Item 01: Ellis Ashmead-Bartlett diary, 1915-1917 - Page 135

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[Page 135]

s
Thursday July 29th 1915
I spent the entire day at Imbros making preperations for coming events which are certainly casting their shadows before them. The weather is extremely hot. The camps at Imbros are packed with troops who drill and di and do fatigues and whose sole recreation is the joy of bathing in the cool of the evening. You see as many as an entire Division in the water at the same time. This 11th Division of Kitchener's first army does not impress me altogther favourably. Some of the men are all right but the majority are a weedy looking lot thin narrow chested and small.

However it May be one is exigeant over physique after constantly seeing the Colonials hose bronzed independent giants so different to the rank and file of European Armies. A great number of this11lth Division come from Durham and Northumberland and are miners. I am told by their officers that they love digging and are excellent trench makers. This is an excellent point about them and will serve them in good stead when they land in Gallipoli. Some of the officers seem all right but they are not the stuff of which our Regular Army was so proud. Unhappily they now lie beneath the soil in France and Flanders and we can only make the best use possible of the stock which is left.

Friday July 30th
This morning accompanied by Ross and Nevinson I set out for Helles. We caught the 8-30 boat with great difficulty after a most amusing and exciting voyage in a Greek sailing boat. On arriving at Lancashire Landing we left our baggage with Bettleheim and walked over to the river Clyde where we had a talk with Wilson the M.L 0 . and an ex Naval Officer called Cather who are in charge of the landing of troops

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