Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales

Sam Norris war diary, 1 February 1915 -1 May 1915
MLMSS 2933/Item 1

[Transcriber' s notes:
This is the first diary of Private Sam Norris, 2275, 2nd Reinforcements 'D' Coy, 6th Battalion. He was a Signaller. Private Norris was born in Hull, England and enlisted in Melbourne on 29 January 1915. He was wounded approximately six months later and embarked for Australia on "Star of England" on 12 December 1915. The diary commences on his embarkation in Melbourne, covers his duties on board ship, brief visits to Colombo and Aden and then in camp in Egypt near Heliopolis. He then proceeds to the Dardanelles and gives a graphic description of landing at Gallipoli.]

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1st February 1915, Monday Tuesday

The reinforcements in Broadmeadows Camp were astir at 4 a.m. We marched out an hour or so later to the railway station. The train ran us on to the Port Melbourne Docks and after a short delay we embarked upon transport A 46 – Clan Macgillivray which I am sorry to say proved an old tub. About 1100 persons were aboard. At 3 p.m. we sailed down the Bay. after receiving a farewell from the spectators. The ship cruised about Cape Otway until

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we were joined by two other transports. We then resumed our position westward. The next day seasickness held sway. I fell a victim to a slight attack after tea. I slung my hammock on deck & was quite recovered the next day. Stan Cocking & I undertook to be orderlies for our mess throughout the voyage. We are exempt from all other duties.

8th February 1915. Monday

Sighted land away on the horizon. Cocking & I were shifted

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to another table this morning & so done out of our orderly job. Yesterday our section were vaccinated & inoculated.

18th February 1915 Ash Wednesday

This is the second Ash Wednesday I have spent upon the high seas. We were inoculated again to-day. My arm has quite recovered from the vaccination but there are a lot of beautiful arms about. I met another chap off the 'Benalla' – 'Dr. Lowrie' – a day or two ago. Have to instruct our sections in semaphore. We are all fed up with this old tub & every now & again curse it

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for half an hour on end. We did not go in to Freemantle as we had been hoping to but cruised about for about half an hour until another troopship came out & joined us. She is the 'Hessian' a cargo boat captured form the Germans. A flying fish flew aboard last night. Ashore signallers are exempt from guard duty, fatigue etc. but at present we have to do guard like the rest despite our protests.

21st February Saturday

Father Neptune & his assistants came aboard yesterday and performed

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the usual rites causing much fun. Although on the equator it is quite cool.

22nd February 1915 Sunday

Sighted Colombo about 8.0 a.m. Sea as calm as a pond nearly. Just chased half a dozen porpoises out of the way. We have been informed that shore leave will not be granted at Colombo. Three of us sent a message from the bridge to the Master of the 'Chilka' yesterday. We had suggested that one boat should wait behind for the 'Hessian' which was lagging but he wanted to get in to Colombo early on Sunday afternoon

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to coal. Our skipper said 'You may do as you please but it is best to obey orders' . Passed Galle, a very beautiful place, and hugged the shore till we reached Colombo. We moored about 4 p.m. We passed several catamarans on the way. [See image for drawing of catamaran.] The steamers do not berth alongside a quay but moor to buoys placed inside the breakwater. We had not been here long before water boats came alongside & started to pump it aboard.

23rd February Monday 1915

The Celanese wear a sort of

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skirt like a woman, It is indeed hard to tell at a little distance whether you are looking at a man or a woman. They all chew areca leaf & betel nut. For some reason the harbour police will not allow the natives to sell us articles but the water-boatmen manage to smuggle a few things on to our boat. Parties have gone ashore from the 'Chilka' , 'Machubra' & 'Hessian' but none from our ship. Evidently goods could not be sold us until we had been in port 24 hrs. for after tea a bum-boat came alongside with bananas, lemons,

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mangosteens & coconuts. Before we sailed I sampled all of them. I don' t think much of the quality of the fruit. The bananas were sold first for 2/- & then for 1/- a bundle & a half a stalk full. After tea there was practically a riot aboard because the Lt. Col. would not allow us to go ashore. At length he said he would see the authorities ashore once more & try to get us permission to land. It appears that the 2nd Contingent went and painted the town red. A week after the transports had sailed soldiers were being found – some in the native quarters

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some even in Kandy. Consequently the white people have a very poor opinion of Australians & are inclined to give them the cold shoulder.

24th February Tuesday 1915

The 'Chilka' & 'Machubra' sailed about 1.45 a.m. and the 'Hessian' at 10.15 a.m. At breakfast we were told that we were to go ashore on a route march. By 10.0 a.m. we had all boarded a tug and 4 lighters and were towed to the landing stage. The march was about 4½ miles and it was quite far enough. What with a tropical temperature & being out of exercise

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we all felt like knocking up. If we had been carrying packs & rifles we should have died along the road side. Some of the men were sweating so much that in parts their tunics were wet through. The natives were asking 1/- for a bottle of mineral water but I think that for every bottle sold twenty were stolen. Rickshaws abound in the town & a charge of 25 cents (4d) per half hour. The Punjaubis soldiers are fine looking fellows. Saw plenty of coconuts growing. The native quarters are very ramshackle. There are plenty of English &

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French in the towns. The yaks drawing carts were an uncommon sight. It is a nice place but I should not care to live there. We reached the ship again at 2 p.m. and the men who had broken away, some of whom got drunk, were brought aboard shortly after by the military police. We sailed at 4.30 p.m. To finish the day I had to go on guard that night.

