Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales
Donald E. MacDonald diary, 1 February-12 May 1916
MLMSS 1121/3
[Transcriber’s notes:
During the period of this diary, MacDonald and his regiment were transported from Egypt (Alexandria) to France (Marseilles) and thence by train the Somme (Thiennes). MacDonald’s entries are brief. He does express some excitement on arriving in France – beautiful girls, pretty scenery and amazing infrastructure. He was promoted to Acting Sergeant on 20 April.]
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Section Roll
Rank – Name – Date – 14 – 15 – 16
Cpl. MacDonald X - - tick tick tick tick
L.C. Watson - - tick D D D
Pvt. Warner - - tick tick tick tick
" Churchill - - tick tick tick tick
" Wade X - - tick tick tick tick
" West A.L. X - - tick tick tick tick
" West N.C. - - S S tick A
" Watson - - tick tick tick tick
" Ryan - - tick tick tick tick
" Sutton - - R R tick A
" Talbot X - - tick tick tick tick
" Watkins - - tick tick tick tick
" Stevenson Cook - - . . . .
" Wood. " - - . . . .
My old Section that went to Gallipoli with me
Only those with X against stayed till evacuation
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Dairy February 1916
Feb 1st Still on Engineering but given orders to rejoin unit tomorrow. Bright sun cool breeze, exempt from Outpost duty.
Feb 2nd Wednesday
Lecture on Outposts & [Indecipherable] positions etc. Afternoon 1 hours Signaling. Letterwriting afternoon & evening. Short Rations. 96 Biscuits 4 Breads 8 tins (1lb) Jam & light cheese between 34 men for 24 hours.
Feb 3rd Thursday.
Bkfast ˝ hr. earlier marched with Packs, East forward past "Camels Humps" returned to camp 1.30pm. 3Pm. pitching tents for D.Coy & C.Coy
On Outpost 7 & 8 Platoons.
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Feb 4th Friday
Morning resting . Afternoon Courtmarshall Sentence passed on A.Coy man then on Protection on March. Writing evening, sent 3 in to Cairo privately.
Feb. 5th Saturday. Wet night
Struck camp 9am. to move East about 1500 yds. everything transported and all tents up by 2Pm. Dinner 2.30. 3 biscuits, fair cheese 2/3 lid of tea. Writing after.
Feb 6th Sunday
B.Coy for duty. Myself & 4 men on Teliscope Sentry Group 7am till 8pm. No relief sent out for us nor knowledge of. Did letter writing & reading. Meals sent out to us.
Feb 7th Monday
Drilling morning, Trench diging afternoon. Represented Coy. for General Complaint
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looked into & extra issue sought for.
Feb. 8th Tuesday
Drill all day, nothing out of the way. Bread issue but rations still short.
Feb. 9th. Wednesday.
B.Coy for duty. Trench diging all day. Outpost all night myself on reserves connecting with A.Coy. ˝ hours transfer. Turned in about 10.30pm. Beautiful night.
Feb. 10th.
Awoke under heavy fog with blkts. etc soaking got back to Camp about 6.15am.
Sunbathing & writing morning. Coy. in attack afternoon. Very hot & settled.
Feb 11th.
Coy Orderly Cpl, busy morn quiet afternoon writing; Parcel from Eileen.
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Feb 12th. Saturday
Coy for duty diging till midday, With 12 men & Camels to HQrs for Ammunition for Gundagi then back to Railhead leaving camp Sunset second time & reaching destination about 8Pm.
Feb. 13 Sunday
Loading Camels 41 with Water for 17th sent off at 7.30. Bkfast then loading Rations returning to Gundagi about 3Pm.
Feb 14th Monday
Diging morning. Drill after dinner. Parcel from Aunt Annie.
Feb 15th Tuesday
Drill morning. Diging afternoon. Outpost all night. Wet most of day, cleared off from teatime but cold.
Feb 16th Wednesday
Morning off rest & writing
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diging afternoon, took few photos in camp after parade. Writing. raining heavy afternoon 2 showers. Parcel Mrs Landers Socks.
Feb 17th Thursday.
Signalling & Musketry till dinner time. Dressed for Cairo left camp 3Pm. on foot to Road West of 353 & caught motor transport from the 9 Kilom peg geting to Ferry Post at sunset. Had fast tea turned in 11pm.
Feb 18th. Friday
Up at 4am walked to Ismalia stn caught train 6am arriving Cairo 9.40 Much business, went to Heliopolis to see Derek & Syd about 5 to 7pm. then back to Cairo, finished shopping & went to my Room. Hotel Metropol 9pm.
