Gallipoli Diary

[February-1915]

Monday Feb 1/15

Usual routine through day
½ our coy. reinforced No 2 Post
on East bank for night. Pocket
book taken from Turkish officer
killed at Kantara the other day
contained system of signals etc
& copies have been sent to us.

Tuesday Feb 2nd

½ our coy
crossed Canal to improve trenches
on East bank at No 3 Post.
½ coy again went No 2 Post
for night. I took remaining ½ coy
to No 4 Post per launch at 11 pm
Just reached fort when Turks
attacked No 3 Post I had left
about 3 miles away. They fired
on our lines for about 2 hours in the dark. Our men did
not reply & enemy did not come
to closer quarters than 800 yds.
H.M.S Himalaya lying by
No 4 Post fired 3 rounds from
a gun & Turks retired before dawn
to the hills. I returned to No
3 with detachment at 7 am

Thursday Feb 4th.

Quiet day here, slight
rain in night damped us
in trenches a little. North
of us convoy of 90 camels
with amm. & supplies and
several machine guns were
captured subsequent to the
engagement of yesterday.

I left for Cairo 5 pm
on duty. From Ishmailia I
travelled on train with
Turkish prisoners arriving Cairo
4 am.

Feb 5th & 6th

duty in Cairo.
stayed at Shepheard's Hotel

Monday Feb. 8th

Usual routine at Kubri
Post.

Tuesday Feb 9th.

ditto

Wednesday 10th.

ditto

Thursday 11th.

NZ mail

Saturday 13th Feb 15.

Usual routine. Aeroplane
scouts report enemy shows
no signs of advancing.

Monday Feb. 15th 1915.

All quiet as usual. General
Wilson (O/C Canal defences)
& staff visited our Post.

Thursday Feb 18th 1915

Very hot dry day &
no news of enemy. Spent day
improving defences & com-
munications
of [ unclear: new] ground.

News of death of Capt.
Galbraith at Citadel Hospital
midnight of 15/16th inst.

Deceased died as result of
motor accident in Cairo and
was on staff of General Birdwood
to which he was appointed
from Ceylon Planters Coy only
10 days before the accident.

Tuesday Feb 23rd

Orders for N.Z. Inf Brigade
to return from Canal on Friday.

I spent day in town and
left for Kubri 6-15 pm
arriving on Canal banks at
11-45 pm.

Friday Feb 26th

Despatched first Train
9-35 am and second with
West Coast, Taranaki &
Headquarters at 11-35 am
arrived Zeitoun 3-20 with
second train and proceeded
to camp.

Sunday Feb 28-15

Divine service in
Camp 10 am afterwards
spent lazy day in lines

Mr Heslop & Home's having
gone to Pyramids—