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[Page 25]
10th Feb. Sand storm. Trench digging discontinued.
14th. Gambling, boxing is the chief means of amusement. Deviation of railway commenced. Drew maps of trenches. While the officers were at mess, some men called out loud enough for all in the mess to hear who is a bastard? Ross". The cause of this was that a man had been ordered to carry a pack filled with sand, which caused him to collapse.
Seventeen guns were left behind on Gallipoli, six French, and eleven British. Surplus ammunition was exploded by being fired at by the war ships. All the guns were successfully blown up.
15th. Out-post was placed in front of Australia Hill to intercept possible Turkish raiding party. An aeroplane circled round and round the camp and dropped a message stating that the camels carrying a party of Arabs had been fired on 10 miles away. Out-post caught Arab behaving suspiciously, saying that he wanted to go to the 9th Battalion and then had no mission.
16th. Raining heavily. It is rumoured that we are to go to France. Lt. Baily has been given the D.S.O. and Sgt. Brennan the D.C.M.
17th. Weather very unsettled, strong wind.
18th. Visited out-post. Five men reported five miles from HOG'S BACK making a reconnaissance. Light horse went out to investigate. It is considered possible that the Turks may make a raid. We hear the news of the fall of ERZEROUM. General Townsend is said to be in difficulties at KUTE-AMARATHE which is just the other side of Bagdad. Large Turkish patrol said to be in the neighbourhood.
19th. General Legge reviews the Battalion and gives an address chiefly regarding discipline. He considers one man who misbehaves himself is a pro German and is equal to seven Germans owing to the trouble he causes and the guards which have to be mounted over him. He says that though they do not know it Australians are bashful about saluting. That English officers are reticent with regard to the Australian soldiers.
General Legge also mentioned that some Australian soldiers tried to cause damage to the trains by cutting the signal wires on the railway line a most outrageous and dastardly act. Being drunk is no excuse for committing crime. This is an amateur Army with all classes mixed and all trying to do their bit for their country.
At Maltaan Italian lady was good enough to take Australian wounded soldiers out for drives in her motor, when she was forced to run away to avoid insult. There are few tyrannical Officers in our forces.