Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales
Robert Valentine Fell diary, 1 January 1916-5 January 1917
MLMSS 1216/Item 1
[Page 5]
[Printed lists and similar are not transcribed]
No 2117
Sgt Robert Valentine Fell
37 Derwent St
Glebe Pt Sydney
15th Reinforcement
7th Regiment ALH
Now No1. Coy
Imperial Camel Corps.
[Page 6]
Next of Kin
Robert S.Fell
37 Derwent St
Glebe Sydney
NS Wales.
Australia
(Please forward)
[Page 18]
Leanne Roth
Valentia
O`Brien St
Bondi
1 Piastre = 2½
Jeanne Roth
Valentia
Obrien St.
Bondi
Sydney
NSW
[Page 19]
Willie Wilson
Engineer
S.S. Orsova
Mrs. J.Hodges
92 Heytesbury Rd
Subiaco
Perth WA
do do (shop)
Frock shipman
[indecipherable] W.A.
Miss Silvia [could be Roberts]
[indecipherable]
[Page 20]
January Day 14 1917
our way backfrom, 139 with kit bags issed 3rd Brigade
Had a swin
Save in distance
Monday 15 1917
Paraded re transfer of no 1 Coy
[Page 21]
[Duplicate of page 19 – not transcribed]
[Page 22]
January Sunday 14 1917
On our way back from Kits 139. With kit bags Passed 3rd Brigade
Had a swim
Saw Dave in distance
Monday 15 1917
Paraded re transfer out of No 1 Coy.
[Page 23]
Wed 17 1917
Went down to see Dave Roth. He looks well. Trying to get me to the 10th LH
Thurs 18 1917
Transfer went in just waiting for reply
[Page 24]
Friday January 1917
Jan 19th 1917
Supper Sargents. J R. Paper train to camp
[Page 25]
January 1917
Sunday
First quiet day since arriving in El Arish. Wrote several letters.
Monday 22 17
Frightfully windy sand flying in every direction
JR Birthday
[Page 27]
January 25
Sate de Danse
Dirige Par
Mr Sindicas (near cosmography
Sate de Danse
Rue Boulac
Mons,Mosssery
(near Petrograd)
[Page 29]
Sunday 11 1917
Left No 1 Coy ICC 10 am . Joined 10th A.L.H. Reverted to rank of trooper at own request.
Saw Dave Roth both afternoon and night
[Page 30]
February 1917
Monday
Met Father Goodman MM
He is RC chaplain to 10th batt
Tues 13 1917
Went over to 2nd Brigade. Saw lot of 7 ALH boys. Met J McAuliffe
[Page 31]
[No entry in diary ]
[Page 32]
March Saturday 11 1916
Sailed away in Orsova A67 from Sydney.
First day at sea lovely weather. Ocean like glass. Fine boat. Well looked after
Sunday 12 1916
Went to mass. Fr McAuliffe on board. Good trip so far
[Page 33]
March 1916
Monday 13
Arrived in Port Melbourne 9 am or thereabouts.
Landed. Went for a March. Went into Melb 6.30. Had good look round. Taxis – fares and attention changed. Rather amused with attention added to the fare.
Tuesday 14
Still in Melb. Had route March through city to Royal Park and back to boat. People unenthusiastic. Cold and distant. Went in to Melb again in the night . Went to Tivoli.
[Page 34]
March 1916
Wednesday 15
March to Albert Park, guests of Red Cross Ladies. Excellent lunch. I had lovely 20 mile drive in car. Back to Melb at 1.30 special leave to purchase .
Saw the block and the styles. Girls smostly done up, but still cold and distant.
Thursday 16
Left Melb at 3pm for Colombo. Only got 1 wine from home. No letters or word from anyone else. Aust Flying Squadron joined us here before leaving
[Page 35]
March 1916
Friday 17
At sea, good weather and fine trip. Appointed Sgt Major for trip. Also on sports committee for trip.
Saturday 18
Had scratch concert on board.
[Page 36]
March 1916
Sunday 19
Mass again
Monday 20
Good weather making a good passage.
Orsova a lovely ship.
[Page 37]
March 1916
Tuesday 21
Arrived Freemantle 9pm. Anchored in stream. No one allowed ashore
Wednesday 22
(Had sport meeting)
Left Freemantle 12 noon after 14 hours stay. Sent mail ashore. Saw Freemantle newspaper.
[Page 38]
March 1916
Friday 24
Boxing tourney.
Good sport and bouts keenly contested.
