afternoon, having been wounded in the back while he was holding his
Sick Parade--only a "couchy wound," such as the Irish pray to the
Virgin Mary to send them at the beginning of a fight, so that they
might escape something worse. Pirie walked in with his usual smile,
and pleaded with us, before we knew there was anything wrong, "not to
make him laugh as it was sore". (To everyone's sorrow, Pirie was
afterwards killed in France.)
_September 7th._--It was the duty of Agassiz and myself to take over
the dressing station last night, and there we now are. After the
experience we had last time when we did not feel over comfortable
after dark and the bullets began to fly, we were glad to occupy the
same dug-out during the night, for the sake of company. It is a most
unpleasant feeling to find you are fired at when alone. I have noticed
this especially when out a walk just as it is getting dark. You ask
yourself how long you may have to lie, if you get wounded, before
anyone comes your way. But even in daylight if shells are dropping
about they are doubly terrifying if you are alone.
This Gully has been a most uncomfortable place all along, its banks
afford little protection from rifle fire; they are too low for
cross-fire, and a few days ago we found it could be enfiladed. At
ordinary times we have only occasional bullets during the day, but as
soon as the shades of night begin to fall they come in a constant
stream, and we are only safe when we retire to the depths of our
dug-outs--if our shallow pits are worthy of the name.
We keep wondering what sort of a holiday we are to have in Imbros. Are
there to be plagues of flies and dust as in Lemnos? However, it will
break the monotony which is getting very oppressive, and some of ours
keep up a constant grumble at everybody and everything.
The nights are now very cold, but the heat by day seems about as
intense as ever.
_September 9th._--We had orders yesterday to embark at Little West
Beach, at the north point of Suvla Bay. We were there at 7.30 p.m. and
were to embark at 8. It was a weary trudge, for we were heavily laden,
along the very edge of the bay to take advantage of the narrow strip
of firm sand that gets washed by the "tideless Mediterranean". Our
four Battalions were present, and after some delay over our baggage,
all which was finally got on board, the great lumbering barge, which
had 400 men and all the regimental baggage on board, refused to budge.
She was fast on the rocks where the water was very shallow. At last
she moved, going out a few yards then returning and taking all the
Dublins and so many Royals on board. Then she again stuck fast. It was
now getting late; the ship this barge was taking us out to was booked
to sail at 3.30 a.m., and this time had to be kept regardless of our
convenience. As she was still aground at that hour the order was given
to disembark. All this time we had been lying shivering on the dust
and stones, waiting for our turn, and now, with our spirits at zero,
we marched back to our base, reaching it at 4.45 as light was showing
in the east, so that we got back none too soon. The long wait we had
put in, with a cold wind blowing, had chilled us all thoroughly. All
had some brandy on our return, we got to bed at 5.30, and I for one
slept like a top and rose refreshed at 8.30, as also did Agassiz. He
and I felt so famished that we ground up some ration biscuits and made
porridge, which we enjoyed. None of the others got off their
stretchers before mid-day, when they did not know whether to order
breakfast or dinner. It ended in high tea.
A wagon with six mules passed behind us this afternoon, and drew a hot
shrapnel fire on all the Ambulances on the Beach. We had one man
wounded, the 1st Welsh one killed (Capt. Clark) and three wounded, and
the 3rd Welsh four wounded.
We again have orders to embark at 7.30.
_September 10th._--The hour for embarking was afterwards changed to
8.30. Owing to the shelling we had just been subjected to this pleased
us, as we could march down in the dark at this later hour. We got on
board without any adventures and were taken out by two tow boats to
our old friend, the "Abbassieh". The sea was choppy and our boat
bumped unmercifully against the ship's side and ladder. We had supper
on board, tea, bread and butter with cheese making a right royal
feast, these articles never tasting half so good in all our lives
before. Never till then did I fully appreciate how much we had roughed
it since we came to Suvla Bay. Our bread has usually been vile, and
often was not to be had at all, and everything has been unusually
filthy and smelly. This was often due to our being unable to spare a
drop of water to wash out our cooking utensils.
No doubt what has really taken it out of us most is the constant
danger we are in from bullets and shells, and especially the former at
our Advanced Dressing Station in The Gully (Azmac Dere). After supper
and a glass of beer we went to bed, and found genuine spring
mattresses, a tremendous luxury. The very ground at Suvla seems to be
harder than at Helles, and I often get up in the morning feeling stiff
and sore. However, I much prefer living on chunks of anything out at
the dressing station, and sleeping on a few rushes spread on the
bottom of a shallow hole, to the comforts and safety of our base in
the sandbank of Suvla Bay.
When the anchor was raised, with the usual amount of rattle, it roused
one of our men who was asleep on deck; he sprang to his feet and
dashed over the ship's rail, and really never woke up till he found
himself in the water. Cries of "man overboard" were raised, and with
much scurrying the ladder was let down, and being a strong swimmer he
was got on board none the worse for his early bath. He was sent down
to the engine room to dry.
We landed at Imbros about 9 a.m.
Imbros is a busy place, and has a big natural harbour facing the
north, dotted over with warships and transports, and a considerable
number of monitors each armed with one or two huge guns, all 14-inch I
believe.
Our camp is in a dusty spot, and the wind makes it disagreeable and
ruffles our tempers. There are about a dozen canteens, run by Greeks
whose prices I am glad to see are fixed for all articles. I bought two
kilos (4-1/2 lbs.) of grapes and a few tomatoes, intending them for
our mess, but I could not resist the grapes, I had an overpowering
longing for fruit, and ate most of them, skins, stones and all, on my
way back. I have tried to take up a bet to eat 2 lbs. against every
lb. eaten by anyone in the mess.
The hills and valleys I have not yet visited, but these look inviting.
We are encamped on an extensive dead level between the sea and the
hills.
_September 11th._--I had a walk with Stephen last night, just before
dark, to a hill about a mile off. From the top we were able to get a
good idea of the beauties of Imbros. Except for the stretch where we
are encamped, the whole island is one mass of rough, volcanic
mountains, with narrow, fertile flats, carefully cultivated and
bearing healthy, looking fig, olive, and other trees. A large herd of
goats, wending their way home down a narrow track between rugged
hills, away down below us, all with their bells tinkling, made a fine
picture of a peaceful evening scene. As we sat and smoked beside a
towering pinnacle of volcanic rock a raven went sailing past us, with
his croak, croak. I remember Professor McGillivray, in his "Natural
History of Deeside," describes what was perhaps a not altogether
dissimilar scene among the Cairngorms, and addressing a raven on a
rock beside him calls him "poor fellow".
_September 12th._--Did nothing in particular to-day. We had church
parade in the afternoon, Padre Campion officiating, and a mail
consisting almost entirely of parcels, every second one smashed up
till it could not be delivered. Stephen and I have arranged to go to
Panagheia to-morrow, and we walked out to a spot at the foot of the
hills to order ponies, donkeys, or whatever they had, for our trip.
When there an old Greek came riding in on a donkey with two panniers
full of grapes, to which he asked us to help ourselves, they cost him
nothing and he would make us welcome to as many as we liked at the
same price. I ate a pound at least and still felt hungry. He said when
this island was Turkish the taxes were very heavy, then the Greeks
came along and they became worse, but he had been a sailor and a good
deal in England, so he always swore to the tax collector that he was
an Englishman and exempt from all taxes, so he has never paid a penny.
We got more grapes from him, by purchase this time, big, luscious ones
at 6d per kilo. We ate at our hardest while the Greek looked out big
bunches that could be tied together, and for these he wanted, in Greek
fashion, to charge an extra 3d. "Damn you for a greedy devil," says
Stephen, we dived into his pannier and each had another big bunch,
paid him, and returned to camp where we had a really good
dinner--roast chicken stuffed with oatmeal and onions, beans, stewed
pears, Vermouth, and three half bottles of champagne (from the Medical
Comforts pannier!), then port and nuts (the former from ditto), and
ended with cigars and Egyptian cigarettes. We had not dined so well
since we left Alexandria.
I believe to-day is the first day since we left England on March 18
that we have not seen the sun. As we were leaving the pony depot we
fell in with Atlee of the Munsters who had been at Panagheia, and he
says a pony is no use except for a bit of "swank," you have to walk
practically the whole way beside your animal.
Thomson went into hospital to-day. He has been ailing for some weeks,
and looks thin and far from well.
_September 13th._--A red letter day. Last night we had a few showers,
and in the morning as the sky was overcast we at first decided not to
go to Panagheia, but as the blue sky began to break through by 9 we
set off and were mounted on our shelties by 10. These we picked up at
the edge of the mountains, beyond the camping ground. A dozen or two
of animals--ponies, donkeys, and mules--were ready saddled, the owner
of each pushing his way forward when he saw a likely customer coming
along, eager to display the good points of his animal. I got astride a
pack saddle, a wonderful structure of substantial sticks and raw hide,
with a big, comfortable cushion on the top, for stirrups a piece of
rope, and bridle the same, without bit, the rope being merely twisted
and knotted round the lower jaw.
We at once dipped into a deep valley, clothed on all sides in thick
shrubbery, with plenty of trees in the lowest part, along which there
was a tiny stream with occasional beautiful rocky pools. The trees
here and all along were principally olives, figs, mulberry, and a few
walnuts. The road was the merest track, littered with stones, and
wound up hill and down dale. At first it was so bad that I thought it
must surely lead soon to a better path, but little did I think what we
were in for; we were soon among huge boulders, and nothing but
boulders, up and down shelving rock, often 2 feet higher than the
path, slithering over stretches of hard, bare rock, and all the time
without a single stumble on the part of any one of our mounts. There
were four of us--Stephen, Agassiz, Padre Campion, and myself--each
with a guide dressed in blue material, and all sorts of head gear, and
with the usual fold upon fold of cloth round the waist, shoes of raw
hide with the hair outside, held on by twists of hide from the ankle
to the knee, in proper brigand style.
The scenery soon became simply glorious, and my three companions, who
all knew Switzerland, said it was exactly like that country, except
for the absence of chalets. The hills rose on all sides, some to a
height of 5000 feet, rough as possible, all volcanic of course, some
looking as if they had belched out flames and smoke not so very long
ago. One reminded me of Ben Sleoch as it rises out of Loch Maree, the
same mass of rock atop, but here more rugged. Each mountain top and
side was studded with enormous needle-like pinnacles and rough warty
masses. It is strange how fertile these volcanic earths are, these
high mountains were clothed with trees below, and had thick shrubbery
almost to the top--mostly hollyoak, I fancy. The colouring of the
rocks is very fine, the colours being warm reds, browns, purples, and
yellows in one mingled mass.
By 11.30 we had crossed the highest part of our path, and a wide
valley came in sight a mile or two off, great masses of olive trees,
with a large village away ahead on a hillside, and after a little time
our destination hove in sight, round the shoulder of a mountain on our
right, nestling among trees of deep green colour. These turned out to
be mostly mulberry which has a very luscious and cool looking leaf; no
fruit unfortunately, its season was over. We passed along the
picturesque streets of Panagheia, with their projecting windows and
vine entwined balconies, to a place proudly labelled "Hotel Britannic,
J. Christie, proprietor, a British subject". The Hotel London we had
been warned to pass by, as the catering was not so good, and strange
to say, when we returned to camp and the orders of the day were being
read at supper, it was there announced that this hotel was out of
bounds for the time being, the proprietor being of suspected
nationality.
