The diary of Frederick Pendall is reproduced here with kind permission of the Heirs to the estate of Frederick Pendall. They have given limited approval for the diary to be reproduced in whole or in part for personal and non-commercial use provided this notice is included. Their permission must be obtained prior to its use for commercial purposes.
he diary is a small notepad some 4×3 inches in size with maximum use made of the available space. Some pages are missing and some rendered unintelligible by age and wear. It contains the experiences of one member of the Norfolk regiment. If you are looking for for a graphic account of trench warfare then you will find this diary disappointing, for a combination of ill health and sheer luck kept the author away from the conflicts that cost so many members of the Norfolks their lives. It does however give a good account of the mechanics of service life in WW1 and an insight into local conditions as Frederick travels to India via Africa in 1916 and then finally returns to England via Egypt,Greece,Bulgaria,Russia,Italy and France arriving home in 1919
Thanks are due to Maurice Cotton of Cople, Bedfordshire whose assistance in deciphering the original document is gratefully acknowledged. Its content is reproduced as faithfully as possible with the exception of some small format changes to make it more readable in HTML format.and place the events in chronological order as the original pages are sometimes not in date order.
The initial pages appear to be missing and the first readable pages find Frederick on board ship somewhere on the west coast of Africa in the final days of 1916
On the 26th. December where we laid till Jan 5th. when we set sail on Friday night in a gale accompanied by three troop ships, a cruiser and a destroyer. The cruiser was named Shamrock which went with us until Jan 11th. when the …………….<unreadable>
9th. ditto Officers went ashore
20th . On Guard
Jan 21st . Went hospital with deck feet which were swollen and very painful. Still very hot, death on board one of the RFA. Received 1st pay since leaving Felixstowe. Still lying at Freetown but not allowed to go ashore as the Australians had been there and smashed the place up so that no troops are allowed on shore. Still attending hospital, party went ashore to bury corpse.
23rd. Left Freetown for Capetown at 3.30pm. 8 troop ships with armed liner for Capetown. No tobacco on board.
24th. Much rain and thunderstorms. Feet still very sore and swollen and covered with red blisters. Crossed the line, Father Neptune came on board and all the officers were ducked.
26th. Cooler very windy.
27th. still windy second dose of inoculation for cholera. At 2.30 orders to return to port and all boats 8 in all turned round. but during the night they turned again.
28th Sunday. Arm very sore from inoculation. Very windy but hot , heavy sea for the last 4 days.
29th. On guard, cooler
30th. Windy cool, received pay book, washed khaki drill.
31st. Very heavy sea. For the last fortnight we have had concerts-sports-tug-of-war etc
Feb 1st. very heavy sea.
Feb 2nd. Very heavy sea, ship heaving and rolling, rather cold like English weather, drew overcoats, again wrote home for 2nd. time since leaving Freetown. Freetown is a lovely place,such beautiful scenery with its hills and mountains which are all up higher than the clouds. The ships that came with us were the Carona-Corinthia-Emperor of Britain-Walmer Castle and Tyndareus and we were on the Pakeha. I had sea rash nearly all the voyage and the itching was terrific.
Feb 3rd. We drew equipment ready for leaving ship expecting to arrive at Capetown S Africa.
Feb 4th. Very cold and heavy sea.
Feb 5th. arrive at Capetown harbour table bay. Anchored outside at 8 oclock in the morning. 12 o’clock we steamed into dock. Went ashore at 5 till 10pm, but had no money, went round public gardens which were lovely everything out in bloom lovely. Which we grow in stoves 1 at home.
Feb 6th. Went ashore 10oclock till 4pm. We had no dinner and no money. We had tea at a free buffet and went through museum which is a very nice place, flowers were all in bloom, deturas-dahlias-oleanders etc.
Feb 7th. Paid 10/0d. but not allowed to go ashore as we were under orders to sail at any time, when the gale stopped blowing. The Tyndareus 2 sailed out of the dock at 10 in the morning and the troops and crew came back in a hospital ship the Oxfordshire next afternoon. They had to leave ship owing to accident in a gale on Feb 7th but crew and troops all saved and the ship sunk.
Feb 8th. Left port for Durban at 6 o’clock in the morning very rough and heavy sea, worst we’ve had
Feb 9th. Engine broken down and we had to stop and repair pipe
Feb 10th. Held ships sports, still very heavy sea, land is in sight nearly all the way from Capetown to Durban high mountains all the way.
Feb 11th. we were all too excited over landing at Durban that i forgot my own Birthday.
Feb 12th. Landed at Durban at 6 in the morning and marched to rest camp. At 11 o’clock arrived there in time to have dinner which we enjoyed very much, after living on board ship for 7 weeks. We had very little to eat on board, we only had bread and butter for tea and breakfast 2, 4lb loaves for 16 people with about 1/2lb butter for each meal. We had meat and potatoes for dinner but nothing to drink. 1/2 pint tea with no sugar for tea and breakfast- and our sleeping was none too good – as our hooks for hanging hammocks were only 15 inches apart. We had nothing much to do on the ship , if we had we could not have done it on the food we got. we only did 1/2 hours parade and 1/2 hour PT each day. We had to get up at 6 breakfast at 7 and then all on top deck, first parade at 1/4 to 10. PT at 1/2 past 10. Dismiss at 11 o’clock when we had finished for the day. we found it a pleasant change to get into camp as we were fed much better and we had a grand YMCA Hut where we could buy tea etc. at 1d per cup – minerals @2d buns etc. Notepaper free. We were allowed out at night after 6 o’clock. We found that soldiers were treated much better in Africa than in England, in the 1st place we could ride on trams free of charge. It was on the beach where our camp was situated, it was a lovely place. We were on the side of the tram lines where our tents stood, and we were lit up by the electric lights on the tram lines, it was a monstrous great camp, about 50,000 soldiers in camp all sorts – black ones – white ones – Australians and several 100 of sailors.