26th

1st Mar. Monday 1915

Several of the lads that broke away from the procession were left behind and these, according to the Lt. Col. will be severely dealt with. It

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has been growing colder now for several days and can expect another fall of 12 points yet. After this it grows warm for a little while round Aden then cool & then hot at our destination. This morning at reveille the island of Socotra was just visible upon the port side.

2nd March 1915 Tuesday

Sighted Arabia at 11.0 a.m. Skirted the coast which is very hilly and entered the Aden harbour at 8 p.m. It was dark and we saw nothing of the town. The pilot came aboard but left after a few minutes taking the mail

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with him. We then resumed our course.

3rd March 1915 Wednesday

Land in sight practically all the time. Numerous barren volcanic islands about. 'Chilka' & 'Machubra' in sight behind us. A slight fire which broke out in the bakehouse at 1.30 a.m. owing to overheating of the ovens was extinguished by the guard. It is very damp at night and those sleeping on deck were cautioned as the sick parade has gone up 200%. Capt. Abbott remarked that no one has been tossed overboard yet and he doesn' t want to do it. The Tassies (slang for Tasmanians) and Bob

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Hutchings, Stan Cockin & myself, signallers all held a contest in signalling. Lieut. James gave the decision to the Tassies as having a slight advantage over us. Each side composed its own message and everyone admits, even the Tassies themselves, that the message they sent was not a proper one. We are meeting again in a few days.

4th March 1915 Thursday

In the Red Sea. I have never seen the sea so calm as it was this morning. Upon one side of the ship was the full moon, upon the other the rising sun and they both seemed to be reflected by a sheet

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of silver.

5th March 1915 Friday

The sea is wildish owing to the fresh breeze. No land in sight but steamers are to be seen frequently. Some of the islands we saw a day or two ago had never had rain for 25 yrs. (so says the Chief Officer). We had another signalling contest yes today. Lieuts. James & Ireland (or our coy) judjing. The Tassies won again by 9 points after a very close contest. I was told my sending was quite superior to theirs. That' s one in my cap. The Lieuts. seemed very pleased that we showed such an interest in our work when the rest of the sigs. are neglecting

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theirs. There has been talk of forming us into a battallion and the Lieuts. said that we should probably be made the batt. hdqr. signallers are we were so keen and undoubtedly the two best stations aboard. Needless to say a bn. hqr. sigs. has a good job and will be out of the way of bullets most of his time.

6th March 1915 Saturday

Still roughish enough to make us pitch & roll. A cold wind blowing. The awnings were taken down yesterday. Passed the 'Deadless' Lighthouse last night and these peculiar looking islands this afternoon. I have just been told that island No. 2 looks like a badly

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drawn warship but take my word for it that it is a lighthouse on a lump of land. The mainland is just visible in the distance. We held our final concert in the evening. A warship raced by us during it.

[See image for drawing of lighthouse]

7th March 1915 Sunday.

Passed Mt. Sinai at 4 a.m. The land all the way up the Gulf is barren, sandy hills. Reached Suez at 12 o' c noon and dropped anchor. The 'Chilka' & "Mashubra' came to anchor directly afterwards. A (British the 'Kent' ) & French man-of-war were also anchored here. After dinner we were surrounded by boats

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manned by Arabs & Negroes selling oranges, figs, dates, pies, tomatoes, cigarettes. I bought oranges 12 for 1/-. They were beautiful, Turkish delight at 4d a box & a string of figs for 1/-. At 5 p.m. we steered for the Canal passing the two warships in doing so. Needless to say we cheered & coo-eed for all we were worth. The canal is somewhere about just 100 miles long, distance-posts bearing English miles & French kilos. We have to sail at about 5 knots per hour. In the bows of each steamer is a huge searchlight to be used as soon as night comes on. The railway appears to run alongside the canal from

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Suez to Port Said. The land on each side of the ditch is one desolate stretch of sand. No wonder the camel gets a hump living in such wastes. The steamer has its course mapped out by buoys, the edge of the canal is finished by a slope of stones 2 or 3 feet high a footpath runs along above this and then there is another small ridge of sand. Beyond this the sandy plain runs away to the sandy hills upon the horizon. At very short intervals we passed fortfied camps occupied by "British Indian Troops" as they yelled to us. They looked very wild & picturesque

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Their camps seemed very strong what with trenches and barbed-wire entanglements. Their little tents were all snug in dugouts. Just as I turned in we passed a lot of soldiers but it was too dark to see them. They were the East Lancs. Artillery & Engineers.