Stephen was at his best, and was the life of the party and of everyone
we came across, and greatly amused our guides. One of the guides had
his little son with him who was named Georgo by Stephen, who told the
little chap that his own name was Stephanos. He mounted him behind his
saddle, and when lifting him down at the first halt, he said, "You've
done damnedo wello, Georgo". Georgo showed by a broad grin that he
felt flattered.
Lunch was ordered in the fine hotel of J. Christie, which was
upstairs over a cobbler's shop, and consisted of one very small room
which we filled, with a larger one off it, and behind was the kitchen,
only half of which was floored, and through the great gaping part you
looked down to the back of the cobbler's premises, a place full of
empty bottles and the abode of J. Christie's poultry. That was the
whole establishment, but they could cook. J. Christie, being an
Italian and not a Britisher, was an excellent _chef_, and soon
prepared for us first-rate soup, then boiled partridge which was
likely a chicken from the hole I have mentioned. Then came the dish of
the day--honey omelettes, which were brought in one at a time,
glorious creations over which we poured delicious drained honey. They
were so good that Stephen gave the order that they were to go on
turning them out till he told them to stop. Each had two big ones, and
after each you felt hungrier than ever. The wine of the country we of
course also had, one called Morea not unlike champagne. Then cheese
and Turkish coffee, after which we set off to view the village. We
landed at the school when it chanced to be play time, but we went
through the rooms followed by all the scholars, fine bright boys and
girls, and Stephen with a piece of chalk showed them some new method
of multiplication, which was far more complicated than the old way we
all know. In a hall they had two large pictures, one of Venezelos, who
they declared was good, the other of Gunariz who was bad. One little
chap was the son of the local doctor and spoke French well. He said
his father was a graduate of Paris University.
It was altogether a most enjoyable day, the padre saying it was the
day of his life. He was a good fellow the padre, and nothing delighted
him more, he remarked, than to hear Stephen saying "damn," he put so
much expression into the word.
We commenced the return journey at 4.45 when the colouring of the
mountains was perfect, and the padre always insisted on dismounting to
take a sketch of some particularly fine scene. He got ahead of us one
time when we came upon him seated on a big stone in a rough
watercourse, surrounded with oleanders and sketching a peep of a grand
mountain between two nearer ridges.
When we returned we found Sir Ian Hamilton had inspected our
Ambulance, and made himself pleasant all round.
_September 14th._--A cold wind blew all day--from the north of course.
Saw the sun only occasionally.
I took the Lancashire Fusiliers Sick Parade this morning, when 215
presented themselves as sick--every fourth man. I expect the order of
the day had included a route march. There is nothing Tommy hates more
than a route march.
_September 15th._--The nights get still colder, and this forenoon was
like an October day at home, but later it was bright and warm without
a breath of wind. Our airmen made the most of the calm spell and took
out the only airship we have here and circled about for at least two
hours, with a fast monoplane scouting in case of reprisals. The sun is
at present sinking in the west and the evening colouring among the
mountains makes one long for everlasting peace, there is too much
discord between such scenes and our errand out here.
_September 16th._--Just as I got out of bed at 7 am some one called
out that a Taube was dropping bombs. It dropped four a short way from
us. It was at a great height and got a good peppering from our ships
in the harbour. In about fifteen minutes it returned, or it may have
been another aeroplane, and let loose five or six bombs at the G.O.C.
in C.'s H.Q. where, I afterwards heard, five men were wounded. It was
heading straight over us, but the fire again got too hot for it and it
made off to the south, but it was most daring and persistent and put
in a third appearance, when one of our monoplanes, a very fast
machine, went up and we expected some fun. After ascending in large
spirals they got on the same level when the Taube turned round and
faced our machine, both now at a very great height, and both evidently
firing at each other, when suddenly our machine dived down at a
tremendous speed. We of course thought the airman or his plane had
been disabled. We heard in the evening that his gun jammed, and being
helpless he wisely cleared out.
Stephen and I were to take the whole Ambulance to Panagheia, and I
went early to the Lancs. to get their Sick Parade over. Stephen
promised to assist and was to be up early too, but he turned up last
for breakfast, and I had inspected two companies before he arrived.
Nothing eventful happened on our 6 or 7 mile march across the
mountains. Big, threatening thunderclouds, with rain on the high peaks
before us, rather detracted from our enjoyment, and the Greeks we met
pointed to the clouds and with a descending motion of their hands
prophesied rain. However, it never did rain and the afternoon was
perfect. The Greeks followed us with pony loads of grapes (Staphila,
they call them), pomegranates, and figs, and we fared well. A pony in
front of us tumbled down a steep incline and we straightway wished to
buy its load which was scattered everywhere. I picked up a lot of figs
which were dead ripe and delicious. The black grapes of these parts
would be difficult to beat, and I must have eaten 3 lbs. of these on
our way.
After halting the men beyond the village, and having lunch to which
they were allowed beer, a luxury which few of them had tasted for many
months, Stephen and I went to a small village half a mile further on.
Many go from Panagheia to Castro, a fishing village, but our little
place was off the beaten track and quite unspoiled. We entered a
primitive café where we had a cup of good coffee, served as usual in a
very tiny cup with a big tumbler of water. Two Greek policemen were
sipping their coffee and playing cards, and we managed to enter into
conversation with them and some other loafers. Many of the old women
were spinning about their doors, and we saw some of their work. Their
wool (goat's) when carded is very fine and fluffy, but the material
when woven is hard and looks as if it would wear for ever.
Next we sat down in front of what we thought was a school and made a
sketch of it. It turned out to be the church of Sainte Varvara. The
school is alongside, and the dominie had eyed us and came over and
took us through the church. We thought he was a verger, and Stephen
wished to purchase every holy relic in it. Then we tipped him a few
coppers, and tapers were accordingly lit and planted in a basin of
sand. All the Greek churches we have seen are very ornate and tawdry,
with a multitude of pictures and tall candlesticks. The pulpit towered
till it almost touched the low ceiling. The centre of the churches is
always vacant, and round this space there is always a row of
high-backed seats. I fancy the difference between the Greek and Roman
churches is not great. Both give much prominence to the Virgin and
Child, but I am told that one of the differences is that the former
does not regard the Virgin as a Saint. A number of saints were
pictured here, including Sainte Varvara, to whom the building is
dedicated.
We next looked into the school, a tumble down place, but clean and
tidy, and with about forty bright, neatly dressed children. Stephen
was delighted at the sight and beamed on them all, and yelled and
laughed, gave a little chap a sum of multiplication on the blackboard
which he did correctly, then he had to show him his new and more
complicated way of getting the answer. This new method is very
peculiar, but the two answers were identical, to the astonishment of
the dominie, who was apparently able to follow the steps. "Now," says
Stephen, "I want all the children to say 'Venezelos good' and to give
him a cheer." This was done most heartily. "Now, say Gunariz bad."
This time, I think, they did not understand what was wanted of them;
however, with a little persuasion from Stephen and the dominie they
got through it in a mild way. There was something refreshing and
homelike in our visit to the kiddies. They all jumped smartly to their
feet as we were leaving. The dominie accompanied us up the street,
where we admired the trees laden with clusters of beautiful
red-cheeked pomegranates. I had never seen this fruit growing before,
but here every garden was full of it.
We next stopped to watch a woman spinning inside a doorway, with an
instrument like a fiddle bow--either that or she was carding the wool
with it, this being in fluffy billows about her on the floor. She
asked us to enter--all by signs of course. We had a look round her
kitchen which was very clean, the fireplace and articles about being
mostly not unlike what one could see at home. In a corner was a broad,
low divan on which she threw some cushions, on which we sat with our
legs tucked under us, which we supposed was the correct fashion, and
what was expected of us. She next got us two small glasses of brandy,
a saucer with a few small biscuits and two tumblers of water, and
placed all neatly on a small table with a cover. The brandy was strong
and scented, and not much to my liking; however, I drank it and felt
grateful to this good soul for her hospitality and showing us a
little Grecian home life. At one side of the room there was a part
shut off by a curtain which we concluded was a box-bed, but Stephen
had a look in and found it full of shelves with blankets and articles
of clothing. "But where do the devils sleep?" Stephen kept on saying,
and by resting his head on his hands and snoring he tried to get the
woman to understand that he was curious as to this point. Her
demeanour at once changed, her temper was up, and we cleared off down
the street.
_September 20th._--There has been nothing to take note of during the
last few days. The Lancs. Fusiliers have occupied a good deal of my
time, their Sick Parades varying from 215 to fifty-seven. We have had
a few visits from Taubes, mostly after dark, one dropping two bombs
yesterday, and the night before we had six. The hangar seems to be
their objective. Two others we heard approaching last night but they
never came over us, they could see we were on the alert by the amount
of our fire, and some red rockets went off high in the air.
To-day should end our holiday to Imbros, but as it blows a gale we
have been notified that this has been postponed. In the afternoon
Agassiz and I had a delightful walk up a valley that was new to us. It
was a mass of huge rocks and boulders, with an attempt at a stream
which would be a raging torrent in winter. We came on a curious
geological formation, which we thought could be nothing but fossilised
trees, but how a tree came to be in the middle of a lava rock was a
puzzle. We soon found many others and saw that, however, this shape
came about, trees were not the foundation. Each consisted of a large
number of concentric circles exactly like the rings in a tree stump,
some fully 3 feet in diameter.
On our way back we had a good view of Achi Baba--of unpleasant memory.
We had two padres to tea, Beardmore being one of them. They told us
how Turkish snipers were paid--20 piastres for a lieutenant, 40 for a
captain, 80 for a lieutenant-colonel, but if a Staff officer was shot
the sniper got shot himself--not very flattering to our Staff.
If you meet a Greek on a fine day his usual greeting sounds like
"kalumaera". It was only to-day that I discovered this was the modern
pronunciation of kale hemera, and on greeting a man in the ancient
form he stood up and wondered what I meant, then said, "No, no". He
explained that all aspirates are dropped in modern Greek. They use the
word "su" for water, but they also understand the ancient word hudor.
Many of the accents also seem to have changed.
_September 22nd._--We reached our old camp at Suvla about 9 p.m.
yesterday, after a pleasant crossing, and a good meal of tea and
coffee, ham and eggs before disembarking. We watched the usual Turkish
"evening hate" from our place of safety on board, the shells bursting
in places we could recognise. One fell in the sea not far from us as
we marched from the Beach in the dark. To-day we had a large number of
shells just round us.
I had an order early this morning to join the Lancs. Fusiliers, and
after breakfast set off in search of their lines. I was directed to
various places where the North, South, and Royal Lancashire Regiments
lay, but it cost me a whole hour to find our Fusiliers. They are in
reserve, with the supports and firing lines just in front of them, all
on the steep slope of Hizlar Dagh. During Sick Parade we had to keep
ducking from shells, the Turks evidently having discovered that the
86th Brigade was once more among them. As I was passing through the
Dublin lines on my return to our base two shells fell just beyond
them when de Boer shouted to me to take shelter under a projecting
rock where all their officers had retired for safety, but before I got
in another shell landed almost in the centre of their line, among some
very thick scrub, which had prevented pieces from flying far. As I
passed this spot when things had got a bit quieter I asked one of the
men if none of them were hit. "No," said Paddy, "but we smelt the
pouther."