Feb 13th. We were allowed in town from 2 till 10pm. We went for a tram ride, to the Wesley Hall where we had some sandwiches and tea, fruit grapes etc all free, then we went for a tram ride round the town 8 miles free, it was a glorious ride such lovely trees and flowers, I have never seen anything so beautiful. When we got back we went to the Army and Navy Hall where we had a wash etc. and then we had a shop window randy. We could not buy much as everything was so dear. We returned to the beach by tram and watched the bathers until 10 o’clock lights out at 10-15.
Feb 14th. We went out at 2 o’clock and took at tram to the zoo where I had a good look round and to the public gardens and museums which were all free to soldiers. We were very much surprised to see the means they have of getting about, there are very few horses, nearly all the work is done by small mules and instead of cabs or taxi’s they have rickshaws drawn by niggers, they are all dressed up with a pair of horns and feathers in their heads and will seem like stags, quite as fast as a horse, for miles with 3 or 4 soldiers in the rickshaw and they don’t charge very much. I should like to have ridden in one but we had no money in the Norfolks. All the other regt’s were paid every week but we were not. The Australians were drawing 6/0s per day. We were only worth 6 pence and that we could not get. We had drawn 15/0s in 8 weeks and there was always something we wanted, such as soap, tobacco, matches, polish for boots etc, and if i had not done a bit of hair cutting etc. I should have been very hard up, but I was never really broke – only once – I then had some owing to me, but the fellows could not pay.
As regards our camp life here, it was a rest camp and we used it as such, we got up at 6am washed, shaved etc bathing parades at 7.00. not in the sea as it was not allowed on account of sharks and sharp ………. < part of page unreadable .>
Them living in main streets are white, the natives live in their own quarter and their dresses are all the colours of the rainbow, with rings on their fingers, on their toes and in their ears and through their nose. they are most of them fruit sellers the women, but it is so dear that we cannot buy it. Pears are 1d to 2d each, apples 1d each, bananas are cheap 4d per doz. Tobacco is very cheap 1/0d per 1/4lb. tin navy cut. Boer tobacco 1/0d per lb bags. everything else is very dear, ice cream not less than 9d. and sweets are only marked up by the pound and terrible dear.
Feb 17th. Saturday, bathing parade, route march, wash our clothes out at 2 to go to the races, lovely racecourse here and good racing. It came onto rain so we went to the Wesley Hall where we had a good feed, then to the museum and library, a magnificent place. Arrived in camp at 6pm. Went to concert at YMCA at 7.30pm to hear the Durban Follies which were very good indeed, in fact there is a good concert every night. The Wesley Hall is a large hall belonging to the Wesleyan Chapel and everything is free to soldiers and sailors and there is no waiting for it. They make as many as 8 thousand cups of tea and 20 thousand sandwiches in a day, besides pastry etc. and fruit. There are writing rooms, paper etc. all free of charge. Raining in torrents all night.
Sunday 18th Feb. Bathing parade 6 o’clock, breakfast at 8.00 . Church parade at 8.45 open air service on the beach, thousands attended service and the sun enough to scorch you. At 2 o’clock we went out till 1/4 to 5. At 6pm we had the order to pack up ready to board ship, not the same ship, but we are to be ready to leave camp at 7am. Durban on the whole is a very nice place, you would hardly know that you were not in London only by the heat and the lovely flowering trees. I would not mind living in Durban, all the same I shall be glad to be getting to India, as it is now 2 months since we boarded the Pakeha.
Feb 19th. Marched out of camp down to the docks where we found a ship waiting for us, it was a big ship and my word it was a dirty old thing and on our deck it was nearly dark and the smell of mice was awful and we could not have the portholes open as they were too near the water line, so it does not look like a very pleasant voyage to india. We boarded the ship at 10.30am and moved out into the bay at 12 noon and anchored there. I have not at present found out the name of it, but it is an old ship taken from the Germans in the early part of the war and we are told by the crew that she will run to Bombay in 14 days and I hope she will do it as I am longing to get a letter from home and hear that things are going on alright. At 12 noon we had dinner it was a dinner too, meat and potatoes just about enough to give a rat a good feed. At 2o’clock we set sail, we stood on deck and watched Durban go out of sight, 4 o’clock we had tea, a small piece of bread and butter, 3 loaves for 18 men and at 8 o’clock lights out. We were nearly starved on the Pakeha but this is worse than ever.
Feb 20th. Tuesday, we got up at 5.30 breakfast at 7. Parade at 9 till 11 and the rest of the day we sat about on our life belts which we always have to have with us and we have them on at all parades. We had to do this on the Pakeha for the first fortnight until we got out of the danger zone. Not a ship in sight on this voyage only water and flying fish and they are just like a swallow when they are flying.
Feb 21st. Just the same as yesterday nothing seen.
Feb 22nd. just the same nothing seen. The ship which we are on this time is the German ship which was taken from them at the early part of the war, its German name is the Derffinger. The English name is the Huntsgreens, it is a very steady sailing ship, not so much roll and heave as the Pakeha. We have about the same number of soldiers on board as we had on the Pakeha. only not the same regiments. We have some Scotch – Royal Highlanders – Flying Corps – Army Service Corps – Field Artillery – Somersets – Glosters.
Feb 23rd. Appointed barber for the company on board, cutting hair all afternoon, but had to do it for nothing as none of the Norfolks had any money and am to be paid by GC when we get there, it has been fairly cool all the way from Durban and rather windy but it is getting warmer now
Feb 24th. Arose at 5.30. breakfast at 7 which consisted of bread, a tiny piece of butter, and about 2 spoonfulls of porridge with no sugar in it. It was a great treat to us while at Durban to have plenty of sugar and another thing which surprised me was the quantity of three penny pieces. When I left there all my money was in 3 penny pieces, that was not much as I only had 1/6d and there was plenty of gold about there as well. Today I have cut about 30 mens hair, to be paid for when we rejoin our unit. We had sports on board today and a concert at night, it was a very good concert. There is not the accommodation on board this boat as there was on the Pakeha. We had a bit of a scare this evening as the siren blew for crews to muster for boat drill, there is about 200 crew on board this boat.