8th March 1915 Monday

At 6 o' c a.m. we were just mooring in the Canal off Port Said. We started immediately to take on water & coal. The coal is carried aboard by darkies in panniers. They go up one plank & down another – a constant stream of them. They seem to be quite unable to work

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without making a din. When they are going down the plank after emptying, each one yells out something heathenish to his pals in the barges, and when working together such as moving a gangway the ganger chants a few notes and his men respond by another tuneful wail. If a nigger slacked or otherwise incurred the wroth of the ganger he received a slash of a rope & most probably grimy tears would roll. Their wages would be a few coppers a day and they really did work like niggers. We finished coaling and sailed at

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tea-time. We entered the Mediterranean at 5 o' c p.m. Half way down the breakwater protecting the entrance of the Canal is a fine statue of Ferdinand de Lesseps, the engineer. He is holding his hand out as much as to say 'Behold, my masterpiece' . We learn that the ships coaled up because they are conveying troops from Egypt elsewhere. It came in bitterly cold and misty at night. We had a lecture at night learning many things fearful & wonderful. That 'choice' Egyptian cigarettes are usually composed for the

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most part from camel-dung that whisky is composed of 40% methylated spirits, 50% alcohol and 10% Arab wine. That syphilis is rampant in all these eastern towns. Our officers asked us to keep ourselves decent and try to elevate Australia' s name. "At present it stinks and the English officers are beginning to look askance even at the Australian officers." "200 men have been invalided home in disgrace & incurable." Notwithstanding these warnings anyone that knows soldiers will also know that some

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will not heed this good advice.

9th March 1915 Tuesday

Reveille 5.30 a.m. Moored to the jetty at Alexandria 9 a.m. Two Union Castle boats are anchored here as hospital ships. They are painted white & encircled with a broad green band broken thrice on each side by a huge red cross. The 'Chilka' & 'Mashubra' arrived at 10 p.m. We have been served out each with 25 biscuits & a 1 lb tin of bully beef. A train load of men went before dinner. Everyone had gone by 2.30 p.m. except my section of the 6th. We had been left

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to clear up a little. We are now watching the Arabs load trucks with waggons etc. They are working to the tune of – 'Ah sing a ling' . Response, 'Yeho tara mar' . A few veiled & unveiled women are standing by. After tea half of the section went ashore from 5-7 o' c. The other half went from 7-9 o.c. Bob Hutchings & I went together & had a good time. It is a very big city and possesses some frightful smells. I think the drainage must be bad. There is no wonder at plagues sweeping thousands of these eastern folks off. A drink costs 1 piastre a glass (1 piastre = 2½d

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half a piastre = 1¼d). About every shop is a café. These are quite open to the street many of the tables being on the pavement. Hubble bubbles (pipes) can also be hired here. All manner of things are hawked in the street among these being hard-boiled eggs. There are many English "Terriers" in the place – the Lancashire Fusilleers. The native quarter is the biggest of ramshackles. We were advised to go about in company & I think it is just as well. About every five yds. touts surround us.

15th March 1915 Wednesday

The Farriers told us they are getting

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a 1/- a day 6d of which is sent home. They envy us our 6/- per day. The ship was towed to another berth this morning. All the dirty blankets etc. are being taken ashore to a laundry. The boat is sailing again in 2 days. Went ashore in a tug and marched down the railway to a single carriage. Saw the 'Colenso' Wilson Liner in dock. Our carriage was hitched to a long goods train carrying army waggons etc. and at 3 p.m. off we went. We arrived at our destination 11 hrs. later. Abbaseih is the name & it is 2½ miles from Cairo. En route we saw camels, mud villages, Moslems praying at sunset

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asses galore, peculiar ploughs drawn by oxen etc. The country is irrigated & resembles England very much in coloring.

11th March 1915 – Thursday

The camp is pitched on a sandy desert. This morning we snook off (Hutchings & I) into Heliopolis which is just near here. It is a lovely spot the bit we saw of it.
'Australian Shop' – For all kinds of sigarets speciallu for English & Eguptian Sigarets.
(Saw this over a shop.)
At night three of us went into Heliopolis again. There was a town of this name in ancient

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times but the town we saw was only commenced in 1907. It is the most lovely town I have ever seen. One building intended for a casino but now a hospital for our men cost 2½ million pounds. Even the native quarters are beautiful. Many buildings have massive granite pillars. The place is a tourist resort & suburb of Cairo. The hotels show cinematograph pictures gratis, the sheet often being suspended in the centre of the road.

12th March 1915 Friday

Up at 4.30 a.m. & received 24 hr. rations –

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half a loaf of bread & half a tin of pineapple. We were inspected etc. etc. & then at 12.30 p.m. we marched off to Abbassieh tram terminus, passing en route through the barracks of the garrison. We tramed to Cairo & then 10 miles further to Mena Camp. This 10 miles ride only costs 1 piastre 2nd class. Mena Camp is just near the largest pyramid Cheops. The reinforcements were now allotted to various companies to take the place of the sick men. Hutchings Cocking & I are in the 1st Exp. Force 2nd Brigade 16th platoon 'D' coy A.I.F. The

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camp is on the verge of the desert.