_September 23rd._--As it was getting dark last night the A.D.M.S.
ordered me to join the Lancashire Fusiliers at once, and to remain
with them, they having no Regimental M.O. I hurriedly put everything
necessary into my pack, and with Conroy, as servant, set off to the
slopes of Hizlar Dagh. I reached my post in half an hour, and was
assigned as my quarters a scraping in the earth not a foot deep. Here
I spent a most wretched night, an icy cold wind blowing down the
depression in the hill where the Battalion is encamped. I simply
shivered and shook till the sun rose at 6 o'clock, when I felt too
cold to wash and shave, but so did every one. I breakfasted with
Lt.-Col. Pearson and his Adjutant, Captain Johnson (killed three months
afterwards), and at 10 held Sick Parade. The Turks can fire straight
along our hollow, and General de Lisle made a wise proposal yesterday
to run a long series of terraces crossways, each with a back about 7
feet high and a trench 7 feet wide in front. If this is continued to
the foot there should then be room for 5000 troops. The Turks have not
yet found us out, although they gave us a few shells yesterday,
otherwise they could have made it too hot for us to continue
operations. All have been busy to-day digging, picking, and quarrying
stones, and already we have fairly safe trenches for one company. The
Lancs., who have a large number of miners in their ranks, have been
selected to do this job, otherwise they would have taken up a
position half a mile further back as was first intended.
In the afternoon I strolled down to our Advanced Dressing Station
which is only half a mile off, at the foot of the hill. Stephen had
walked out as far as this with me last night, and to-day I find the
place in charge of Sergt.-Major Shaw. Agassiz had paid them a flying
visit very early this morning on his way to the C.C.S., he too being
sick. All our original officers are now away or at present ailing
except Q.-M. Dickie and myself, and it looks as if he and I were to be
left alone in a few days.
_Later._--Had a note from Stephen saying Fiddes has gone off sick
along with Agassiz, and that his own temperature is 101--this looks
bright.
_September 25th._--After writing the above two days ago, and about 10
p.m. when I had retired to bed, the Adjutant announced to me that
another M.O. had been found and that I was to be relieved. This had
been arranged owing to the shortage of officers in our Ambulance. I
therefore left the Lancs. yesterday morning, Touhy, an Irishman,
taking my place. I was enjoying myself thoroughly with the Lancs., and
regretted this change as we were going into the front line in a day or
two. Colonel Pearson is very popular with every man in his Battalion
and is a most charming man, and I regretted leaving him.
Stephen went off sick to-day. Hoskin joined us yesterday, being
detached from hospital work at Imbros. He is a good fellow, and eager
for work and still more for excitement.
This morning I went up to our Advanced Dressing Station at the foot of
the hill. It has now to be run without a permanent medical man. I saw
the sick and wounded who had come in; took the Sick Parade of the
London R.E.'s who are at present without an M.O.; returned and had our
own Sick Parade; attended the sick in our hospital; saw several relays
of Royal, Dublin, and Munster Fusiliers; returned to the dressing
station at 6 p.m. and saw some fresh cases of sick and wounded;
besides other duties, and altogether had an unusually busy day.
Something of this sort will now go on daily until the D.M.S. sends us
more officers.
There was fighting all along the line last night, especially about
Anzac where we hear the Australians advanced half a mile.
The R.C. Padre who is attached to the Munsters, and has messed with us
for the last week or so, leaves us to-morrow to our general regret. He
is the most amusing man I have met in the army. Now that the hardiest
of us, although we are still carrying on, are far from fit, and our
spirits none of the best, we will miss him sorely.
_September 27th._--I have had a very busy day especially at the
dressing station. A messenger came from there a few minutes after
midnight, and I had to go up to see some Munsters who had been wounded
two hours before in a scrap with the Turks. As I tramped back alone in
the dark (this is entirely against orders) the frequent ping of
bullets was not too comforting, and as I neared our base several
shells came about, at no great distance, when I found myself pushing
my fingers inside my shirt to make sure that I had my identity disc
round my neck, a habit I have got into when alone and in a hot corner.
When I returned in the evening I found still another officer had been
attached to us--Stott. The padre told us many amusing stories at
dinner. He said he knew one of the Dewar family who always began his
speeches with the remark that he was not a speaker but a "doer," and
ended by saying, "I must now do as the lady of Coventry should have
done, and make for my 'close'".
The Regimental M.O.'s are too lenient--that is my experience at any
rate--and send too many away to the base hospitals, and to-day Hoskin
and I returned ten of their cases to their lines, which we have the
power to do. Probably 150 a day are leaving Suvla alone on sick leave,
many with mere trifles, and a large number through sheer funk--I
approve of getting rid of these, they are worse than useless, they
cause panic very often. Last night we had two cases of acute insanity
from this cause, both boys of nineteen, and to-day I sent off one of
seventeen with the same trouble.
_September 28th._--Last night about 7 a furious attack was made by the
Turks which lasted half an hour. A gun behind Sari Bair, which has
bothered us before, threw about twenty shells round our base, their
objective being either the road in front of us, or the ships behind.
Pieces were flying about in all directions. This was followed by a
quiet night, only one shell going over us and out to sea about
midnight.
8.15 p.m.--I have come out to our dressing station for the night, and
am in a newly made dug-out, which has been deepened and heightened by
myself since I arrived here three hours ago. Its back towards the
enemy is 7 feet high, dug into a bank, with a high parapet of earth
and a stone lined face. (It is never advisable to build with stone, a
shell landing among stones can do a great deal of damage. In this case
I could not do otherwise, sand bags were very scarce by this time, and
it was with great difficulty we got any from the R.E.'s for the
protection of our patients. A little after this date these stones of
mine were sent flying.) It is of course open to the heavens where the
stars are unusually bright to-night. It promises to be a warm night,
the wind being S.W., very unlike what we have had of late when the
winds were from the north and keen by night. Just as it was getting
dark--before 7--I watched an aeroplane, evidently in difficulties from
its low flight and with its engine knocking badly. It descended on a
wide dusty road behind our base, when I expected the Turks to open
fire on it, as they once did on a similar occasion at Helles, but they
have left it in peace.
General Percival, our Brigadier, paid us a visit here a couple of
hours ago, and I tried to get the date of our next stunt from him but
failed. I admired his caution--if he knew. He tells me a special
telegram came from Kitchener to-day announcing the capture of 23,000
Germans in France, and forty guns, and more coming in all the time.
One can do little here after dark--and so to bed. Between mother earth
and myself is a ground sheet, near my feet my pick and spade, handy if
I should feel cold and wish to do some digging during the night, as I
may do when the moon rises about ten; beside me a miserable candle
lamp and my revolver, and after getting into my heavy overcoat, with
my pack for a pillow, hard though it is with mess-tin, jug and other
such like material inside, and a blanket over my feet, I hope to get a
few hours' sleep.
_October 1st._--During the last few days I have been very busy at our
dressing station preparing for the big attack which we know is near
and to be on a big scale. We are told that next time we must push
through and seize the Turkish lines of communication. We did some
heavy work, and as I had been the Engineer of the alterations and
earth works I felt responsible and was more on the spot than I would
have been otherwise. I thoroughly enjoyed it all the same, and all the
while did my full share of navvy work. We had large numbers of sick
and wounded to see to at the same time, Hoskin and I seeing about 100
a day between us. I was roused one night to see a case of snake bite,
the first I had seen or heard of out here--and I had my doubts about
this case, although the man declared he had none.
We had orders the other day to change our base to a site well up the
side of Hizlar Dagh, well back towards Divisional H.Q. where we should
be fairly safe from gun fire, although in full view of the Turk, but
we now have faith in his respect of the Red Cross. The winter rains
are probably not far distant now, and here there should be no danger
of being washed away. I am there now, our men having pitched two tents
yesterday as an experiment to see if the Turks would leave them alone.
Stott and I came up to it last night after dark. Everything is very
simple--so much so that we had to forage to get some food. In my pack
I luckily had a tin of café-au-lait and one of us had a mug so we
stirred up a spoonful in cold water and both pronounced it remarkably
good--as everything is when you are almost dying of hunger and thirst.
Stott, a famous raconteur, contributed to our amusement with
drawing-room stories till 11 o'clock when both fell asleep.
This morning I wandered out of our tent about 6.30 to find a very
thick mist, the first time we had seen a trace of this. The tents were
soaked and the ropes as tight as fiddle strings.
We had been here about ten minutes last night when a rifle shot went
off behind some bushes beside us, followed by howls from some one in
agony. A soldier lay on his back with his rifle beside him, his left
foot merely held on by his puttee. We learned that at the end of the
war he had to undergo some years of penal servitude for some offence,
and his comrades, I see, are convinced that this was an intentionally
inflicted wound. I have never before seen a man shoot off more than a
finger or toe, carrying off a foot shows that the man has plenty of
pluck of a sort.
_October 2nd._--A terrifically hot day.
Everything seems to be upset to-day. We have been slaving and
preparing for a big stunt, and now it is said that no such thing is in
contemplation. In my opinion this change of plan is due to the
position Bulgaria has definitely taken, or seems certainly about to
take, in the present troublous times.
For some strange reason she has taken the side of Germany and Turkey.
We must reserve our strength, according to a statement made by Sir
Edward Grey in the House of Commons, as we have promised to assist
Servia with troops should this eventuality come about. We half expect
some of us will be withdrawn from here and landed in Greece or
wherever it is most suitable for a march on the Bulgars. Many of us
would go right gladly, the monotony of living all these months on a
small patch of ground gets more irksome as time goes on.
I am now at the dressing station, having come out for twenty-four
hours' duty. We have a collecting station, where we keep a few
stretcher squads, half a mile in front of this, and this is to be
withdrawn to a site near our old station in Azmak Dere, but slightly
further forward, between the Green Pool (a filthy hole full of frogs
and tortoises) and the end of a communication trench. I had to inspect
the situation this evening, and marked off the boundaries, and
to-morrow our men start to dig themselves in. The position is very
exposed and I reported that I did not like it. Three artillery
officers who passed said they were to plant a battery a few yards in
front of us, and they thought the place anything but safe. However,
the spot was chosen by General de Lisle and there is no getting away
from it.
_October 3rd._--Dressing station. I was up to-day at 6.30 and at once
set to work with pick and spade, not stopping till breakfast was
announced at 8, when Morice, the cook, brought me three huge slices
of bread, two chunks of very fat bacon, and a mug of black dixie tea
that had boiled for a full hour, all on such a lavish scale that at
ordinary times they would have taken away my appetite; but not so
to-day, I devoured the lot and never enjoyed a breakfast more in all
my life. I next had a large Sick Parade drawn from twelve units, and
returned to their duties several who were on their way to the C.C.S.
with very trifling ailments. This will put up the backs of the
Regimental M.O.'s, but in such serious times, with our numbers getting
more depleted every day, manners must not be considered. I mentioned
this subject to the A.D.M.S. to-day, and he backs me up and is to see
what can be done to check this wastage.
Padre Mayne held a short service under the tarpaulin-covered space we
reserve for patients, his congregation being twelve poor beggars on
stretchers waiting to be sent down, and about twice that number of
sick walking cases. The wounded tried to cheer up and suppress their
groans, but these occasionally got the better of them. Then I returned
to my spade and worked till 12.30.
