The current location of Gordon’s original hand written diary is no longer known – it was originally given to the Military Museum in Swan Hill; the Museum closed and its artifacts were sold – no record can be found as to what happened to the diary.

This transcript has been prepared from a typescript originally made by Gordon’s niece – Heather Lynch (nee King); in the her typescript, Heather included a few explanatory notes in brackets – some additional explanatory notes have now been included – all such notes are available as a popup window - text with a popup appears blue.

In this transcript the day/date has been spelt out in full.

Saturday 25 December 1915
Christmas Day, 1915: On guard, Broadmeadows. Quietest Xmas ever spent. Visions of duck, plum pudding and cake.

Sunday 26 December 1915
On guard. Men returning from leave. Large percent drunk.

Monday 27 December 1915
Off duty. Walked to Station to see Dorrie and Ethel Kinna off.

Tuesday 28 December 1915
On guard. Embarking tomorrow. Passed examination. At night went to bed at 11 and up at 4 o'clock Tuesday morning.

Wednesday 29 December 1915 Embarked "Demosthenes". Very warm weather. Rained in evening. First night on board slept in hammocks. Some of the fellows nearly fell out. Sea rather rough in morning.

Thursday 30 December 1915
Sailed from bay 5.30 morning. Alright until Heads were reached. Very rough outside. Very sea-sick in afternoon. Most unpleasant. Had a good breakfast and dinner but no tea. The weather is blowing and rough. Wal. very sick.

Friday 31 December 1915
In Aust. Bight. Sea-sickness getting better - although a horrible sensation, it has its humorous sides. Snowy Kells and I threw a bottle overboard at 12.15 am. Last seen, it was floating in direction of Melbourne 500 miles away. Was paid today (very handy} - came on board with 5 pence .... Wrote three cards but don't suppose they will be posted till we reach Colombo. Received letters and card down Bay but never got photos. Very sorry, as I would have liked photos.

Saturday 1 January 1916
Old Year went out with bells ringing, sea roaring and band playing "There is a happy land far, far away", Very bad cold.

Sunday 2 January 1916
Church Parade. Raining. Roast beef, marrow, potatoes and plum pudding for dinner. Getting near Fremantle but don't think we will call in there. 2 p.m. On deck, just finished three tins of pineapple, two bags of biscuits and one bottle of beer between five of us, so we are not so sick. Wrote home.

Monday 3 January 1916
Sighted land 11.30. Probably seen the last of Australia. Bright day but water rough. Boat drill, started sports, sea rough.

Tuesday 4 January 1916
Very rough seas breaking over deck, just leaving Australian Bight. Tin of biscuits just burst and we had a good feed. Floor of our sleeping quarters under water.

Wednesday 5 January 1916
In Indian Ocean. Sea calm. Sports continued on deck. Put in day playing cards and reading. Sent card to Phyl.

Thursday 6 January 1916
Sports continued on deck.. Gradually getting warmer. Shoals of flying-fish rise in front of the boat.

Friday 7 January 1916
In tropics. Very warm. Would give 5 shillings for a Herald:. Got vaccinated. Arm will be sore in about eight days. Wrote home. Saw what we thought was a seal in the water.

A note not included in the diary, but perhaps from letters sent back home, reads:
7th January. Just had an argument regarding the merits of the horses in Carbine’s day and the present, and then the argument went off on the greatness of Australia. All agreed that Australia was the best country in the world, its people the most social, its men the bravest, its women the most beautiful and its people absolutely the best sports in the world, and altogether a country to be proud of and worth fighting for.

Saturday 8 January 1916
Very hot. beautiful sunset at night. Sailing N.N.W.

Sunday 9 January 1916
Passed over equator.

Monday 10 January 1916
Drill on boat deck. Passed through a shoal of porpoises. Still in Indian Ocean.

Tuesday 11 January 1916
Warm. Water very calm, hardly a ripple on it. Smoke of steamer seen on port side.

Wednesday 12 January 1916
Pay day. Passed a steamer at 1 p.m. Heavy shower at night. Concert on board at night. All red colour with sunburn. Mails close.

