Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales

Alan Fraser Fry notebook, 11-25 February 1915
MLMSS 1159 ADD-ON 2076 / Box 7 / Folder 1 / Item 4

[Page 4]
[Pages 1-3 not transcribed]

Left Sydney 11th Febry 1915 per "Seang Bee" & made for Brisbane. Arrived early Saturday 13th Feb. & berthed at Pinkenba. Took on some 300 Q’landers making 1100 soldiers on board – Left Pinkenba 5 pm 13th.

We steamed northwards & took Pilot on board early Monday morning at Townsville. The route was inside Barrier Reef & sea perfectly calm with warm sunny weather. Was on guard all day Tuesday day & night & about 4.00 am on Wednesday we struck a reef. Got over safely, but it took all way off the ship. Certainly a very lucky escape. The lads sleeping down below were all awakened by the bump & scraping noise & rushed up on deck, but soon turned in again on seeing

[Page 5]
all was safe. Passed the "Montoro" – B.P’s ship about 4.30 pm on Tuesday 16th Feb.

Was sleeping on deck on Wed night & about 4.30 am was awakened by a severe bump. Looked down the side, and though I could not see any reef, knew we must be on one as the vessel had stopped. Engines kept going astern till day break but ship did not move.

In the morning a wireless was sent to "Seang Choon" the other transport to come to our assistance. She arrived about 10 am on Thursday. Got a hawser on board & started, but it parted. As it was high water at 2 pm, another hawser was got on board & with our engines going full speed astern & the "Choon" pulling, another effort was made. Of no

[Page 6]
avail, – we were properly ashore. How lucky we were to have calm weather.
There was no panic whatever. Everyone took it calmly and philosophically.

The "heads" then struck on the idea of lightening the ship, by throwing coal from the forward hold, overboard. The soldiers were put on to the job and each company had an hour. This was kept up all Thursday, Friday & Saturday 20th February. What solid work it was too!!??

One could not see 10 feet down the hold for coal dust, and we all got black from head to foot. It took an hour after each shift to get clean. The dust got in our eyes mouth ears – in fact everywhere & as none of us were in condition it was jolly hard graft.

Floated off

[Page 7]
at at 10.15 am on Saturday, & what cheering. Both ships went mad & cheered & roared themselves hoarse. We were dashed glad to get off. It was very monotonous & was getting on all our nerves, all of us being anxious to get on to business.

Proceeded to Thursday Island some 60 miles distant, arriving there at 2.30 pm on Saturday. The "Choon" was just behind us, & she berthed at the Wharf. We anchored in the Harbour, all the lads here fully expected to get ashore, considering they had done some hard graft, unloading coal, etc, and there was a lot of dissatisfaction when no leave was granted at all, more so when leave was given on the other boat.

On Sunday general leave was granted after Church Parade, & we all

[Page 8]
went ashore to see the "Town". It is not nearly as pretty as many of the other Island towns I have had the luck to see, but I daresay this is owing to being in the Tourist route. Had to be on board at 6 pm. Some 6 of us dined at the Grand Hotel for dinner – and Gee!! what a feed??! The best I have had for months.

Left T.I. at 6 am on Monday & made westward for Colombo. Saw the last of Australia yesterday Wednesday 24th. I wonder when we shall see it again? There is a strong head wind now & looks like freshening before long. I trust we are not damaged much from being on the Reef, or we may behave badly in a storm.

Were inoculated today 25th Feb, & all our arms are very sore.

[Page 9]
We did not have the promised storm, but instead the wind and sea went down & the whole trip to Colombo was as calm as could be. On crossing the Line, of course there were the usual celebrations, & all the Officers had to go through the mill. Some of the lads got a bit of their own back then.

No leave was granted in Colombo, though [indecipherable] & myself managed to get one whole day ashore. We had a real good time & saw everything there was to be seen. It was quite a new experience to ride in a "rickshaw" & the coolies who pull them seem tireless. Dined at the G.O.H. a beautiful Hotel, better than any we have in Sydney.

On leaving Colombo we made for Suez. The weather has remained quite calm, and I do not suppose we would have got a trip as smooth as this once out of 20 times. We did not stop at Aden. As we passed

[A page appears to be missing.]

