... parades, fatigues, de-lousing, cholera inoculation, the usual...

4.2.16  We had drill as usual; physical exercises 6.30 to 7 am.; company and platoon drill 10-11 & 11.10- 12.30 (Reveille always at 5.30 am. ) In the afternoon we were issued with uniforms.  We also got 1 shirt each from gifts sent to the battalion; some men also received socks.

5.2.16  Usual parades.  Letters from home (5th & 24th) and papers.

6.2.16  (Sun)  On fatigue 9 am. carrying rations to Q.M. Stores and cook-house.  I got beef to carry, then carried wood to cook-house.  I missed church parade.  I was at service at Soldier's Home in teh evening.  I joined the "Pocket-testament League".

7.2.16  Usual parades.  I went to Heliopolis in evening with H. Cowan.  Had a letter from home dated 17th Jan.  Also one from Mr Sutherland.  I was inoculated against cholera.

8.2.16  This was the battalion's day on brigade fatigues; 6.30 am. cleaning officers' lines of Brigade; 9 to 12.30 cleaning rubbish from ground, left by R.F.A.; 2 to 3.30 pm. shifting officers' tents; 3.30 to 5 pm. down to Abbassia siding from mails.

9.2.16  Usual parades.  Put on hut guard for 24 hours at 4 pm.  On from 6 to 8 pm. etc. Dress:  clean fatigue, with belt and bayonet; cane during day; fixed bayonet and 5 rounds in magazine at night.  Hut guard till 4 pm.

10.2.16  Had spray-bath in forenoon (second since here). 

11.2.16  Usual forenoon parades; paid in afternoon: got £1:12 (Making £3:2:4 drawn since I left home).  Went to music-hall with H. Cowan. (A good acrobatic act).  (I met H Cowan once by chance some years after demob.; he was manager of a S.C.C.A. branch in Blackhall).

12.2.16  Usual parades; in Cairo in afternoon;  walked through Esbekieh Gardens & went to cinema in evening.

Ezbekiah Gardens, Cairo

13.2.16  Curch parade in morning.  Went to zoo at Gizeh beside River Nile in afternoon.  We were rowed down Nile to Cairo at night (2 pts, each)  I was with Fleming and Noble.  We had dinner in Cairo.

14.2.16  Morning parade; inoculated against cholera 9.30 am.  Fatigue at 3 pm.  Guard at Canteen 5.30 to 9.30 pm.  Advance party left for Ballah at 11 pm.

Minding the Egyptian Reservists

1.2.16  Breakfast at 6 am.;parade 6.40.  Marched over to road in front of Barracks of Egyptian Reservists to prevent them marching out. http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/commons/1916/mar/09/egyptian-reservists
4th & 7th R.S. marched into Barracks' Square at 3pm., and rounded men into Barracks, a guard being kept on doors all night.  We were relieved by Australians at 8 am.  I went on quarter-guard at 10-30 am.  This was to guard officers' tents, to keep out intruders.  We were 2 hours on and 4 off.  We had bayonets fixed all the time.  I came off guard at 9.30 am. on 3.2.16  I had nothing to do all day after 9.30.  The others had the usual parades. I got 4 papers (one from "The Cottage"), 1 letter (P. Gemmel)

[on first February in 1916 the Russians were moving into Armenia]

Arrive at Alexandria and on to Abbassia Camp

(My notes up to this point must have been re-written from another notebook into my 1916 diary, which presumably reached me about 17th Jan.)

21.1.16  Reached Alexandria 10 am.  Fatigues unloading ship in afternoon.  Left ship at midnight.Train sitting in harbour.

22.1.16  Left Alexandria in train 12.15 a.m.  Reached Abbassia Stn., Cairo 6 am.  Put in bamboo huts in Abbassia camp (Polygon Camp),80men per hut.

23.1.16 (Sun)  Church parade 10 am.  On hut guard 6 pm. to watch that no rifles or bayonets were stolen by natives.  Skeleton order at night; bu[XXXX] and bayonet during day.  Two hours on and four hours off.  It has been unusually hot during the day, but cold at night.  Usually one shower every day; heavy, but soon past.

24.1.16  On guard till 6 pm.  Went into Heliopolis for a walk; connected with Cairo by tramway.  Houses modern and large.Town built last 10 years.

25.1.16  On fatigue putting up marquee forenoon, and another in afternoon. Went into Cairo in evening with H. Cowan; 7 milliemes in tram (2nd class).

26.1.16  Changed huts in forenoon.Went to Soldiers' home in evening.  Received parcel from Galston; a diary from Miss Rogers (a teacher at Galston School); letters from home and Harelaw.  Our blankets were all disinfected to remove vermin.

27.1.16  I was on fatigue carrying mails.  I got parcels from home, Castleview, Cogries, Redlands, and Largs; letter from home  (2), Miss Neil, Aunt Peggy, M.Lindsay; books from Miss Patrick.  Sweets from M. Harvie; Xmas card from M. Harvie.

