Item 01: Eric Susman war diary, 1 January 1915-4 April 1916 - Page 173
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[Page 173]
Friday 4 June 1915
Dec. 19-20
It is a clear moonlight night. The fires are still burning in the incinerators and our trenches are manned by about 50 men from each Battalion. Turkish lines almost uncannily quiet. For our part an occasional burst of machine gun fire. Is it one huge hoax? Has the British Empire bought over the alleged decadent Ottoman Empire? I wonder.
The result of our eight months (all but a week) toil, hardships & fighting? The great crisis of Britain is approaching. Will we weather the storm or follow in the tracks of Rome or Athens? Certainly these are momentous times. We are living history.
Embarkation – a marvel of organisation. Everything orderly & quiet from "Garrison" changeover at Mudros to [indecipherable].