[Page 10]
No 1340 13 Battalion
Private "Q" Company
Liverpool 11/12/14

A/Sergeant "Q" Company
Liverpool 20/12/14

Private 2/13
Liverpool 2/1/15

A/Corporal 9/2
Liverpool 5/9/15

Private 10/13
Liverpool 21/9/15

a/Pay Corporal 10/13
Zeitoun 2/12/15

a/O.R. Sergeant "A" Coy 45. Bn
Zeitoun 25/2/16

T/Sergeant 13th Battalion
Tel-el-Kebir 4/3/16

Private 13th Battalion
Tel-el-Kebir 20/3/16

Lance Corporal 13th Battalion
Serapeum 4/5/16

A/Provost Corporal Bac St Maur
Jesus Farm, France
4th Bgde Transport. 24/6/16

Lance Corporal [indecipherable]
Naours, France 17/7/16
B Coy 13 Battln

[Page 11]
Left Serapeum 6 pm 31/5/16 "Transylvania" at Alexandria 4 a.m. 1/6/16. Sailed 2/6/16 arrived Marseilles 9.a.m. 7/6/16
Entrained 6 p.m. 7/6/16
Lyons 6 am 8/6/16
Ballieul 3 a.m. 10/6/16
[indecipherable] 5 am 10/6/16

Left [indecipherable] on 17/6/16 & had a 10 mile march with full packs & blankets passing through Sailly & Bac St Maur & reached our Billet about 9 pm same day. Departed to 13th Bn. Transport 20/6/16 & made Provost Cpl over 12 men to do Police duty in 4th Bgde Transport [indecipherable] and act as [indecipherable] in case of emergency.

Stationed at Jesus Farm. Left Farm on 11/7/16 with amm. guard for [indecipherable] – arrived 7 p.m. and moved off at 7 a.m. next morning. Entrained at Ballieul at 12 noon and arr [indecipherable] about 7 p.m. 13/7/16.

[Page 12]
On leaving the train we did about 9 miles through lovely country to a little village down in a hollow called Dormart, where we stopped 3 days. Left Domart 16/7/16 and marched some 10 or 11 miles to Naours arriving same day 16/7/16.

Rested for 8 days in billets and moved off again 25/7/16 at 8 am to a village some 6 miles away where we stayed for one day and rested. Next day on the go again and had a stiff march to [indecipherable] some 10 miles nearer the firing and went into Billets. 27/7/17.

Moved out again on 4/8/16 and made for Albert, where we arrived at 1 am 5/8/16 & camped on a hill some ¼ mile from the Town. All civilians have left – the place is in ruins, including a lovely cathedral. It is bombarded every day by the Germans, & the narrow escapes are many.

We camped in the open on 5th & 6th Aug & formed up preparatory to moving off about 5 pm. It was a bit of a surprise when shells began to fall around within a few yards of

[Page 13]
where we were in close formation, & it was marvellous that no one was hit. Had they dropped 5 minutes earlier, many of the boys must have been knocked, and one shell lobbed right on the spot where all the officers usually slept. Certainly a very narrow escape!

On leaving Albert we marched about 1 mile & camped in a paddock for the night. It was pretty cold, and sleep was almost out of the question on account of the shells falling around.

Next morning 7/8/16 we went to Sausage Valley some 2 ½ or 3 miles from the firing line & were put in reserves. Carved a little dug-out & had two narrow escapes from pieces of shell. The valley is continually under heavy fire & its wonderful that so few casualties occur. Our C Snr Charlie [indecipherable] and my Plat Sergt. (McDowell) got their coms. the day we arrived in "Sausage Gully.

[Page 14]
Dr. W. F. Hume
Director
Geological Survey of Egypt
Cairo
To introduce
Sergeant Alan Fry

[Reverse of envelope]
12.2.16.

[Page 15]
[The Third Brigade. By Ella M’Fayden.]

[Page 16]
No. 3070
A.Coy.
Clarrie James
Hovel Street
Albury. N.S.W.

No. 3129
A.Coy.
C. Ernest Tucker
35 Brandling St.
Alexandria. Sydney

No. 3030
A.Coy.
Charlie Cutbush
Glen Loch
Gidley
Via Tamworth N.S.W.