Friday 14 January 1916
Passed four steamers in morning. Sighted land 12 o’clock. Saw number of small yachts many miles from land. Passed lighthouse. Passed hospital ship within 100 yards at 6.30 in evening. Steamed into harbour at Colombo at about 8 o’clock in evening. The town and harbour and shipping in the harbour looked alright with the lights all shining. Moored right against a 38 returning to Aust. with 600 sick and wounded aboard. Went ashore in a coal lighter at 11 am on the 15th and marched through the streets to the barracks where we had fruit, bought off the natives, together with biscuits and beef. Returned to “Demosthenes” about 4.30. The weather was hot in the day but cooler at night. Very interesting town, Colombo, but one would have to be there about a week to see all the sights of Ceylon including the tea plantations which are some miles out. Also on Saturday, coolies diving off for pence thrown overboard. Saw Mrs and Miss Heywood in pier.

Sunday 16 January 1916
On guard. Left Colombo at 1.30 p.m.

Monday 17 January 1916
Going very slowly on account of poor coal. Sailing north-west.

Tuesday 18 January 1916
Sighted island on starboard side, passed within two miles of cape with lighthouse on it.

Wednesday 19 January 1916
Very warm weather but getting colder as evening comes on. Slept on deck. Very little fresh water available.

Thursday 20 January 1916
Three weeks on board since we sailed. Drill every morning for half hour with packs and uniform on, to get into condition. Passed two steamers.

Friday 21 January 1916
Kit inspection. Wrote three letters home. Will not write any more till we land in Egypt, or Port Suez, as we are going by all accounts to Ishmalia.

Saturday 22 January 1916
Passed a small boat, must be getting near land or the boat must be a good way out for a fishing smack.

Sunday 23 January 1916
On mess orderly. Passed Cape Guardafui, in Somaliland. The first impression we got of them were as if they were covered in snow, but as we got closer to them, we found it was only the sun shining and the mountains were comprised of solid rock and sandstone with not a scrap of vegetation on them. A mile or so further on, there was a dip in between the mountains that widened out into a beach on which there was a native village of considerable size, although how they earned a livelihood in such a barren place is hard to say. We detected signs of life which looked like men moving about on camels, but we could not be certain.

Monday 24 January 1916
Reported that three cases of Smallpox on board. Pte. Mills and Maxwell of our Company ill with Measles. Final of Lightweight Ship’s Championship won by Pte. Cotton, 2nd of 29th.

Tuesday 25 January 1916
Passed through Hell’s Gates, a strip of water between a rock and a lighthouse and the coast. Passed transport A.73 (with wounded on) just outside The Gates. Passed five or six steamers. Passed the Twelve Apostles. Hell’s Gate is a narrow strip of water between the coast and a large rock with a lighthouse on it, a very grand sight but seems a very lonely kind of place to live in as the rocks and adjacent mountains are absolutely devoid of vegetation and the mountains uninhabited.

Wednesday 26 January 1916
Weather getting decidedly cooler although in Red Sea which is supposed to be the hottest part of the world. Pay day.

Thursday 27 January 1916
Lovely cool day. Getting ready to go off ship about Sunday. Played cards all day and lost 15 shillings on the day, but it is a short life and a gay one.

Friday 28 January 1916
Saw a water spout at 11 a.m. Very cold. Passed the lighthouse built by the P. & O. Co. after one of their boats had been wrecked on it, but now controlled by Egyptian Govt. Land in sight about 5 p.m., first sight of Egypt. We sighted the lighthouse about 3 o’clock and drew abreast of it about 3.45. The lighthouse which is built on a coral reef in the Red Sea is a truly wonderful sight, especially as we saw it at high tide when the reef is completely covered with water which was as smooth as a millpond and about 300 yards long and round. All around, the sea was rough and white capped waves were tumbling over each other. The lighthouse itself has the appearance of being built on the solid sea and so had an iron fence which was running from one side of it. It was originally built by the P. & O. As we passed, the keeper ran a red flag and then the Aust. Flag. The lighthouse is 60 miles from Port Suez and the Demosthenes passed within 150 yards of it, thus giving us a splendid view of a splendid spectacle. Another fine sight we witnessed on the same day as the lighthouse was a waterspout rising like a whirlwind. The column of water passed right along the sea face of the sea until it finally disappeared over the horizon. We first sighted Egypt about 5 p.m. when out of what had been an indistinct blur gradually became a chain of sharp pointed mountains, somewhat resembling the Baw Baw and adjacent mountains.

Saturday 29 January 1916
Very cold weather. Met a lot of shipping including sister ship to ours. Got our kit bags issued. Passed hospital ship.

Sunday 30 January 1916
Arrived at Port Suez at one o’clock in the morning. About one and a half miles from shore.