Sunday Feb 26th. Same routine until 10.0 o’clock when we had Church parade. We had Church parade on the Pakeha but not like this as we had no chaplain on there, but we have one on this ship so we had a proper service. It keeps getting warmer now every day, we are now in the Indian Ocean and are expecting to cross the line again in a day or two. We are told that when we reach India we shall be 2,800 miles nearer home than when we were in Durban. I was weighed in Durban and my weight was 12 stones 2 lbs. We are sleeping outside here on the top deck where the life boats are as our deck is the lower deck below the water line and we cannot sleep there as it is too stuffy and our officer will not let us sleep there. We are in bed at 7.30 here as that is when it gets dark. The time here is just 4 hours faster than English time.
Feb 27th. it would be about 1/2 past 3. We have had a very stormy night. We have all got wet through in our beds and have spent the whole day drying blankets and hammocks. We have got them dry thank goodness or we should have had no sleep tonight. We have had a taste of Freetown weather which was very hot and dry. Capetown was colder and very windy. Durban was very hot and now between Durban and India it is very much like English weather. We are longing to get onto land and see what India is like, we are expecting to land next Sunday or Monday if we have luck and very glad we shall all be as it is nearly 10 weeks since we started and not a word have we had from home. We get a little news about the war, only the principle events. I myself and I think all of us are longing for a letter from home and we hope to get them at Bombay. We are all of us sick of the sea and the sea food. We have so little of it that we are always hungry and glad to eat anything. We have no money so that we cannot buy anything. I have a little money but everything in the canteen is so dear and we cannot get any more money till we get to India.
Feb 27th. Sea much calmer, weather is hotter, had a tug-of-war, a team was picked from each regiment. We have 2 teams in the Norfolks, I am in the 2nd team. Each team pulled twice and won easy. Made a complaint about our dinner as the meat was absolutely rotten and unfit to eat and the potatoes were bad and very dirty, but the Orderly Officer said it was quite good enough.
Feb 28th. Sea very calm, more like a river and very hot, we still had to sleep in the open and very glad to sleep there. We are out all day but about 10 minutes each meal. We made another complaint today about our dinner, it was rotten and the meal was covered in maggots, the Orderly Officer said it was quite alright and we should most likely get much worse before we have finished as there was a war on. Some of the regiments threw theirs overboard in front of 6 Officers, but some of our men fetched out our own Officer and he looked at it and said it was filthy stuff and not fit to eat, and then they gave us some corn beef. We shall all be very thankful to get off here and we should be much more thankful if we were getting off at England instead of India. The only fish we have seen on the voyage are a few Dolphin and thousands of flying fish which rise out of the water like a flock of swallows and they look very much like them the small ones, but some of them are as big as mackerel.
March 1st. Sea as calm as a pond, not a ripple on it, still getting hotter and I think we are about crossing the equator, anyhow we have still a few days sail. We pulled at a tug-of-war yesterday and won so we are left in the final to pull the West Kents. We have no life boat drill on this ship. It appears it is every man for himself on this boat, but on the Pakeha we all had our life boat and stations to go to in case of emergency, but we have to parade in life belts and that is all. We do nothing here only 1 hours PT every other day. We have a very nice officer, quite a young fellow and his name is Fellows, he is very much interested in us especially the tug-of-war team. He took us into his cabin today and gave us all a drink, it is a lovely cabin, like a palace only rather small.
March 2nd. Had some war news about the fall of Kiev and an advance on the Western front of 2 miles on a 11 mile front so we all feel glad to think the war will soon be over. We also heard of the sinking of a liner The Ancona, but we did not hear if any lives were lost. We don’t get any details by wireless. The sea is very calm and still very warm.
March 3rd. Calm and warm. This is the day of the finals in the ships sports. We had orders today to wash our khaki drill suit and helmet ready for landing which should be about next Wednesday. We have had the finals off this afternoon., everything was won by the Norfolks. We had 2 teams in the tug-of-war, the 2nd team which I was in won 1st prize, Connor 1st prize in obstacle race, Rix won the boxing.
March 4th. We draw the prizes today Sunday at 2 o’clock, our prize for the tug-of-war is £3-15s-0d which we are dividing between the two teams so it comes to 3s/6d for each man. Our officer took us to his cabin again and gave us drinks and fags. he was very pleased to think we had done so well.
March 5th. Monday. Scrubbing the ship so as to leave it clean, and clean up equipment ready for landing, finished hair cutting for the voyage, have several shillings owing me for the job to be paid when we get to India.
March 6th. Alarm for boats at 7 o’clock. We had just had our breakfast when the siren went 4 blasts which means submarine sighted, all rush to boat stations with life belts on. All boats were lowered ready, but we saw nothing, but we had orders not to move away from our life belts wherever we went, we must have our life belts on and never leave them. We are to have 2 more nights on board so it upset us just a little as we are all wondering what had happened. We were never told when danger was near us but something was wrong, we knew it as we had never been got out like that before. We never really knew what danger we were in or we might not have been so comfortable as we were. I say comfort but we did not know what comfort was the whole voyage. We of course were in great danger when on the Pakeha. One morning we were startled by our boats gun firing 2 shots, but we were told it was practice, but I don’t think it was, all the ships carried a big gun until we got to Capetown where it was taken off and the rest of the voyage done unarmed.
March 7th. Posted letter home to catch first mail from Bombay where we should land in the morning. We are anxiously looking for land. We have handed in our blankets and hammocks today and we have to sleep how we can tonight. We are glad to get rid of the blankets as they were full of company.
March 8th. Thursday. Sighted land at 9 o’clock, we could tell sometime before we saw it as the water is green instead of blue when you get near land. In deep water it is very blue. We rose at 4 o’clock this morning, had breakfast at 6.30 and now we are ready to land. 1 o’clock noon officers came aboard and told us we must stay on the ship until 10 o’clock in the morning (Friday) so we must now spend one more night without a bed, we can only lie on the floor with no pillow as they have taken everything away from us. It is very hot now we all got into the harbour. We have given up what money we had to be changed into Indian money, all I have to change is 3/9d.