13th March 1915 Saturday

Medically examined this morning & paraded this afternoon, the parade ground being on the desert. It is jolly hard work walking on the sand & the dust we make nearly chokes one. The air is very clear, very cold in the early morning & nice & warm in the afternoon. We get our meals in Mess Sheds. The Egyptian Gov. are giving the English Tommies 6d a day. We take ours out in food. We get

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eggs (2) (sometimes) for breakfast. There are 4 Y.M.C.A.' s & heaps of stores all round the Camp. Each bn., has its wet canteen. This evening Stan Cocking & I walked over to the Pyramids. We hired a camel to take us round about them & the Sphinx. The camel is not bad to ride but it is a bit rocky in the getting up & lying down process. The Sphinx is a rum old bird. We went into the Cheops, with a guide. These guides are all on the make & have to be bartered down. All the niggers are this way. Of course

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candles have to be used inside the pyramids. It is so slippery that we took our boots off. The passage runs down a slope first & then up & up. Foot holes have been cut to make it safer. The passages are this shaped & up [See image for drawings] them the sarcopagus had to be dragged. When the draggers needed a rest they place a stave across the passage in the holes shown. The king' s tomb (Cheops) was not found in the King' s Chambers but in the exact centre of the pyramid 225½ ft. above the foundations & 225½ ft. from the apex

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& an equal distance from each side. The Kings Chamber which is a little higher up is lined (Queens Chambr. is a little smaller.) with granite slabs each 8 x 11 x 5 ft. This came from Assarian. The ceiling is granite 18 pieces 18 x 4 x 4 ft. The Sphinx was built 6,000 yrs ago & the Pyramids 5000 yrs ago. The road needed to construct the Pyramids took 10 yrs to build & the P' s took 30 yrs. There are quite a number of P' s all within view. We dined off a tin of bully beef & bread for tea on the side of the P & then bartared the remains to an Arab

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who told us our fortunes. It is quite extraordinary to see the edge of the cultivation. Draw a line & upon one side you have a beautiful green paddock upon the other the desert. The Nile is very wide down here.

14th March 1915 Sunday

Got up early & went to the Pyramids again. A U.S.A. professor from Harvard University is excavating & I wandered among these tombs not knowing they were out of bounds. I came across a heap of human bones so I collared one as an antique souvenir. An excited nigger brought me a

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notice soon after informing me I was o. of bounds. I had meant to climb to the top of the P but after getting half-way I had had enough. The stones are tremendous & it is very tiring climbing them. We had church parade in the morning & some of us leave from 2 p.m. – 11 p.m. We tramed into Cairo (1 pt. for 10 miles, cheap enough) and wandered round a bit. We had been walking down a long street & as we wished to get out of it we went down a path through what we took for a park. We met an old

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Egyptian gentleman but as he did not understand English we could not get on much. I had a little book containing phrases in Arabic & I read out a few of these. He seemed highly amused. His son, 14 yrs old, then came into the garden & he could speak English very well. We spent the whole afternoon with them & he asked us to come next Friday when he had a holiday & he would show us round. His address is – Egypt, Cairo,
Sabtieh St.,
Abbas School,
Ahmed Mohamed Anwer

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He asked me to write to him. He said that he had not been in the garden for 6 days but God had made him come today to translate what we said to his father. He intends being a Doctor. Whilst talking about the cinema he said the "lightning made the pictures". The old man gave us some strange flowers from which scent is made & also showed us the engine he had for pumping the irrigating water. They had never heard the word 'calf' but said that their two cows had sons. We had a ride on one of their asses.

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When we said we should have to go Mohamed came along with us & bought us some stuff called sahleb (that' s what it sounds like). It is made from a tree. The vendor first filled a cup with a hot paste-and-water looking fluid & then sprinkled it with two or three powders. The tout ensemble was very good. We then had a tea (M. could not understand tea as a meal) of café, olives, cheese & a strange substance resembling yeast made from yeast nuts but tasting nice & sweet, & a roll of bread. This

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cost us 2 piastres together. Mohamed chose this for us. Whilst having this he went to his home (a fine big house) & changed his European for Egyptian clothes. He afterwards put us aboard a tram to Atabar El Khadra. If we get leave again next Sunday we intend to pay him another visit. As for Cairo it is not much of a hole.

15th March 1915 Monday

A notable thing (for Egypt) occured to-day. Mohamed told us no rain had fallen this year & yet to-day we had a few heavy drops for about 5 minutes. We

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have done a solid day' s graft to-day drilling on the desert. It is hard work walking on the sand & the dust absolutely clogs throat nose rifle & everything else up. The reinforcements drill together. The others in our battalion are out to-night bivouacking somewhere in the desert.