O.C. troops is one of the best. He is Lt Col Nicholson (of Newcastle)
[Page39]
March 1916
Saturday 25
Good concert
Sunday 26
Played cards
[Page 40
March 1916
Monday 27
Sketched and wrote letter
Tuesday 28
Wrote letters
[Page 41]
March 1916
Wednesday 29
Sports.
Lt J.P.G.Cox and self are secretaries. We are able to hold 75 yd sprint straight.
Thursday 30
Mails closed 5 pm today will be sent ashore at Colombo
[Page 42]
March – April 1916
Friday 31
Medical lecture
Saturday April 1
Arrived Colombo 6am. Got ashore 3.45 pm. Marched to barracks (40 min) Stayed G.O.H. Went all around also to Circus.
Beautiful sight coming in breakwater, natives very interesting .Very hot.
[Page 43]
April 1916
Sunday 2
Visited sights of Colombo in rickshaw. Temple,Galle Face. Park Gardens. Bought silk at native shops. Spent £2-5-0.
Thoroughly enjoyed stay. Cost 15/- for 2 days, very cheap
Left Colombo 10.30 pm
Monday 3
Wrote long letters about Colombo . Small monkey brought aboard from Colombo. Pet of the ship
[Page 44]
April 1916
Tuesday 4
Boxing contests
Flying fish still plentiful sea like glass
Wednesday 5
Off Persian Gulf
Very smooth trip
[Page 45]
April 1916
Friday 7
500 miles from Aden
[Page 46]
April 1916
Sunday 9
In the Red Sea very very hot.
[Page 47]
[No entry in diary]
[Page 48]
April 1916
Thursday 13
Arrived at Suez. A khamseem was blowing and the dust like a dense fog so we anchored until tomorrow
[Page 49]
April 1916
Friday 14
Sunrise most gorgeous no wonder they write of the wonderful colourings of Egypt. Left Suez 2pm for Tel el Kebir, some in cattle trucks . Arrived at 8pm. (in the desert). Moonlight Marched 1½ miles to our camp very chilly
Saturday 15
Had a look at the desert. Bare barren and sandy. Les Spragg,Tom Reid, Reg King, Barrett and Montring to see me. Vic Masters also
[Page 50]
April 1916
Sunday 16
Went to Cairo with Vic Masters. Shall never forget my first day in Cairo went to Pyramids and Sphinx and all round Cairo.
The Mousski is the most interesting part of Cairo.
[Page 52]
April 1916
Friday 21
Had to work all day
[Page 54]
April 1916
Tuesday 25
Anzac Day – Holiday Sports etc at Tel el Kebir
[Page 55]
April 16
Wednesday 26
Tel el Kebir camp work, heart, dust sand and more work. An absolute nightmare will be glad when I can get out to the regiment.
[Page 56]
April 1916
Friday 28
Nothing doing in L.H. scrapping so the drill goes on day after day
[Page 58]
May 16
Tuesday
Tel el Kebir
[Page 59]
May 1916
Wednesday 24
Tel el Kebir
Drill and usual routine nothing worth recording
[Page 64]
August 1916
Sunday 6
Left Tel el Kebir 5.45 pm mounted for Moascar
Monday 7
Arrived Moascar 12 noon
[Page 65]
August 1916
Tuesday 8
Bathing parade Great Lakes, Ismaelia, Suez Canal.
HMS Euryalus anchored in Canal.
Wednesday 9
Went to Ismaelia. Pretty town
[Page 66]
Conditions at Moascar are far better than Tel el Kebir.
[Page 48]
September 1916
Saturday 9
Was transferred to Imperial Camel Corps Austn Reserves, Abbassia, Cairo
Sunday 10
Cairo
[Page 68]
September 1916
Monday 11
Best home I have been in since I joined the military viz the I.C.C. Abbassia (Aust Reserves)
Fine lot of fellows, the other sergts. Especially SSM Robertson (SA) Sergt (now) Lieut Williams N.S.W.
[Page 69]
September 1916
Wednesday 13
Easy work – plenty of leave – trips to Cairo.
[Page 70]
September 1916
Friday 15
Plenty of camel drill
Some very amusing incidents occurring every day.
[Page 72]
September 1916
Thursday 28
Met Hughes Hiddelston Sgt A.P.C. friend of Muriel Roberts. Went to Arabic wedding on his invitation. Funniest experience I have had.
[Page 74]
October 1916
Friday 6
Left Abbassia with 39 men 8.30am to join No 1 Coy ICC . Arrived Gara on the Nile 9.30pm
Camped the night Beautiful scenery down the Nile which was in flood.