I returned to our new base for lunch and am now sitting on the edge of
a dug-out in the setting sun, which has annoyed us all day. It is a
most glorious evening, not a breath of wind, and deep down below me
the Aegean glistens without a ripple; all is at peace, except the big
guns, and they are very busy, the ships having fired incessantly for
the last two or three hours at the Sari Bair ridge. The Anzac guns are
also very active. But the Turks are at present lying low and not
making a single reply.
I was explaining the position of our collecting station to the
A.D.M.S. to-day, telling him about the proposed battery in front of
us, and the preparations to build a bridge over the gully just beside
us. He had not heard of either of these, and he now thinks our site
will have to be given up for one further back. To-morrow the C.O. and
I go over to inspect the ground on this side and report.
Our magnificent dressing station, over which I have taken no end of
trouble, is to be given over to the 88th F.A. Their Colonel jokingly
thanked me for all we have done preparing for him--we give it up with
regret.
_October 4th._--The day opened with a violent bombardment about Anzac
and the adjoining end of Sari Bair, this spreading gradually along the
ridge to our right centre. The C.O. and I should have started for the
centre of the line after breakfast but this journey had to be
postponed till eleven, when there was again quietness, and before
lunch we surveyed the ground already occupied by our men in digging,
and other probable sites behind that in case we should have to retire
further back. The position we do not consider good, but we can find
nothing more suitable, and we examined the ground all the way back to
Hill 10. The work must therefore go on as arranged. We passed Azmak
Dere, the warm spot we held so long, and Col. Fraser had a look at it
for the first time.
Col. Riley, D.D.M.S., to-day says we are to retain our present
dressing station, and being Divisional and not Brigade troops, it does
not matter which Brigade we serve. Still we hope in our present
position to be able to attend the sick and wounded of our 86th
Brigade, and are willing to take all others who come our way. The 86th
have moved from our extreme left--where we are--to our right centre,
hence the re-arrangement of Ambulances.
_October 8th._--Daily writing of these notes gets monotonous as there
is nothing much doing. Artillery duels are constant, and during the
last few days the naval guns have fired more than usual. Occasionally
a Taube flies over us and drops bombs, but such things are now not
worth noting.
Four new officers joined us yesterday--Captain McLean, Lieutenants
Russell, Campbell, and Hodgkinson, and to-day Lieutenant Fyfe, so that
we now have ten medical men in our unit, or one over strength. Forty
medicos landed at Suvla yesterday, fifteen at Anzac, and fifteen at
Helles, and more are landing to-day. More than enough surely, but all
units must be very short.
The Turks used poison gas to-day for the first time. Tomlinson of the
Lancs., who told me his experience, says it made him feel sick and his
eyes smarted, but his respiration was not affected. One or two men
were overcome by it but none fatally. Curiously the evening before all
our naval and field guns were bombarding Jeffson's Post, the front
line of the Turks on Hizlar Dagh, and on climbing to the top of the
hill behind our camp to see what was doing the smell of chlorine was
well marked, although I was nearly a mile from the above place. The
shells were bursting well over the Turks who had to fly into the open
where our machine-guns got them. (The smell of chlorine probably came
from chloride of lime somewhere near, this being much used as a
disinfectant.)
_October 11th._--The statement that the Turks used gas the other day
now turns out to be false, it was ordinary lydite the Lancs. mistook
for one of the new fangled German devices. My apologies to the Turks.
Yesterday we had a visit from General Sir Julian Byng, our Army Corps
Commander (formerly in the 8th Army, we are now in the 9th). He
roughly inspected our camp, and the C.O. being in undress and unshaved
I had to take the party round. Sir Julian was complimenting the Turks
on their straight fighting.
_October 13th._--A day of intense cold after a still colder night.
Last night while we were at dinner a terrific rain came on suddenly,
and when I got over to my tent it was to find my bed soaked through,
as was almost everything I possessed.
To-day we had a lecture on the hillside by Sir Victor Horsley on
surgical wounds in warfare, mainly of the head. A very good lecture it
was.
This afternoon one of our aeroplanes came down in the Salt Lake. It
was well shelled and must be useless for the present. The two aviators
were seen leaving it amidst a storm of shrapnel, one evidently getting
hit, he was seen applying something white round his leg.
This is one of the great routes for the migration of birds. Yesterday
and several times to-day I saw flocks of geese flying over our heads
and steering south, likely on their way to the Nile and great African
lakes. During last night they kept up a constant cackle as they flew
over us.
_October 14th._--Geese in large flocks are crossing to-day, mostly in
V formation of twenty-five to thirty. A good many are in two V's and
some of the largest flocks must number about 500. Many thousands must
have crossed before 11 a.m. when they suddenly came to an end.
A shrapnel shell struck the back of my dug-out at the dressing station
two nights ago, blowing all the walls down. Two of our new officers
were in it at the time, one being rather badly hit on the head by a
flying stone. He is besides badly shaken and has had to go to a
hospital ship. The other was blown right into the trench in front, got
well shaken up and had a hand cut, but he looks on it all as a bit of
a joke.
_October 15th._--I have been off colour for some little time, and I
question if I'll be able to carry on much longer. Of the ten officers
we had the other day only three are quite fit, and most of them landed
but a few days ago.
_October 16th._--This morning, about 4 o'clock, the orthodox hour for
attacking being one hour before dawn, a furious gunfire opened on Sari
Bair, which I got out of bed to watch. Many shells were bursting
simultaneously all along the ridge and down this side of the hill. It
is hard to say whether the Turks or the Australians were the
assailants, but I noticed in the forenoon the Turks were shelling a
spot near the bottom of a gully which crosses Sari Bair, and which a
few days ago was in their own hands. All forenoon a most interesting
shelling went on in these hills and foot hills, but after watching it
carefully I cannot satisfy myself that there is any material change of
position. The Turks and ourselves have fired many thousand shells
to-day, and the Turks have kept the end of Sari Bair held by the
Australians enveloped in a continuous smoke.
About three days ago the Turks had placed a new gun of large calibre
in the line of Hizlar Dagh, and its huge shells come screeching over
our heads on their way to Little West Beach at all hours of the day
and night. Its first day's bag I hear was forty-one, and its second
eighteen. This is the busiest landing place we have, men in large
numbers embarking and disembarking all night long.
A Turkish aeroplane crossed over our camp about 10.30 a.m. flying so
low that, when I heard it in my tent, I said to myself only one of our
own machines could fly at that height. It must actually have gone
right over an anti-aircraft gun on the top of Hizlar Dagh, almost
immediately behind us, and before this fired a shot it was allowed to
go nearly a mile. Then it opened fire and shells went after it in
quick succession, but every shot burst, as is almost invariably the
case, hundreds of yards behind it. The machine glided gaily along past
the point of the bay, straight over the British lines to Sari Bair,
rifle shots being fired in a regular fusillade. It turned, perhaps
three miles from here, went to its right, came straight over the
warships in the bay towards us, all the time flying at the same low
elevation. It then went to the east right over our centre lines where
all our infantry opened on it, but it never veered from its straight
course. I was watching all this with an officer of the London
Territorial Fusiliers, and asked if he thought there could have been
20,000 rounds fired, and after thinking a little he said there must
have been twice that number. At least fifty shells also went after it.
I hope the aviator got a V.C. or its equivalent on his return to his
own lines. Our shell fire was atrocious; I felt so thoroughly ashamed
of it that I hoped the Turks were not watching the puffs of smoke as
the shells burst a good quarter of a mile behind their mark. When the
machine came within range again on its return journey the
anti-aircraft gun opened fire on it again and did no better than at
first, but at the very end there was a distinct improvement. I can't
think how all these shots at such a short range could have missed a
vital spot. The man's sailing over us a second time was the coolest
act I have ever witnessed, and I would have been sorry to see him
drop.
As McLean was coming in from the dressing station after dark last
night two bodies of troops passed each other, a sergeant of one
shouted to a ditto of the other, "Are you the West Ridings?" "No," was
the reply, "we are only the bloody Monmouths walking."
Lt.-Col. Fraser, our C.O., who has been ailing for some time, left for
hospital to-day. This leaves me as C.O. of the Ambulance, Dickie and I
being the only officers remaining of the original ten.
Up to the present time our losses are six killed (including one
officer), two died of disease, and either twenty-four or twenty-five
wounded (including two officers). (This is an under-estimate.)
Sickness has also been excessive, and we cannot have more than a third
of our original men. We have had four drafts, mostly Englishmen.
_October 19th._--Walked to our new dressing station this forenoon and
examined "well thirty," this being by order of the S.C. of the
Engineers of our Brigade. I was presented with a bottle of water thick
with blue mud. Being intensely thirsty I adopted the only test
available and drank it off, and promised to report if it had any bad
effects.
In the evening another draft of thirty men reached us, this time from
Swansea. Every man is turning up his nose at the thought of a Welsh
detachment.
Had a long interview on many subjects with the A.D.M.S. (Lt.-Col. J.G.
Bell).
A large flock of geese crossed this morning, but I have seen none for
the last day or two.
_October 21st._--Preparations were made to meet a Turkish attack
yesterday, which was some great feast or fast day with them; however,
it did not come off. Dickie thinks such exertion on either a feast or
fast day would have been a mistake. Then at night when there was a
full moon we half expected this attack, and an Engineer officer at
present at H.Q., who called to see me yesterday, said he was always to
keep his boots on at night after this, as he said he had no faith in
the troops we now have in our front line being able to check any sort
of attack.
Another of our heroes, Nightingale of the Munsters, left for home
yesterday in bad health, but greatly against his will. He pleaded to
be allowed to go back to the trenches, but we were partly influenced
by a letter from his C.O., who requested that we should give him a
rest as he had been on the peninsula since the landing. Almost without
exception those who get a chance to go home go with the greatest
pleasure, and it is refreshing to come across one who is really not
suffering from "cold feet". All are more or less ill I admit.
_October 24th._--A particularly cold, wet and rough day. According to
an article which appeared in the "Westminster Gazette," and was
reprinted in our local "War Office Telegram," there is always a cold
rough snap from October 20 to October 25. The first date was correct,
and I trust the latter, which is to-morrow, will be as accurate, for
we are miserable. Geese are crossing in very large numbers to-day.
The thirty Welshmen who were attached to us were exchanged for an
equal number of the 4/1 Highland F.A. from Aberdeen. Our men had taken
to the Welshmen and were sorry to part with them, especially as they
were doing excellent work.
_October 25th._--The above weather forecast was wonderfully accurate,
the cold snap ran from the 19th to 24th. Yesterday opened rough, wet
and cold, but later in the day the wind fell to an absolute calm and
the temperature rose. To-day is ideal, not a breath of wind, a few
fleecy clouds, and delightfully warm. Geese are flying south in
thousands. Where do they all come from?--the lakes of Norway and
Sweden, Finland and Northern Russia, or where? Their destination is no
doubt that delectable country for the winter, Africa. Yesterday the
A.D.M.S. thought I required a change and recommended me to go there
also, but I refused absolutely. I prefer the hardships of Suvla and it
may be the Balkans, to a life of ease and comfort in the hospitals of
Alexandria. Had things not looked so bad here I might have accepted
such an offer, but now that the outlook is as bad as could be, and the
danger to ourselves gradually thickens, it is out of the question.
