The morning was spent in cleaning up Camp and rearranging Company Lines. The reinforcements were inspected and proved a fair lot of men. In the afternoon there was general leave, everyone making a straight line for Cairo. In the evening the Company officers had a dinner party at Shepherd’s. Those present being Major Cunningham, Lieuts [...]
The day opened disastrously. The O.C. visited the outpost groups between 4.30 and 6am and caught several groups not standing to arms. A crop of severe punishments followed. It is very noticeable how many men on duty are continually asking for concession to their own personal comfort and convenience, the inevitable result being that the [...]
A cool cloudy day. Regimental parade 8 am. Men with bad arms about 250 under Major Cunningham. Proceeded out to watch Auckland Infantry and 2 Batteries in attack, Batteries Firing Shell. Platoon work in afternoon. Attended lecture on Egypt in evening, YMCA.
Christmas eve. Battalion parade as usual though company training in orders. Lecture by Brigadier. Orders changed. A good days work. Officers dinner Shepherds 8 p.m. Present Majors Cunningham, Young, Capts. Cook, Hume, Cameron, Acton (1st Batn. Royal Irish), Gledhill (2nd Battalion ditto), Lieuts. Turnbull, Menteath, Baddeley. A pleasant evening and great cordiality between ourselves and [...]
Fatigues finished cargo. 10.45. Orders received to entrain by 11.45. Great rush but entraining carried out. Departure postponed till 2p.m. Return to ship for lunch. Train left 2.15. 1 Coy Aust. & Engineers also Ruahine Coy. Major Cunningham in charge of train. Arrived Cairo at 8p.m. Changed trains. Great confusion of baggage owing to misinstruction given [...]
Church parade was held very early as we expected to arrive at Colombo by 9 or 10 oclock. It was a delightfully calm warm morning the sea as smooth as glass and quite an opalescent tint. Land was in sight at daybreak and as we neared Colombo a swarm of sampans came gliding over the [...]
A warm moist day with misty rain. A suitable day for the visit of his Deep Sea Majesty King Neptune and consorts. At 2.30 p.m. punctually he appeared over the ship’s side and took his seat with his retinue on a dais amidships aft. Major Cunningham and Lieut Turnbull were presented among the first and [...]
We arrived at Albany at midday. There we found the Australians, their large convoy of transports presenting a very fine sight. The ship tied up at the wharf and the company were sent ashore for a short march under Capt Cameron. Major Cunningham proceeding to one of the other ships for a Board of enquiry.
Major W.H. Cunningham and Lieut F.K. Turnbull left Wanganui by the 7am. train and reported in camp at midday. They then learn’t of the misfortune which had over taken Capt. Cameron the previous day. They found plenty of work awaiting them in the way of organization which had to be tackled at once. S.M. B. [...]
Zeitoun Camp.
January 13th 1914 [sic]
Dear Colonel,
Having a free afternoon to-day I am starting to do that which should have been done before, write up the dairy [diary] of the doings of the Detachment of the 7th Wellington, West Coast, Regiment, serving with the Wellington Infantry Battalion in the New Zealand Expeditionary Force (Main Body). Up [...]