Sept 19th - 25th 1917. Boils, Mosquitoes & 1st Birthday Away from Home...

September 19^th Saturday

Doing drill all day up till 3.00pm and then on for guard.  Mounted at 5.00pm on the Coast Station, Eagle Bay.  RGA men in charge of outpost telephone station here.  Got wet through with the dew.  Many fellows were bitten by mosquitoes.

September 20^th Sunday

Have got a lovely boil on my neck.  Can’t move my head.  First I’ve had in my life.  So went sick with it and struck lucky.  Am now excused all duties.

September 21^st Monday 

Had my neck fomented, then mouched about all day.  Took RGA operators food down to them to pass time away.

September 22^nd Tuesday

Had boil cut and core squeezed out.  A bit of a relief for me.  Some Electric French submarines came into St. Pauls Bay and a party of Froggies visit the Palace and try to make themselves understood a bit.  Showed them round and drank each others health.

September 23^rd Wednesday

 My first birthday away from home.  No presents, letters, cards or anything.  Am awfully disappointed.  Relieved by ‘F’ Coy and go back to Ghain Tuffieha.  As I felt rotten I traveled in Red Cross van.

September 24^th Thursday

Went on Sick List, I don’t like Major Parr’s treatment, he’s too fidgety for me.  Nothing to do all day so wrote a few letters.

September 25^th Friday

Everyone excused parades today, why I don’t know.  We get an extra 2d per day here to pay for extra cleaning material etc.

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Dan Notes: Quite possibly on the waiting list as information came through, in one of the phases: The Battles of Ypres 1917 ("Third Ypres")...

 

September 14th - 18th 1917 Life in Malta

Life in Malta

September 14^th Monday 

Reveille at 4.00am.  Breakfast of bully beef, biscuits and pickles at 5.00am.  Landed by tenders and lighters on Misida Wharf at 6.00am.  Whole battalion marched off in light marching order at 9.30am, carrying one days rations.  Passed batches of Royal Warwick’s, Middlesex, W. Yorks Regts on the road.  We marched via St. Georges and St. Pauls Bay.  Had a rest for 1 hour at Midday near to Artillery ranges.  Arrived at Ghain Tufficha at 4.30pm 15 ½ miles – nearly killed me in the hot sun.  Had a fish tea in the canteen.  Made friends with native soldiers.

September 15^th Tuesday

Drew our kits in the morning.  In afternoon had a bathe in the big bay.  G and H Companies got orders for detachment some distance further on.

September 16^th Wednesday

G and H boys dress new drill clothing.  Got a good fit myself, but some fellows have to put tucks in theirs.  We marched off at 22.30am.  H Coy under Capt Arthur went to Melleha Bay, and G Coy relieved the Maltese Militia at Selmun Palace, which used to be one of the old Kinds of Malta castle, but is now a telephone and lookout station.  Inside the Palace is a small RC church which is used by the natives.  The old castle had to be thoroughly disinfected and cleaned out before we could live in it.  No dinner or tea.  Lived for rest of day on grapes, melons and pomegranates, which are very cheap.

 September 17^th Thursday

 4 parades a day with awful grub.  All we’ve had today is bread and tea without sugar and milk and tea, cold meat and bread for dinner.  Feeling starved, so made it up with grapes and figs.

 

September 18^th Friday  

Routine as yesterday and no extra grub.  Am learning what it is to have pangs of hunger.  Messrs Dickinson start a canteen here.  First payment of 14/- in Malta.  Want to bathe that evening in Eagle Bay.  Very nice and cool.