Mackensen is said to be in Servia and pushing south rapidly. He has an
army of 216,000, while the Servians can oppose them with only 80,000
or 90,000. French and British troops have been rushed north from
Salonika, and we are in contact with the Bulgars, if not the
Austro-Germans. All here expect to be ordered to the Balkans any day;
at Suvla we are now being wasted, all we can do is to hold up the
Turks which is not good enough.
_October 26th._--We hear to-day that the "Marquette" which brought us
from Avonmouth to Alexandria was torpedoed two days ago, on her way to
Salonika. About 1000 troops were on board, and 600 are said to have
been lost, including thirty nurses. The "Marquette" sent out the
S.O.S. signal, but the submarine came to the surface and signalled,
"No assistance is required".
_October 28th._--Nothing much doing except artillery fire. According
to evidence given by the Turkish prisoners our artillery fire does
little harm, they are so well dug in, one Battalion putting its daily
casualties at six. Yesterday about mid-day every Turkish gun opened
fire on our trenches from the extreme right to the extreme left and
along Anzac, and all at the self same moment. We wondered what it
meant and whether it was preliminary to a wild assault all along our
lines, which was to drive us into the sea; one would have expected
something extraordinary to follow, but in less than fifteen minutes it
was all over. No doubt they caught many of our men in the open,
sitting smoking on their parapets and such like, and 100 or 200 may
have been knocked out. We are continually being caught napping, and
one shell often lands in the middle of an unsuspecting group and plays
terrible havoc.
I see in G.R.O. (General Routine Orders) that General Sir C.C. Munro
takes over command of the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force from
yesterday's date.
_November 2nd._--The weather on the whole gets colder and more
bracing, sometimes too much so, but by day it is occasionally
uncomfortably warm. The Turks and ourselves keep shelling each other
as of old.
I am now feeling so very much off colour that I know I ought to go
home, but I am unable to tear myself away from Suvla in case I should
miss the chance of going to the Balkans. Still, I am afraid I will be
left behind if our Ambulance was to go. During the summer I had two
months of dysentery. Since then I have never felt quite fit although I
have carried on the whole time, and for the last three weeks I have
had an attack of jaundice, of which there has been a very widespread
epidemic. (This epidemic was afterwards proved to be Paratyphoid.)
_November 7th._--For some days the weather has been perfect, bright
and warm as midsummer, and the nights cool without being cold, but
with dews heavy enough to drench the tents.
To-day we had the most deliberate shelling the Turks ever gave the Red
Cross. So far they have shown us more or less respect, in fact no one
could find fault hitherto; when shells came among us, there was always
some excuse for it. To-day I think they must have been retaliating for
some mischief our guns had unintentionally done to their Crescent. The
88th F.A. is encamped alongside us, and six big high explosive shells
fell among the two of us, costing each of us a tent, but strange to
say no other casualty occurred. All, including about sixty sick, made
for our two big trenches which we made some time ago in case anything
of this sort should happen.
_November 8th._--A Medical Board was summoned for this morning for the
examination of a well-known rascal, and being one of its members I had
an opportunity of a talk with the President, our A.D.M.S., Colonel
Bell. I represented to him that I had long felt I would be compelled
to leave the peninsula, although much against my will, but after three
months' illness my strength had got so undermined that I could stand
it no longer. I took no care of myself, otherwise I might have felt
better now, but since I landed on April 25, I have not been a day off
duty. As Colonel Bell remarked, I should have left Suvla long ago. I
am now writing on a hospital ship, trying to feel that I have done my
bit.
Dickie, who also goes on sick leave, and I decided to go forthwith, so
we packed up all our belongings. We boarded a lighter at the C.C.S.
and came out to the hospital ship "Rewa". The evening as we came out
was beautifully still, with a little haze hanging about the foot
hills, chilly, and we were glad to put on our overcoats. I felt
depressed at being forced to leave, and cowardly when I thought of
those left behind; still on gazing around I felt astonished I had been
able "to stick it" so long. The monotony lately has been very trying;
living on a small piece of ground with the enemy in front and the sea
behind, and no progress being made, could have been nothing else.
_November 9th._--Went to bed early last night and had a talk with
Major Turner of the 53rd C.C.S. who was in bed alongside. Talking
about our being shelled on Sunday he said his hospital was twice
shelled, getting three shells each time, and they were informed, with
apologies, by the Turks that they were retaliating. On one occasion
one of our naval shells landed in the middle of a Turkish Ambulance.
This confirms my theory that our shelling was an act of retaliation
for something or other. Although the door and port-holes were open
last night I was greatly oppressed by the closeness of the atmosphere,
due to my revelling in the open air for many months.
_November 10th._--We lay at anchor outside the boom of Suvla Bay till
mid-day to-day, when we had got on board nearly 500 sick and wounded,
and we set sail for Lemnos. Our boat is so coated with barnacles that
her speed is reduced from 18 to 12 knots. Two monitors were firing at
Achi Baba as we came opposite it. Each had two guns and the four were
fired together. We passed close to one which gave a magnificent roar,
the like of which I am not likely to hear again for many a day.
The sick officers occupy one table in the saloon, the Staff eating at
a separate table. The latter a well-fed, happy lot, the others yellow
and jaundiced, and looking very weary.
_November 11th._--We reached Lemnos yesterday at 6 p.m. and anchored
in the outer harbour with four other hospital ships and many
transports. Our boat has orders to proceed to Alexandria and we are
again on the move, leaving at 9 a.m. to-day.
_November 13th._--We reached Alexandria at 11 a.m. taking fifty hours
from Lemnos. On the pier at which we drew up stood a train refulgent
in stars and crescents. This was soon filled, and passed off, into the
unknown--likely Cairo.
Next, how was I to get a wire off? Quite easy, said some one. You see
that lady along there with the green umbrella, that is Lady C---- who
meets all boats and looks after such things. Lady C. soon gets off a
bale on which she has been sitting, and stalks slowly down our way,
gets a bundle of what turns out to be telegram forms and awaits the
hoisting of the gangway, a great lumbering affair which it takes an
army of multi-coloured Egyptians to shove along on its wheels. Then
they swing it round, amidst great shouting in chorus, and nearly catch
her ladyship's shins in so doing, but she is wide awake, jumps back,
digs the hand that is not holding the green umbrella into her waist,
her head jerks a little, and I can imagine she is consigning all these
Egyptians to a certain place. She comes on board where all are very
deferential, and she is asked to lunch with us but declines.
_November 14th._--Ras-el-Tin Military Hospital. Towards evening
several officers were brought to this hospital yesterday. We enjoyed
our ride through the streets, all gay with the brilliant colours of
the East. At last we entered a big gateway and landed in an exquisite
garden. At the distant end of this is a tall lighthouse, the hospital
being at the very point of a long promontory on the east side of the
harbour entrance. The garden is full of palms and flowers of the most
brilliant hues.
A medical fellow came round and gave me an overhaul this morning. He
tells me my heart is dilated--hence my severe breathlessness. I was
told I must go to England, but need not expect to get away for a
fortnight or so. The hospital is very airy but uncomfortably warm.
_November 18th._--I am already feeling much better. I have a wonderful
appetite and am thoroughly enjoying the good things set before me. My
weight is now 10 stones 1 lb., and I must have gained at least 2 or 3
lbs. since I left the peninsula. I am still over 2 stones under my
usual weight. I took a walk half-way up the promontory to the
Khedivial Palace where I hoped to walk through the gardens. I had seen
in the papers that the Sultan was up the Nile, but the two Egyptian
N.C.O.'s at the gate refused to admit me, one saying, "de Sultan is in
Alexandria". "Nonsense," I said, "he is up the Nile." "No, no, no,"
said the black, "de Sultan is here," pointing over his shoulder to the
palace.
_November 19th._--At mid-day I was ordered to pack up as I was to
start for home. At the docks I was put on board the "Rewa" where the
officers and nurses greeted me as an old friend. I learned that our
destination was back to Lemnos, where I would be trans-shipped to the
"Aquitania" which is booked to sail on the 22nd.
We sailed in the afternoon. The sea is rough, spray splashing all over
the ship, the windows of the music room have to be kept shut, and it
is hot and stifling--and I melt.
_November 21st._--We reached Lemnos to-day after a run of forty-five
hours from Egypt, a distance of 580 miles. The object of the "Rewa's"
trip to Alexandria was to get drydocked and have her hull scraped. We
could have done the trip in a few hours less than we actually took,
but all last night and to-day we have had a furious gale in our teeth,
which made us drop 4-1/2 knots per hour. The decks have been swept by
the waves all day, and the awnings blown down more than once. We now
lie in the outer harbour, while the four great funnels of our next
boat can be seen towering over the hills that form the south side of
the inner harbour. The cold is intense.
_November 22nd._--We spent the night at anchor outside the boom. They
commenced to raise the anchor at daylight, but were stopped by signal,
so that now at 10 a.m. we lie here waiting orders. The cold to-day is
terrific. The wind is probably stronger than ever and goes whistling
through the rigging. Our latest orders are to lie here till the gale
moderates.
3 p.m.--During the forenoon the "Olympic" passed close to us as she
entered the harbour, and is now anchored near the "Aquitania".
_November 23rd._--We raised anchor about 7 and moved straight out to
sea for 2 or 3 miles when we thought we were to go home on the "Rewa,"
which had been spoken about as possible, but it turned out we had only
gone out to bury a man who died last night. We turned and were soon
manœuvring to get alongside the "Aquitania," but after very nearly
giving her a bad bump we had to sheer off, and we have again anchored
and wait for that tantalising wind to moderate.
In the afternoon we made another attempt to get on board the
"Aquitania" and again failed.
_November 24th._--After two hours fiddling about we managed to attach
our fore and aft hawsers to the "Aquitania," and after breakfast we
went on board our new home. This magnificent boat had 2300 patients
last night and expects 2000 more to complete her load. She has a crew
of 1000, thirty-six medical men and a large number of nurses. The
"Aquitania" was at first a troopship and mounted four 6-inch guns, and
has carried 7000 troops at a time, besides her crew. The distance from
Lemnos to Southampton is 3080 miles, and with her proper coal, a
mixture of Welsh and Newcastle, she has covered that distance in 4
days 18 hours. But for coal she has to rely mainly on the inferior
stuff she picks up at Naples.
The fittings in the wheel house are most ingenious. For example,
should fire break out the captain has only to open a cupboard which
tells him where it is, and by touching a button he can flood any one
of the six watertight compartments. A fan works automatically in this
cupboard every five minutes, and if there is smoke in any compartment
it is sucked up its corresponding tube. There are thirty-eight
electric clocks on the ship, and as the time has to be changed
continually as we go east or west, by moving the hands of a clock in
the wheelhouse the hands of the thirty-eight move in unison.
We hear Greece has been presented with an ultimatum demanding her to
come into the war on our side, otherwise to demobilise within two
days. Another story says she has already joined the other side, and
that our fleets have been engaged.
_November 26th._--The Germans are at present accusing us of carrying
troops and ammunition on our hospital ships, an excuse given out to
the world for sinking the first good prize of the sort they come
across. Of the sixty-four hospital ships we are said to possess the
"Aquitania" would make the most desirable capture, and our most
dangerous spot is the Aegean, from behind any of whose numerous
islands a submarine lying in wait may dart out.