Feb 9th. We were towed into dock at 8 o’clock am. Disembarked at 10.30 when we were given a new towel, soap and a blanket. The towel and the soap were given to us by the YMCA. We got into the train at 12.30 and started for Belgaum about 2 days ride. The train went very slowly as we were climbing up mountains all the way, we had an engine in front and 1 behind and then sometimes we were hardly moving. When we crossed the valleys it was like looking down from a flying machine as we could not see the bottom. It was lovely scenery as far as rocks and mountains were concerned, but it was so hot that not a blade of grass could be seen and the leaves on the trees were all dried up. We say plenty of coconuts growing and bananas. Bananas are very cheap here, 6 for 1 anna, that is 1 penny. We started at 12.30 on the Great Indian Peninsula railway which is a very wide gauge, we travelled in that till 8 o’clock pm. when we arrived a Ponar station where we had tea and changed into the Madras and ………3 railway which was very narrow gauge and we were travelling all night and till 2 o’clock next day. We had not much rest that night. We went hundreds of miles over barren rocky land. The means of transport here is quite different to Africa, as everything is done by bullocks and hardly a horse to be seen. 2 bullocks on a little tumbrel and 8 on a small plough. The natives live in little huts made of straw and branches of trees.
March 10th We arrived at Myra station at 8 o’clock on March 10th where we had breakfast and a good wash which freshened us up a bit. We arrived at Belgaum at 2pm and marched to Barracks where we had a good dinner, the first since leaving Durban and we were served out with 1 blanket and a pair of sheets and we have a nice little bed and breakfast and plenty of room. It will be the first time in sheets in 5 months.
We have been travelling just 11 weeks. Our officer Lieutenant Fellows left us at Bombay for Mesopotamia. We were very sorry to lose him as he had been very good to us.
March 11th Sunday. Had a very good nights rest. Arose a 6 in the morning, breakfast at 8, very good breakfast. We have a black to shave us as we lie in bed and he cleans our buttons, boots and washes our khaki drill all for 6 annas per week. We had a good dinner at 1 o’clock, but we get no tea here there is only 2 meals per day, but you can buy some tea, fairly cheap, but us Norfolks have no cash as we have now been 11 weeks and we have only had 15/0d. People in England would not credit what a long way behind the times in india. The whole of the water for the barracks is drawn up out of a well by a pair of oxen in a big leather bottle and then it is carried 1 on each side of the ox, it is a very slow business. It takes a dozen oxen and as many men to keep the water supply going. We have not been allowed out yet as we have not been before the doctor so we have seen nothing of the town, nor have we got any letters yet.
March 12th. We arose at 6 o’clock, parade at 6.45 till 8.30. breakfast, parade 9 till 11.30 break off till 5.30 parade till 6.30.
13th. ditto, measured for new suit and shorts
14th. A days holiday to celebrate the fall of Baghdad, no parade
15th. Buck shee day which means a holiday for all soldiers in India.
16th . Pay day, route march in morning. Pay parade at 12.
Saturday 17th. Parade as usual till 11.30, finish for the day,allowed to go to town at 2 o’clock. Town we call it. We were never more surprised in our lives when I saw the town, instead of seeing a lot of fine buildings we saw only a lot of dirty tumbledown mud huts, like a pig sty. And the shops were the same, lit up with a tiny lamp or candle stuck in a bottle. Cigarettes and cigars are very cheap – cigarettes you can buy 24 for 1 anna, 1d., cigars full size 1/2 anna each, smaller ones but good ones 100 for 12 annas, 1/0d. They all seem to keep a cow of some goats which they drive into their huts. We had a fire alarm today, all turn out, bush fire which nearly reached our camp.
Sunday March 26th. Nothing to do, no church parade, but went to church in the evening. We have now had two weeks pay, 5 rupees 1st week, 3 rupees 2nd.week. Several of our men have been taken to hospital. We have been issued out 1 new trousers suit and 1 shorts,1 pair socks so we now have in all 4 suits 4 pair of socks.
Sunday April 1st. Have received another weeks pay 4/0d. I myself admitted to hospital with pain in body and diarrhoea. Received first letter for 14 weeks.
April 5th. After lying in bed for 5 days I was allowed to get up from 2 till 8pm. It is a very nice place in hospital.
April 6th, Good Friday. Moved from No3 ward to convalescent ward. We have a nice reading room here, all sorts of games and books and a gramophone. We are upstairs here and from the balcony we can see the Victoria Barracks which is full of German and Austrian interned prisoners of war. They are having a glorious time here, they can walk about where they like and they are all dressed up to the knocker. They are allowed 3 rupees a day, that is 4/0d in our money. This is paid by our government and we are forced to leave our homes to go and fight, get 4/0d per week and that is stopped when we are ill. It is not fair to us, they all seem people from the higher class, of course we are not allowed to speak to them on any account, they are increasing in numbers too, as they most have a black nurse out with a pram full of kiddies. It makes one sick to see them about, whole families of them, and we had to leave our wives and families thousands of miles away and cannot even get a letter from them.
April 7th, Saturday. Went for motor drive to football match. Am feeling much better. We have lately had 2 or 3 thunderstorms with a good bit of rain and the trees etc. feeling the benefit of it. and they are all coming in to bloom lovely. and it is very nice driving through the dells and over the hills. It is astonishing to see the number of black children running about and none of them go to school.
Monday Easter Bank Holiday. had to attend hospital in morning and the rest of the day off.
April 10th. Started duty, went onto the range firing at 6pm. Done very well with shooting
April 11th. First heard of being sent to Mesopotamia, we are supposed to go on April 20th.
April 13th. Had to go for medical inspection, teeth condemned, draft picked out to go next week.
Sunday 15th. Drew another khaki drill suit, that makes 5 suits and 1 pair of shorts, all made to fit like a glove.