No. 3120
Bill Sevester
Carrington St.
West Wallsend
Newcastle

No. 2238
Perce Smith.
Stanley Park
Stockton
Via Newcastle

Mrs. E.F.
William Paterson
Queenscliff
Carthage St
Tamworth
NSW

Mrs. William Patten
"Taraneraba"
Liverpool Rd
Croydon.
Sydney

[Page 17]
No. 348
Trooper W. [indecipherable]
7th Reins. 7th Reg.
2nd L. Horse Brigade

Trooper R. D. Morgan
B. Squadron. 12th Regiment
4th L. H. Brigade

Miss Iris Arnott
"Clairvaux"
Clairvaux Road
Rose Bay
Sydney

Miss Lidgett
"Appleton"
Kidbrook Gardens
Blackheath. SE

Mr. Ligett
6 Lune St. Square
London E.C.

[Aunt Edie is written along left-hand margin next to the Ligett addresses].

Roland Thompson
Red Court Hotel
19 Bedford Place
Russell Square
London W.6.

H.Q. A.I.F.
Savoy House
Strand
London. W6.

[Page 18]
Waldo Mayor
210 Greens Av
Brooklyn. N York

Cpt. Peter Brown
Bowns Rd.
Kogarah

Stephen Christian
Norfolk Island

Sister E. M. Stewart
Pt. Aust. Gen Hosp.
Heliopolis Palace Hotel
Cairo

No. 341
Nurse Rita Fuller
2nd Aust. Gen Hosp. Cairo
or "Ghezeriah" – Alxandria

Sister Di Mestre
Lemnos
Dr. Fiaschi’s Hosp

No. 338
Trooper M. G. Stewart
B. Squadron; 3rd L. Horse Reg.
1st L. Horse Brigade

Bom. G. E. Stewart 3rd Battery
Field Artillery 1st Aust. Div.
No. 1105

[Page 19]
Miss Lyn Hanson
City 1357. Wah 604
Leo
Nat.
Enid.
Steff.

Mrs. L. Delarne
"Ramsgate"
High St
Waratah
Jen

Waldo Mayor
"[indecipherable]]
39 Darling Pt. Rd
Sydney

No. 502
L/C Fry RH
2nd Signal Troop [indecipherable]
2nd L. Horse Brigade
A.Eng
AIEF

K Fry
5th Reins 1st Field
Coy. Aust Eng
Egypt.
AIEF

[Page 20]
L.E. Middleton.
Wellcamp.
Capt. Middleton
Harbour Master.
Cairns

Roland Thompson
467 Beverley Road
Newland. HULL
East Yorks.
England

Bob Newton
3rd Reins 13th Batt.
No. 1587 4th Brigade
AIF.

Wahroonga 604
City 1357
Miss Lyn Hanson

Waldo Mayor
Darling Pt. Rd

Miss Harrison
Bydown Street
"Westhampton"
Neutral Bay
Waringah Hall

[Page 21]
Lieut V. Springhall
D Coy.
20th Battalion
Liverpool Camp

J. M. Gillies
Arama
Avoca St
Bondi. No. 7
4th House from Pic Show.

Fred Easton
No. 119
"D" Coy. 4th Batt.
1st Brigade

Mr. E. Fry:
"Mayburn"
Penshurst St
Willoughby

Mrs. Sims
"Kamcruker"
The Boulevard
Lewisham
Mr. [indecipherable]

[Page 22]
Miss Ivy Winkler 1
Marathon
Meeandah
Pinkenba Line
Brisbane. Aust.

Tom Davies
12/343
6th Haurakis tuck. Inf Batt.
N.Z.E. Force
c/- G.P.O. Wellington

Sgt. A. J. Shaw
c/- Mr. J. McKenzie
Pentland
Merivale St.
South Brisbane

Hessel S. Mills
5th Reins 4th Batt.
AIEF
No. 1995

"Kareela"
Riverview Street
Chiswick. L C River

[Page 23]
James Wallett
1st Field Ambulance
3rd Rein
AAMC.
No. 1760

Phil Wilkins
No. 1758

Edmund Burke
No.

Eric Greenwell
No. 1756

J. Wallett
Nestles Milk Co.
26 King St
Sydney

Phil Wilkins
"Watford"
Cooper Street
Double Bay

[Page 24]
Miss P. Alston 11111
New England Girls School
Armidale
N.S.W.

Capt. Fergusson
S.S. Palermo
P.O.C.

