Diary transcript of Reginald Harriman Heywood, 1918-1919 - Part 11

17 and 18.
Our advance guard consisting of Lts. Stack and Nicholls
and 12 other ranks embarked on the S.S.Yale to day en route
for Hurdcott - we follow tomorrow.
22.4.19  Embussed about 2.30 and left the A.G.B.D. for Le Havre
where we boarded the good ship Prince George ,a craft the
size of the Hygeia. As there were nearly 1,000 on board there
wasn't much space left over, but fortunately we had a lovely calm
crossing and a bunk each for officers.so altogether it was
quite a picnic. If you want to really know dust, a good plan
is to travel at the rear of a good long motor column,and it
takes a good many lorries to take 1,000 men and kits.
On a big Yankee boat in Le Havre we saw a lot of Aust.
Light Horse on leave from Palestine. We met them again in
Southhampton and compared notes.and it seems to me both campaigns
had certain disadvantages. We left Le Havre about
5.30 and got into S'hampton as far as I know about 1 a.m.but
we didn't pull alongside till about 8 a.m.
23.4.19  Breakfasted on board,and on a perfect morning disembarked
about 8.30 agains/the quay. Two trains were
drawn up for us,and the first party entrained and set out at
9.30. A fast and enjoyable run landed us at No. 10 Camp,
Hurdcott, where the whole quota are accommodated. The second
party arrived in the afternoon. Darkie, Vance, Charlie Turner
and Jack Austin are all here, and so is Allan Kelly, but Doc
and McSwain have gone on leave - the rest of us go on leave
on Monday.
24.4.19  Lt.Hutton, Q.M. 13th Fld Amb: who is on the same job as
I, viz:- carrying the unit records to H.Q., and myself strolled
down/to group H.Q. at No. 5 Camp and found that we can proceed
to London as soon as we wish,so we decided on the spot that
to-morrow morning would do. We were just in time to see an
inspection of the men to march through London to-morrow -
Anzac Day.
A football match and scrambling for meals filled in the
day - there are 87 of us in the mess - I know why they are
called messes now.
25.4.19  Anzac and Villers-Bretonneux Day. With Norman Rutherford,
Hutton and his man and all the records in a Ford we proceeded
to Salisbury and caught the 9.45 to London,arriving in
London just in time to miss the march which accompanied overhead
by a daredevil lot of aeroplanists was a great success.
We reported at Horseferry Rd. and were taken on the
strength
 

strength at 10/ a day and then set out in search oof lodgings-
always a hard job. I finally got fixed up at a sort of outcrop
of the old Aust: Officer's Club which has been closed.
Then I went down to Mr Treadway's and found a big bunch of m
mail and other material, including a letter from Mr. Blob.
Dug Mr Blob out at the Regent's Palace and we put in the
evening at an Old Melburnians Dinner at the Trocadero - there
was a great muster of O.M's.
26.4.19  Went round to 54 Victoria St. and let Col E.A.Kendall have 
a/look at the records before handing them over,and then wended 
my way round to the billiard room at the Regents - that's the 
safest place to look for Mr Blob. In the afternoon we w^ent to 
Maida Vale and found Aunt Em,who has arrived from Salonika 
with a host of souvenirs - she looks wonderfully well. After 
dinner we went to our old friend, the Maid of the Mountains 
just as fresh and pretty as ever.

27.4.19 Moved my Hqrs. round to the Regent's Palace Hotel,and 
as it rained and snowed all day remained inside. It's a nice 
sort of a Spring,isn't it? The Regent's Palace is a little 
inn of some couple of thousand rooms.

28.4.19 After an heroic effort managed to reach A.I.F.Hqrs. by 
the ap()pointed time, 11 a.m., and handed over my records. The 
heads seemed satisfied and apparently didn't notice those 
five extra horses - perhaps that's to come later. 

A little flying chap one Tilley, a friend of Mr Blob's, 
and I put in the evening together - rather a strenuous one 
too.
29.4.19 Mr Blob and I proceeded to Golder's Green and there 
routed out Jimmie, who joined us at the Regent's in the afternoon 
and is going to remain there a few months and do that 
M.R.C.V.S. course. A bit of shopping and a few tentative 
inquiries at the War Office re leave to the South of France 
filled in the day.