Wed 18th. Several of the draft were rejected because they were not 20 years old.
April 28th. Went on hospital guard over a Quarter Master Sergeant who had gone off his onion.
Sunday 22nd. Draft went to Messo, most of my old pals which came over with me.
Monday 23rd. Received my second letter in 4 months posted at home on 17th March, was sorry to here that Breckles was sold, but hope it will not mean moving out of the house.
April 29th. Went out for a field day, had to cook our own food. We each made a stew separately. We marched on about 5 miles, cooked breakfast and then home.
May 1st. Received 3rd letter from home and 1 from Bess, glad to hear they are all well.
May 20th. Finished with evening parade, finish work at 12 noon in future.
May 25th, Received 4th letter from home written on April 23rd.
May 29th. Received parcel from home containing tobacco, notepaper, and soapR
June 2nd. Received 2 letters 1 from home and one from Bess.
June 18th. Started staff job.
June 19th Received 3 letters 2 from home and one from Miss Andrews.
June 20th. Had teeth out. We have a very difficult job to get our letters and I hardly ever get any letters unless I go and sort out the whole mail through. There is a great deal of neglect here in regard to letters. As my letters have been seen here in camp and then I have never received them.
Jul 9th. Received 1 letter from home say the house was sold and had got to quit.
Received a letter from home stating that Mr Keep had got the money from Horsack and that he had written to me but I have not got his letter nor the papers which were sent although the papers were seen in the barracks, it is a shame the way letters are neglected.
Jul 19th. Received a letter from home stating that Mr Keep had got the money from Horsack and that he had written to me but I have not got his letter nor the papers which were sent although the papers were seen in the barracks, it is a shame the way letters are neglected.
August 2nd. Still in Belgaum, have not got new teeth yet. Have today received 3 letters and 2 papers from home, 1 from bess and one from Arthur, was pleased to hear that all was well.
August 18th. Draft left here for Mesopotamia. My old pal Jack Goward went with it.
Aug 24th. Received 3 letter from home, 1 from Bess and 2 Sunday Pictorials and 1 Sunday Story. The Monsoon started on June 15th and it has been raining nearly all the time.
Aug 25th. All Bungalow isolated and fumigated. earned 2 rupees making a chicken house for a Mr Watts and I rupee for covering and varnishing 8 tables for the Sergeants Mess.
Aug 26th. Am still waiting for my teeth. I have done no parades for 3 months. One of our boys died with Diphtheria and we all had to attend the funeral.
Sep 10th. Built chicken house for Cook Sergeant, 2 rupees.
Sep 20th. Received parcel from inhabitants Stow Bedon and Breckles, much damage after travelling about 8 months.
Sep 27th. Finished another fowl house for Sergeant Sheldrake., 3 rupees.
Oct 1st. Started making 2 model targets for usual training finished on Oct 6th.
Oct 8th. Started larger ones on miniature range, 2 model churches, 8 small houses, 2 big houses, 1 viaduct, 5 bridges, 1 windmill, 2 signposts, 2 gatehouses for railway and gates and posts, 2 barns,haystacks, straw and corn stacks and telegraph posts along railway, 1 factory with Sunlight soap painted on, and a motor transport to run along the road. All these I am making entirely on my own but by request of Leut. Richardson. He has left the job entirely in my hands and I get on well with him.
Nov 1st. Have just got the order to make another complete set of models, to go to Poona to make a range there exactly like the ones I have made. I have had the General, The Col. Major Willes, Capt. Tailor and all the officers in the depot to look at the models and they are all delighted with them. The general was so surprised when I told what tools I had to make them with and he said if I could make such things as them I must have a set of tools, so he has ordered a chest of tools for me to work with.
Finished Miniature Range and have taken charge of it to keep it right and repair models as they are broken as they are being shot at and some of them get smashed so I have a nice little job.
Dec 10th. have now taken charge of making Xmas decorations, am to buy all the stuff myself
Christmas Day. We had a very good dinner etc. Nuts, fruit, tobacco etc and 5 barrels of beer. Plenty of drunken people and plenty of fighting. Really it was disgraceful.
Dec 28th. Went sick with malaria fever, left hospital Jan 21st for 15 days attending C. for Quinine
Jan 26th 1918. Had to go into hospital again with gastritis, after 1 week in bed allowed to get up 2 hours.
Jan 31st. Regiment left Belgaum for Bangalore. and we in hospital are to follow on when we are well. Received 2 letters 1 from home 1 from Bess.
Feb 11th. MY BIRTHDAY 1918. still in hospital with gastritis, getting up all day, expect to be marked out in a day or two. We are then to be attached to the Glosters until we are all out of hospital about 18 of us Norfolks.
March 2nd. 13 Norfolks left for Bangalore, 8 of us are still in hospital.
March 3rd. Marked out of hospital and to be attached to the Glosters Reg. until all fit to travel. Received 2 registered letters on feb 25th. 1 from home and one from Rev. Pemberton with P.O. for 7/6d in it from Stow and Breckles people. Received a letter from bess and P.C. from Minnie.
March 4th. Joined the Gloster Regt. and stayed with them for 6 weeks until April 12th with nothing to do but lie in bed and crochet mats. Myself and 12 other Nks left Belgaum for Bangalore.
14th April. Arrived at Bangalore, Baghdad camp on Apr 14th. where I was put in No4 Coy. As an unfit Company.
16th. Went sick with Rheumatics in shoulders and got attending B.
Apr 24th. got M.D
Apr 26th. Went on attack with 20 rounds of blanks, went out at 7am. Till 8am. next morning.
May 1st. Went into cookhouse as a cook for the Coy.
June 1st. Went out on 1 weeks mustedy and 1 week at Hebbel for a course of firing. Got 1st class shot.
June 15th. Went back to cookhouse.
July 6th. 40 rupees credit.
July 14th. Finished making bed rug
July 20th. Sent rug home and £3-0-0. 40 rupees.
Aug 3rd. Sent home the first letter to Hockwold address, also sent home money order for £2-0-0 making £5 pounds in all.
