THE DIARIES VOL 5. | medicalmemories

JULY 1ST We now begin another month, what the fates have in store for us, I can't say, anyway, I am not beginning so very well for I report sick this morning, I get a couple of pills but feel no better, I got letters from home and sister, also papers and letter from L.

LV Brigade Nothing to report. A/55 verified registration.

C Battery Nothing to record. No firing done.

JULY 2ND Feel very ill all day, sent cards to home, sister and L.

LV Brigade A/55 fired at Turkish Transport. C/55 fired at enemy which moved later at Nakhailot snipers and at Round Fort. D/55 was today linked up to Brigade Telephone System with A/55 and C/55. HeadQuarters has now 11 miles of wire out.

C Battery Fired 9 rounds at bivouac party at TC32 17A 3/6 men retired out of range. Fired 4 rounds HE at Nakhailot Village to remove snipers. Snipers dispersed.

JULY 3RD We got orders late last night that all the horses and waggons were to go further down the river, so this morning we had to be up at 2 o clock, we go 2 or 3 miles and then pitch camp, I do not feel well, but I still manage to take the water cart to the firing line.

LV Brigade Wagon line was moved back to Thorny Nala. A/55 was linked up by telephone to 86th Heavy Battery and observed and corrected its fire on Turkish working party. A/55 C/55 finished wiring in Battery positions with Turkish barbed wire collected from old position.

C Battery No firing. Wagon line at u Roman moved to Thorny Nulla.

JULY 4TH Still ill, but I stick it, I can't eat anything at all, talk about souveniers, I could get hundreds of Turkish shells if I wished.

LV Brigade B/55 received 14 reinforcements. C/55 fired at Turkish gun position and fired shrapnel and H.E. which burst in centre of large Turkish working party. Also fired at request of infantry to keep down snipers.

C Battery Fired 7 rounds at Nakhailot Village to stop sniping. Firing effective. Fired 4 rounds at working party in Round Fort. Party dispersed.

JULY 5TH I had to report sick this morning, I feel as weak as a kitten, I get some pills and get told to come again in the morning.

LV Brigade A/55 fired at enemy’s O.P. about T.C. 38 16 C 8/5.

C Battery Nothing to record. No firing.

JULY 6TH Nearly all the horses and drivers leave for Sheik Saad this morning, but I am left here with about a dozen men, I have to go into the firing line twice a day with the water cart, when our guns are in action I am about ten yards away, I am still ill and again report sick.

LV Brigade Horses of H.Q. A/55 C/55 D/55 BAC/55 returned to Sheik Saad leaving BAC/55 mules and 8 G.S.L. wagons of S.A.A. Section to do necessary transport work. Capt HC Gomersall and Lieut WD Hill accompanied horses. C/55 fired at and dispersed Turkish working party and also fired at Nakhailmot to keep sniping.

C Battery No firing. 52 NCOs and men with 110 horses left Thorny Nulla at 3.30am for Sheik Saad.

JULY 7TH I feel worse this morning, and again report sick. I am very weak and fall down three times during the morning, but in spite of this a Sergeant Garner, by name makes me take the water cart, when I get back at night I have to be lifted off the cart, the cooks are very good to me however, for they make me a cup of hot milk.

LV Brigade C/55 dispersed Turkish working party with shrapnel and fired at Nakhailmot to keep down sniping.

Battery Nothing to record. No firing done.

JULY 8TH I again report sick and get Exd. Duty. I must admit I feel very bad, I send cards to L and home.

LV Brigade C/55 fired 12 rounds to disperse working parties and keep down sniping, During night C/55 fired 38 rounds in conjunction with Infantry Machine Guns to disperse working party on river bank between Z14 and Z15.

C Battery Fired 6 rounds at working party TC32 17A 3/3 party dispersed. Fired 6 rounds on working party in Nakhaolot Village TC32 17D 5/15 party dispersed. Fired 18 rounds at working parties TC32 17A 3.5/4 parties dispersed. Fired 38 rounds shrapnel and HE at working parties in and around Z14 and sniper posts in ruins at TC38 16D 3/68. Ara searched and swept by HE in connection with machine guns.

JULY 9TH Again report sick get light Duty, but I feel very little better, I feel to have no interest in anything, and I keep going dizzy.