30/4/19 Formed into a queue this morning and remained in it most 
of the day. These English live on red tapeworms. In the 
evening we went out to Maida Vale again and saw Aunt Em;she 
is leaving for home on Monday next. Brownie Carslake lives 
just opposite to where Aunt Em is staying.

1.5.19 Resumed our place in the queue, and I would like to say 
here that this queue habit is one which should be strongly 
discouraged. However,we met with a measure of success and 
this evening we arrived with permits, passes,leaves and 

passports

Imbert

passports to Paris,Nice,Monte Carlo,Rome,Naples,Florence etc. 
They are also going to put Mr Blob and myself on the "Bremen" 
for home at the end of the month.

2.5.19 Got down to Victoria and after a slight lapse into the 
queue habit left for Folkestone at 8.50 a.m. After a very 
rough trip across the Channel we caught the Paris train at 
2.30,arriving in Paris at 6.30 The train was a German one, 
gaudy and typically Hun and uncomfortable. Paris strikes 
you all of a heap as soon as you see it and makes you wonder why 
you ever stayed in London - she's a bon village,Paris. We 
had a bit of a job to get a room,but are now well set at the 
Hotel Astra in the Rue de Caumartin. We didn't waste any 
time and called on some friends of Mr Brob's,Mr and Mrs Carrie, 
at Pure Monceau - most charming people.

3.5.19 M.Carrie arrived at our Inn with a big limousine Renault 
and thanks to him we had an inside information trip through 
Paris,The Opera,Notre Dame,the Seine,Arcs de Tromph and 
otherwise,the Louvre and picture galleries,Tuilieries,Champs 
d'Elysees etc.,etc. Then we went to the Bois de Boulogne 
and picked up Madam.We even abandoned the car and went for a 
promenade in the Bois with all the best people. Then we returned 
to tea at M.Carrie's,and after that, partner and I escorted 
ourselves across Paris to the Gare de Lyon to inquire 
about train to Nice. We encountered my old friend,Joey Joe
bert^Imbert (Petits pois) horribly oozled at the Gare,and he gave 
us a pressing though blasphemous invitation to Cannes. However 
it takes the best part of a day in the train so we decided 
Paris is good enough for us.

4.5.19 M. and Mad'e Carrie have gone off to the Vosges to see 
their soldier son,so our firm had to carry on on its own,and 
I would like to say that as fossickers we've got all the 
ferrets looking sideways. We've seen most of Paris,even the 
Pantheon de la guerre,which is a most wonderful work,and I 
may say that next time they try to get me anywhere else than 
Paris they'll have to blindfold me to get me into a train,and 
then some.

5.5.19 Carried on with the busini sight seeing and you've only 
got to sit down in any of the boulevards alongside a pint to 
do that. It's lovely weather and boating on the lakes in the 
Bois de Boulogne isn't bad. When you get a thirst up the alfresco 
restaurants beat the band. The theatres are a bit hard 
to get to,but like everything else, delightfully free and 
easy.

20.5.19

20.5.19 At sea on board the Nestor;that's a bit of a hustle, 
isn't it,and it explains to some extent the absence of any 
entry in this chronicle for the longest period on record. I'd 
better explain to you what's happened in the meantime as follows - 

6.5.19 to 10.5.19 We finished off Paris in fine style,and as 
the weather continued beautiful had the best holiday on record. 
M. and Mad, ACarriê returned from the Vosges and right 
here we must record our t^hanks to them. Amongst other things 
they took us to the Opera (always with he best people you 
see) and it must be one of the most wonderful buildings in 
the world - certain there's nothing in London like it.

I took a little trip into the country round Chateau 
Thierry way,and that also was a great success - everything 
in France is so charming just now. I went mainly to call on 
Madlle Adrienne Pipelaft,a little school teacher at Crouy-sur-Oureq

Then there was Madlle Genevieve Arnould,my "marraine de 
guerre". Don't know what I've done to deserve her,but she 
seemed to think it was her special job that I should enjoy 
Paris like a lord,and for nothing. She knew Paris like a 
book,and especially the picturesque and genteel that most 
people would not think of. Don't think she wasn't a sport 
though,because inter alia she took me boating one day,ridiing 
in the Bois with the best people another,and racing out at 
Auteiul on Saturday - Auteiul is a very pretty course.

