November 9th - 15th 1914

November 9^th Monday

Started our Qualification Test. Had to do Harmonization of Sights at 1200 yards, 25 yards range. Very easy test. All correct.

November 10^th Tuesday

Grouping of 3 shots at 25 yards. Got a 1 inch group. Not at all bad.

November 11th Wednesday

Grouping of 5 rounds at 100 yards. Got an 8 inch group. 20 pints, possible 25.

November 12^th Thursday

Fired 5 rounds on application at 200 yards off, 17 out of 20 points. Am doing very well up to the present.

November 13^th Friday

Sharp shooting 5 rounds at 200 yards off. 16 out of 20. Paid 7. -. Firing is a bit of a strain so spent evening in Camp.

November 14^th Saturday

Rapid Firing at 200 yards, 8 rounds in 45 secs. Obtained 22 points out of 32. Total 75 out of 87. Passed Qualification Test.

November 15^th Sunday

Church Service in Mess at 11.00am. Our Harvest Festival Parson from Garrison Church, The service has the Hymns ‘We plough the fields and scatter, The Sower went forth sowing and now thank we all our God’. Collection from Red X. Collected over £11.00.

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.

October 30th & 31st 1914

October 30^th Friday

Half day off to-day. Had to revise all the particular things that were taught in the week. Paid 11/- which includes a months kit pay. Went over to Melleha in afternoon to see some Maltese friends.

October 31^st Saturday

Rifle inspection at 9.00am, followed by a kit inspection at 10.00am. Quite an easy day for us. After dinner found a quiet spot to have a pleasant siesta in.

October 22nd - 29th 1914

October 22nd Thursday

Paraded at 7.30am for route march and officers experiments in map reading etc. Marched as far as the Victoria Lines and then came back via the coast and over the h.lb. Back at 12.00 noon. Finished for rest of day. Done 10 miles.

October 23rd Friday

Went over the hills towards Melleha Ridge and had instruction in judging distances up to 800 yards. Aiming drill all the afternoon. Paid 7/- and had a tuck in.

October 24th Saturday

Plenty to do this morning. General Revision. Parts and care of arms, aiming drill and judging distance. Went for a walk over hills after dinner.

October 25th Sunday

Church parade at 6.45am. Went to bathe afterwards. Had some photos done on the rocks. Bought some more lace and silks for the folks at home. Then messed about for the rest of the day.

October 26th Monday

Musketry instruction all day. Learnt all there is to be taught about the kneeling positions. Stayed in all evening to write letter and send my silks home.

October 27th Tuesday

Instruction in the lying prone position. A mans legs must be stretched out so correctly behind him, and yet they tell us to make ourselves comfortable.

October 28th Wednesday

Practicing sniping and snapshooting, also we are told to use our eyes and notice anything that is uncommon.

October 29th Thursday

Instruction in trigger pressing. This appears to the casual onlooker to be the simplest thing, but if you do not take great care you will pull your shot off target.

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.