Aug 16th. Drew 50 rupees.
Aug 28th. Drew 50 rupees
Aug 30th .Drew 20 rupees.
Sep 6th. Drew 50 rupees 13th 8, 20th 15,27th 20,Oct 4th 10
Oct 11th. Had in my box 230 chips. Draft warned for Aden 180 men.
Oct 25th. Drew 50 rupees.
Oct 28th. Sent home 20 pounds 266 rupees 7 annas making 25 pounds and sent parcel of mats.
Nov 1st. Have not got any letter for the last 2 mails from home, but 1 from Bess and one from miss Andrews both which I sent home. On Nov 5th warned for draft, medical inspection etc.
Nov 22nd. Nov 22nd.. Generals inspection.
Dec 4th. Left Bangalore. 3 nights and days in train.
Sat 7th. Arrived at Deolale.
Sunday 8th. Left for Bombay.
Dec 9th. Arrived at 6 o’clock in the morning went on board at 10 o’clock, set sail at 1 o’clock same day.
Sat 14th. We sighted land and expect to arrive at aden tomorrow Sunday and then on to Port Suez and then Port Said, and then we don’t know where we go to but we expect Salonica. We are on the Magalience, an old mail boat, but very small, about 1200 troops besides crew, we are far too thick, no room to wash only for one hour per day.
Sunday 15th. Arrived at Aden took water. we only stayed there for 2 hours and then sailed for Port Suez which we expect to reach on Thursday.
Tues 17th. We are now passing through the Red Sea and it is very rough. I had a fair dose of sea sickness after 2 days sail but am better now.
Arrived at Port Suez where we expected to land and then go on by train to Alexandria, but we got ready to get off the boat, but we had to lay in dock until Sunday night when we set sail through the Suez Canal.
Monday 23rd . Arrived in Port in the morning where we coaled up and set sail the next day, Xmas Eve for Salonica. It was very rough and I was very sick for for the day and night, but Xmas Day was as calm as possible but we had a very dull Xmas, very little food while the officers had their place decorated beautiful and everything they could wish for. Poor Tommy.
Friday 27th. Arrived in Salonica, lay in bay until Saturday 28th and were taken into dock by steamer where kits were packed on motors and taken to camp about 6 miles. I was on baggage so I went in motor, when we got to camp we found there were 8000 troops from India. We had to sleep 44 to a tent. We had to hand in all our Indian kit and draw 2 khaki shirts, new boots, steel helmet and rifle, fleece, pair of leather gloves and everything for trench warfare. It is very cold here although the sun shines in the daytime, it is very cold at night. We can see snow on the hills not more than a mile away, this is a tremendous camp, there are soldiers from all nationalities here and we are properly on ACTIVE SERVICE, letters censored.
Dec 29th. Medical inspection.
Jan 4th 1919. Paid out 25 Francs which is £1 and 8d. a franc is 10 pence. We are all messed up with the cash here as we have Indian-Egyptians-Greek-Serbian-Bulgarian-French and all sorts of money and we get in a bit of a muddle with it. The Greeks have notes for 1 franc which is 10 pence, about the size of a postage stamp. We can get a pass out to go to Salonica from 12 noon to 6pm, but it is a long way to walk and a filthy dirty place. I had a pass but only stayed there for 1 hour everything was so dear and dirty and there are so many different soldiers, there are soldiers from every nation under the sun.
We are not very comfortable here as we have to sleep on the ground and it is very cold and wet. we have to get up at 6 in the morning and breakfast consists of half loaf of bread and a piece of cheese, sometimes a small piece of boiled bacon and about 3/4 of a pint of tea, without sugar and we have to walk 1/2 a mile to the cookhouse to do it and the tea is cold before we get back. We have to parade at 7.15 for roll call and duties etc. and a route march at 9.
Jan 22nd. Filled up the demobilisation forms, people are being sent home now at a rate of 600 per day. They have to go from this camp to the demobilisation camp for 3 days and then on to the embarkation camp for 2 days and then home. We are expecting to go anytime, I am in 39 group.
Feb 1st. It is very cold indeed, it is a cruel climate, 1 day it is very cold and the next quite hot.
Feb 5th. Sharp wind, frost and snowing.
Feb 8th, About 6in snow and still snowing, it is cruel sleeping in tents, it is too cold to write letters. We get 2 spoonfuls of rum each day when it is cold. I am Company Orderly here so i do not do parades or guards. We should move somewhere tomorrow, nearly all our Boys have been sent to The East Yorks at the Dardenells.
Feb 16th. Order came out that every man that joined the Army in 1915 should hand in his particulars for going home, I handed in mine and expected to come the end of Feb, but on March 3rd we were all warned for Varna on the mouth of the river Danube. Went on board the Katumba and sailed away in the afternoon at 2 0’clock.
We went through the Dardanells arrived at Constantinople at on March 4th, where several men went off. It really seems as if we are never going to get out of the Army, it is a very nice boat, we are all on, it is an Australian Liner plenty of room although there are 3000 troops on board and several motor cars. We have had 2 days at Constantinople and it is a beautiful place as far as we could see from the dock. Left Constantinople on the 6th and went through the Bosphrous arrived a Werna, Bulgaria at 8o’clock on the 7th. Left the boat at 1.30 and marched to Hotel where we are all billeted. We were allowed out from 2 till 8. We slept there 1 night and left for Dobrity next day at 4.30pm. We arrived at the station at 5 o’clock when we got into ordinary trucks. We had to lie in the trucks all night and left for Dobrity in the Morning.
March 8th. We travelled very slowly up hill all the way, it is supposed to be an 8 hour ride, but twice the engines 2 of them left us for 3 or 4 hours and went forward after coal and water and when we got to the border the Bulgarian engines left us standing on the line at 10 o’clock at night and the Rumanian engines came after us at 1 o’clock the next day and they brought 3 engines to take us 12 miles to Dobritz and it took 1 hour to do it then. It was a very monotonous journey as we only took enough rations for 1 day. and it took us 2 days. The train went so slow that we could get out and walk and keep up with it, and some got out and sold things to the Bulgarians while the train was in motion, and as we had to lie on the bottom of an ordinary truck with no food, it was not a pleasure trip.