16th March 1915 Tuesday

Heavy rain during the night & morning.

19th March 1915 Friday

Looking in at one of the curio shops in the Camp last night & saw some beautiful things. There was a table in the construction

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of which woods from all over the world had been used. Upon it could be played Poker, Draughts Backgammon or it could be used as an ordinary table. It was all mosaic work. Price £55. One of our fellows bought one, a brass box £30 & several other trifles, the cheque amounting to £116.

20th March 1915 Saturday

Many of the men are wearing colored spectacles to overcome the discomfort caused by the desert glare. I am hoping to see a mirage one of these days. They often occur. I have been in sports for the past three days &

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now the back of my knees are so sunburnt that it is quite painful to move. Hutchings, Cocking & I joined our company signallers yesterday. We parade with them in the battalion & no longer with the reinforcements. We practised signalling whilst the boys had to fill in trenches. I could have joined the bn. hdqr. sigs. but I heard the coy. sigs. had a better time. We reinfs. are getting leave & perhaps pay to-day whilst the bn. is going a 17 mile route march. The natives are quite expert by this time in bringing out a pure Australian oath. In years to come tourists will wonder how they learnt them & probably some

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professor will discover that the Arabs are a lost tribe of Australian bushmen. Some of the newspaper sellers call out things in English & I am sure they cannot know their real meaning.

21st March 1915 Sunday

We received part of our pay yesterday (82½ P.T.) & leave. Tramed into Cairo & had dinner. Wandered round a bazaar or two & then tramed to the Citadel. This beautiful place was built in 1179 by the famous Saladin with stones taken from the small Pyramid. s .The building stands upon a hill & natural rock forms a foundation for it. From it an excellent

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view of Cairo can be obtained. Slippers must be worn inside the building for it is sacred. Really our boots should be removed but the Mohammedans have permitted visitors to slip the slippers over their footgear to save trouble. In the courtyard is the customary fountain where the Moslems wash es their hands face & feet before entering the Mosque. There are four sects of Moslems who all worship in the same Mosque. One sect believes that once is sufficient for washing the hands & face another three times. There is little difference between them. They can manage to do what Christians cannot,

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that is remain strong in unity ??. In this same courtyard is a well 300 ft. deep tapping the Nile. A splendid echo is obtained by yelling down it. Instead of ringing a church bell the muezzin ascends one of the minarets which feature in all Mosques & calls his brethren to pray. The Citadels minarets are 320 ft. high. Moslems pray 5 times a day – Sunrise, Noon, 3.30 p.m., Sunset, Night. Should however business make it impossible to keep all these times it is permissible to make up for those missed, in the evening. The prayers are said whilst standing upon a praying-mat with the slippers removed & feet etc. washed & facing

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towards Mecca. The Moslem faith in many respects resembles the Christian religion. The Citadel has two other names – Ismail Pasha Mosque (because he is buried here. A cloth covering his tomb cost £18000 & was brought from Mecca) & Mohammed Ali Mosque because he completed it. The Mosque inside is a most marvellous place. The roof is formed of a large dome, 220 ft. high 120 ft. diameter & walls 12 ft. thick resting upon 4 smaller domes. It is worked in beautiful colors & is the only roof of this form in the world. When the roof was completed Mohammed Ali put the

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designer' s (Ali Basha) eyes out so that he could not duplicate his work. From the roof chains support a tremendous candlebra (a present from the King of France to Mohammed Ali) & other lights hang all round it enclosed in transparent glass globes. Altogether there are 2000 electric lights. These are only lighted three times a year Christmas & Easter being two of them. I forget the other. The walls are alabaster. If a match is held round one side of a corner the illumination can be seen through to the other side. Imagine what effect 2000 lights will have. The floor is covered

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with a rich carpet. In a Mosque [indecipherable] no music, distinctions or chairs are allowed. The Sultan may sit down alongside a beggar. In every Mosque there is always a recess (a recess so that a blind man can find it by feeling) in one of the walls towards which the congregation must face. This makes them all face Mecca. The preacher ascends about thirty steps into his pulpit & delivers his sermon with face towards the Holy City & back turned to his listeners. There is also a reading desk. Close at hand to the Citadel are two other Mosques. That of Sultan Hassan was built in 1022. Lord Kitchener is having

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it restored & has promised to return in 2 yrs to open it. When one hears of how Ld. K. has helped & respected the Moslems it is quite clear why he is so loved here. When the building is ready for service again it will be washed down with rose-water. In the first courtyard there is one school upon each of its four sides. That is, one school for each of the 4 sects. Each school contains 200 rooms. Where the preaching is done the lamps are supported by 365 chains & there are 12 windows (I think it was windows). At one end of the courtyard is a pulpit & before this a

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wishing altar. Supposing a Moslem from Egypt visited a Mosque in another country then he would have to pass through the wishing altar there. We went through it. First we had [See image for drawing] a little "Good Luck scent of Mecca" poured upon our hands. Rubbing our hands together we went through the altar. Passing through a gate we entered the Mosque. The tomb of Sultan Hassan was here. The dome is 225 ft. high 60 ft. diameter & the walls are 12 ft. thick. K of K prevented them from restoring all the colours in the roofs as he said it would make it

