as the shops
are concerned and the streets
are just as narrow and as
crooked. We made several purchases
of eatables and had of
course great trouble to make
the natives understand what
 

41
we were actually after. We have no trouble
when they understand French but the
small shopkeepers very rarely do. The
bath we enjoyed very much both of
us got in the out bath and wiped
with the same towel just because we
had no time to wait until more
water was obtained and one towel
was all we could unearth. As a Garet
I was let off with a payment of 50
centimes for my bath. Cairns paid
2.50 lira. I had to return to the
station at 6 and resume my
duties as Officer of the Guard and in
doing so found I had wandered into
a street which was pitch dark and
had no idea where it led to. I naturally
thought of Stilettos and Cut Throats
tho' my nationality may have
saved me after many queries I
landed back at the Station quite
whole and without a puncture.
After we got everybody safely
 

42
30/12/17.  I still incline to the habit of
waking up immediately we stop at
a station. We reached Bologna
at 10. This is an extremely large
town and a Great railway centre
judging by the numerous lines
running in all directions. I went to
sleep again and woke up to find
ourselves at Piacenza somewhere
about 6. We were due to arrive
at Voghera our next Halte Repas
at 8.20 it wasn't wise to go to
sleep again for a stop for hot tea
means an expenditure of much energy
and little waste of time at that.
No sooner had we arrived at Voghera
and allowed everyone to have a
wash when we enjoyed the prospect
of seeing snow falling and it is
 

43
a wonderful sight without a doubt.
After we left it continued to fall and
gradually the ground became whiter
and whiter. We spent quite a lot of
time admiring the scene as we
went along. It's an especially fine
sight to see a broad strip just one
pure white without an obstruction
of any kind. We expect to reach
the foot of the Alps at 6 oclock
and naturally feel very disappointed
because we did want to see them
in daylight. The tunnel who takes
at least half an hour to traverse
would also be most interesting
in the day time We will probably
be well asleep when we go thro'
At midday we passed thro another
large Railway Centre Alessandria
but beyond remaining in the
semi darkness under an immense
iron roof. Covering Several platforms
for about half an hour nothing
 

44
interesting happened. Our next Halte
Repas was Turin or as it is called
Torino Suidamento the home of the
F.I.A.T. Motor Car and there we arrived
at 4 o'clock. Turin is one of the
largest cities in Italy and I should
say so by the extensive nature of
the place. We couldnt resist indulging
in a snowballing and without a
doubt it is fine exercise. The men
were very pleased to get hot tea
and altho' not of the best quality
they drunk it down with much
vigor. Almost immediately after
leaving Turin we entered the
Alps Country and here we were
destined to see probably some of
the most magnificent it will
ever be our good fortune to see
We arrived at Bussoleno at
the very foot of the Alps proper
at 6 oclock after having the
opportunity of seeing them in
 

45
the distance just a dusk was falling
It was truly a magnificent sight
one of the finest I've ever Seen. Huge
mountains which seemed impenetrable
stood before us in silent majesty.
It was to us indeed a problem how
we were to get to the other Side
We heard of a tunnel some 15
miles long and it was conceivable
now. We reached Bussoleno just
when the moon was up and it
enabled us to see still more of
the mountains and their magnificence
Just here the lines are
electrified and the trains are
taken to Modane the frontier
town by electric power We
were stranded at Bussoleno
for some hours I decided to
wait up and see the tunnel
but I went to sleep instead
to be awakened at 1 AM by the
adjutant still stranded to
 

46
use my influence in Removing a
french soldier from the train. I
succeeded in persuading him he
would have to travel by another
train and it was cold standing
in the clear morning air talking
French. After that I threw
discretion to the winds and
decided to sleep tunnel or no
tunnel.
31/12/17. The last day of the Old
Year and I welcomed it in
by waking up at 5 and gazing
at the mountains towering above
us at Modane which we
had somehow reached while
I was asleep. Once again I
went into raptures over the
magnificent scenery. It
was intensely Cold due to the
high altitude and snow and
ice was everywhere. The fir
 

47
trees growing on the mountain
slopes looked very pretty and here
and there a tiny rivulet was to
be seen rushing down into a
mountain stream running parallel
with the railway. Perched high
up were villages half buried in
snow and surrounded by rows
of vines. One would wonder how
people could live under such
conditions yet they seem flourishing
and where we pass houses close
to the Railway line the people
come out and cheer us on
our way. One very notable thing
we do notice and that is the
warmth of the French welcome as
opposed to the Italian and I for
one was glad we had escaped
from the tender care of the
Italian train Gangs. They aren't
wholeheartedly in favor of the
allies in my opinion.
 

48
and might very easily upset a
train at Some critical turn in
the line. Only a week ago a train
load of French soldiers were
precipitated at the bottom of an
incline and lost 300 men in the
smash-up. We ran into the next
rest camp at Montmelian at
10.30 and here was demonstrated
the superior arrangements of the
French rest camps over the Italian.
The train ran right up to the
site and all the men had to
do was to file out of the train
onto the platform and indulge
in hot tea straight off. We
settled down after that to a long
afternoon's rest for we werent
due at the rest camp at St. Germain
au Mont d'or until 8. We had to
pass through Lyons on the way to St
Germain and rather looked forward
to seeing it as its one of the
 

49
largest cities in France and the
centre of the Silk industry. We ran into
the Station about 8 and were just in
time to hear some New Year Reveller
going past and we reciprocated by
heartly singing Australian Songs.
We all siezed the opportunity of
dashing up and down the Station
in an endeavour to keep warm
for it was easily the Coldest night
we had so far experienced. When
we arrived at St Germain Some
20 minutes later we were told
that we would have to Spend the
night in the train altho' we were
all ready to move into Camp
and would have breakfast on
the following day at Camp. We
all submitted with good grace
tho' after getting ready we would
sooner have moved into tents
and chanced the Cold. We are
having some Curious experiences.