We are now approaching Sicily on our way to Naples. We cannot go
through the Straits of Messina after dark, and our quickest and
cheapest way is to anchor for the night, but the danger of attack
prevents this and we have to go right round the island. We are doing
about 20 knots against a stiff head wind. When pushed beyond this the
consumption of coal is out of all proportion to the increase of speed,
and being in no hurry they prefer to stick to what is called her
economical speed.
_November 27th._--I have been talking to an officer in the
smoking-room who, like myself, was waiting for the library to open. He
wished to hand in "The Life of Oliver Goldsmith," by Washington
Irving. He says he is descended through his mother from Goldsmith, and
he had taken out this book to find where Irving put his birthplace.
"At Pallas," as he expected, "they all do so; even Johnson, who wrote
his epitaph, made the same mistake." Goldsmith's father was rector of
Pallas, and his wife had gone home to her parents at Elphin, in
Roscommon, and it was here this great writer was born.
Naples Harbour. We arrived at this historic place at 6.15 p.m. We
began to get in among the islands of the Bay between 4 and 5, but
daylight soon began to fade and we did not get a good view of our
surroundings. The first land we approached was Capri on our left, an
island famed for its wines. On the other side was a small island,
little more than a huge volcanic rock, with the gleaming white houses
of a small town half-way to the summit. We could see Naples away at
the top of the Bay, large houses all the way up the high rugged hills
on which the town is built in the shape of a horseshoe. Behind the
houses on the sea front rises mighty Vesuvius, her highest peak
covered with snow, and belching out volumes of smoke which roll down
the side of the hill and stretch out to sea in one big dense cloud.
The whole town is most brilliantly lit, the glare of street lamps
being a relief after Gallipoli.
We had some mild amusement to-day. These submarines are still a terror
to those in charge of the ship. All the invalid Tommies are in hospital
dress, trousers and jacket of light grey, and a brilliant red cotton
handkerchief round the neck. All officers who wished to go on deck were
ordered to wear this dress on account of the German publication that we
carried troops, and if spies saw a lot of officers in uniform--and
we'll have spies among the coal-heavers--there might be some faint
reason for their pretended suspicions. After tea we donned our new
garb, and about twenty of us collected on the wheelhouse deck. Out came
a sailor who shouted, "No one but officers allowed here, away you go".
Then in a few minutes out came another, "Now you privates, clear out of
this; this is only meant for officers". The disguise was apparently
complete, and the two poor sailors were the only ones who did not enjoy
the joke. Our service caps were also forbidden, and we had all sorts of
headgear. I had a long scarf wipped round my head in turban fashion and
was said to be the worst looking ruffian of the lot.
It was bitterly cold on deck, and about 2 p.m. we had had a shower of
hail. The hills beyond Naples are covered with snow.
_November 28th._--On looking over the rail on my way to breakfast I
found we were coaling at the hardest on both sides of the ship,
barefooted coal-heavers, all at the gallop, carrying their baskets of
coal from the barges and tilting them into shoots down among the lower
decks. Bum boats, not unlike those of Malta, swarmed about the
harbour, loaded with merchandise, such as oranges, tobacco, picture
post cards, and beautifully finished models of mandolines and guitars,
the vendors yelling at the pitch of their voices. Their transactions
were carried on away down on E. deck, and even at that low level a
bamboo rod twice the length of a fishing rod, with a bag at the end,
had to be hoisted to reach their customers. You bawled out your order,
put your money in the bag, and your goods appeared in a minute or two.
Another of our leviathans came in this morning to coal, the
"Mauretania," a Cunarder like ourselves. She is a big boat but is
dwarfed by the "Aquitania". I notice her bridge is on the 7th storey,
ours is on the 9th.
The air is sharp but it is bright and sunny. Vesuvius and the
magnificent city of Naples stand out clear in all their glory, and
away to the north one gets a good view of the lofty Apennines, all
with their peaks covered with snow, and over these the wind blows icy
cold.
6 p.m.--We were allowed to tramp the boat deck in our hospital garb
until mid-day when the O.C. the ship took it into his head to have us
removed below. Now that it is dark we are allowed up again, and one is
tempted, in spite of the cold, to remain there and admire the city
which is a beautiful sight even at night. Vesuvius is in one of her
quiet moods and gives out no glow from her crater. On the top of the
hill behind the city is the Castle which reminds one of Edinburgh, and
to the left of it towers Bartalini's hotel with its numerous storeys,
a place where, an officer tells me, "you can get a hell of a good
lunch, but you have to pay for it". There are trees everywhere among
the houses. Many with tall, branchless stems and a spreading top,
evidently of the fir family. Lombardy poplars and tall dark cypresses
are everywhere.
Between us and this old Castle, at the water's edge, stands a lofty
stronghold, black and forbidding, and I believe many atrocities were
perpetrated here in the days of Garibaldi. Its high castellated
battlements look as if they had a history.
We finished coaling about 3 p.m. and expected to get off at once, but
no, the ship had snapped one of her cables and we could not sail until
the 20 ton anchor and 50 fathoms of chain were fished up, and
apparently this had not been done before dark, and we must now lie
here till to-morrow. The harbour has a rocky bottom, and if an anchor
catches behind a rock such an accident is apt to occur from a sudden
jerk, and this is the second time it has happened to our boat in this
self-same place.
_November 29th._--Our whistle began its terrific row at 4.30 this
morning. Its blasts are most unpleasant and seem to affect the stomach
more than the ears. We began to circle round the "Mauretania" about 8,
and by 8.30 we had cleared the breakwaters and were going down the
Bay, the morning gloriously fine, almost a dead calm, and the houses
and rocks sparkling in the sun. The whole forms a magnificent picture.
"See Naples and die." We sailed close in to Ischia and we could see
the terraces where the vines grow, beginning at the top of the
perpendicular rocks and ascending the hill-sides like a giant's
staircase. We pass a big liner flying the French flag, and she dips
her stern flag as a salute.
At 8.15 p.m.--We passed Sardinia, but all that was visible was the
revolving light of the lighthouse on the south point. There is now a
strong gale, and we pitch and roll a good deal. But the wind is soft
and warm, blowing from the African desert instead of the snowclad
Apennines.
_November 30th._--A beautiful day and warm.
I have been having a talk with one of our two captains of the ship. He
tells me we have the most powerful wireless installation afloat,
except on the big battleships. In Lemnos we can easily pick up the
Poldhu messages, although our receiving distance is given as 2000
miles only. We can send out messages to a distance of 500 miles, but
the only one allowed just now is the S.O.S. Between Lemnos and Sicily
we received a message saying that submarines were operating all round
Sicily, and the Consul of Naples warned the captain of another
dangerous spot which we are at the present moment approaching. This
boat was once fired at by a torpedo as she was entering Lemnos, and at
the time was steaming slowly to let the "Mauretania" pass outwards,
when another torpedo was fired at that ship, which also missed.
Our numbers on board are 3873 invalids, and the crew and all other
staffs at least 1400, or a total of 5273. We have 106 boats, each
capable of holding from fifty-six to sixty-nine, so that all could be
accommodated in these--if we had time which is never the case in an
emergency.
Noon.--Our wireless news for the day has just been posted up. There is
nothing much in it except the news that "Sicily is literally besieged
by German submarines". Germany says she has accomplished her immediate
object in the Balkans, whatever that is, but I understood this was to
join hands with Turkey which she has not yet done. Austria is said, on
the authority of "The Tribune," to be asking for a separate peace, and
at home, considering the reliability of this paper, they think there
may be some truth in this.
_December 1st._--The steward when he brought me tea at 6.30 this
morning, said "Gib." was in sight. On looking out I could see rocks
but not "the rock". But it soon appeared and I got hurriedly into my
clothes and quickly swallowed breakfast and was on deck with my
glasses. Here was the rock close at hand, a brilliant morning, the sun
lighting up the side we were nearing, a big mushroom-shaped cloud
floating on and obscuring the summit. This side is bare and black with
its acres of concrete rain catchments, the only means of water supply.
Last time I saw it it disappointed me, but now we headed straight
round its projecting south point towards the harbour and had a
glorious view of the razor-backed hill, the point bristling with guns,
walls, and forts, and all along the west side buildings in white and
ochre, with red roofs, all lit up in bright sunshine; plenty of trees
about, palms and others, and green grass which is always a surprise
to me after the barren peninsula. At the northern point of what is
quite a large bay lies the harbour full of shipping, its one entrance
guarded by a most powerful boom. The view all round is not much behind
Naples--the rock with its large and beautiful buildings; across the
bridge, connecting the rock with the mainland, the Spanish town; to
the left the snow-white town of Algeciras, famed for its bull fights.
Behind all the great towering, rugged mountains of Spain.
We lost two hours here waiting for orders, but by 10 we had turned our
head for the Atlantic, and were soon going full steam ahead. The 970
miles from Naples we covered in forty-eight hours, at economical
speed. Our speed and size dwarf everything we come up against.
Before sunset we passed a small tramp steamer which halted, as we also
did, and for long signals were carried on between the two of us. The
passengers were unable to read these, but they must have been very
important when a ship like the "Aquitania" came to a dead halt.
At Gib. we had been told that a rumour had reached England, and
appeared in the "Daily Mail," that the "Aquitania" had been torpedoed.
_December 2nd._--The air is soft and balmy, a few drops of rain have
fallen, but the lower clouds fly fast as if a breeze was brewing.
6 p.m.--We have had a stormy afternoon, a driving rain and a 50-mile
gale as reckoned by the captain. As I came along a passage a cupboard
door flew open and scores of dishes fell out with a crash. In the
wards bottles and tables are flying all over the place. As I was
steadying myself on deck the ship's whistle gave a blast that seemed
unending. There was a rush from below to the boat deck, but as there
was a thick haze we decided it was only a fog signal. "Fog signal,"
said the captain, "I call it a d----d fool's signal. This boy,"
pointing to a very guilty looking little chap, "placed his back
against the whistle lever, and the d----d fool never noticed he was
raising hell."
_December 3rd._--All last night the rolling had been particularly bad,
so much so that the ship is pronounced to be much too top-heavy. I had
slept straight on till 5 and did not feel a particularly heavy roll at
2 a.m., which every one is talking about, and which had tumbled a lot
of people out of bed. One old sailor says he got a terrible fright, he
thought the ship would be unable to right herself from her great
weight, and he fled on deck expecting the worst.
4.45 p.m.--A revolving light can be seen through the mist but must be
many miles off. At 3 we had all been warned off the deck as a message
had been received that we were again in a danger zone. We are now near
our haven, and if that light is from the Needles another hour should
take us there.
_Later._--We anchored off the Solent as it was getting dark. In time a
pinnace came alongside, presumably a pilot came on board, so we up
anchor and are now moored inside the outer boom.
_December 4th._--As soon as it was daylight we began to move, and went
slowly up the Solent in a drizzle and thick mist; ships no end at
anchor all the way; past Netley Hospital facing great mud-flats; New
Forest stretching away to the left; Cowes in thick haze. When nearing
Southampton four tugs came alongside, two were attached to the bow,
the other two on guard crept along with us. At last the docks
appeared, we were hauled round by our tugs and went in stern first.