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look too modern. Only one corner has therefore been done just to show visitors what it was like originally. There is a door here of bronze inlaid with gold & silver. This is only a duplicate & cost £14,000. The original was pinched by Napoleon. Half way up the wall outside is a cannon ball fired by Naps. soldiers. Several scars made by cannon ball can also be seen. In the other Mosque are buried two sisters & one brother of the present Sultan. One of these sisters occupies the finest tomb in Egypt. It is composed of Mahogany, Ivory, Ebony

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& Silver dovetailed together. There is some wonderful dovetailing of stones here. The tomb cost £6,000. In this Mosque there is £52,000 of silver. Round each tomb there are several 5ft. solid silver stands each supporting a single electric light. In the first Mosque I described the workmen restoring it discovered 3 Korans which had been missing for 900 years. One was written by the Sultan himself & is marvellously preserved. Another belonged to his mother. They are exhibited in the second Mosque. One of them, the Mothers, rests upon a solid

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silver table given by K of K. In the centre of the dome is written the first chapter of the Koran (144 altogether). We had this recited to us. We tramed back to Ezbekiak Gardens for tea. Backgammon is a very popular game in the cafes here & hookahs are smoked in all of them. In the Citadel there was a hospital tent full of convalescent Indian troops. They were wounded on the Canal by the Turks. Among them I discovered Ray Singh the Indian hawker that often called upon the Cape Bridgewater people. He was not wounded. All of them belonged to the 27th

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Punjaubis. Splendid horses are to be seen everywhere the majority of them being stallions. During the Sunday afternoon I climbed the largest pyramid Cheops. The 451 ft. take some climbing but a fine view is obtained from the summit. In the centre of the blunt apex is a flag-pole several feet high. It is said that the top layers of stone once reached the height of the pole but Napoleon knocked them off. Coffee & tea can obtained on the summit. An arab offered to descend Cheops & climb the second Pyramid in 8 mins. Some of the fellows have seen him do it.

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Many other pyramids, those of Sakkara are easily visible. The desert takes up most of the land-scape. (Tried to find Arab a job in café joint, very grateful, 'My God will take care of me' 3 weeks at [indecipherable] 5 PT a day unpaid.)

24th Wednesday 1915 March

We left Camp at 2 p.m. yesterday afternoon & did not return until 7 a.m. this morning. We were out manning some trenches against the 'enemy' . We remained in the trenches till about 11.30 p.m. & then being relieved by another battalion bivouacked just west of the second pyramid. It was

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a bitterly cold night. We sigs. dealt with 87 messages altogether. This morning Hutchings, Cocking & I had to go out for the day with the reinforcements for musketry practise.

25th Thursday 1915 March

Saw a curious phenomena this morning. The smoke of a fire was ascending, evidently in the centre of a whirlwind, for hundreds of feet in a perfectly straight pillar. The sun was directly above it. This was encircled by a rainbow. Another white circle cut into the rainbow circle. We often see columns of sand moving along in a whirlwind. Any pieces of paper

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in the track are also whirled aloft. Severals clouds of locusts passed us in the afternoon.

26th March Friday 1915

Feeling very much off color to-day – pain every now & again across 'Little Mary' & big headache. I believe this is due to drinking some lemonade a day ago.

27th March Saturday 1915

Visited the Egyptian Museum. It is a fine building full of wonderfully preserved carvings but we soon got bored. We spent the afternoon wandering through one of the bazaars.

28th March Sunday 1915

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We had a dust storm all day. Simply awful. The air was full of sand. We could only see about 20 yds before our eyes.

29th March Monday 1915

Another very bad day. The Reinforcements tramped 3 miles into the desert through blinding suffocating clouds of sand & built a rifle range. The other troops were reviewed by Sir Ian Hamilton who is now in supreme command over the Australian forces. In the evening went into the Temple of the Sphinx. A moonlight night at the Sphinx & Pyramids is beautiful.

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30th March 1915 Tuesday

A very hot day. Hottest we have had up to the present. Just to show how bright the moonlight is here I have written the above by its aid.

31st March 1915 Wednesday

Had a shooting test to-day. Five rounds group test & five application. Pleased to say I passed alright.

1st April 1915 Thursday

Went shooting again. Failed in the test to-day. Had a swim yesterday & today in the bath at Mena House Hotel.