Feb 19th Sat.
Up 5.30am Cold bath dressed & walked up to
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railway 9.45, had snack Cakes & Coffee & with extra for journey, strayed out 7am reaching Ismalia 10-40 am by train to railhead 1.30Pm. back to Camp 3.30Pm.
Feb. 20th. Sunday
Orderly Cpl. easy day, showers during day. Platoon off duty from after Church Parade
Feb 21st. Monday
Cpl of Qr. Guard easy day, reading & writing.
Feb. 22nd. Tuesday
Off duty 9am to 2Pm. Diging afternoon.
Feb 23rd. Wed.
Diging all day.
Feb 24th Thurs.
Diging all day. Recd photos from Cairo [Indecipherable]. Orderly Cpl all night.
Feb 25th Friday
off duty morning. Writing etc afternoon digging.
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Feb 26th. Saturday
Diging all day. Reading night.
Feb 27th Sunday
Church Parade morning.
OutPost 2 to 4.30Pm. 2 Miles East 1 North then returned.
3 letters 2 parcels from Johnstons.
Feb 28th. Monday.
Diging all day. Patrol all night
7Pm saw camel passing us, No1 Picket & Camp. Challenged it , it turned & fled, so opened fire & dropping it about 100 yds off. Great excitement fun all round Gundagai all Standing too, & manned new trenches till report was sent in.
Feb 29th Tuesday.
Battalion Parade to congratulate all hands on Previous nights "Action". Also Enquiry by Spl Board re Matter of Shooting & killing Camel which called for written statement by
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self & 3 other monikers entailed. I was at time in charge of the Picquet, about 16 men.
Diging afternoon on B2 Trench. Writing afternoon & evening.
March 1st. Wednesday.
Stopped off parade all morn writing etc. rec’d Black Kits midday. Afternoon holiday. Beauti full day & hot & cloudy windless.
March 2. Thursday.
Orderly Cpl for day, awful wind sand storm with heavy sky. Writing.
March 3rd. Friday
Still sand-storming too heavy for diging or rifle sighting, drill all day.
Outpost night, very dark but mild sleeping out.
March 4th. Sat.
Storm ceased but sky overcast. Morning off.
Afternoon on trenches. Photoes taken
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March 5th. Sunday.
Musketry Grouping morning afternoon off. Warned to shift Camp
March 6th. Monday
Bkfast 7am. Messed clear of camp about 8am. Cleaned up lines and struck camp about 10am. N.Z.M.R. took over about same time. Our band played them in: looked well. Marched off about 11.30am. Picked up A.Coy & with 30 minute marches reached road 1pm. & Ferry Post 5pm. Pitched tents & settled down with O.K. about 7.30.
7th. Tuesday.
Without previous warning struck tents about 8am and prepared to move out. Camp cleaned & OK ready for marching 10.15am. Marched Pontoon Bridge & halted at Ordinance Stores where we changed rifles
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had lunch & marched on again 1pm about at attention all the way, most unreasonable men couldn’t stand it 110 falling out in the last mile. 1st rest 1.2 mile from final Camp ˝ hours rest. Tents were ready to take over up ready & settled down about 4.30pm. Stew & tea evening meal.
8th. Wednesday March.
Coy. for duty. Orderly Cpl self. Bathing Parade 9.15am.
9th. Thursday.
Checking equipment etc. all parts made up.
10th. Friday.
Drill morning. Routmarch afternoon.
11th. Saturday
Arodom Guard till 24 hrs Photoes many
12th. Sunday.
Relief not brought till 2Pm instead of 9.30am.
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Took myself for a bathe till 5Pm. also photographying
13th. Monday. March
Platoon & Musketry Drill morning. Leave to Ismalia 1 to 5Pm. Registering letter to Syd & taking photoes roundabout.
14th. Tuesday.
Rifle range allday very bright and hot.
15th. Wednesday
Shooting morning. Bathing Parade afternoon. Writing YMCA and with Martin met MacArthur.
16th. Thursday.
Drill morning. Handed in one spare Blkt. Afternoon cleaned lines & other preparation for leaving. Battalion moved out of lines with everything complete at 5.30pm Bivouaced the night near railway so as to leave camp clean.
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17.th. Friday. March.