28.1.16  Physical drill 7 to 7.30 am.  Parade 10 am.,when Col. Young gave a speech.  Received letter  from home (10th Jan.); also "British Weely" and "People's Friend" (Jan. 3rd).

29.1.16  Pitched marquee in morning; Coy, drill in forenoon; at Pyramid in afternoon; was inside pyramid, and saw Queen's and King's Chambers.  In Cairo in evening.

30.1.16 (Sun)  On fatigues all day, first 9 am. to 1 pm. at A.S.C.Stores, Abbassia; then 2 to 5 pm. carrying gifts and stores from Divnl. dump to stores; 3 newspapers and one letter received "Punch" from Largs, letter from home.  Rain showers seem to have passed.  Weather now very hot during day.  New draft arrived - 38 men, nearly all second line men - (2/4th R.S.).

31.1.16  Usual drill in forenoon; went into Heliopolis in afternoon.  Parcels from the Cottage (Mrs Clark), and Mrs Smith (Nether Newton).  Letters from J.M.S.Mair and Harelaw.

The evacuation, torpedo misfire, v. Lemnos to Alexandria

While in the firing-line we had to stop firing after 1 am., and no flares were sent up.  On 4 th till 8th Jan. there was heavy shelling by the Turks every afternoon.  I was on fatigues every day.  On 8th Jan. I left the Support Trenches at 8.30 pm. for the boat.  An advance party had gone down to the Rest Camp in the morning, and the sick had gone a week before. The 156 Bde. had to do rearguard for the 52nd Div.  We set sail in H.M.S. Prince George at 2 am. on Sun.,9th Jan., 1916. A torpedo from a submarine struck the ship, but it did not explode. 


HMS Prince George

We arrived at Mudros at 7.30 am. and went ashore; we stayed in tents till Mon.,17th Jan.  We had a short route march twice, and platoon drill twice.  The weather was fine till 14th, 9pm., after which it rained continuously for 24 hours.  The rain was very heavy, with flooding.  I was on guard on 15th from 9 am. for 24 hours, at a well.  We were in the sea for a bathe on 13th.  On 10th I had received letters from home dated 28th Nov. and 5th Dec., and a Xmas card from Crawlaw.  A parcel from Largs which had been sent v Peebles was of eatables, and unusable.



Lemnos is a bleak, hilly, place .  There were small, cultivated patches being ploughed with oxen and primitive ploughs.  There were th[xxx] sheep and donkeys on pasture-land.  The prices for articles like bread etc., were extortionate.  (My notes up to this point must have been re-written from another notebook into my 1916 diary, which presumably reached me about 17th Jan.)

17.1.16  On fatigue in morning carrying bales of hay from pier to A.S. dump. Left for embarcation 2pm.;went on board transport "Hororata", by means of a small steamer, the "Waterwitch".

HMAT Hororata (in Port Melbourne)

18.1.16  Parade 10 am. each morning in clean fatigue.  4th & 7th R.S. and R.A.M.C. on board.  Archd. Cochrane (from Galston, was in class at Galston school), 1/1 R.A.M.C. Lowland on board.  I was on fatigue bringing stores up on lighter to be sent on board sh[xxxx] 7 to 11 pm.

19.1.16  Sailed 8 am.  Lifeboat crews chosen from Battn.  I was on guard at side of lifeboat.  Alarm parade in afternoon.  My duty was to stand beside lifeboat with fixed bayonet.  We had all been issued with lifebelts.  We were in messes of 18, and slept on the floor.  Time spent in reading and playing cards.

21.1.16  Reached Alexandria 10am.

Nearly killed by shellfire

On 26th we went down to the Rest Camp; had hot bath in the afternoon in half-barrels.  We slept in dug-outs without roofs - water-proof sheet rigged up, but the rain came on and came in between the sheet and the side, and drenched our blankets.

dug outs

Our clothes were disinfected in a steam boiler on 27th.  On 28th I was on fatigue 5.30 to 7.30 pm.  Reveille was at 2.30 am. on 29th.  We left the Rest Camp at 4 am. for the firing-line.  We relieved the Ayrshire Yeomanry in a trench 120 yards from the Turkish trenches.  Enfilading shellfire caused great damage.  We had to get into funk-holes 10 am. to escape shell-fire.

funk holes

At 1 pm. a mine was blown up, and the R.S.F. made an advance.  A shell landed in the traverse where I was standing during the bombardment; five men were killed and four wounded out of eleven.  I was only about one foot from a corner and escaped.  We evacuated the traverse during the day, but returned at night.  On 31st Dec. there was five minutes rapid fire and then a bombardment by our artillery.  During the four days in the firing-line I had to do one hour on and one hour off duty.  I could scarcely sleep for the cold (we had only one blanket).  On 1st Jan.,1916, I had to do fatigues while off duty till 11pm.  On 2nd Jan. we were relieved at 7 am.  We went to the Support Trenches (Parson's Road).  We were on fatigue leveling the roads to the beach, from 1.30 to 6 pm., and were on 3rd from 8.30 to 12 noon. All side roads were barred by finger-posts.  I was on guard over-night on 3rd.