Mr Blob and I wont forget Paris nor the Parisians,nor 
the wonderful French nation. We were greatly privileged in 
hearing the opinion of one of Paris's most eminent men and to 
know in what esteem and admiration the A.I.F. is held makes 
one feel that it has been worth while.

11.5.19-14.5.19 Mr Blob was due back at Winchester on the 12th 
so we left Paris on Sunday morn,I travelling with him as 
far as Amiens where I stepped off to have a look round the 
old place shlowly recovering from its battering. Later I proceeded 
to Picquigny where I found the Remerry family just 
starting out to a dance - I was promptly marched off by 
Madeleine and Madam. Madeleine has returned from Scotland. 
and in spite of the atmosphere at Kilmarnock is still the 
same wonderful girl. I spent a couple of days at Picquigny 
mainly being feted by the feminine portion of the family and 
fishing in the Somme with Papa - still the same old stick 
We didn't catch anything of course,but apparently that isn't 
done by the best anglers. Then on Tuesday Madeleine had no 
trouble in wangling a car from a Tommy repair shop officer 
for me and I had a most delightful ride down through Abbeville 
and Montreuil to Boulogne where I put up for the night at the 

old

old Club. Was too lazy to get up for the morning boat at 
9.30 so came over in the afternoon reaching the Regent's 
Palace about 10 p.m. and receiving a hearty welcome from Mr 
Blob and Tich (Lt. Tilley,our little R.A.F. friend)

15.5.19 - 20.5.19 Not being due to return to H.Q. until the 16th 
I strolled round casually to Col.Kendall's office and he informed 
me that nearly all Horseferry Road was out on my trail 
and he handed me an order requiring me to report at Belgrave 
Square for repatriation. Don't know what their game was,but 
they seemed to want to get rid of me. To make a long story 
short it appeared that Mr Blob was going on the Nestor and I 
on the Bremen,but a bit more wangling and Major Reg Norman 
altered all that,but it left me with only four days out of 
which had to come Saturday afternoon and Sunday to fix up all 
my affairs. However,my long sustained run of good luck seems 
now to have reached monumental proportions and Mr Blob and I 
occupy the same cabin on the Nestor,and what is more,we are 
at sea. Out of my four days I had to take another to run 
down to Hurdcott to get my kit and arrange for Jennie's disposal 
(Jimmie is going to present her to the Vet.College) 
This morning we left Euston station whither Tich accompanied 
us to bid us farewell,and arriving at Liverpool soon after 
Two o'clock got on board about Four and are now at 8.30 p..m. 
slipping down the Mersey - Liverpool,or most of it,gave us a 
great send off.

On Sunday I went to a concert by that greatest of Diggers,
Nellie Melba. Still the same wonderful voice of a girl.

21.5.19 - We passed Holyhead about breakfast time,and that I 
expect is the last most of us will ever see of old England. I 
was going to say I saw it fade into the background without 
regret,but perhaps that is hardly true - still this I know; 
we'll never refer affectionately again to it as "Home" - our 
home is"down under".

This Nestor is a fine boat and a very great improvement 
as regards deck space and accommodation on the old 
Benalla,but I expect,though the trip will be less trying it 
wont be any happier. There are 2.180 on board in addition to 
the crew, and inclding several wives,children and other civilians.

I'm very sad to night as poor old Harry Hawker's 
attempt to cross the Atlantic in a single engine Sopwith machine 
has,I'm afraid,ended in disaster. That reminds me that 
the Colonials have been well to the fore lately in tennis, 
running,boxing and rowing. If somebody starts something and 

there's

there's a "Dig" in it my pound is always on him.

22.5.19 - Lovely weather has given us a chance to settle/down 
and though we'll be six weeks going round the Cape it promises 
to be a good trip. There are numerous old Melburnians 
on board and our table has four of them,Ken Finlay,M.J. 
Clark,the youth and myself. The O.C. troops is Lt.Col Sadler 
17th Batn,quite a boy and a real good sort - althogether the 
whole company seems a very agreeable one. Of course there 
isn't much to do,bath and breakfast, then slumber till lunch; 
ditto till tea.and then there is time for a nap before dinner 
at Seven,though the youth is at present darning socks on the 
floor and using very violent language. Things will improve 
though,as we have three bands on board,a concert party and a 
very good Y.M. man,a Fijian named McDonald.