Roused 1.30am. Moved off to entrain and aboard about 3am in open goods trucks 23 men per. truck. Got down to is & slept till about &am passed Tel-el-Tebir about 6am. Slept most of the trip & had meals Bread, eggs, jam, paste, oranges and reached Alexandria Docks about 1.30pm. train going right along side of ship where we detrained and a couple of hours later embarked on S.S. ‘ARCADIA’, P.&.O. Line. making about 3000 three thousand troops aboard.
Acted Coy-Orderly Cpl & had tea 5Pm. leaving moorings an hour later 6Pm. Slept in hammock on Messdeck.
18th. Saturday.
Roused about 6.30am. Bkfast 7am. intended parade 9am. but Coy. being on Duty was cut out. Dinner 12. Slept all afternoon. Tea 5Pm. Reading and making up Diary later.
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19th. Sunday. March
Reading & Cards morning, ditto afternoon. Weather calm & clear. Writing evening.
20th. Monday.
Weather continues good. parade for innoculations & reading. Afternoon Rifle cleaning & Seniority lists gone into. Recommended for 3rd Stripe. Writing eve. Passed Malta 5.30Pm. Looked fine Rugged & strong & large.
21st. Tuesday.
Weather fair but cold. Good Hot Bath after lunch [Indecipherable] rooms. Finished up letter writing for mail. Sea rising & heavy wind towards evening
22nd. Wednesday.
Mail closed 9am. Weather fair again. S.A. Inspection. reading & washing.
23rd.
Orderly Cpl. Dissembarked about 10.30 Lunch on wharf dealing with French people
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at gate opp. for fruit, cakes etc, great sport, admirably honest dealers – thoroughly cheered us up. Paraded & marched to railway about 2.30. entrained about 3.15 8 per apartment good cabs. Girls generally beautiful.
Trained steamed out 4.40pm beautifull scenery allround wonderfull works, embankments, viaducts, roads etc. Very slow train many halts evidently running between timetables. Hot liquered tea 12Pm.
24th. Friday
Still good scenery, small allotments country gardens etc. Reached Lyon 7am on Grand river wonderfully bridged about six (6) within sight of rail. Stopped about 10am for hot tea. Rations for tea issued 4Pm but delayed till about 8. good French bread & butter. Riding on top of
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of car to light gass burners. Wet more or less all day.
25th. Saturday.
4am Hot tea at Les Lauines Alesia stayed till 7.30. Hot water from engine for shav wash & tea. 5 Fast expresses passed in that time. Very heavy frost.
Noon till 1Pm at Montreau tea issued, cleaned out our compartments. At Melum turned to left on side line. 2.30Pm. Ran along left of river (very pretty) and reached Juvisy about 3.30. Stayed there till 4Pm when engine changed ends & took us back again some distance & finally turned South & ran west, Passed about 5Pm. Very large and fine Palace with extensive lawns & lakes in front. Juvisy is about 9 kilometres from Paris, rather dissapointing so near
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yet so far. Many aeroplanes about this district which is very pretty. French people throughtout welcomed us heartily. Weather changeable more or less dull. Arrived at Oriele 10pm
March 26. Sunday.
Wet morning reached sea coast 6.30am. small ship sunk close in shore masts visible from train. Passing Calis 8.15, small place apparently & nothing striking, later 9.30 reached St. Amiene much like Calis & general townships
Running more South East reached Hazebrouck 10.40 country very wet & cold. farms mainly. seriel crops
Tommies seen along latter end of journey making railways etc.
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Reached our destination Thiennes about 11.30 and issued with second blanket at railway about 12.30 later to march with band playing through the town & billeted in French houses Eastern end of same. Our Barn contains 20, with straw to sleep on. Army Rations issued arrange our own meals. feel the cold very much.
27th. Monday.
Rose around 7 to 7.30am.
Parade 10 to 12. Told off for Permanent Patrol with 6 men within Coy’s boundaries 6Pm to 8.30Pm. exempt from other parades during day.
28th. Tuesday.
Patrols to be kept up all day also 2 men at one time got Blk Kit bag. Little snow fell midday. very cloudy & cold.
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29th & 30th. March.
Weather still cold but more settled nice sun at time. evenings much milder.
31th. Saturday
Weather fine & warm morning marched full order to place of Gass test about 5 miles. Helmets proved big use in passing through Trench well gassed about 10 yards long; after this test we removed Helmets and experience Weeping Gass nearby where a Bomb had been exploded for purpose. Later causes eyes to tingle & water freely & sight impossible temporarily. 20th Battn represented 5th Bgde. in Kitcheners inspection at Aire during afternoon. 17th returned to Billets 4.30Pm footsore & ready for meal.