[Page 75]
October 1916
Saturday 7
Left Qara 8.30am for the 150 or so miles across the desert . Train broke down at 12 noon after climbing the escarp. Another engine sent on and we left at 12 MN arrived Sherika 6 am Sunday . No camels for my section so will have to wait.
Sunday 8
We formed the full comp` to a company of camel Corps . 180 strong.
[Page 76]
October 1916
Monday 9
Sherika is an oasis in Libyan desert – very fertile on the oasis but bare and barren away from it.
Settling down to camp routine.
Tuesday 10
Capt Wright (an Englishman) is O.C. and is a peculiar man. Has several favourites in the Coy. He does not seem to like Australians. Lt. Grime one of the officers is a most useless fool. Lt Mills seems a decent chap and capable.
[Page 77]
October 1916
Sunday 15
Two sections under Lieut Mills moved out to occupy Dahkla Oasis, about 80 miles from Khargah Oasis.
[Page 78]
October 1916
Tuesday 17
Another section went to reinforce other two sections at Dabkla
Wednesday 18
Dahkla taken with the 175 Senussi prisoners. Main body of Senussi got away aided by spies. Camels knocked up so unable to chase them
[Page 79]
October 1916
Thursday 19
Met Lieut Dawson late of 7th now with Flying Corps – at Sherika
[Page 81]
October 1916
Monday 23
Met 3 Sergts from Flying Corps who came over on Orsova with me
[Page 83]
October 1916
Friday 27
Went over to Flying Corps. Had a machine explained to me.
[Page 84]
October 1916
Sunday 29
Went out per camel towards Temple of Hibis in Kharga Oasis. 9½ miles.
Did not get to Temple but saw the remains of an ancient cottage. Started to get dark, so the officers wanted to get back. Quite dark before arriving in camp. Journey 2½ hours each way on rotten camel.
[Page 85]
November 1916
Sunday and Monday 12 and 13
[Written sideways]
Dream,dream, of her who awaits an enveloping attack of you.
[Page 86]
November 1916
Wednesday 15
Shooting on range tons of work
[Page 87]
November 1916
Thursday 16
Range again
Friday 17
Fatigues for the Coy which is coming in from Dahkla
[Page 88]
November 1916
Saturday 18
Shooting again
I put up very poor score. Eyes played up. Cold hardly see target.
Sunday 19
Erecting tents for remainder of coy
[Page 89]
November 1916
Tuesday 21
Big mail from Australia arrived. 20 letters, pcl and papers.
[Page 90]
November 1916
Thursday 23
Left Sherika with 10 men to act as escort to convoy CTC from Khargeb to Tenida (Dahkla oasis) at 2.23. visited ruined city, saw mummies,visited Temple of Hibis, date 2000B.C. or so in the Persian dynasty. Wonderful carvings on stone walls. Arrived Khargeh about 6 pm.
[Page 91]
November 1916
Friday 24
Bought 100 oranges for trip.
Breakfasted CTC. Train with Senussi prisoners arrived from Dahkla 10.30am. Took snaps. Visited village in afternoon. Very interesting cultivation prolific. Mud houses mostly underground. Filthy hovels .Visited the Omla who gave us afternoon tea English style. Had a swim in big fresh pool of unknown depth. We leave tomorrow.
Saturday 25
Left 7.30 am with the convoy of 200 camels and about 80 natives.
[Page 92]
November 1916
Sunday 26
Still travelling
Monday 27
On the road again.
[Page 93]
November 1916
Tuesday 28
Arrived near the oasis of Dahkla at dark. Halted for night. Will go in to the village of Tenida in the morning.
Wednesday 29
Arrived in Tenida 7am Went down the village bought eggs. Residents very poor. Senussis robbed of everything.
[Page 94]
Nov-Dec 1916
Thursday 30
Went down the village – got more eggs for tea and sugar
Friday Dec.1
Left for the return journey.
[Page 95]
December 1916
Saturday 2
Still travelling back pleasant weather but very hot in day and cold at night.
December 1916
Monday 4
Arrived Khargeh 4.30pm
Camped the night
Tuesday 5
Left for Sherika and got back to camp 12noon.feeling very fit.
[Page 97]
December 1916
Wednesday 6
Got word No.1 Coy to leave Sherika tomorrow to concentrate at Gara. Probably to go to the Canal.
