The Road to Chunuk Bair » W G Malone

Sunday 30th May 1915

lynley — Sun, 30 May 2010 00:00:16 +0000

Place: Anzac. Rest Gully.

Remarks: Reconnaissance C.O. & officers. Courtneys. 1 pm W.W.C moved to Courtneys.

Friday 5th March 1915

lynley — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 23:00:35 +0000

Company training 8 to 11 a.m. We expect to have Divisional operations again tonight though no definite orders were issued this morning. From 2 p.m. we were standing by waiting for instructions. About 7 p.m. Brigade orders came through for a move at 8.40 p.m. It was a dark night with a good moon rising about midnight. Our Regiment took its place in the Brigade at the hour ordered. The men carried their full kits in pack and most of them wore shorts. We marched about 8 miles via Heliopolis and the Suez Road to the place of assembly for the Division which was reached about midnight after approximately three hours marching. As soon as we arrived we learnt that our Brigade was to take up a portion of a line, occupy and entrench it immediately. Our Regiment was allotted 600 yards of the front. Coy. Commanders rode up with the O.C. Regt and were given their sections of the line. Entrenching tools were quickly issued from the Brigade reserve and Coy. Commanders marched their commands up in rear of their portion of the frontage. The 200 yards allotted to our Company was quickly parcelled out amongst the 4 platoons and the clink of pick and shovel was soon audible along the whole line. We started digging at 1 a.m. in good moonlight. Platoons had 14 pick and 14 shovels each and 50 yards of front. The digging was difficult, the soil being hard and stony. At 4.30 a.m. digging was stopped and everyone stood to arms. At dawn an attack was made by a skeleton force on the whole entrenched line. We had dug about 30 yards of trench per platoon with a couple of communication trenches as well. At 6.30 a.m. the troops filled in the trenches, reassembled by units and marched back to camp. Mounted officers attended the “pow-wow” always held by the G.O.C after the manoeuvres were over. The G.O.C expressed himself as immensely pleased with the work done by the Division. Our Regiment reached camp at 9.30 a.m. The men were quite ready for breakfast and soon tucked themselves away for a snooze. Only two men of our Company failed to see out the nights work. One fell out marching out to the place of assembly while the other was taken suddenly ill while digging in the trenches. This was an immense improvement on the 24 who fell out on the previous days Divisional training. At the conference the G.O.C indicated that we would soon be making a move, that we would require our warmest underclothing, but he did not mention our ultimate destination. Speculation is very rife as to whether we are to take part in the operations in the Dardanelles. The prospect of taking part in an expedition to this locality is viewed very favourably by most of the men.

Wednesday 10th February 1915

lynley — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 23:00:40 +0000

A bright cool morning. We were on the go early getting ready for the General. He has requested that our kits be put out for inspection. Fortunately we had a big washing day yesterday so everything is clean. At 10.15 the General arrived and was received with a general salute in proper style. He inspected the men on parade. Then the parties fell in in front of their tents and he inspected the kits expressing his approval of our blankets and thick underwear. He finished kit inspection then chatted for a few minutes with the officers and said adieu. He is a short active little man. Carries three rows of war ribbons and has a very unassuming and prepossessing manner. We were all pleased at meeting him. Col Malone and Capt Cook also paid us a visit and stayed with us to lunch. The general said that the latest information was that the Turks had retired right away from the Canal and that there was no signs of them within 25 miles. It looks as though we were in for some more quiet routine. Our 5 prisoners are to go to Cairo tomorrow.

Monday 1st February 1915

lynley — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 23:00:53 +0000

The beginning of another month. Our friends the Ghurkas have gone and we now have the 24^th Punjabis on our flank. They are tall black bearded fellows and a contrast to the little Ghurka. Today we constructed another 60 yards of fire trench on the South of Gare 152. In the afternoon most of the officers paid a visit of inspection to Post No.2. commanded by Major McLeod of the 7^th Ghurkas. It enabled us to inspect our own trenches from the enemy’s side and to note how best to assist the post with fire in the event of an attack being made upon it. Tonight No 1 Platoon moved to ElKubri Station as a Reserve to Lieut.Col. Malone. Capt Cameron went to Hospital today. Lieut Cross taking charge of a Section of line occupied by Nos 3 and 4 platoons. Coy Headquarters have been shifted tonight to Gare 152 to spot today vacated by Regt. Hqrs. The mosquitos here are simply villainous. The officers visited post No2. this afternoon which is occupied by the 7^th Ghurkas. The night passed quietly except for the incessant attacks of the mosquitos.

Thursday August 20th 1914

Gillian Tasker — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 00:00:18 +0000

This morning we had our first regimental parade Lt Col himself being present, and he gave the various detachments a good shaking up, and told officers, N.C.O’S and men some plain home truths. The Regiment then marched through Palmerston North to the Hokowhitu Golf Links where Squad drill was carried out, the Regiment returning to camp about 4 p.m.