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1st. April. Saturday
Weather very pleasant, warm visited village 10 to 12 (noon) Recd. parcel from Eileen. N.Z.
2nd. Sunday.
Walked with other mates to Steenbeck for afternoon took 2 snaps returned about sundown, put about 1 hour in Thiennes & returned to billet. Nice day.
3rd. Monday.
usual duty, weather good
4th. Tuesday
Afternoon Snaps along canal in rear. evening develloped same & others beautiful weather bed in Pm. Parcel of Kodak films Fowler N.Z.
5th Wednesday
All day Route march 10 miles with Transports etc. well organised with rests. Developing finished night 11Pm. Results of 10 films very fair. weather dull moderate temperature.
6th. Thursday.
Colder & dull weather, all films
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dried & trimmed. Anzac Address Forms filled in afternoon to Kitty & Mrs Sanders.
7th. Friday
Blkts stowed in Transports 7am. Bkfasted & Fell in 8am. 17th in rear of Bgde. marched via Steenbeck Morbeck Hazebrouck after 10 miles had dinner at Borre East a little at 2 Pm. Continued reaching Outtersteen about 4Pm. Billeted in big farmhouse on road to & about 2 ˝ K. from was occupied 16 mth. ago by Germans. Comfortable straw bedding.
8th Saturday.
Up 7am. Blkts stowed 8 Fell in 9. 17 [Battalion] in rear back through Outtersteen & on forward march 10am. Lunch W. of Steenwerk which was passed through at 2Pm. very roundabout course & quiet cemetry surrounding. rechd [reached]
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Billets at Erquinghem about 4.30 after march of about 10 miles. Good tea. Board floored huts to hold 17 each. Bed 8Pm. Much heavy artillery fire around us.
9th. Sunday.
Reveille 7 Bkfst 8. No duty at all went up town with Roberts where we had dinner returning about 2Pm to write & rest till later. Tea in town again. went for walk after through St. Maur. very nice met in with H.L.I. Reg. Highland light Infantry who treated us tiptop, spent evening singing reciting dancing & joking, getting home 10Pm. after being stuck up by Sentry on way. Really enjoyed ourselves immensely.
10th. Monday.
Reveille 8am. Muster Parade 7 lecture 10.30 regarding entrenching. 11am went up town for dinner etc, getting home again about 3Pm. leaving for Trenches 6.45Pm. about
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2 hrs march, through very open country roads. several rests. no opposing fire. Relieved Northumberland Fusilers about 9.30Pm. Weather dull. Business quiet.
11th. Tuesday.
Position very fair 450 range quiet. raining. very rough trenches. real bogs & flooded saps. no comforts or shelter from weather whatever, soon got to & made some & fires going.
12th. Saturday. Wed.
Weather very nice during day. night moonlight & quiet.
13th Thursday
Raining again & changable quiet morn opposing artillery gave us a few light shells no casualties in B. Coy otherwise very quiet.
14th. Friday. English parcel. Film. Weather very dirty, rain, hail & snow with light wind. Teasing enemy machine guns. enemy fire very reckless & poor seen bailing their trenches out early morning.
15th. Saturday.
Weather as Friday more sunshine
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but changable with snow. General Legg & Holmes visited us. one of my Boy earmarked by bullet from Sniper. good rations today best since the 10th inst. Relieved by 19th Battn 9.30 PM.
16th. Sunday.
B.Coy. Billeted in large farmhouse nearest direct road to 3 Emergency Rd. Self Ordly Cpl. 150 men on Engineers Fat. [fatigue] to Trenches
Letterwriting after dinner walking about after tea. Weather grand.
17th. Monday.
B.Coy Part to Erquinghem [Indecipherable] labouring; bathing etc. self letterwriting. Weather miserably wet & windy & cold.
18th. Tuesday.
Engineers fatigue 100 men to first line of Supports weather dirty.
Had an interesting chat on personal matters occupation & promotion with General Holmes.
19th. Wednesday
150 men Trench Fat again 3am till 2Pm. Incharge of Cook
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ration supply for party between The cottage & party sections. Trench mortar fired 2 shots (good direction) into enemy 1st line & brought on a searching fire 40 rounds in return 4.7" H Exp. 1 casualty no damage whatever done us. Raced home and thence to Hot Bath House & change of underware, enjoyed it immensely, organisation perfect throughout. returned to trenches 7.30 took over 10Pm. Brutal night, route terribly sloppy.
20th. Thursday.
