A very heavy dew early this morning. Stood by at 3 am and dismissed at 5.
Busy helping Brigade Headquarters who arrived this morning. Bathed later. The Col., Kirk, and the padre messed with us today. A Bosch plane came over here yesterday while I was at Kantara. The mountain battery had four shots at it, but she was well out of reach.
The West Riding Battery arrived at Romani today and are going to dig themselves into a position there.
I went down to Kantara by the six o’clock train from Romani this morning. I had breakfast with the ammunition column when I got there. Drew some money from the Field Cashier and payed off the men. I went and had a bathe in the canal with Jackson and Hawkins of the West Riding Battery. The water was very greasy and full of jelly fish. I lunched with the column, they were in great form.
The West Ridings are coming up to Romani within the next few days, so everything was in confusion. The Essex Battery are still in quarantine; it is paratyphoid they’ve got. When they are fit I believe they are coming to take our positions up here, and we are going to Romani to act as a mobile battery for any stunt that may come off. A battery of 60 pounders is also coming up here I believe.
Left Kantara by the four o’clock train and got here about six thirty. Divisional Headquarters are up here now and the new general was coming up in the train tonight. He has been brought from Salonika. General Lawrence has handed over the 52nd Division to him, and he himself is going to command No 3 Section Canal Defences, The Colonel came up for the night this evening as Brigade Headquarters are moving up here tomorrow.
Bathed this morning. One of the 261st Bde. has come up to be attached to us to take charge of the ammunition dump, and Simpson of our brigade column, who has been doing it since Poulteney went, has gone back to Kantara.
I went down to Romani tonight as I’ve got to go to Kantara tomorrow to draw some money and pay off four men who are going home.
Stood by at 3 am, dismissed at four thirty when everything was reported all clear, and came down to camp and finished my snooze.
Church parade in our mess tent this morning. I had to read the lesson as the padre had forgotten his glasses.
The major got back from Kantara this evening, and had heard good news from the Flanders and Russian fronts.
Mail in tonight, a lot of news from home. Jo and his squadron have gone to France with the 60th Division. Heard from Ben Stephens; he’s been invalided home after five months on Mudros and the Peninsular and three months here.
Very full intelligence report in tonight, the Turks are reported to have thirty thousand troops now.
One of our battleplanes was circling about over us from about seven till eight this morning on the chance of the Boche turning up, but there was nothing done. Bathed this morning; old Garside bathed with us – his first for 15 years. He really is a marvel, over sixty and yet skips about out here like a two year old.
The major has gone down to Kantara to see the General, so Elliott has come up here tonight from Romani.
I heard from Cecil Ellis tonight, he has got his captaincy and seems to be having a great time. Up in the O.Pip tonight.
Nothing much doing today. We hear from Kantara today that the Essex Battery have got over fifty men in hospital. There are rumours of leprosy, but we’ve not heard what it is yet. The rest of the Battery have been put in quarantine.
An agent who has just returned from the Turkish lines reports that he visited Shellal, Bir Saba, and Hassana; that the Turks are about twenty thousand strong, inclusive of Germans, Austrians, Afghans, Syrians, and Arab horsemen, and intend attacking down the Northern Route in the late summer.
Very clear morning, dismissed at four thirty.
A Boche plane came over during breakfast this morning, flying at about 5000 ft. He played about over us for about half an hour despite a very heavy fire from all the machine guns round about, but didn’t drop any bombs. The mountain battery fired one gun at him but the shell burst about a thousand feet below him. Two of our own machines arrived from Kantara about half an hour too late.
Bathed this morning. Small mail in this evening; heard from the Jacker. Pease left this evening. Good news in the official telegram from Flanders tonight, also from the Russian front.
Gen. Murray G.O.C. in C. Egyptian Expeditionary Force came up here today for a day or two and went round the defences this evening. We hear they are going to send up a howitzer battery and two more batteries to Romani shortly.
Pease of the Essex Battery came up here from Kantara this evening to see our position. Mail in the evening. Up in the O.Pip tonight.
Poulteney left about four o’clock this morning. A broiling hot and very monotonous day.
Dismissed at 4:30. The Colonel and Borrit left for Kantara this morning and Garside arrived to take over all the veterinary work for the troops up here. He is going to mess with us.
Poulteney had a wire from the War Office this evening recalling him to England.
I have practically recovered today, but still a bit limp.