I made 107 notes on the journey through Bulgaria. The Bulgarians on the whole seem very friendly, we bought some black bread off them, but they would not take any money for them, but matches or anything like that. I have now 100 Levers in Bulgarian notes which are called Levers, they are worth 4 1/4d. in English money. We have to pay 2.1/4d here for a cup of tea, everything is very dear. The weather is much better now although there is still some snow lying about. We are allowed out in town from 2 till 8. We are in the Rumanian Cavalry Barracks close to the town but it is not much of a place. We are getting a rum issue 3 times a week
March 16th. 4 of our Norfolks over 41 going home, left here for Varna to go to Salonica to be demobilised. I am hoping to be in the next lot. There ought to have been 90 sent home from here today, but the C.O. sent 40 as he would lose his job if he does not keep a certain number of men here as he is acting B General now and he will revert to Colonel.
Roll on reinforcements then we shall be able to get away. We are doing guards every 2 days.
March 19th. Have a very bad cold and pains in the body.
March 20th. Went sick and got put on light duties.
21st No better. went sick again got excused duty.
22nd. Got detained in hospital which in this case is only an old shed place with bare boards to lie upon, high temperature.
24th. Still in hospital but feeling much better, hope to get out tomorrow.
25th. Went out of hospital to duty. No news of anyone going home this week.
April 1st. Another demob party warned to go home, supposed to be 15 men but some are not, some are 16 men and they are all Royal Berks, no Norfolks, they are not playing the game with us.
April 2nd. 70 men demobilised from here but all Berks. No Norfolks.
April 3rd. Fumigating blankets and clothes.
April 9th. No news of going home, fumigating clothes and kit inspection. I am permanent orderly room runner here, not a bad job as I have nothing to do only ride a bike about with messages, saw my credit sheet, I was 100 rupees in credit on leaving Bangalore. I had a money deal with some Indian troops, 1 had 70 Rupees in notes which i brought from India, that is £4-15-0d and i made £6-10-0d off them. I changed them into levers for them, 1 lever is worth 4d. now and a rupee 1/4 and for cash they gave me 1/8. 5 Levers and i changed them into PC.
April 22nd. We left Dobric for Varna, we got into the trucks at 4 o’clock and arrived at Varna at 11pm. We had 25 men in a truck and they were just as they had been carrying mules and there was about 1 foot of mules and horse dung in the bottom of the trucks. We had to sleep in them all night but we could not lie down as there was not room.
April 26th. We were issued out with drill clothes, shorts and tunics, but it is still very cold, too cold for drill clothes. We are leaving here shortly, some say for Russia, others say it is for Egypt.but of course we don’t know where we are going.
April 29th. Are still at Varna and know nothing of when we are leaving. Varna is quite alright, but we want to get home. The Bulgarians are very friendly and they don’t look poverty stricken, they are a fine race of people and dress very well, in fact better than the English according to what we had read in the papers.
May 5th. Left camp for dock, got on boat at 11.30 on the ship Scary Bee, a filthy old cattle boat. We were put on the same deck as the mules and the stench was something awful, it is only a short journey as we are bound for Russia, a place called Tbhisi in South Russia. We got to Batumi by boat and then on by train. We were only warned for this about 1/2 hour before we were to start. I should think there are nearly 1000 mules and horses on this boat.
May 6th. We laid in dock all night and set sail at 7 in the morning. She is rather a fast boat, but as we are going all the way round the coast I am afraid it will take us longer than we expected. The Royal Berks, Devons and Worsters left Varna by this boat, but it was already full up when it got there which had come from Salonica. We are now about 7 hours out and the Black Sea is as calm as a millpond, I hope it will keep so as I don’t like a rough sea.
May 7th. Rough sea am very sick, feeling awful.
May 8th. Arrived at Batum and went straight on to the train, 21 men in a cattle truck and left for Tbhisi same night.
May 9th. We are all enjoying the scenery, it is magnificent. We have been curving round high mountains all the way and a river raging all the way beside us, only we are going uphill and that is going down, it is really most astonishing how people get up and down the hills. They crop the hills where it would be impossible for us to walk.
May 10th. Arrived at Tbhisi early morning, had our breakfast on station and marched off to out barracks, about 3 miles from the station. Tbhisi is a very nice city, beautiful buildings, electric trams and everything is like being in one of our towns in England. The people here are nearly all Americans and a fine good looking people on the whole, but the poorer classes are starved and nearly naked, it is pitiful to see them as they gather anywhere round a British Camp to pick up the pieces that are lying about. There is plenty of everything here for those that have plenty of money and they want plenty too, as everything is so dear. Bread 2/2d. per lb. in English money, 25 Roubles in Russian money.
May 12th. Paid out 200 roubles £1-13-4 that is the first since March 25th. 6 weeks. I bought 1lb of apples for 6 roubles, that is 1/0d. for 3 apples. Strawberries are 8 roubles 1/4 per lb. We have been issued with bread today, that is the first for a week. We had nothing but army biscuits and bully. I have had to 8/0d in one week for biscuits as I could not eat the Army stuff. Cream crackers are 2/8d per lb. and that is all I can get at the canteen and we cannot live on nothing. I am still in my job as Orderly Room Runner so I have practically nothing to do. I saw a Russian Military funeral, quite a grand affair, they have some funny customs here, they have a very elaborate coffin to take them to the grave in, but they bury them without and bring the coffin back again as it is only hired for the occasion. They are just in an ordinary box. They are altogether to Bulgarian funerals, as they dress the corpse in fine dress and carry it to Church so as it can be seen and a man walks in front with the coffin lid, but they bring the coffin there as well, but they do not look anything like a funeral at home as they go to it in any dress, all colours and smoking and laughing as if it was a wedding. Today I had a bottle of lemonade it cost 6 roubles 1/0d in English money.