Usual trench routine. Acting Sgt. now on. Black away found it very busy. 16 men & 2 NCO’s from each platoon on Engineers Fatigue 6am till 2Pm. Showery weather by day – night good
21st. Friday.
Beautiful weather till dinner after cloudy evening very wet. Exciting aerial chases all day. duels in air.
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afternoon enemy guns played on our first line & supports also on our left. no great damage nor casualty. Parcel from V.W. socks & mittons also several letters Aus. NZ. & Eng. Used Dugout evening.
22nd. Saturday.
Very wet day. engineering fatigue dismissed on that a/c. slept all morn. 9.2" Guns bombarded enemys heavy bateres & rear 1Pm. trench warfare very quiet
23rd. Sunday
Weather very fair with lovely sun. Enemy artillery 6" opened on our 1st line & supports. 1 gun till noon then a battery of 6 guns put in 292 shots in 33 minutes only 1 casualty, though parapets knocked about in many places. Our guns replied fully & enemy silenced. many aeroplanes (ours) about later one flying over enemy battery & lines & fired on fiercely but all O.K.
Several snaps taken. [Indecipherable]
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24th Monday. April
Revielle 9am. Nothing special on.
25th. Tuesday. 1st. London leave 1st. Coy. on Trench Fatigue. Saw Dr. re teeth no vacancies. Parcel from Syd.
26th. Wednesday weather grand. Visited Erquinghem 10 till 12 Noon letterwriting etc afternoon. 7.15 till 1Pm on Engineers fatigue cuting new sap off Tramway Avenue.
27th. Thurs.
Relieved 19th Battn in Reserve about midday. Bombing about 8pm a little left and 10pm enemy spring a Gass demonstration without effect Gass clouds passing from left to right across frontage got taste of it in Reserves
Our light artillery poured much fire into enemy & had some returned also H.Exl. 6" by sound "Carry on" about 11.15pm. Engineers carrying fatigue till 2.30am Friday. weather beautifull
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28th. Friday. April.
"Standto" 3.30 to 5am sky clear & beautiful.
29th. Sat.
With representatives from other platoons went to new positions west of A Coy. to learn disposition etc of trenches.
30th. Sunday.
Mails in returned to Reserve till midday & boys taking stock for handing over later. B.Coy relieved 8.30pm. all well weather conditions glorious.
1st. May. May
Sky a little unsettled no rain all quiet on front, relieved by 19th. Batt 9pm. returned to Billets.
2nd. Tuesday.
Threatening rain but cleared off. Up 4.30am. Reported to Engineers 6am in Sap for trench fatigue till noon.
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3rd May. Wednesday.
Weather fair, went to Erquinghem 5th F.P.O. to register Money 70F to Ern home 2Pm. Camera working badly. film blocking.
4th. Thursday.
Weather changable, nothing out of way.
5th. Friday
Weather windy & dull, mild 7pm. as engineers fatigue were on way to trenches Enemy bombardment began very heavy & concentrated on the Salient where 20th Battn were holding, fire very feirce by both sides & casualty list heavy. 17th stood too in billits, Gas helmets on on a/c of alarm, later reinforced our line, stood too in reserve all night though all was quiet from 9.30Pm. returned to billits 6am day after.
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6th. Saturday. May.
Went for a bath after lunch weather changable. slept all morning.
7th. Sunday.
Letterwriting most of day, sleeping afternoon, weather showery cleared toward sun set. Church service after tea very nice. Snaps taken.
8th. Monday
UP 4.30am trench fatigue till midday with 30 men visited salient between 11 & noon. "snaps" taken Bath afternoon, showery & cold, hailstorm.
9th. Tuesday.
Day cold & showery, Sgts lectured by Mansfield, Raid in thought by our side for tonight. Slept afternoon. fatigue of 80 went to trenches. No Raid or standtoo after all.
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10th. Wednesday. May 1916
Weather more fair, leave interfered with, promised next N.C.O. Orderly Sgt with Cpl. Simpson. Indexed photos sending Kitty from England also negs.
11th. Thursday
Weather unsettled. Bathing afternoon. Engineers Fatigue of 4 men 7.45pm. to 3am.
12th Friday
Slept in till dinner time Bath afternoon. trenches, Relieved 19th 10pm.
