Allsop Diary

8 June 1916

Thursday

Making top for drainage pit. Sports meeting coming off on Sat & Tuesday. We immeasurably prefer entering these with the 8th Brig. than the combined A.M.C. Read out on order that if there are any more Canteen riots all Canteens will be closed. News of Lord K. apparent drowning causes deep anxiety. YMCA at night.

9 June 1916

Friday

Sports meeting held as prelim to pick rep. for brigade meeting tonight provisional meeting on Tuesday Concert at YMCA in evening

10 June 1916

Saturday

Brigade Sports. Major Williams won Field Officers race & we were proud to (crossed out: represent troop) win the decision for best limber. Four bands playing. Fine display. Afternoon off. YMCA concert at night

11 June 1916- Whit Sunday

Church Parade in morning. Ref. made to death of Lord Kitchener Washing uniform, hardwork.

12 June 1916- Whit Monday

Marched down to Lake at Ismailia and stayed all morning. Beautiful palm grove. Eating watermelons. Aust upsetting niggers and pinching his goods and money. Packing up and loading waggons to move Slept in Hospital Tent.

13 June 1916 Tuesday

Fatigue work all morning prep to going away. Memorial Service to Kitchener at 6 p.m. Most impressive. Dead March in Saul and Last Post by buglers. Humbugging us again by marching us down to station for Kitbags. Believe they are to be carried on Piquet at night. Officers drunk

14 June 1916

Wednesday

Divisional Sports meeting. Fine Display. Won Limber [entry]. Met Hughie Steanes Cornish Reg Cannons H.S. tells me 127 degrees in shade at Rail Head the other day. Tommies being brought in in cartloads R.C. met Bill [Stiel?] at Tel-el-Kebir West Indians from Cuba & other Islands here. They are quite black and speak English. They say the fight here is worse than they exp. before [?]

15 June 1916 Thursday

Very Hot. Dismissed parade. Lying down all morning. 30 men and our Head Quarters leaving tonight by [Tronicia ?] We may leave tomorrow, 29th & 30th going today. Rumours that we go tomorrow night on Transylvania with Div. Head Q. Staff. Boat load of 3000 Brassards issued to be sewn on armsleeves (Note -Met Cpl Shepherd)

16 June 1916 Friday

Very Hot. 14 F. Amb. arrived to take our place. We leave tonight Ration issued- Bully & small round biscuits for 24 hours. Aeroplane dropped a bomb right near our mess hut. Apparently it was an accident because I saw the machine coming down in the camp as it must have been one of our own.

17 June 1916 Saturday

Friday night marched to station boarded open trucks at 9:30 pm. Left 11:30 pm arrived Alexandria at about 7 am Pretty miserable trip with 41 men in each truck. Heavy dew fell. Fooling about wharf till mid day. Than embarked on SS. Transylvania. Numbers of transports in harbour which is guarded by nets against submarine attack.

18 June 1916 – Trinity Sunday

Sailed about 9:30 am. Hat blew over board Meals very mean. 1600 ton boat 29 knots. 31 times chased by sub. Saved survivors. From Southland. Keeping on deck again.

18 June 1916

Monday

Mess orderly. Pretty dirty job. Powerful little destroyer came to convoy us & is now bouncing about in front with waves dashing all over her. Most of the day passing N. of Crete. Coast looks weird & barren. Various rocks and islands here & there. In touch with Malta Malta in touch with Whitehall. Travelling [8?] route. Lot of steamers about. Crete still to our left at night. Slept on Deck.

20 June 1916 Tuesday

Destroyer gone. Beautiful morning. It is known that there were at least 2 destroyers round us last night. Some say there were 4. No sign of anxiety on board. Life belts with us all the time. At 10:50 am another destroyer the O2, came racing up to us and is still here (2 pm). This destroyer was with us when we went to bed. [(6 am)?] Slept on deck

21 June 1916

Wednesday

Inspection by Gen McKay. Mild weather still. Destroyer changed places with another of the same class about 6 am (name & No. not visible) Large Shire Line Transport with troops aboard going in Eastern direction. Destroyer 77, same class as ours is convoying. Malta 6 am on southern side. Numbers of schooners on all sides. Island between Sicily & Africa passed Cape Bon (d crossed out) Lighthorse on deck.

[top left] 1916 [top right] June

[centred] 22 Thursday - Coronation Day

Up at 4 am for decks to be washed. Destroyer still here. Cloth Aust Uniforms on, others in Universal bags. First sign on reality in war when our little destroyer stopped a big cargo boat some distance in front of us then dived up alongside to inspect, men standing to the guns. We had a good view of this episode. Corsica 12:30 pm. Destroyer still there. Continuing Zig Zag course. [arrow from "pm"] Corsica on Right Slept on deck.

23 Friday - Prince of Wales' Birthday Destroyer dived away at about 6 am. Parade in full Aust Uniform, carrying blankets preparatory to leaving ship. Now at Marseilles. Arrived 7am. Beautiful entrance to city. Great shipping going on. Band on board playing International tunes. German Prisoners working on wharf. Good evidence of wine industry. 2 British destroyers close by. Beautiful morning & trip has been excellent except for rather short meals. Off ship midday went to railway station. Pretty train ride made through tunnels & hills, fine scenery, Vineyards, Fast trains, bereaved people, excitement at all stations. Tea at Orange at 1:30 am. [centred] 24 Saturday Still beautiful scenery on all sides. Women cheering & waving, some crying. 1100 on train made an impressive scene at every station. Vienne, Lyon a fine city, number of bridges. Cheerful faces of French soldiers. Dijon a fine station. Red Cross Ladies gave us tea. I got Souvenir / little flag. Chalon fine station. Lunch at Macon. Tea at Lasfayines [sic] [centred] 25 Sunday - 1st After Trinity Australians at Etaples' Graves. Breakfast St Cyr. From Fourneaux see Paris. Passed south of Paris up to Amiens a fine large place. We gave it a fine ovation Rolling stock fine. Abbeville big place. [?] Bauges. Boulogne 10.30. Calais during night at 3:30. I happened to be awake. Fine country