3rd

2nd April 1915 Good Friday

Church Parade in the morning & leave the

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remainder of the day. Went to the Nile Barrage. Train journey 16½ miles 2½ piastres. Hired a donkey at the Barrage Station & trotted to the dams. The gardens are very nice here. There is a Museum of models showing how the Barrage is worked but unfortunately it was closed as it was G.F. The Nile Delta commences here & across each arm a dam has been constructed. The arms are very wide. The difference in the levels was only very small but still a tremendous lot of water was being held

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back. When the river commences to flood an observation station lets the Barrage people know particulars & a certain volume of water is allowed through the dam. This floods the country. By the time the flood reaches the Barrage the dam is closed & the water is stored up for the next year. Returned to town at 7.30 p.m. & discovered that a serious disturbance had taken place. Port Said is usually the most immoral town on earth but Cairo now takes priority. In all parts of the city are frightful little alleys

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veritable Hells upon earth. These are occupied by, well we will call them women for convenience sake. It appears that some of the N.Z' s & Australians started a row near 'Eldorado' near Shepheards Hotel. They ransacked numberless brothels, piled the furniture in the road & burnt it. The 'Red Caps' (Territorial Military Police) came along & shot about a dozen men killing 4 or 5. Brawls kept taking place everywhere until 9.30 p.m. (we had to be out of Cairo by then). The town was patrolled all night by picquets.

3rd April Saturday 1915

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Received the 'dinkum oil' – we start en route for the Dardenelles tomorrow.

4th April Sunday 1915 Easter Sunday

Church Parade. Struck tents & cleared up the Camp during the day. Stan Cocking & I picked to go as baggage guard. 7.30 p.m. 6th bn. marched off for Cairo. We went at 10 p.m. & reached the Central Rly. Stn. at 2 a.m. This is 12 miles & as we were carrying full packs, & haversacks & rifles it was not bad going. Our feet are tender after walking on the soft sand. Train left Cairo.

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at 4.15 a.m.

5th April Monday 1915

After Sir Ian Hamilton' s review he said in his report that we were among the finest body of men he had ever seen & we had trained very hard & were equal to any to face the trials of war. Somebody else said the Australian Horse were the finest he had ever seen. There certainly are some splendid horses with us. Arrived at Alexandria alongside A14 'Galeka' of Southampton at 10.45 a.m. The A46 has been here since we left her. Went aboard & helped to stow

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army waggons etc. We finished at 5 o' c. Had a little tea & turned in soon afterwards as I was tired. There are about 2,000 of us aboard & are very uncomfortably packed together.

7th April 1915 Wednesday

The harbour is full of transports & there is also a battleship 'Tenessee' – obsolete American boat. The 'Teesta' is next us full of Indians. The 'F16' went out yesterday. The French soldiers have very peculiar uniforms. Some have red baggy trousers & others wear a bluey colored dress. We are very uncomfortable here. Water in the 2 washhouses is only turned on for 1 hr in the morning & 2000 men have to get washed & shaved. You can guess what a mix up there is. We

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have no hammocks & there is no room for us all to sleep down below. The 'Teesta' has gone out & the "Gange' with French troops has taken its place. (The 'Shadoof' can be seen in use all along the waterways in Egypt & is used in the irrigating of the land. Another device is also used the "sakiyeh".

[See image for drawing of "sakiyeh".]

Thursday

We cast off from the wharf at 5 o' c & went straight out to sea. As we passed down the

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the harbour we went by a 100 or more troopships. We were proceeded by a troopship & followed by the "Clan Macgillivery". Heaps of fellows gone sick although the sea is very calm. It is also very blue. Came in very cold.

9th April Friday 1915

Been in the hold aft shifting railway sleepers in order to get to some boxes of ammunition.

9 10 April Saturday 1915

Islands just visible on both sides of us at reveille. 200 rnds. of ammunition served out per man. Passed isles all day.

10 11th April Sunday 1915

6 a.m. sailed up between hilly country. Water about as wide as the Humber. At 8 a.m. anchored after passing heaps of battleships & transports. 3 or 4 transports arrived just ahead of us. Cool weather.

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A few villages in view. We are now fastened side by side with another transport 'Novian' of L' pool. It appears we are in a bay of the Island of Lemnos 20 miles from the entrance to the Dardenelles. A Br. water-plane has flown over us several times today. Bumboats sold us oranges figs etc.

12 13th April Tuesday 1915

Couple of submarines here. Moved a little from the 'Novian' . The 'Queen Elizabeth' is anchored near us. It is said she smashed a fort in the Dup yesterday.

13 14th April Wednesday 1915

Transports continually arriving with either Australian, British or Indians. There is one steamer beached probably holed. The transports are moored in pairs probably to deceive

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an enemy' s aeroplane as to their number & to offer a smaller mark

1st May 1915 Saturday

On the 21st April we were all served out with 2 bags of 'iron rations' – (1 bag) biscuits, beef & a tin containing tea, sugar & oxo tablets. Transports moving off all day. We started at 3 o' c & anchored with a few others on a bay of an island. Moved off again at 8 o' c p.m. & we had a little sleep. Up again at 3 a.m. Sunday & had breakfast. Land visible each side.

24th April

At daybreak saw heaps of transports & men of war near us. The 'Galeka' was nearest to the shore. On one side was Gallipoli peninsula & 2 large islands on the other (in the distance).

