November 1st - 8th 1914 - Learning Weapons & Sport

NB: Take note that they were enlisted as a Machine Gunner and others in similar roles, yet they had never really fired anything before. I think the overwhelming madness of the WW1 was the sheer amount of information and things that they just didn't know. Imagine going into a war in the modern era with limited military intelligence. Back then, they just did it because that's what you meant to do. They did also find time for football though, of course!

November 1914

November 1^st Sunday

Church parade as usual. Got a mail up and considered myself lucky to get a few letters from home.

November 2^nd Monday

Started to learn field firing at disappearing targets and taking cover.

November 3^rd Tuesday

Now they have put us on Rapid firing, which is loading, firing and unloading 15 rounds in 1 minute. Fairly easy.

November 4^th Wednesday

Went on to Range and had a test in Visual training. Managed to find 5 out of 7 targets.

November 5^th Thursday

Marched over to Melleha Ridge and had our test on judging distance. Done fairly well. Only had 10% of error.

November 6^th Friday

Had our test in Rapid loading. Had to load, take ammunition out of pouches and close them up each time, and unload 90 rounds in a minute. Done it in 57 secs. Paid 7/-. G Coy played C Coy at cricket. Beat them by 6 wickets.

November 7^th Saturday

Nothing much to do now before firing. Just revising a bit and had to explain everything ourselves. That afternoon ‘G’ Coy played ‘C’ Coy at football and won 3-1.

November 8^th Sunday

Church Service at 6.00am. Went to St Pauls Bay after dinner and had my usual weekly bust up. Of course I have to mix with civilians here, especially the females. Our 1^st Batt pitches camp close by.