October 5th - 14th 1914 - Don't Stare At The Sun -

October 5^th Monday

Drilling all day long.  Adjutants parade at 9.00am.  Writing letters home all evening.

October 6^th Tuesday

Physical exercise in morning and Coy training afterwards.  Drill is getting awfully monotonous.  Had another swim.

October 7^th Wednesday

Cos Parade at 9.00am.  Have got to hold our hands up and not move or else on the crime.  Am put on night guard at Casaba Ridge Outpost so missed afternoon parade.  Had to guard the coast from a narrow ledge in the side of a steep cliff.  2 hours in 12.  Plenty of dew and mosquitoes.

October 8^th Thursday

After guard we got a whole day off.  That is from the time we dismount, sunrise 6.00am.  Wrote to all the folks at home and then read books etc.

October 9^th Friday

Usual routine in morning but no parades in afternoon.  Paid 10/-. Bought some real Maltese lace and sent it to 7 Doost and others.  Cannot understand why I don’t hear from home.

October 10^th Saturday

Half day off again.  Had a swim in afternoon.  Am on St. Pauls Bay guard tonight.  Duty patrol on road round the bay.  2 hours in 12.  Nothing easier.  Kings Regulations read to us.

October 11^th Sunday

Off duty all day.  Was paid 10/- kit pay, that is for having to complete private kit.  As I was pretty flush I went down to Valletta again.  Made the most of my time and enjoyed myself.  Had a feed.  Maltese girls are pretty but they make one wild being so coy like all Southerners.

 October 13^th Tuesday

We have a heat wave, it’s 112° in the shade.  Strained my eyes in the sun.  Nearly blind.  Can’t understand it.

October 14^th Wednesday

Admitted to Camp Hospital.  Eyes bathed with lotions.  The hot sun knocks a lot of chaps over.  No encouragement to us.

October 1914

October 1914 

October 1^st Thursday

Am a bit lazy so stayed in bed nearly all morning.  Pain has gone so has swelling.  The commencement of the Maltese winter.  As the bungalow by the sea is now rigged up as a recreation room, I spend my evening there.  Mostly for book reading.

October 2^nd Friday

156 of ‘G’ Coy went six.  Major Parr said he would put us all on the crime.  But after dodging the first two parades, we had to do the others.  Paid 7/-

October 3^rd Saturday

Only two parades today as it is our half day off.  Stayed in sea all afternoon and devoted the evening to card playing. 

October 4^th Sunday

Church Parade at 6.30am. Rest of the day to ourselves.  So I and 8 others got a pass and walked to Notabile and there caught a train on the light Railway to Valletta.  Had a jolly fine time with the boys.  Explored the place as well as we could.  Looked round the bazaars and then spent the evening in the wine shops.