23.5.19 - 344 miles knocked off the tally between midday 
yesterday and the same hour to day. It's hard to believe we 
are on the way home at that rate. We've had rather a 
strenuous day to day trimming photographs and turning out to 
boat stations,a complicated operation taking some ten minutes. 
There are only 12 boats,so I am one of those who remainxs 
behind,jauntily lights a cigarette and then having cried 
out bravely "save the women and children" climbs on to a hen 
coop or a box of lifebuoy soup and paddles merrily to the 
nearest desert isle.

24.5.19 - 360 miles to day, a speed positively immoral for one 
of H.M's transports,and going home at that.

Empire Day was celebrated with sports fore and aft and 
our first concert to night. The weather is getting warmish, 
but is still delightful - we've hardly had a move except forwards 
and nearly 15 miles per hour out of the old packet yet, 
so things might be worse.

25.5.19 - 347 miles up till midday,but as as something went . 
wrong with the busini last night and the engines stopped for 
half an hour and now we are just passing the Canaries we 
mustn't complain.

I went to Communion early this morning,more out of respect 
for the padre than anything,but don't think I'm a 
heather,I'm not. If four years at the University, the Darwinian 
theory and the war have shattered most of my beliefs 
they have strengthened others. Even at that I can't swallow 
the Bible in toto.and there are still some people in this 
world that I can't forgive - there's a glutton, the snob, the 
man who is cruel to the animals and women,and the Hun.

Murderers, thieves and liars have reasons and sometimes consciences 
 

sciences.but those mentioned haven't even consciences nor 
regrets, nor punishment.. I might add that though we sometimes 
forgive we never forget,and one is no good without the 
other,but the Bible doesn't ask us to forget,does it? and 
I don't think it even expects to be swallowed whole,otherwise 
what are we given gbrains for? I've found that the only 
person who can help a man is himself,and when he's master of 
his own soul he owns the world. My religion nowadays is 
summed up in Rudyard Kipling's "If",but that even takes us 
back to the Bible's Faith Hope and Charity,so I can't be a 
heathen,can I?

25.5.19 Getting warmer,but still nothing to cavil at;in 
fact it's delightful. We've got quoits and tennis and all 
sorts of mild excitements going,including dances, but personally 
to sit up top on a deck chair will do me any old time in 
this weather. The beauty of the day was somewhat marred it's 
true by a 20 minute visit to the tooth carpencter - I can 
always go to a dentist when I feel bored.

At lunch time we passed very close to the Union Castle 
boat "Durham Castle" - I remember seeing her in Durban/how 
many years ago,We hopped over 367 miles in the last 24 hours 
and this eve we can see low down to the South the Southern 
Cross, oh my stars! 

27.5.19 - only 358 miles to day, but still that isn't too bad_ 
270 used to be a good run on the old Benalla.

Glancing through these notes I hope I haven't been too 
severe on the Tommies. I've always said that properly led the 
Tommy has many or all the good qualities and doggedness of 
his ancestors. Unfortunately,he's up against a rotten system 
and certainly towards the end of the war was unfortunate in 
the matter of officers. What I call the ultra-tommy officer 
was about the most objectionable thing there is,and though 
we,the A.I.F. are "socially impossible",personally I've met 
more gentlemen amongst the A.I.F. than anywhere else. Remember 
once I said regarding things you say about other 
people that there always comes a time when you feel about as 
mean a thing as there is on top of the earth.well,at the 
finish even old "Steele" Rudd showed himself a gentleman at 
heart,and it's the heart that counts. Anyway the worst thing 
I wish the English is that the war may have got some of the 
dust out of their bearings.

28.5.19 - The best news to day since the armistice was signed - 
Harry Hawker was picked up by a Norwegian schooner and landed 
by

by a British destroyer in Scotland. There's one fly in the 
ointment here,some grit in the oil which lubricates the mental 
machinery of this ship - it's Know'all, the same old Know-all 
who first disturbed my optic and auditory nerves on 
Board the old Benalla exactly two years ago - when I say the 
same,perhaps two years of war and a wound has lengthened his 
stride a bit.