The four tugs then arranged themselves along our starboard side, got
their noses up against the "Aquitania's" ribs and butted her up
against the quay wall.
7 p.m.--I expected to get off hours ago. The Military Landing Officer
says the best he can do for me is to send me to Glasgow. I know what
Glasgow is like in a drizzle at this time of the year--"coals in the
earth and coals in the air," as some one says. It has rained all day,
is foggy and altogether British, unlike anything I have seen for a
long time. I can understand how our colonials come home and curse our
leaden skies.
_December 5th._--Sunday. We left the "Aquitania" at 10 last night,
many hundreds being left on the boat for discharge next day. They had
poured out of the ship by two big gangways the whole day long,
straight into the private station of the Cunard Line. In half an hour
we were all in our cots, round came an orderly asking what we would
have to drink, tea, cocoa, or oxo? I asked if that was his full list.
"Yes," he said. "No, thank you, I am going to sleep."
We reached Yorkhill Hospital, Glasgow, this forenoon, and found the
town in 2 inches of snow--real white snow too.
_December 7th._--Was examined by a Medical Board at 4.30 p.m. and just
managed to catch the 5 o'clock train for Aberdeen. Am now in Perth
where we have been kept standing for some time. The three men forming
my Board said I had a well-marked heart murmur, and all three solemnly
shook hands with me. Evidently their impression was that I was going
home to die. They do not know how much I have improved since I left
Gallipoli. I feel myself that I'll soon be at the Front again.
(Feeling ill and almost useless I had intended to ask for sick leave
from the A.D.M.S. a fortnight before I actually left.) On going to
H.Q. for this purpose I met Col. Bell who said he had intended to look
me up to let me know the result of a conference the previous evening,
when it was announced we were to evacuate the peninsula. This was a
strict secret, but I had to be told about it so that we might begin at
once to get rid of as much of our equipment as we could spare. After
such an announcement I felt it would be cowardly to miss what all
considered would be a terrible experience, and the object of my errand
was not mentioned. Such an eventuality was often discussed; we felt
that our remaining there for the winter would be a mistake, and no one
ventured to put our losses at less than 50 per cent. of all our forces
should it be attempted.
The preparations for the evacuation had been carried out with the
utmost efficiency, so much so that our losses were perfectly
marvellous--six casualties at Suvla, Anzac, and Helles combined.
(Suvla and Anzac were evacuated on December 10, 1915, and Helles on
January 8, 1916.)
1916.
_March 2nd._--On February 21, I received a long telegram from the War
Office, ordering me to hold myself in readiness to embark for the
Mediterranean at an early date to join an overseas unit. This order
pleased me, as my last Medical Board threatened to put me down for a
home job, which I told them would not be at all to my liking, and I
was glad to find they had carried out my wishes and allowed me to go
in for General Service once more.
Then on February 28 I had the order to report myself to the Military
Embarkation Officer at Devonport by noon on March 1. After a tiresome
journey of twenty-two hours I reached the docks and was directed on
board the Anchor Liner "Transylvania". Three medical men were down for
duty to the troops on board, these numbering over 3000, with Lt.-Col.
Humphreys as P.M.O.
We have some heavy work allotted to us; the order to inoculate all the
troops against cholera, which means two injections for each man, is a
big job in itself. Many have never been inoculated against enteric and
these have also to be seen to.
The "Transylvania" is a big boat of 15,000 tons. We lie in the bay
although all has been in readiness for twenty-four hours, and we
believe the delay is due to the fact that there have been several
casualties in the Channel, within the last few days, from mines that
have floated down from the Dover end, and we are likely to lie here
till the Channel is swept.
My first thought about our ship was that she was such a big target
that a torpedo could hardly miss her, and as yesterday was the date
the German threat to sink every armed ship at sight came into force,
our danger is no doubt great. (She was afterwards torpedoed in the
Mediterranean with the loss of 402 lives.) All are ordered to put on
our life belts, and even as we lie here many are going about with
these cumbrous things on, but most are content to carry them under
their arms.
A meeting was held yesterday, and crews of two N.C.O.'s and thirteen
men were chosen to man each of our fifty-five boats in case we should
get holed, while the rest of us have to scramble into the nearest boat
that has not its full complement.
_March 3rd._--We still lie in Plymouth Bay. Rumour says two German
cruisers have broken through our cordon and are somewhere on the
prowl. This is the latest reason I have heard for our still lying
here.
A corporal shot himself this morning, the result of a letter from his
sweetheart who dreamt that she saw him badly wounded, with his head
swathed in bandages. Stupid fellow, superstition should have told him
that this meant a wedding. He made a clumsy job of it, and a big mess
in the Orderly Room where it happened.
2 p.m.--At noon we cast off and in less than an hour had sailed
through the tortuous waterway and were out in the open sea. We have
two destroyers ahead and one astern. All are happy at the thought of
being on the move, lying in the bay was getting irksome. All have now
taken to their life belts. As a precaution against a surprise we have
a submarine guard of 200 men on duty at a time. These parade the top
deck with their rifles.
_March 4th._--Our escort left us last night at 7. Few are thinking of
submarines as is proved by two out of every three appearing for
breakfast without their preservers, or war babies as they are often
called.
_March 5th._--Yesterday afternoon while I was busy inoculating down in
D. deck six short blasts were given by the whistle, denoting danger,
when all had to rush to their allotted posts at the boats with life
preservers on. I guessed it was only practice, which is invariably
carried out the second day a troopship is at sea, and as I had only
four more injections to give, and these four men had not heard the
signal, I finished these, detaining my orderly who got as white as a
ghost. All must have got into their places quickly, all were in
perfect order when I reached the Orderly Room, the post of all
officers not in command of boats. An officer tells me that on his last
voyage an important and very stout Colonel was in his bath when the
alarm sounded. He obeyed the order to fly absolutely at once, getting
into his life belt and taking up his station without another stitch
on.
To-day I was in my cabin when I heard a terrific roar. Thinking a
torpedo might have hit us I put my head through the port-hole and saw
several getting into their belts, so I made for the deck to find our
big gun was practising on a barrel that had been dropped astern. Such
practice is usually carried out several times on a trip.
_March 6th._--We are nearing Gib., and as the danger gets worse here
our zig-zagging has increased. It rains hard, with a fairly thick fog,
and is altogether disagreeable. The M.O. for the crew had to be locked
up to-day and has a military guard placed over him. He had been
threatening all about him with a big amputating knife.
6.30 p.m.--Just passing "The Rock". It is dark and a brilliant
searchlight has been fixed on us. Once more in the Mediterranean, and
I expect I have a long, trying summer to spend somewhere in its
neighbourhood.
_March 7th._--Another dirty, wet day.
_March 8th._--It still rains and we have a violent gale, and as we
zig-zag this at times catches us full on the port side and the ship
rolls badly. She creaks from stem to stern.
We are nearing Malta and are warned to look out for submarines which
are more active here than anywhere. Each of our fifty-five boats is to
have its crew of fifteen posted on deck to-night, and many of the
officers say they are to sleep in their clothes.
_March 9th._--The sea has been very rough ever since we entered the
Mediterranean, and to-day has been the worst. We were opposite Gozo at
noon, then skirted the north of Malta but made no halt. Now we zig-zag
so much that we have no idea whether we are bound for Salonika or
Egypt.
_March 10th._--On the whole we now go south so that Alexandria is
likely to be our destination.
_March 12th._--When I woke this morning I found we were lying outside
Alexandria. We soon afterwards entered the harbour.
Hinde (one of our M.O.'s) and I were ordered to report our arrival to
the A.D.M.S., Arsenal Buildings, and getting into a "garry," with our
baggage mountains high, and a dirty native on the top of all, we left
the docks. Cabby did not know the Arsenal and we took this native
because, after infinite jabbering, he declared he knew it. But instead
of taking us about a mile along the quay he landed us in Place Mahomet
Ali, miles off. He was a beast this guide, ready to swear he knew
everything, a filthy, thick-lipped pimp who offered his good services
again when night came. "Sir will have a fine evening to-day," he
began, then detailed all the beauties he was to show us, in spite of
our violently swearing at him and his ancestors for centuries back.
After inquiring at half a dozen places we found the office of the
A.D.M.S., and a man, springing forward to assist us out of the garry,
hoped I felt quite fit again. This was Dorian, one of our Ambulance,
who had been sent here sick, and was acting as orderly to the A.D.M.S.
Here we were ordered to report at the Officers' Rest Camp at Mustapha,
five miles off.
We wandered about for a time, asked for the Post Office which was
closed by this time, being Sunday, then we asked for the telegraph
office and were directed everywhere but to the right place. Question
an Egyptian he will direct you anywhere, ask him for some place that
has no existence on the face of the earth and he will show you the way
with absolute confidence.
We got out to Mustapha about 6 and reported ourselves at the office of
the adjutant of the camp. All details as they arrive go to Mustapha
or Sidi-Bishr. About 200 of us dined together and had a good dinner,
most of us washing it down with the beautifully clear water of the
Nile.
Mustapha is a typical African camp, planted on sea-sand, but not so
barren as my camp of twelve months ago at Mex. Here we have a good
many date palms and other trees, and wherever a little irrigation is
done there is a profusion of flowers.
_March 13th._--I am directed to report to the O.C. "Camp 2," to whose
company I am accordingly attached while here. My duty is to hang about
his lines and take an interest in what the men are doing up to noon.
This is a mere formality so that the authorities might know where to
find us should we be wanted. To-day I came straight away and went to a
mosque near by, where I was refused admittance unless I removed my
boots, which I did not care to do, although I was assured the floor
was most clean. It is usual to supply visitors with slippers big
enough to go over their outdoor boots, but none are kept here. I
wished to borrow a pair from a row on the door step, the owners of
which were inside at their devotions.
A flock of about 300 cranes flew over us an hour ago, all bound for
the north, reversing the course I watched them taking last autumn at
Suvla. The morning is intensely warm, and I sit in my tent minus my
tunic and with shirt sleeves rolled up. A few days ago I left 6 inches
of snow in Aberdeenshire--and almost as much in Devonshire.
When I landed yesterday I heard that my old Division the 29th, had
already started for France, and that the remainder sailed one of these
days. Those still in Egypt are said to be at Suez, and I must see what
I can do to join them. I am told that once you are cooped up here you
may be forgotten for months.
_March 14th._--I reported myself at my company office at 9, inspected
the kits of a few men, and since then have wandered about like a lost
soul, hot and gasping for breath in the furious heat and glare. There
is a big house beyond us called Pasteur Villa, tumble down and
uninhabited, with a large disordered garden of several acres, with an
abundance of palms, cacti, etc., with high walls on which lizards
sport, chasing each other up and down. The bigger ones are nearly a
foot in length, with big ugly heads which they twist about in all
directions while their bodies are kept fixed. They keep a guarded eye
on you and allow you to get within a reasonable distance, but if you
go an inch beyond that they are off like greased lightning. They are
equally at home on the face of the smooth wall with their heads
upwards or downwards, have well-spread out legs and long sharp claws,
and whether going up or down are always at the gallop.
