Item 02: T. J. Cleary diary, 20 August 1917 - 23 August 1918 - Page 17

[Page 17]

tin to 4. Bottle of sauce to 6. 2 loaves to 5.

I changed over the connections of the Dynamo today. It was a great success.

20.10 Paddy Shortall completed 927 days service today. A Bomb dropped very close this morning. Fritz also supplied a very unnecessary encore. The old Engine was pulled out tonight. Not a bit too soon either. A Petrol Engine is being substituted. We got a Rum issue tonight & everybody is telling brilliant stories at once

22nd.10 Monday Fritz bombed the Light (Anzac) Railway last night causing 12 Deaths & 26 Wounded Our Engine room is 200 yds away and it fairly shook with the force of the explosions I thought the bombs fell within 20 yds of us. The scene of the explosions looks horrible, there are blood brains & human debris everywhere to say nothing of shattered huts, stretchers etc. The shrapnel kept very low. We got the Japy Freres Petrol Engine on to the Dynamo last night I had to look after both for a couple of hours. Had one stop due to defective plug. This Petrol motor won't do at all. It is a single Cylinder & one Kick in every two Revs is no good to a Dynamo. Received a rather generous rum issue tonight with the usual result "I don't care if its Snowing or Blowing" There's very little doubt that it is