LV Brigade /55 fired 3 rounds to disperse working party near Round Fort. C/55 fired 8 rounds at gun pit T.C. 38 16 D 5.6/3.4. D/55 doing cross observation.

C Battery 8 rounds fired at gun pits TC38 16D 56/34.

JULY 10TH I again see the doctor, I feel a little bit better, but I get Exd. Duty, perhaps I shall be alright tomorrow.

LV Brigade C/55 fired 25 rounds at intervals during day at working parties near Round Fort and to keep down snipers at Beit Aiessa.

C Battery Fired 11 rounds at working parties to left of Round Fort. Party dispersed. Fired 4 rounds at Ruins Beit Aieesa. Snipers observed leaving observations. Turkish observing ladder TC38 16C 13/9.

JULY 11TH Again report sick and get light duty, I feel a good deal better, but am still very weak, and can eat very little.

LV Brigade C/55 fired 9 rounds at trench Z14 to Z15 and 12 rounds to keep down sniping.

C Battery 9 rounds fired at trench TC38 Z14 to Z15. 3 rounds fired on Beit Aieesa Village. Sniping ceased. Fired 9 rounds at trench TC28 16 C 9.5/5.8.

JULY 12TH I feel better today and do not report sick, and I manage to eat a little food, we get some gifts from Lady Carmichael, and I get some soap, a tin of milk a tin of sausages, we get a lot of gifts from the above parcels, some come to each battery every week, but I would much rather have one of my own parcels from home, or a letter, I think it's about time we had another mail in.

LV Brigade C/55 fired as registration on Enemy Observation Ladder at T.C. 38 16 D 6.12/9.3.

C Battery 10 rounds fired at Enemy’s Observation Ladder near Conical Mound TC38 16C 12/93. Observation sniping practically nil.

JULY 13TH Today we got a little mail, and I got papers from home and L but no letters or parcels. I still feel very weak and am a long way off being fit.

LV Brigade Flag of truce morning and evening. Batteries did not fire.

C Battery No firing owing to Flag of Truce.

JULY 14TH I feel better today, I still look forward to getting a letter or parcel, we hear good news from France.

LV Brigade Flag of truce morning and evening. Batteries did not fire.

C Battery No firing. Observations. Working parties near Hospital flag about TC38 16C C/15. No hostile artillery fire on movements in zone covered by this battery. Four small mounds have been erected by TC38 16A 4/6.

JULY 15TH Still feel better, a mail comes up, but I get nothing.

LV Brigade C/55 fired on enemy battery position T.C. 38 16 D 5.6/3.4 and on observation ladder.

C Battery 31 rounds fired at Turks Battery position TC28 16D 56/34.

JULY 16TH Very hot to day, at last I get some letters, 1 from home, 1 from our Liz, 1 from L and 1 from Uncle Albert besides papers from home and L.

LV Brigade C/55 fired 27 rounds on registered targets and to keep down sniping.

C6 rounds fired at working parties left of Round Fort. Parties dispersed. 13 rounds at snipers post in corner of erection TC38 16C 5/75 on left bank of Tigris. Roofcollapsed work stopped. 20 rounds at Turkish Battery TC38 16D 56/34. Battery ceased fire. Observations. Considerable number of enemy moving up and down Trench TC38 16C 8.5/3 to Nahailot Village most of them carrying bins presumably for carrying water.

C Battery 6 rounds fired at working parties left of Round Fort. Parties dispersed. 13 rounds at snipers post in corner of erection TC38 16C 5/75 on left bank of Tigris. Roofcollapsed work stopped. 20 rounds at Turkish Battery TC38 16D 56/34. Battery ceased fire. Observations. Considerable number of enemy moving up and down Trench TC38 16C 8.5/3 to Nahailot Village most of them carrying bins presumably for carrying water.

JULY 17TH Yesterday I sent letters to home and L, I feel fit just at present, we still hear good news from France, nothing doing up here much only a little shelling now and again.

LV Brigade Flag of truce morning and evening. Batteries did not fire.

C Battery No firing done.

JULY 18TH Today I get a parcel from home dated May 27th, I very much enjoy the tinned fruit etc. Taking things all round I am doing very well in regard to mails, some of the chaps here have had nothing for seven or eight months. I send cards to our Liz and Uncle Frank.