Emily Hughes
91 William St
11 Sydney

Mrs. A Fry
Lindfield 1111

Father 1
Hazel 11
Dene 1
Dorothy 1
Wilga 1
Rollo 1

Hessel Mills 1
P. Coy.
Liverpool Camp

[Page 25]
James Beatty 1
"Wandeen"
Hercules St
Chatswood

Miss Edith Fry (Ratu)
[indecipherable] Albion Street
26 Union St
North Sydney.

Mr Walter Fry 1
Messrs Atcherly & Dawson
522 Kent Street
Sydney

Lieut Salkeld RAMC
Colchester

Miss Florrie Carleton 11
"Pacmala"
Arthur Street
North Sydney

Mrs. Fraser
"Ravenscraig"
Muston St.
Mosman.
Sydney.
Molly

[Page 26]
Mrs. Mayor 11
Springdale Rd
Killara.
N. S. Line

Noel Cuthbert.
Nelson Road
Lindfield.
N. S. Line

Marion Botham 11
Centennial Avenue
Chatswood
N. S. Line

Tom Botham 1
[indecipherable] Botham & Ron
Flinders Lane
Melbourne. Vic

Joan Fry 1
"Tugalara"
Kissing Pt Road
Turramurra
N. S. Line

Marge Burnett 1
"Te Kainga"
Warawee
N. S. Line

[Page 27]
Nell Newton 11
"Cararra"
Shirley Rd
Roseville
N. S. Line

Kath Nevell 1
Glen Nevell
Rylstone Cr
Roseville

Arthur Wynne 11
Gladstone Pde
Lindfield or
"Daily Telegraph"

Will McManamly
Upper Pitt St
North Sydney

Miss Lily Fluknoe 1
Tryon Road
Lindfield
N. S. Line

Stanley Blight
Union P Royal Bank [indecipherable]
Wynward St.
Sydney

[Page 28]
Russel Wakely 1
c/- B P & Co.
Sydney

Jack Barter 11
Shirley Road
Wollstonecraft.
N. S. Line

Mr. Thompson 111
"Wilga"
Chatswood
Sydney N.S.W.

Philippa Alston.
Girls Grammar School
Ch. of England
Armidale NSW

Edgar Cliff 111
Tryon Road
Lindfield.
N. S. Line Sydney

Mr Lovegrove
Lindfield
Sydney

[Page 29]
Roy Sillar 1111
St. Andrew’s College
University of Sydney
Sydney.

Dubbo

Helga Wurfel 1111
"Wawona"
Dubbo

Mrs. McManamly 11
"Lakeba"
Brisbane St
Dubbo

Miss Rose Woods
"Woodpark"
Moree NSW

Miss Una Doust 111111
Ronda
Oxley St
Bowral
NSW

[Page 30]
Sister M. Woods
No 2 General Hospital
Victoria Barracks.

S.S. "Kyarra"
Hospital Ship
A.I.F.
c/- Sir George Reid
H. Comm. for Australia
London

Mrs. Harrison
Commercial Bank
Oaklands. N.S.W.

Frances Clarke
"Munna" Broughton St
Homebush
Sydney.

Rene Relph 1
"Wyuna"
Anderson Rd
Upper Hawthorn
Melbourne
"Verulam
Mont Albert Road
Canterbury
Melbourne
Victor

[Following numbers written upside-down at bottom of page:]
1632
478/D

[Page 31]
AAMC
Adj. Capt. Ferber

Sister M. Woods.
No. 2 Aust. Gen. Hosp.
Gezira Palace Hotel
Cairo
Egypt

72 Victoria St
c/- H.C. for Aust
London

A.I.F.
4B London Gen Hospital
Denmark Hill
London S.E.

[Page 32]
[indecipherable]

Pay Corp 1.0 Piastres 2/-
Hudson 2/-
T [indecipherable] 10/-
[indecipherable] 10 Piastres
Bob L. £1/-/-
Tom 2/-
[indecipherable] 2/-
[indecipherable] 1/-

Dr. Palmer
No 1. Hosp. Heliopolis

Capt. Bean (Mr. Palmer)

[Page 33]
City 4143
No. 1340
Private A. F. Fry
2nd Reins
13th Batt.
4th Aust Inf Bgde
c/- Aust. Intermediate Base Depot
Egypt

Mrs. Elmore
Culwulla Chbrs

(26) 26 Union St
N. Syd

Dr. Phipps
Dr. Benjafield
Mr Carleton

[Transcribed by Sandra Mutton for the State Library of New South Wales]