Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/110/1 - May 1918 - Part 2

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Next mg. we heard / voice o / Sergt Major
saying in / courtyard : " In future when platoon
sergeants turn out their platoons, they are to see
that they get out - none of this going round
saying "Yes. Sergeant" & leaving it - in future
they will see themselves tt / men get out."
(The Sergts seemed xx xx to be older & not
quite so goo keen & spirited as in the 21st Bn).
Then one noticed aft before breakfast tt
they were shaving - & after breakfast a great 

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blacking of boots - every here & there round
/ yard ws a 42nd man w his boots foot
up on a chair or ladder rung - polishing it
w blacking. (This ws / time when the 21 Bn
wd be washing, putting on its puttees,
cleaning its rifles, & playing two up.
The 42^nd started one two up school the first
day in the B side street which used to
contain the _∧village fair when the 21 Bn reigned here.
After Since tt day we have seen no more two up
in the street – but there is generally one 

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small school in / courtyard.   The colonels
do not think well of two up; & gambling
being prohibited, I understand they intend
to put it down.
The Sergt Major very quickly
Another sign of change was that
during / first morning the insides were
fairly raked out of these barns & outhouses
by order of the Coy Sergt Major. The  Rubbish
ws _∧being raked into / yard from every corner
o / place - & before evening this farm 

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was cleaner than it had ever been
in its history, I'll swear.  Also the 42nd
xxx xx performed its daily routine to
a bugle.  Not a very perfect or accomplished
bugle - it breaks on the high notes like a
boy of 15 & when it xxxx ^this happens at lights out there
generally come from _^within the lighted chinks &
corners & crevices abt round wh surround this _^black farmyard
after dark, cat calls & cheers & chaff.  The
bugler is a youngster - a trier - & As Dyson 

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says he xx cd say (like the cook) – "I mayn't be
much of a _^skilled bugler, but no one can't say I
aint the willingest bugler in the Australian
Army."  xx One feels sorry for the bugler
- he has to stand there a try – he is a
stumpy little youngster & there is just a
suspicion of the buglers formality as he
takes his stand ^just inside xx the big farm door, facing
inwards into / courtyard, & blows
"xxxx Hot potatoes, hot potatoes pickem up 

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pickem up!  Hot potatoes, " - it must
be mortifying to have that cheer from the
lofts & the barns to face every time.  But he
puts up his bugle – & then goes off to have
his tucker w / rest.
That is another thing - they
have started a mess, indoors, this
"C. Coy" 42nd Bn.  None of your messing
like supporters of the Parthenon Pediment
all round / yard.  They mess in a barn. 

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- or at any rate they trooped in to _^a door in one corner o /
yard for dinner one day.
The cooker was very battered & grimy
when it arrived & so were / cooks.  The
cooker had, been as a matter of fact, been
upside down on its way down from /
line, & its chimney had suffered & ws
just sticking on like a stove pipe.  The
cooks had it painted up by / next day.
They quickly got a fire going in an
outbuilding, & a _^farm cauldron in 1 yard to wh 

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they led the water from / pump by a
guttering pipe xxxx xxxx _^found somewhere about the house. They do
not use / cooker more than they can help
in order to keep it clean.
The cooker has place for 5 dixies,
& two coffers for coal - It takes 5 dixies
of tea to feed a company, & 2 dixies of
biscuit porridge, & 2 dishes of bacon.
When the cooker has is  / only stove, they
have they put the tea _^dixies into the Thermos
containers wh they carry in / limber, 

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& keep it warm (it will keep _^warm 12 hours)
war while the stew or porridge is boiling.
"It's a sight easier cooking for
Soldiers than shearers," sd the cook
when I asked him.  "If a cook
turned out for / shearers some o /
stuff they we have to take give 'em here, there'd be
another cook next morning - there
wd nt be any argument - e'd go out
before the morning.  Why We only had
17 potatoes between the lot this yesterday." 

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About 5.30 yesty the ration waggon came
in - a blackboy brought it, with two
splendidly groomed _^grey mules - the harness well kept
& well put on, breeching level; an elderly brake
man with him.  He brought the waggon
into the yard by / cookers. ;I took the (it was rather
like the arrival o / daily train at an
up country Station.)  The Coy Q.M. was there
& / cooks.  They had a few words w /
driver - he took off the bridles of his
mules, & gave them a  picked / canvas