Thursday 7
3 sections left per camel for Gara 110 miles. 2pm
[Page 98]
December 1916
Friday 8
Still going
Saturday 9
Going strong
[Page 99]
December 1916
Sunday 10
Still travelling
Monday 11
Arrived in camp Gara 11 am
Leaving here for Kantara on the canal on Thursday
[Page 100]
December 1916
Tuesday 12
Busy getting ready for our long trek. Our probable destination is El Arish.
Wednesday 13
Everything ready for leaving tomorrow wrote several letters.
[Page 101]
December 1916
Thursday 14
Left Gara per camel for oasis junction. 5 miles entrained camels and baggage and left at 4 oclock for Cairo
Friday 15
Arrived Cairo station 1030 am had lunch and left for Kantara at 11.30. Passed thro` Tel el Kebir Moascar Ismaelia and arrived Kantara about 5pm. Unloaded camels and baggage and camped for the night.
[Page 102]
December 1916
Saturday 16
Started on our long trek 7am.Passed several graves of L.H. on the journey saw lots of dead horses.
Arrived at Duedar and camped for the night. There was a battle here last Easter Sunday between LH and the Turk. The LH held out ; numerous graves.
Sunday 17
Left very early. Passed thro Katia and then 5 miles south of Romani.
Still seeing graves.
[Page 103]
December 1916
Monday 18
Still going. Arrived Mazar 2pm camped.
Tuesday 19
Getting ready to move off to the scene of action. Fixing up camels and rations and saddles
[Page 104]
December 1916
Wednesday 20
Left Mazar 2.30pm arrived Kilo (?) 7 pm had tea and pushed on thro the night. Awful journey (rough) fell down sandhill with camel.
Thursday 21
Arrived El Arish 8.30 am camped outside the town about 5 miles away. L.H. captured the town.
[Page 105]
December 1916
Friday 22
All day in camp El Arish
Moved out 9.20 pm Travelled all night, very cold arrived scene of battle 8am. L.H. scouts and advance guards in touch with enemy.
Saturday 23
The battle of Magdaba My No.1 Section – No 1 Coy led by Lt Williams DCM led the Camel Corps into action very tired sleepy and hungry went to sleep under fire battle lasted all day. Turks surrended 1283 prisoners numerous guns rifle and ammo. We had 6 casualties. Lt Williams
[Page 106]
Sunday 24
Back in camp El Arish resting after the battle.
Rained during night everything wet also everybody – very cold.
Monday 25
Xmas day. Wet and cold and miserable. Bully biscuits for dinner.
Acting QM. Trying to keep dry which is impossible.
[Page 107]
December 1916
Tuesday 26
Wet and cold
Work early and late
River appeared in the wadi caused by rain from the hills.
Wednesday 27
Wet again also very cold plenty of work
Drawing rations from the beach - 2½ miles away. Rations are brought up in steamers and sent ashore in boats.
[Page 108]
December 28
Thursday 28
Still wet and cold
Friday 29
Showery weather, went down to the beach. Great load of stores. Landed from steamers
Mine sweeper ashore last night.
[Page 109]
December 1916
Saturday 30
Squally weather
Sunday 31
Terrific gale blowing no shelter. Everybody wet. Rained during night
New Years day . All 1917
Went down to beach bombarded by German Taubs. 3 shells fell down into the sea. Remainder went into palm groves. 13 casualties amongst British troops. Terrific wind blowing. Had the coldest swim I ever had.
[Page 110]
Notes For 1917
Jan 2 1917
Nothing doing very squally and showery
Jan 3
Still raining wet blankets every night. Expecting to have colds and rheumatism. Well so far ordinary routine of camp. Rumours of big battle to come off at Rhafa.
Jan 4
Plenty of work at QMs job. Fine day very cold
[Page 111]
Memoranda
Jan 5th 1917
Rained again in showers. Wind very cold. Met a lot of old friends. Lt Lamb, Lt Dawson 5th LH Lt Bell 2 LH all in 11th Coy ICC
Jan 6
Nothing of note today.
Jan 7th
Work very hard today all bustle whilst issuing rations at 8 pm moonlight our camp was bombed by Taubs 2 bombs dropped 30 yards away. No damage. Moving out to Rafa for battle tomorrow.
[Page 112]
From Jeanne R.]
[Cash Account – December- not transcribed]
[Page 114]
To call on
Josie Bruellw
Sydney Girl
Red Cross Hosp
Cairo
Ali Solomon (Guide)
Tewfik Hotel
Magraba St.
No.10
Cairo
[Transcribed by Rex Minter for the State Library of New South Wales]