Diary of Lindsay Robert Turner, 1918 (Vol. 3) - Part 1

157
 

1057
 

PRO1698/3
 

Vol. 3

L. [[Rowney?]]
 

1
 

6/2/18 We went out with the Bty

again this morning still in the 

process of learning how to drive
We often find ourselves at cross 

purposes with the Sydney Officers 

and it’s a most difficult matter 

as [[B.c.?]] to make them do as you 

wish and not as they wish the 

old antagonism Sydney vs Melbourne
coming to the fore even this far 

and under the Conditions that 

exist. We indulged in some more
of the Colonels - Our Chief Instructor 

and [[R.F.A.?]] man - idiosyncrasies 

night firing. Instead of leisurely
dressing for mess we here sent 

down to the Gun Park and shown 

the method of firing by night 

under Service Conditions.
Received a very pleasant Surprise 

Going into mess for I found a 

letter from my brother announcing
 

 

His arrival here the day before. Like 

a Victorian and an old Soldier he 

was too shy to [ly?]] use out of my
Quarters so wrote instead. Needless 

to say I didn't take long digging

him out found that the had been
posted  to my battery and was 

actually in the same hut with 

two of my old fellows and then
they didn’t identify him. The 

remarkable part about the whole 

thing was the celerity with which
his transfer was effected just 

3 weeks. 

7/2/18 Another day mounted and 

we were passed as fit. So far 

so good. The opportunities of 

daily manoeuvres aren’t quite 

so good as at Maribyrnong.
Most of the fields are Cultivated
and those not are normally
 

closed to trespassing so that
the grass will not be destroyed
With Some dismay we learned
that there would be an exam 

on Saturday morning which 

would probably decide the next
candidates for the School at
[[Lark?]] Hill. Consequently we deemed 

it wise to work tonight.
8/2/18. We might probably have 

employed the day on private 

study but that opened up an 

avenue of possibilities of loafing
So we were kept hard at it
all day. It was Cold bitterly Cold
so we were taken to the most
exposed part of the vicinity
and lectured on the advantages 

of [[O.P.’s?]] otherwise observing 

posts. Friday night so
usually just night at mess 
and we toast the King’s health

as a rule in [[Service?]] [[tunic?]]
Tonight however supplies were 

short so we had to dispense
with the ceremony. It was little 

encouragement to [[pass?]] for the 

exam tomorrow nevertheless.
9/2/18. We breathe freely, once more
the exam is over and we are
are [[houble]] for the weekend at
least we hope so. It was too
cold even to go out walking
so we set the fire Going and 

indulged in the pleasurable
task of writing letters well 

into the night incidentally
having cocoa and toast [[in
Frontl?]].
10/2/18 Everyone seemed to be
suffering from the one Complaint
this morning a Severe Cold. It
was hard to distinguish between
 

that and an aversion to attending
Church parade. Only two of us 

were on our Battery Parade Where 

the permanent officers were I
dont know. I seriously thought 

of Going to Codford in the afternoon
to see some ancient landmarks
but it commenced to rain so we
decided to stay in and this time
entertained rather elaborately
several of our fellows. [[Gorly?]] on
leave came in on various
pretexts mostly to talk over past
and future events. We were
caught transgressing one of the
Brigades most rigid Orders that
of having a fire before 430 Pm
Theretofore we had transgressed
but were not detected. It will
mean the [[Carpet?]] before the
Lord High executioner in
the morning. We tremble at
the thought of it.
 

XII
 

11/218 We have two joy rides at least 

set down for this week a happy
Termination. for next Monday
I commence a school at Lark
Hill of something like 5 weeks
duration. The work will only be
similar to what is done here
perhaps a little more exacting
and it’s a well known fact that
we won’t get quite so much to
eat and less time to eat it 

Results of exam not out yet
but notwithstanding the result
I go to Lark Hill on Monday.
12/2/18. We were permitted to take
the [[Ncos?]] School out this morning
and use the battery on a 

technical reconnaissance Scheme
It’s fine practice as well have
plenty of it at Lark Hill
We unduly [[did?]] some more 

night work but interest in
that is at a very low ebb.
 

as most of us are anxious for
dinner especially after a long
day’s work. We all did fairly
well in the exam with three
[[Defour?]] exceptions.
13/2/18. We went out mounted 

into the Country N.W. of Heytesbury
this morning more in antic-
pation of the joy ride tomorow.
The chief feature of it was
laying a telephone line [[thro?]]
liquid mud well up over
our ankles but that didnt
Matter so much the trouble
was winding up the wire again
when everybody else went on
We enjoy these rides especially
when we manage to get a 
Good horse. Which actually
happened in my case. The
days are Gradually Getting Colder
Soon I predict snow.
 

8
14/2/18 We did have an enjoyable 

outing today. Almost everyone
declared it the best since we
arrived. We went out for the
day that necessitated lunch
Somewhere. We met at the
Heytesbury Station were divided
into Groups of four and five
the task of selecting Battery
positions and O.P.s in Certain 

map squares which we of 

course had to locate. We led
thro' a small village called
Tytherington consisting mostly
of large farmhouses and an
old very old English church.
With moss growing over the walls
and [[wat?]] proclaiming its Great
a/c. Our Bty position was

in an orchard of [[very?]] trees
and so interesting did we
make our work appear that
the lady of the house supplied