The Road to Chunuk Bair » Wanganui

Monday 8th February 1915

lynley — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 23:00:44 +0000

The day passed quietly in ordinary routine. The men’s Kit Bags arrived from Zeitoun and also a New Zealand mail which we were all very pleased to get. We heard that the aeroplane went out forty miles and reported that they could find no traces of the Turks. We are all wondering what this signifies. Since arriving at the Canal we are under very strict censorship regulations so it may be some time before this portion of the Diary reaches Regtl. Headquarters at Wanganui. It is rather a pity it should have to be kept until it is stale. We got rid of three of our prisoners by sending them to Cairo, the escort came down especially from Cairo to fetch them.

Sunday August 23rd 1914

Gillian Tasker — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 00:00:49 +0000

Our first Sunday in camp passed quietly and a number of visitors from Wanganui turned up to visit the camp. There was Brigade Church Parade in the morning and in the afternoon some company training.

Friday August 21st 1914

Gillian Tasker — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 00:00:28 +0000

Our second quota of men from Wanganui arrived during the day in charge of Lieut. Watson and formed a welcome addition to our strength. The Battalion paraded at 9am and was inspected by Col. Johnstone[sic] the Brigadier and then marched to the Golf Links for Regimental Training. The O.C. visited Capt. Cameron and found he was progressing satisfactorily and terribly annoyed at being down.

Tuesday August 18th 1914

Gillian Tasker — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 00:00:00 +0000

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. Woodhead was in charge in the absence of Capt Cameron, while Q.M.S. Davidson was attending to the domestic arrangments[sic]. At this time it was quite expected that the force would be leaving N.Z. before the end of August. Consequently all efforts were directed towards getting equipment completed and between whiles doing a little towards consolidating the different detachments into the resemblance of a Regiment irrespective of the efficiency of the individual man in the ranks. The first afternoon a medical Board of three solemnly inspected the men’s feet and condemned two men as medically unfit on account of flat feet. Pvts Irwin and Steere. They were promptly despatched out of camp. Enquiries for Capt Cameron that night revealed the fact that he had most acute appendicitis and his restoration to health would be a matter of months.

January 13th 1915, Zeitoun Camp

Pete — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 00:00:32 +0000

Major William Henry Cunningham

Zeitoun Camp.

January 13^th 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 7^th Wellington, West Coast, Regiment, serving with the Wellington Infantry Battalion in the New Zealand Expeditionary Force (Main Body). Up to the time of commencing this Dairy [Diary] there is nothing to chronicle of actual fighting, though much of interesting manoeuvres and travel. It is my intention to write up the dairy [diary] in duplicate so that one copy may go to you while the other is kept with the detachment. At present our doings are humdrum and insignificant but at no very future date you or perhaps your successor may see fit to collate a small history of the Regiment and our smallest doing’s may interest future members of the Regiment. I hope you will put your copy safely in the archives of Regimental Headquarters in case as is not unlikely the original may got [sic] lost in the Field.

Yours very sincerely

WH Cunningham Major
Cmdg Wgtn W.C. Coy

To Lt Col R Hughes
Cmdg. 7^th Wgtn.W.C.Regt.
Wanganui NZ.