Artillery and mines, wet up to the knees, and Xmas pudding

On 18th Dec. X Coy. went into support lines, Y Coy. replacing them.  I was on guard duty from 3 pm. on 18th till 7 pm on 19th, listening down mine, on hour on, and four off, - in case of counter-mining, as it went under bombing station.  On 19th Dec (Sun), H.L.I. took some trenches on our right. Attack began at 2.15 pm. with our Monitors sending over four shells, then three mines were blown up.

Monitor class warship.  Broad beamed, so stable, but slow

The artillery duel lasted till 5 pm.  I was put into the firing-line at 7 pm. We had to stand-to most of night, getting 1 hour off & 2 on after midnight, the second hour on duty being spent sitting ready on the firing step.  I had taken the place of a man killed by shrapnel on 19th (from No. 8 platoon).




We were relieved at noon on 10th Dec. - went into support till 10 am. on 21st, when we were removed to the Redoubt line, the battn., with the exception of No. 4 platoon to which I was attached (Sgt Cowan Platoon Sgt.), going to the Eski Lines.  There was very heavy rain on afternoon & night of 21st.  The trenches were 2 feet deep in water in some places.  We were removed to a new part of the Redoubt on 22nd, my feet being wet all day on 22nd and 23rd, when I was wet up to the knees.  On Sat.,Xmas Day, we had 1/2 lb. Xmas pudding for dinner.  This was the first day of shelling by the Turks, which continued daily till the evacuation.



Redoubt line https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Redoubt 
Eski lines - a deep wide support trench
The evacuation http://www.firstworldwar.com/battles/evacuation_dec15.htm

Gallipoli - ill health due to shrapnel and also curried stew

Left Mudros in "Redbreast"

  http://historicalrfa.org/requisitioned-auxiliaries/175-requisitioned-auxiliaries-r/1536-requisitioned-auxiliary-redbreast on Tuesday, 4.20 pm.  Reached French pier on "V" Beach, Gallipoli Peninsula, 8 pm. Landed by being packed in a lighter which took us alongside the stranded "River Clyde", from which we reached the shore.

 http://www.worldwar1.com/sfclyde.htm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_River_Clyde


Marched inland 12 midnight.  Lay in open at night near Rest Camp. Left for Support Trench 12 noon, on Wed.,1st Dec.  Under shell-fire, Sat. 4 th, when at Bde. Dump on fatigue.Several shells burst behind parapet, throwing over showers of dirt.  Went to Eski Lines in front of Krithia,5th; attatched on 2nd Dec. to No. 1 Platoon,X Coy.  Sgt. Woodrow being platoon sergeant. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_Battle_of_Krithia

On fatigue digging trenches 6th to 8th 8.30 am. to 12 noon, & 5 pm. to 8.30 pm.,and on 7th 8.30 am.to 12 noon.  Garrison duty  on 9th; removed to Rest Camp on 10th in afternoon.  Went into old dugouts for night: - holes dug in ground,8'x 6'x 3', no roof six in one row, connected by passage, earth thrown up in front.  Went into comfortable winter dugouts next day.  These held 7 men - 5 sleeping on floor, two in hammocks from roof.  They are 3 feet below the level of the ground, & are 10' x 6', and 7' high at back, the roof being of corrugated iron.The dugouts were in a row, and connected by a passage one foot wide, with a"street",or drain, 4 feet wide on same level as floor, of dugouts, and running the length of the row of dugouts.  On Mon.,13th, I received two letters from home, posted on 26th Nov. (A letter from Maggie Harvey, while in Eski Lines on 8th Dec., addressed to Peebles, and re-addressed).

Left Rest Camp 7 am. on 14th for firing-line with bombers and advance party, to take over periscopes from 6th H.L.I. & Argylls.  The battalion, coming later, was shelled, and Harold Robertson (of 1st draft), was killed, and S.M. Fairman wounded.  Bombs were thrown into firing-line while we were changing over.  One landed 2 yards in front of me and exploded before I could get away.  I was hit on left cheek, near eye, six places on right hand, and 3 on legs;all wounds were merely skin-deep.  When No.1 PLatoon came up I was placed with it, 3 traversxxx away, No.2 Platoon occupying trench which was only 20 yds. from Turkish trench.

I was on duty on firing-step on Tuesday night,14th, one hour on, two off, from 6 pm. to 6 am.  Whole battalion had to stand-to from 5 - 6 pm., and 6-7 am.  I was put on light duty on 15th, and slept in duplicate firing-line.  On duty again on 16th & 17th, although still attending doctor every morning, and getting wounds dressed.  Officers and men very considerate in asking how my wounds were.  Col. Peebles, 7th R.S. C.O.,& Acting C.O. of 4th R.S., told me to get round corner next time a bomb came over.  Bomb was little bigger than a hen egg, wrapped in linen cloth (white), tied at neck, from which fuse protruded.  On night of 17th I was very sick, and had pains in stomach, also diarrhoea - blamed it on dinner of curried stew.