LV Brigade A/55 fired at working party. C/55 fired to keep down sniping.

C Battery 26 rounds fired at snipers loop holed parapet Nakhailot Village. Parapet partly demolished. Trenches and dug outs blown in. Sniping ceased. 4 rounds at TC38 16D Z14 to put down snipers. Sniping ceased.

JULY 19TH Today is a day to be remembered by me, for it is just a year today since I joined the army, I little thought then that I should go through what I have done, but I thank God for keeping me safe through it all. We are losing a lot of men with heat stroke, and the strength of our battery is about 50 officers and men out of 130, it takes us all our time to fire the guns, we shall either have to get more men, or go out of action. Some of the infantry have been reinforced, with men straight from home, it's absolute murder, after three weeks the Manchesters have lost ¾ of the reinforcements sent out to them.

LV Brigade A/55 fired at 30 Turks marching in open. C/55 fired 54 rounds at snipers posts in conjunction with machine gun and rifle fire.

C Battery Fired 48 rounds at enemy’s trench TC38 16D Z14 to Z15 machine gun emplacements and fortified posts along left bank of Tigris. Z15 to Ruins T38 16D 3/7. Artillery and machine gun fire entirely silenced enemy’s fire and stopped all movements and building operations from Z14 to Ruins. 6 rounds at enemy’s posts TC38 16D Z15 Ruins TC38 16D 7/3/

JULY 20TH Today it is not quite so hot, a strong wind is blowing the dust about in clouds, but the wind is very warm.

LV Brigade Nothing to report.

C Battery No firing.

JULY 21ST Two or three more of our men are put in hospital and we have not enough men to turn out the teams, the telephone being in our tent, last night we heard on the wire that all the batteries are coming down here on the 25th of the month, what that means I can’t say, perhaps we are going on the other bank of the river, we shall have to wait and see.

LV Brigade A/55 fired on and dispersed working party about 20 strong. C/55 fired to keep down striking.

C Battery Fired 13 rounds at enemy’s trench left bank of Tigris TC38 16D 17. Fire and movements cease.

JULY 22ND Felt bad last night, this morning I was put in hospital with a touch of fever, feel a little better towards night.

LV Brigade Lieut EW Watkins sick and admitted to hospital. C/55 fired at loopholed redoubt in Nanhailet Valley.

C Battery 16 rounds fired at enemy’s fortified redoubt TC38 16C 7/7 Nakhailot Village. Loop holed wall blown in and all signs of movements cease. 2/Lt EW Watkins admitted to hospital (sick).

JULY 23RD Feel a little better this morning but feel rather weak after being on milk diet.

LV Brigade A/55 fired 7 rounds at gun pits.

C Battery No firing and nothing to record.

JULY 24TH TO 26TH Still in hospital, things are very rough, we lie all day on a straw mattress on the ground, my bones are very sore, for all the straw has slipped out, we are not overloaded with food, on milk diet we get about a pint and a half of very weak milk per day, on light diet we get bread, jam, and tea, and about ¼ of a cup of weak meat essence, and on full diet we get 1 piece of bread with a little bacon or cheese, with ¾ pt. of tea for breakfast, bread, jam and tea for dinner, and for tea ¾ of a cup of bully beef stew, about 8 o clock we get ½ a cup of cold cocoa. I am not making any complaints, but just stating facts, for I must say that the doctor was a fine chap. On the night of the 26th I asked to be discharged and came back to the battery, but I was still very weak, and could hardly walk about.

LV Brigade 24.7 Bde Hd Qts moved to camp at Thorny Nullah. A/55 & C/55 each fired a round at aeroplane.

LV brigade 25.7 A/55 & C/55 moved to camp at Thorny Nullah.

LV Brigade 26.7 Nothing of interest to report.

C Battery 24 Jul No firing.

C Battery 25 Jul Battery came out of action and proceeded to Wagon Line Thorny Nulla manned by horses and drivers from detail. 55th Amm Coln and SAAs left Chahela at 4.45am and arrived at Thorny Nulla 8.30am.

C Battery 26 Jul Nothing of importance to record.

JULY 27TH A and C Batteries along with Headquarters have all come down to our camp, out of action, but D Battery still stay in action. I have to see our old doctor, when I report sick and he gives me Exd Duty.