29.5.19 We're in the doldrums or tantrums or something like 
that now,anyway it's doocid hot but it isn't like last trip 
when everything had to be more or less hermetically sealed 
and we couldn't even strike a light on deck. This Nestor 
is a fine boat and must be one of the biggest on the Australian 
trade,14,500 tons and her 12,000 H.P. engines develop 15 
knots any old time - she doesn't roll like the old Benalla 
either.

We've been passing through myriads of flying fish, 
bonita,propoises,dolphins etc.. Dolphins will do me;they seem 
to be the only fish with a sense of humour.

30.5.19 - Just to pass the time I had a bit of an argument 
with the ship's Doc,a good sort of an old chap with a complexion 
that must have cost him a fortune to acquire. He spoke 
most enthusiastically of our climate,but rather cramped my 
style by adding that on account of its very geniality we 
could never breed men like England and Scotland with their 
more rigorous climates. I referred to the case of the Clydesdale 
horse which,as you know, in our genial climate develops 
in a few generations into a comparatively light type of animal, 
but this is rather important,the qualuiIty is all there. I 
explained to him that this is probably why although we have 
a population of only 5 millions if anyone starts anything we 
can generally come to light with a champion at it - I can 
see though that this is going to be a long argument,and I 
hate arguments. I might add that I'm fully alive to our 
shortcomings,and at present the Digger's worst fault is his 
over-estimation of his country's abilities,but this is mainly 
the politician's fault and due to Senator Pearce,Joe Cock and 
other duds like that.

We ticked off another 360 miles to day,and as we now 
average over 350 should be in Cape Town to-morrow week.

31.5.19 We hopped across the line this a.m. and as it's 
winter on this side of the equator our troubles should be 
nearly over - anyway,we've had a fine cool breeze the last 
couple of days and it hasn't been very hot.

More with the idea of passing the time than anything 
I've

I've been trying to think out a suitable motto for use in 
after years - "If you haven't got anything to say,don't say 
it" and "Hop in for your cut" - I am greatly included to the 
former,and am one of those who believes that Providence provided 
us with a mouth mainly for filling our stomachs/with. 
However,as this is the ninth volume of this chronicle it 
seems that I can't honestly adopt this policy. "Hop in for 
your cut" is the Digger's inelegant though graphic way of 
expressing that when an opportunity comes your way you want 
to get busy with/both hands and all your feet. If you can't 
take it any other way,just grab it.

1.6.19 Sunday provided an excuse for our idleness so we 
were content to dope about with not even an uneasy conscience. 
However, for reasons gone into before I did arise in time for 
Holy Communion at 7.30 a.m. in the drawing room. The engines 
got a fool idea into their minds that it was Sunday and 
closed down for about three hours;the result was we did only 
283 miles, which is no good to the firm.

2.6.19 There's one thing worse than an English snob,and 
that's an Australian one. On board unfortunately we've got a 
number of camouflaged Australians who were officers in Imperial 
units. I am one of those who are glued to the theory 
that the Australian Divisions were better than most,and as 
good as the best,so I'm sure to be unpopular. One thing that 
gums itself to the recollection is the fact that when the 
Guards or the 51st Division were sent in for a special stunt, 
after gaining their objective,which they generally did, they 
used to go out for a couple of months. When the Diggers 
gained their objectives,which they also invariably did,they 
spent their couple of months hanging on. Even that great 
Imperialist,Mr Blob,admits that.

Another dud run to day,332 miles leaves us well behind 
the game.

3.6.19 Mr Blob and I are getting a bit windy about a certain 
wedding in which we are to take part immediately on our 
return. We have discovered that we know absolutely nothing
about weddings and Blob in a moment of inspiration dived 
feverishly into his trunk and produce a prayer book,perusal 
of which has done little towards comforting us.

We did a bit better to day,340 miles and the wireless 
is now in touch with Langkop station near Capetown.

4.6.19 My birthday to day,and if a man,as is said, is as 
old as he feels I'm about 44.

Two years ago when I had a birthday also on the sea I 
felt about 24.

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