May 14th. Inoculated for Cholera.
May 19th. inoculated TAB for enteric fever. A very heavy thunderstorm, hail stones as big as marbles. My name has gone in again for demob, but I don’t know if I shall get away. Received a letter from home written on the 29th April.
May 20th. Joyful news. Order came for myself and 3 others to be Demobbed. Papers all rushed through, went for Medical inspection and left for Batumi, same night as 4 men are DEMOBBED as over 40 years old. We are again in cattle trucks on the way to Batumi to catch boat for Constantinople ROLL-ON-HOME.
22nd. Arrived at Batumi early morning. Cooked breakfast at 7 left for rest camp, 10 men in a bell tent, floor all mud and no waterproof sheet.
24th. Still waiting at rest camp, heard nothing of going away, posted letter home to say I am demobbed.
May 29th. Still at rest camp, no news of boat coming in, nothing to do but lie about, it is terrible the price of boots about here. I saw a pair of boots marked up in a shop window 1500 roubles that is £7-10-0 in English, you could have bought them for 10/6d. in England in peace time.
June 3rd. Left rest camp at batumi at 12 o’clock, got on boat at 2.30. the same boat that took us the Scary Bee, an old cattle boat. We had not table, forms, hammocks etc. We just had an iron floor to sleep on with two blankets. We were at rest camp for a fortnight and we had nothing to eat but bully and biscuits.
June 5th. Arrived at Constantinople at 6.30pm exactly 48 hours after we started, had a very good voyage. We expected to get off here.
June 6th. Still on boat lying at Constant. But we find we are not in rations today and all we could get to eat was 6 oz. of bully per man. I had to buy a packet of biscuits at 8d. per packet. They say we are kept aboard because of lack of transport and when we got here at constant there were 4 big funnel liners lying here but they have all gone to Blighty empty.
June 7th. Still lying here, waiting to take some Indians off the boat. Set sail at 7pm on June 7th arrived at Shenack 12 hours sail from Constant. At 8 in the morning of the 8th Sunday. Disembarked at 12.30 and marched to demob camp 6 miles away, got our slips filled up.
June 8th. Which is Monday went through all the Demob business and put on the draft roll ready for the embarkation camp.
June 10th. Marched to the embarkation camp, 7 miles carrying full pack.
11th. On fatigue all day, biscuits and jam to live on.
12th. On fatigue all day, all business done, been paid £1. And waiting for boat, Roll On Boat..
13th. Still waiting for boat, plenty of fatigues and nothing much to eat.
14th. On fatigue, road making till 11.30 and then got orders to pack up and march to dock 3 miles and carry full pack and all kit to march off at 12 o’clock. We got on board the Rose, a tiny channel steamer, 600 of us at 5 o’clock and sailed at once. it is the fastest boat I have been on, there are only 600 troops on board and she is full up and the dirtiest thing I’ve ever seen.
Arrived at Pireaus in Greece about 6 miles from athens. We got here at 5 on the 15th.
16th. Left Pireaus at 6.am and went through the Corinthic canal, it is a very small canal, only enough room for a small boat, a big boat could not get through. It is cut through solid rock and you can hardly see the top, it is about 500 feet high, as soon as we got through it about 3 miles we came to the town of Corynth.
17th. Arrived at Otranto at 4.00 pm. and went ashore straight away where 500 of us were put in one long shed.and for a wonder the camp is on the dock so we had no distance to walk. It is a very nice place Otranto, you enter the harbour by a swing bridge, something like the Tower Bridge and it is only open 4 hours per day.
18th. Wednesday. Have to fall in at 7am. where 1/2 of us were warned to leave here at 1.30pm Friday. We stopped train by the seaside and all had a good bathe in the sea at 6am., and arrive at Faeriza at 2 o’clock pm. and marched to rest camp for 9 hours. It was very hot and the road very dusty, it is a lovely country but nothing much grown but grapes,figs,cherries and olives for miles, hundreds of miles you see nothing but fruit trees with which growing in between, they don’t waste an inch of land here. I have bought several plants of the place. The people here are very friendly and they are very hard up for cigarettes, they ………….. instead of money here use cherries by the ton, but they charge enormous price for everything but we cannot buy anything to bring home as we have to carry all our kit and blankets and everything.
Sunday 22nd. Arrived in France sometime during the day and at 6 o’clock pm. Left train for Rest camp for tea and a bath. We were there 3 hours then back to the train. Monday it was much cooler, Tuesday it is very cold and raining. We are near the End Of The Journey and it is raining fast. Arrived at Boulogne at 11.30pm and marched to camp about 4 miles, arrived in camp at 12.30pm and had some tea and bread and cheese, drew blankets etc. Wednesday fell in for Batch Kit inspection, clothes disinfected etc. and then marched to embarkation camp. Thursday kit inspection exchanging clothes etc. Friday fell in to march to boat at 10.15.
Left Boulogne at 12.30, arrived at dover, took train to Purfleet, had a meal, drew blankets and had a sleep.
Saturday 28th. left Purfleet for Liverpool St. at 10.15. Arrived at liverpool St. at 11. Sent telegram home.
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At this point the diary becomes unreadable and therefore appears to end on Saturday 28th June 1919.
Note 1 . Stove. Short for Stove House, A heated greenhouse.
Note 2 . On 6th February 1917 the TYNDAREUS struck a mine off Cape Agulhas. The mines were laid in January by the German raider WOLF. The ship was carrying troops at the time. She took on water forward and soon the forecastle was almost under. Boats were launched and the soldiers were rowed to the nearby hospital ship OXFORDSHIRE and to another Blue Funnel vessel, the EUMAEUS, which happened upon the scene. Still afloat, the TYNDAREUS was towed slowly astern into Cape Town where repairs were made.
Note 3. Full name of railway unreadable but believed to be The Madras and Southern Mahratta Railway. This was mainly one metre guage at that time.
jMonday 23rd June 6th.