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The battleships started the show & we proceeded to disembark. The Turks constantly fired shrapnel. A sailor & soldiers were hit on the boat before we left.

[See image for drawing of ships and coastline at the landing.]

The fort kept dropping shells all around us. A pinnance towed 4 boatloads of my lot nearly to the shore & then we had to row. One boat struck & sunk, men rescued. When we touched bottom we sprung overboard into water waist high & dashed up the beach into a gully for cover. We piled our packs in a wall round a wounded men & waited while the 3rd brigade drove

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the Turks off this first ridge with the bayonet. The mistake of the day now happened. They should have entrenched on its summit but instead pressed on. Capt. Strachan & Lt. Lane were in charge of the crowd I was with & they lead us along the beach & up a gully. Rested. Proceeded over 2nd ridge. Flew down the other side. Never gone so quick in my life as I did down the hills. 6 ft. a stride & a 12 ft. slide every stride. On to the 3rd ridge & had to lie flat owing to the terrible shrapnel & bullets. Lost my crowd just a few of us together. The ridges are very steep & hard to climb & are covered with jungly scrub. Crawled on our stomachs into a trench

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dug by the Turks. It was half full of water but we did not mind lying down in it. Heavy firing in the centre of the line. We were on the extreme right. Crawled out of trench & joined a few others. Everybody had lost their original platoons. Lt. Holland got us into a bit of a panic by saying we were cut off & the Turks were just a few yards ahead. We fixed bayonets & a few of us rushed down the hill but there were no Turks. Rushed back & lay flat. Holland now struck in the forehead. Another officer came up & led us towards the left. Men constantly dropping. Joined supports to

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a firing line. Advanced to firing line. Saw a few Turks on horizon but too far off to hit. Retired to supports. Met Capt. Strachan – very weak – killed later with revolver in one hand plans in the other. Got separated again whilst crossing a deep gully. Explosive bullets shrapnel, dum-dums, needle pointed bullets, lydite all the time don' t forget. Came across 4 fellows trying to carry ing a wounded man down. This was about 4 p.m. & as we had been working harder than ever we had done before, since 3 a.m. without food, undergoing severe mental trial & feeling that things had not gone right we were all absolutely exhausted. Helped them to carry

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him down between 2 rifles. He was shot through both legs twice & in the back. Ground very difficult but we got down to the beach at last near the fort (but this had been silenced). 3 miles in 2 hrs. Before reaching beach he was unconscious & we thought he was gone but his heart still weakly throbbed. On the beach however we found he was gone. We carried him into a recess & covered his face up. Lay down after eating a few biscuits & went to sleep. Before doing so met Ingleman my sig. co. corp. We had both thrown our sig. equip away as it was in the road. I dropped mine when

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we fixed bayonets. Stores guns etc. being landed all night. Next day joined more of my coy. on the first ridge living in dug outs.

Tuesday

Wounded being taken away in shiploads. Mine Sweeper sunk in shallow water (they come in close to draw enemy' s fire). Airship (captive) getting ranges for battleship. Aeroplanes constantly going. About 30 of us including 2 corporals of our coy. lead by a S.M. rushed up to support our compy. but had to come back as there were already too many in the firing line. The S.M. had disappeared somewhere en route. Coming up 3 of us had been [indecipherable].

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Although the bullets were strays they fell like rain upon the ground the S.M. lead us over. We returned down a gully safely. Goldsmith was struck upwards through the right eye & in the arm whilst we were lying flat after a rush. (Got very tired rushing with equipment & rifle to carry.) Took G. to the Red + base. On the way the poor fellow managed to sing us a verse of a song. Helped the beach party to carry ammunition.

Wednesday

Went into the firing line on right flank. We had retired on Sunday night back to the first ridge & entrenched. Helped to dig

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Chums' addresses

Egypt Cairo
Sabbieh Street
Abbas School
Ahmed Mohamed Anwer

Capt. A.W. Gibbs
Hill View Rd.
Newdigate
Surrey
England

a communication trench all day & a dug out for a cobber & myself. Relieved men in the firing line at night & stayed there till 8 a.m. next morning. During night Turks played our bugle calls & advanced with cries of 'Allah' . We heard we did much slaughter. I was alongside one of our guns & when it went off it through threw earth all over us & nearly deafened us. I thought at first a shell had dropped in front of us.

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[Notes on this page not transcribed.]

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[Notes on this page not transcribed.]

[Page 81]

S. Norris
2nd Reinforcements
'D' Coy. No. 2275
6th Batt.

If I lose this diary would the finder forward at the first opportunity to my Mother & oblige –

Mrs. Norris
130, Waterloo St.
Hull
England.

[Transcriber' s notes:
Abbassieh has been misspelt as Abbaseih
Ataba El Khadra - Atabar El Khadra
Sakkara (or Saqqara) Pyramids
S.M. – Sergeant Major
Sakiyeh is a kind of water wheel
Shadoof is a device used to raise water]

[Transcribed by Judy Gimbert and Patricia Ryan for the State Library of New South Wales]