October 15th - 21st - The Heat

October 15^th Thursday

A chap in ‘H’ Coy is knocked over.  His head is turned by the sun.  Later on he is sent to England.  Eyesight is ruined.  Came out of Hospital and put on light duty. 

October 16^th Friday

Am feeling much better now.  Resume duties tomorrow.  Busied myself with cleaning my bayonet up which is now rusty.

October 17^th Saturday

Lost my purse with 6/6 in it, also the pair of gold cuff links that Annie gave me before the war.  Wild as a devil.  It is raining cats and dogs.  Parades impossible.  Got swamped out, mud and slosh galore.

October 18^th Sunday

Church Parade at 6.30am.  As I was practically broke to the wide, it was no use for me to go out.  Stayed in Camp all day and wrote more letters.

October 19^th Monday

Started to be instructed in the new Army Musketry Course by Sergeant Instructor Stacey (Royal Marines).  First thing we learn is Standing Position. 

October 20^th Tuesday

6 hours instruction on parts of a rifle and care of arms.  This is much more interesting and preferable to drill. 

October 21^st Wednesday

Adjutants Parade at 6.30am.  Then went on the Naval Range and had instruction and visual training that is finding hidden objects representing snipers

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.

Sept 26th - 30th 1914 - Lord Lucan Inspection

September 26^th Saturday

Governor General and Lord Lucan visit Camp Armourers inspections of arms in afternoon.

September 27^th Sunday

Medicine and Duty today.  Church parade in Mess huts at 9.00am.  Army Chaplain conducts the Service.  Had a clean up and then went out to enjoy myself at St. Pauls Bay.  Had a glorious time.

September 28^th Monday

Started to do drills and parades again.  Sergt Major takes us for physical drill from 6.00am – 7.00am.  Adjutants parade 9.00am – 10.45am.  Company training 11.00am – 12.30pm, and lectures etc 2.30pm – 4.30pm.  Quite enough for one day.  Gave my weary limbs a cooking in the sea after tea.

September 29^th Tuesday

Brigadier General Lord Lucan inspects the camp and troops at 10.00am and says he is satisfied with our display.  After dinner they wanted to inoculate us, but we did not like the idea, we all refused at first, but after the Colonel Majors Coy Officer and Adjutant spoke to us, we gave in, but I believe old Parr gave us an extra dose.

September 30^th Wednesday

Have got 8 hours sick leave for this.  Arm is rather painful.  Amused myself writing letters

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.

September 4th - 13th - Leaving, Aboard Ship and Malta

September 4^th Friday

Very soon after mid-night, we had to stand, and to, and then marched off, band playing and the waiting crowds cheering us.  The crowds lined the streets as far as Moorgate Street, here and there you could see people recognize, and rush to bid him farewell.  We had our rifles and packs, also our kitbags.  Many of the pedestrians carried our kits for us.

Arrived at Waterloo at 2.00am, and there we found another large crowd waiting for us.  Right and left half battalion boarded separate trains and left Waterloo amid great cheers at 4.00am.  We traveled in a 2^nd class corridor train.  All the early risers along the route gave us cheers as we passed through the stations.

We stopped at Winchester and there bought some papers and breakfast.  We made a decent journey and eventually arrived at Southampton Quay at 7.30am.

Disentrained and then crossed the platform to where a huge ocean liner was laying, boarded her and found that she was the HMT Galician which I have already mentioned.  Immediately handed arms and equipment into armoury and drew hammocks and blankets.

We are the first troops to board this vessel.  She impressed me very much.  After being quartered, we had breakfast, which consisted of curry meat, tea, bread and butter.  Then I had a nose round and in doing so missed a chance of going into town to dispatch telegrams.  This ship has plenty of deck space.  Dinner at 12 – Irish stew and rice pudding.  Went on deck to sun myself and noticed that, there are many other vessels, laden with troops.  We were towed out, whilst having tea, and then made way under our own steam.  The rocking sensation appeals to me.  The Isle of Wight have in sight.  We hung off there all night.

September 5^th Saturday

Aboard Ship

Woke up to find the ship under weigh, also there are 6 other ships with us, one a cattle boat, and the other 5 troop-ships.  Arrived off Plymouth about midday, and there picked up our escort HMS Ocean, making a convoy of 8 ships altogether.  We soon passed the Eddystone Lighthouse which was our last sight of Old England.

A heavy sea is running and already many fellows are feeling the effects of it, but I am as right as rain.  Went to bed at 8.00pm and slept like a top.  The first time I have ever slept in a hammock.  Steel helmets issued out.

September 6^th Sunday

Up at 5.00am.  Had breakfast at 7.30am.  Curry and pickles, tea, bread and butter.  Church Service on deck at 11.00am.  Ships Master conducts the Service.  Stew and current duff for dinner.  Am feeling like a sailor, no signs of sickness yet.  Nothing but other vessels in sight except gulls which circle round us.

September 7^th Monday

The food aboard is fairly good.  Had two parades in the morning, one for roll-call and another for fire-drill with life-belts. Sighted a lighthouse off the coast of France in the afternoon.  Our escort stops a strange liner but finds all is well.

September 8^th Tuesday

Food as usual.  Roll call at 11.00am.  Sighted Cape Finistere about midday and passed it about 2 hours later.  Saw some curious vessels off coast, very interesting to us. 

September 9^th Wednesday

During the day we passed a few outlying points of Portugal.  Major Parr (RAMC) and the ships Surgeon examine us to see if any of us are diseased.  Soon after sunset we sighted lights of Spain and could also see Northern Africa.

September 10^th Thursday

Spent the night on deck, very cool.  We touched Gib at 2.00am.  Tender brings small mail alongside.  We only stopped there for an hour, or so – was unable to get a good view of the ‘Rock’.  Was very lucky – got a nice letter from Nancy.  Left other vessels behind.  Some deck sports had been arranged and were held in the afternoon – wrestling on poles and tub ducking, also an all round boxing contest, all weights, for anyone aboard.  First 2 rounds.

September 11^th Friday

We sighted Algiers in morning and it appeared to be a very pretty place.  Later on we came quite close to the shore and could see everything easily with the naked eye.  Country is very hilly and sandy.  Very little vegetation about, hardly any trees, in fact practically barren.  The Semi-Final and Final Bouts of Boxing contest were fought that evening.  Corpl Harring won middleweight. F Coy.  Pte Morris beat Harry Bass and Coy in heavyweight champ.  Thus the highest award went to the 3^rd baff man.  By the way I have forgotten to mention that we have 1 Coy RAMC and 2 Companies 3^rd RF aboard with us.

September 12^th Saturday

We arrived off Tunis in the morning which is much the same sort of place as Algiers.  Saw the town of Tripoli, a pretty little town which is in a valley below the hills by the shore.  Homesteads few and far between.  Later that day we made for open sea. 

September 13^th Sunday

Sighted islands early in the morning and Malta about 11.00am.  Pilot came aboard just outside harbour and steered us safely in.  Dropped anchor in the Marisa Moscatto Harbour at 2.00pm.  Immediately after we had scouring with the tide, the ship was surrounded by native hawkers in dghaisa’s or bombeats who sold cheap cigarettes and fruit.  Amused ourselves in tossing money overboard for the ‘boys’ to dive after.  The large town and surroundings look rather quaint and pretty.  There are 8 French warships in Port here.  Busy for the rest of the day unloading stores etc.