There is a most persistent rumour that the 29th Division sails for
Marseilles this week. When strolling about after dinner in the cool of
the evening I stumbled across an office of the 29th just beside our
camp. Here I was told that although they had heard this rumour they
personally believed that it would likely be another week or so before
they left. Anything rather than be stranded here for several weeks
doing nothing. Several remarked that I would be a lucky beggar not to
have to go to France. I hear most of the troops now in Egypt are
likely to go there, as though Turkey was not expected to give us much
more trouble.
_March 15th._--One of my old Ambulance men, Davidson, recognised me on
parade this morning and watched for an opportunity to speak to me. He
is on his way home and left his unit only twelve days ago. He says the
Ambulance expected to start for France two days after he left. Lt.-Col.
Bell, our A.D.M.S., on Gallipoli, is now in command, and as he is a
most able and genial officer I must do my best to join my old unit at
Suez should it be still there. (Col. Bell took over command of the
89th F.A. a week or two before this date, and was with us till the end
of the great Somme push of July. He was a most capable C.O., strict
but much respected by the men, and under him the Ambulance attained a
high degree of smartness and discipline such as it had never reached
before.)
_March 16th._--I have spent the afternoon with Hinde at the Nuzha
Gardens, the Kew of Alexandria. On getting beyond the town we came to
a broad, well-made road, bordered on both sides with orange trees, and
extending behind these the eternal palm and fig trees. This passed
Lake Hadra with its swampy edges full of long reeds and rushes, its
waters a dirty green, beloved by noisy frogs, with an abundance of
bird life, among which we saw two king fishers, and several times big
lizards darted across the road and mounted trees like squirrels.
The Gardens are particularly fine, the plants mostly tropical. I
noticed here that the new date crop is already well advanced. Our home
bedding plants, such as geranium, verbena, nemesia, were all in full
bloom and the soil and climate seemed to suit them. There was a large
rose garden, but the flowers were nearly over for the season, and the
blooms were but poor specimens, nor was their method of culture
conducive to the growth of prize flowers; the plants were mostly 3 to
5 feet high, thick stemmed, old and branchy.
_March 17th._--Still hearing rumours that the 29th goes to France one
of these days. I thought it was about time I was stirring up the
authorities, so I called at the adjutant's office at the Base Depot.
He was out, and on asking if there was any one else I could see, an
orderly said, "Of course there is the Colonel," in a tone of voice
that denoted that he would be a bold man who tackled him. However, I
dared to face him and found him a most charming man, but he could do
nothing for me directly, but advised me to go to the H.Q. of the 3rd
Echelon, Hotel Metropole, Alexandria, and ask for Captain B----. On
such an introduction I was received there with open arms, a 'phone
message was sent out to my depot, and I was assured everything would
be cut and dry before I could cover the four miles tram ride back to
camp. This I found carried out to the letter, and I am now on the
point of starting for Port Said to join my old Ambulance.
Hinde and I spent the afternoon visiting Pompey's Pillar and the
catacombs. At the latter we had to go down and down a long spiral
staircase which ended at two fine pillars, all cut from the solid
rock. Most of the larger rooms were family vaults of kings and others,
mostly of the Roman period. All the sarcophagi and recesses had been
rifled and the mummies taken to museums, but some still contained
large quantities of bones. One good specimen of a skull bone I slipped
into my pocket to find on my return to camp that it was reduced to
what resembled coarse oatmeal.
_March 18th._--Last night all men belonging to the 29th Division--and
there is a large number here on their way back to their units after
sick leave--were ordered to fall in at 6.30 p.m., and from then till
10.30 they were kept at their post. This long delay was merely for the
purpose of preventing their wandering away and getting too much drink
before their departure. We were booked to start soon after midnight.
We had a heavy train with about 600 on board, mostly in cattle trucks.
I could see little of the country till dawn when we were passing
through a most fertile, well-watered region; date palms in thousands;
native villages of mud houses, the whole usually surrounded by low mud
walls; hundreds of water wheels driven by oxen, the water drawn from a
canal we were skirting.
We cut across, striking Suez Canal at Kantara. The last 20 miles or so
was by an absolutely straight single track, through a sand desert,
without a trace of animal life, and with only scattered clumps of
fibrous vegetation. On looking forward one could see the sand flying
like snow drift in front of a gentle breeze. This must continually
block the line. The only surfacemen I saw were old fellows in dug-outs
about a mile apart, each with a plentiful supply of great water jars.
As we neared the Canal vegetation got rather more plentiful, with
bushes resembling clumps of whin in the distance. Then houses, camps,
and khaki, strings of camels led by natives in long white robes. We
had struck the Canal; tramp steamers were passing through, and numbers
of native boats were moored to the edges. Along the Canal were armed
men, field guns studded about, and on the other side bigger guns in
emplacements. The railway from Kantara to Port Said runs along the
west bank, and within a few yards of the water's edge, and along this
bank trees and shrubs form one continuous thicket.
We had much shunting on reaching Port Said before we got the train
alongside the docks, amidst the awful shrieking of our most unmusical
engine whistle. The Egyptian is notorious for his love of this
fiendish noise, one blast is never sufficient at any time, but he
gives shriek after shriek till you feel inclined to kick him off his
engine.
We boarded one of the old Gallipoli lighters which were specially
built for the landing, and were delivered three months after that
event. This took us out to the "Lake Manitoba," an old tub that could
barely do ten knots. As we drew up to the ship some one away aloft
shouted, "Three cheers for Captain Davidson," which call was heartily
replied to, and on looking up I found a lot of our men leaning over
the rail and waving their helmets. I felt at home again on recognising
this as Sergeant Stewart's voice and seeing "kent faces". On ascending
the gangway, McLean and Russell gave me a warm reception. These are
the only two officers remaining of the nine I left behind at Suvla in
November last. Colonel Bell was soon found when I got another hearty
handshake. He had heard of my arrival at Alexandria some days ago,
through Colonel Humphreys, P.M.O. of the "Transylvania," who, being
home on ordinary leave, had gone straight to Suez, and he said he had
been wondering how he was to get a hold of me. Our new officers are
mostly Scotch. The N.C.O.'s and many of the men I have had a talk
with, and I am proud to find they are pleased to have me back among
them, and I am just as glad to see them; the dangers we have come
through together will always be a link between us. Sergeant Gilbert
said the men had given me a ringing cheer at Suez when they heard I
was in "Alex.". The men are looking extremely well, totally different
from what they were when I left them. They are fat and bronzed, and
say they feel very fit. They have had next to nothing to do since the
evacuation in December, since when they have been stationed at Lemnos,
Alexandria, and Suez.
_March 19th._--We still lie at Port Said. At first the delay was said
to be due to our waiting to have a big gun mounted at our stern, but
this operation was finished in the morning, and now at 2 p.m. there is
no sign of our moving. We have at least a dozen ladies and children
on board, the impedimenta of officers returning from India.
_March 20th._--We left last night after dark. The precautions against
attack are very slack on this boat. There is of course a man in the
crow's nest, but the submarine guard practically does not exist, the
men pile their arms and wander about as they like. They are certainly
particular about showing light after dark; by 6 p.m. all port-holes
are closed, and every cabin has its iron deadlight down. After 7
o'clock dinner all the electric lights in the whole ship are switched
off, which is quite unnecessary; on the "Transylvania" we got absolute
darkness without such drastic measures. You have to go to bed in the
dark, no candles being allowed, the only lights being an oily lamp in
the smoking-room, and one in each long passage.
We have had a stiff gale most of the day, with waves washing over our
foredeck. Although we pitch badly I was never in a ship that rolled so
little.
_March 21st._--A beautiful day with the sea like a mill pond. In the
morning a destroyer was seen astern, convoying a large transport. They
forged along till they came abreast of us where the ship remained, the
destroyer going some distance ahead and keeping there for the
afternoon. Towards evening we had five other ships in sight.
_March 23rd._--The M.O. of the ship has just told me as a great secret
that the "Minneapolis" was torpedoed two hours ago, at a spot we
crossed yesterday about 10 p.m. He also says we have had a bad reverse
in France--another absolute secret, and I had to promise not to
breathe a word before my informant would tell me the news.
_Later._--The above news could not be kept secret long, all knew it by
afternoon, even the ladies from whom we wished to hide it.
_March 24th._--As we approached Malta yesterday afternoon a big
steamer coming from there wheeled round and returned to port; a
destroyer dashed out and passed us at full speed, while we received
orders not to enter Valetta as had been previously intended, but to go
ahead at full speed. All this, we discovered by evening, was due to
another transport, name as yet unknown, being torpedoed 60 miles east
of Malta. We had crossed the spot very shortly before and must have
had a narrow escape.
A great tug-of-war has been in progress for the last two afternoons.
Our unit, which is the largest on board, had four teams, two of them
managing to reach the semifinal rounds when their opponents knocked
them out, but only after a severe effort.
We hear this morning that a third trooper was "plugged" somewhere in
the course we have covered. If we are bound for Marseilles, which it
is taken for granted is our destination, we are not taking the direct
route. I am Orderly Officer for the day and having to inspect the
men's breakfast I was up early--even earlier than was needful, but I
was flooded out of bed as soon as scrubbing the decks commenced; half
a bucket of water came through my port-hole during a roll of the ship.
On looking out I could see land on our port side, which turned out to
be Cape Bon. At noon we are skirting close in to the African coast.
Either we intend to go through Gib., or we will go straight north to
Marseilles, well to the west of Sardinia. Being now a long way west of
Malta we feel that our chances of being torpedoed are perhaps less,
but the neighbourhood of the Balearic Islands is considered anything
but safe.
_March 25th._--6.30 p.m. Darkness is coming down and the captain says
that if we are not attacked within the next half-hour he will consider
us practically safe. The danger of a night attack is almost
negligible.
The weather gets much colder as we go north. We are about opposite the
north of Corsica, and a cold wind bears down on us from the Continent.
Two small birds have accompanied us the whole day, resting in the
rigging at times, but spending much time on the wing. I cannot make
out what they are, some say chaffinches, but that is certainly a
mistake, they are too small. A lark fell on deck in the forenoon
utterly exhausted, lying for some time on its breast with wings spread
out. It disappeared among the lifeboats and has not been seen since. A
whale, or probably two, was seen spouting a few hundred yards distant.
Some said they saw their backs, but I could not say I was fortunate
enough to see more than the jets of water which were repeated several
times. Porpoises have been plentiful all the way from Egypt.
_March 26th._--Marseilles harbour. I woke at 2 and thought we had
reached our journey's end, but I could feel that the screw was still
revolving, though slowly. Evidently we were killing time, there is no
chance now-a-days of entering a harbour during the hours of darkness.
By 6 we were steaming slowly into the fine Bay of Marseilles, high
rugged rocks on both sides, in front of us the town with its
surrounding girdle of limestone mountains.
("The Incomparable 29th" was a name well earned by this famous
Division. The Gallipoli landing could only have been made by
well-seasoned troops. Many and many a time I have heard the Anzacs wax
eloquent over their doings. As fighters no troops in the world can
surpass, or perhaps equal, the Anzacs, but they always declared they
could never have done what the 29th did. The red triangle, the badge
of the Division, they had a great love and respect for, and, although
not over-fond of saluting, no officer with this on his arm was ever
allowed to pass without a most deferential salute.
The casualties of the Division on the peninsula exceeded 600 per
cent., having been practically wiped out time after time. I afterwards
served with them in France and Belgium till early in 1917, when I went
to the Base and remained there till I was demobilised in June, 1919.)