Anniversary of Sydney Farewell 12/5/1915
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Autographs
Goodbye’s a word I hate to say,
Farewell is worse by far
So I have learned a bit of French
I’l bid you Au-revoir
Now don’t imagine this is side,
For that would give me pain,
Tis just because I’m told it means
Untill we meet again
[Page 34]
Prints
A to M taken by Baldwin
13 daylight prints. exchanged for mine
Xl to 26 taken by Roberts exchanged for mine
1a to 27a taken by self.
Photos sent K. from London 24/5/16
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1) Camels: bank of Canal Ismailia
2) Water works. Ismailia
3) Moascar Railway Ismailia
4) Steam Fumigating Engine
5) Prominard [Indecipherable]. Ismailia
6) Irrigation Canal with boats following. Ismailia.
7) Branch Irre. Canal. Aredome in Rear. Moascar
8) Canal Scene from Bridge [Indecipherable].
9) Rest after march from Ferry P.
10) Prominard Ismailia.
11) Anti Sub Crafts
12) Zoo Gardens Ismailia
13) Engine Crossing Bridge. Ism.
14) Flooding Locks. Irre Canal
15) "Arcadian" Transport Maracelles
16) Maracelles Salesman & woman
17) Egyptian Village
18) Relief at Gundagi
19) Chatting Gundagi
20) " "
21) " "
22) Unloading Camels Gundagi
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23) Aeroplane in skid. Moascar
24) " between " "
25) " standing in front of "
26) " testing engines " "
27) " " " " ‘
28) " being brought out.
29) Moascar Beach West East
30) " " West
31) Hospital Ismailia house
32) Railway scene France
33) River Seine from train
34) Canal Thiennes. Bride
35) " " House
36) " " "
37) " " "
38) " " Ferry boat
39) " " Barge
40) The Boys " Group
41) Jack & Tom Boxing
42) Dick " Posing
43) Self " "
44) Our Madam & Dick
45) Girl boarding truck
46) Windmill. Steenbeck
47) Cathedral. Steenbeck
48) Lemnos Camp (poor).
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49) Lemnos Camp football
50) " Greeks sellers.
51) " " "
52) " Oxen Ploughing
53) Egyptian Village (bad)
54) After Storm Gundagi Setting
55) " " trenches alone
56) " " B.2 [Indecipherable].
57) " " Sap. Robo.
58) Dugout before storm
59) " After "
Photoes sent K from London 24/5/16
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[Indecipherable] March 25th.
[Page 39]
[The addresses on this page have all been crossed out]
Private Addresses
Miss E. Pattie
Mara – harui
Rivalea
Nelson. N.Z.
Miss G. Fowler
Greenwood St
[Indecipherable].
Nelson. N.Z.
Nell Harvey
16 Lawrence St
[Indecipherable].
S. [Indecipherable].7761
19 Ward
No. 3. Aux Hospital
Heliopolis
[Transcriber’s notes:
Aire page 20, is Aire-sur-la-Lys, about 4 kms WSW of Thiennes.
Borre is about 3kms east of Hazebrouck.
Calis page 18 is probably Calais as MacDonald refers to the coast and refers later in the paragraph as running South East from there to Hazebrouck.
Erquinghem page 23, is Erquinghem-Lys, now a SW suburb of Armentieres.
F.P.O. page 30 – Field Post Office.
Hazebrouck page 18, is about 60 kms SE of Calais.
Heliopolis page 7, is a suburb of Cairo about 10kms NE of the city centre.
Hotel Metropol page 7 – there used to be a Hotel Metropole near the Opera House in Cairo.
Ismalia page 7, is Ismailia on the Suez Canal about 110 kms NE of Cairo.
Juvisy page 17 is Juvisy-sur-Orge, a southern suburb of Paris about 20kms from the centre.
Melum page 17 is Melun, about 40 kms SE of the centre of Paris.
Montreau page 17 is about 25 Kms SE of Melun which in turn is about 40kms SE of the centre of Paris.
Morbeck page 22 is Morbecque about 2kms NE of Steenbecque.
NZMR page 11 is the New Zealand Mounted Rifles.
Outtersteen page 22, is about 8kms east of Borre and 6kms SW of Bailleul.
St Amiene page 18 – possibly St Omer which is on the rail line between Calais and Hazebrouck.
Salient page 30 – the central outward projection in a battle line or section of fortification that juts out to form an angle.
Steenbeck page 21 is Steenbecque, about 3kms north of Thiennes.
Steenwerk page 22 is Steenwerck about 15kms east of Hazebrouck.
Thiennes page 19, is about 8kms SW of Hazebrouck.
[Transcribed by Miles Harvey, Betty Smith for the State Library of New South Wales]