Diary of Lindsay Robert Turner, 1918 (Vol. 3) - Part 4

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listening to. We had lectures nearly

all day except for an hour this

morning where we went out

on dismounted work to select

a Battery position in view of

amounted stunt tomorrow and

of course we must Get Caught in a

snowstorm. It was bitterly cold

just before the fall absolutely

perishing but immediately after

was comparatively mild. But

were used snowstorms after

Italy & France.

1/2/18.  During the night there was

quite a large fall of snow so it

didn't presage a very pleasant

outing for us particularly those

of us hailing from Australia area.

When we did get mounted and

out of the vicinity of the stables

we got as far as down into the

collars of our Coats as we could

Instead of going out Stonehenge
 

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way we took a North Easterly

route thro Barrington and Figeldean
two small villages on a

rather fine stream called the Avon

and operated more or less over

the undulating Country beyond

We will go over the same Country

with the Battery one day next week

and it promises to be a much more

interesting trip. This afternoon

luckily we spent indoors wading

thro' interminable lectures -

2/3/18.  Why did I even Come to this

land of my forefathers. I find without

any very Great process of reasoning

that today was easily the coldest

day I've ever experienced in my

life. The easterly wind blowing

straight from the North Sea is just

perishing. I thought it was cold

enough yesterday but old

campaigners have told me that

today is easily the coldest day
 

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this Winter and to think that I

sat for nearly 3 hours in it This

morning listening to lectures on the

Gun In Peace Times a revolt would

have been inevitable. This afternoon

we turned ourselves in

our rooms and sat over a fire

it was the only course open.

Our old major went off hunting

during the morning but did not

extend an invitation to any of

us to accompany him either as 

friend or horse holder. We have

a busy week ahead of us. Commencing

on Monday with a day

out with the 4.5's! So most of

our weekend will be devoted to 

work of a serious nature.
3/3/18.  Another cold blank miserable 
day When will the cold winds
cease to blow I’m afraid when
we get back to Australia After
 

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Church parade we dry ourselves

in beside a huge fire it was

the only thing left to do and

alternately worked and wrote

letters leaving respectable intervals 

for meals. Tomorrow we're Going

out with a 4.5 How Battery

And if its as cold I put on

two or even three coats so I hope

my horse is a substantial one

I didn't envy the class commencing

their shoot today They started

off punctually enough but I

noticed they stopped firing about

3 The Range is very exposed

and it would be impossible to

remain for very long working

the gun imagine How handling
live shells all day even with

gloves on.

4/3/18.  We had a run out with

the Battery again this morning

but as the bleak wind had

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disappeared it was quite agreeable

We had the good fortune to witness

an Aeroplane school out for trial

runs There were quite a dozen

out and they banked volplaned

and performed other evolutions

right under the noses of our horses

but they are apparently old stagers

and minded not at all. We

noticed quite a number of German

prisoners at work on the roads

Apparently military roads but

they appear to have quickly developed

the Government Stroke. This

afternoon we were under cover

writing notes mostly and

working out calibrations. Several

of our fellows came into Camp

for their 5 weeks course but

as they mess in a different

place we won't see them until

General parade at 9 in the

morning.

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5/3/18  The only thing we had to
complain about today was the
cold and only because we had
to sit for two whole hours in
the very teeth of the Gale and it 
was again almost an impossibility 
to write. It was so cold that we had
to make a request that we be allowed 
to run down hill and back again 
and it certainly helped to weather the
storm. The day was also noteworthy 
as a meatless day and we formed
the Conclusion tonight that we 
hadn’t had nearly enough to eat.
but yet one lives
6/3/18. We woke up this morning 
to find the sun actually shining 
and we had to admit that we
had seen far worse sights on
Victoria It wasn’t to last long 
however for our old friend blew
up from the East again and
was nearly as cold as ever by
midday. We were then well under
 

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cover so minded if not half as

much. The Major and President of

the mess is instituting quite a lot of

reforms for our benefit for now we

have sugar with our tea at least

it's there if the necessity arises. Another

run out with the Battery tomorrow

We'll soon be expert horsemen.

7/3/18. It's not long after midnight

but exams are pending and

there's much to be done. As a

matter of fact I've only just

finished writing up my lectures

for the day. So I breathe freely today

I had the unique experience of

seeing the "Argus" of Dec 21st the

first time I've looked on such

a one since the morning of

the 9th November 1917. It makes

one think of home reading

something one has been so

accustomed to. We had another

career across country this
 

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I gloried in the title of Mounted

Orderly so deserved a gallop

The country we wandered over

was quite well known to us

and only a few miles from

camp but it's full of possibilities

in mobile warfare so Contains

many traps for the Rising Young

Subaltern.

8/3/18. Im quite proficient in

remembering dates for when I

woke up I realised that this

was the very day in November

where we lost our freedom

for the following day we walked

the plank of the "Port Sydney"

and have tasted the sweets of

freedom yet in as much as

we've had no leave. Something

else rather distasteful in its

way greeted us at breakfast

and that was news of another

Air raid on London and

carried out without the aid of the
 

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moon. Since I've arrived here

I've become a convert to reprisals

on German Centres and the

quicker the better. We have the

superiority in aircraft and we

should exercise it to the full

In a week well be on the verge 

of our written exam. and

in addition our "shoot".

9/3/18.  This is a much more memorable

date because on the

9^th we left and just 17 weeks ago

Saturday is always more or

less an easy day and today

was no exception In addition

it was one of the most superb

days we've had in England

The sun was shining brightly

there was a mild Spring feeling

in the air and we spent the

morning out on the Downs.

selecting Battery Positions

a fine past time on Such a

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glorious day and we enjoyed

it immensely. Our major was in

great form too and we sat 

on a Tumulus and dispensed

fairy tales. This afternoon we

spent profitably pulling a 4.5

to pieces incidentally wallowing

in oil and dirt the Gunners

privilege.

10/3/18  Another Glorious day and

we wonder if we haven't really

been transported to the Riviera

instead of remaining in the

bleak Lark Hill. It was a Curious

Combination Church Parade and

immediately thereafter work on

the 4.5 in overalls but Sunday

morning is the chance to

assert our independence over

buffers gears and the like and

moreover we have an exam

this week on everything Connected.