Monday 31 January 1916
Went ashore at Port Suez, seven miles ride to aerodrome camp alongside the Canal. Troops all along from Port Suez to Heliopolis. Arrived at camp at 9.30 p.m. Nights very cold. Five miles from Cairo. Thousands of troops.

Port Suez to Aerodrome. Left Port Suez at 2.30 in a train comprised of 3rd class carriages. Passed along the Suez Canal o the sides of which are encamped thousands of troops – English, Australian and Indian, the latter very fine soldiers, especially the cavalry. Every few miles we would come to a camp, sometimes artillery with hundreds of mule for hawling the guns. Also camels which are used for carrying provisions. We also passed an aeroplane running along the ground but did not see it rise. On the line were several large towns, notably Ishmalia, Marg and Zagazig. All through the desert were running irrigation fresh water channels which irrigate the sandy land so that it is very fertile and green. The camp at the aerodrome is very large, in fact the whole country is practically one large camp.

Tuesday 1 February 1916
Spent morning at Heliopolis. Some fine buildings especially Palace hospital. Heliopolis is five miles from Cairo and against the towns of Zeitown and Helmich.

Wednesday 2 February 1916
On drill in Sahara Desert seven hours drill a day. Two hours before breakfast. Saw G. Lane, Bob and Charlie in hospital with Mumps.

Thursday 3 February 1916
Drilling all day. Had a bath and went to bed about 7.30. Nights very cold, so cold that you wake up in the morning all stiff.

Friday 4 February 1916
Very muggy. Looks like rain. Saw B. King (Tyers), also W. Cole.

Saturday 5 February 1916
Raining. Saw W. and A. Lancaster in Heliopolis. Went up to YMCA, wrote home. Had to sleep in Mess Rooms.

Sunday 6 February 1916
On Picquet, New Zealand Hospital 5 to 12.

Monday 7 February 1916
Drilling all day. Went to bed early. P. Pieper came over to see me yesterday but I was away. Saw S. Shalders.

Tuesday 8 February 1916
Tent orderly. Bob came over. He just came out of hospital today, “C” is still in. They are camped at Heliopolis racecourse.

Wednesday 9 February 1916
On Sanitary Picquet. Nice easy job. Very cold at night. Rained in day time. Spent evening at Empire Club reading Australian papers.

Thursday 10 February 1916
12 hours off duty. Sent cable home. Aust. Mail in. Went up to Luna Park.

Friday 11 February 1916
Getting ready for guard. Spent evening out with H. Potter. Went to a music hall, had supper. H. was at Gallipoli six weeks ago and saw one Turk.

Saturday 12 February 1916
On guard. Saw T. Cobbledick. Done eight hours guard, finishing at 10 o’clock on Sunday morn.

Sunday 13 February 1916
Went over to Zeitown.

Monday 14 February 1916
Drilling all day. Went over to Heliopolis. Pay day four shillings.

Tuesday 15 February 1916
On Picquet. Wrote six letters.

Wednesday 16 February 1916
Half day, got three letters from home.

Thursday 17 February 1916
Company drill. Wrote six letters.

Friday 18 February 1916
On Picquet. Sprained my wrist. No sleep at night.

Saturday 19 February 1916
Went over to see Bob. Very windy and dusty. Got letter from Cec.

Sunday 20 February 1916
Church Parade. Read all day.

Monday 21 February 1916
Marched from Heliopolis to Cairo, camped at Kasr El Nil barracks. Five hours Picquet a day. Today on Hotel Bristol, waking up drunks only occupation. Kasr El Nil barracks are on the banks of the Nile near the Great Bridge. All the Cairo pickets are quartered here also. A large number of Turkish prisoners, dirty-looking men who get fed a lot better than the guards and US Picquets.

Tuesday 22 February 1916
On picquet 2 to 7 pm.

Wednesday 23 February 1916
Pay day. Patrol duty through Wassahs. Went through filthy dirty places not fit for dogs to live in, yet men, women and children, cows and calves were all herded together.

Thursday 24 February 1916.
On picquet Hotel Bristol. Sent postcards home. Went for a walk around Cairo and into YMCA in Elizabeth Gardens.

Friday 25 February 1916
On picquet. Plot. Beg.

Saturday 26 February 1916
Received letters from home.

Monday 28 February 1916
Saw Col. Stevens and Capt. Bennett of the Old 13 A.L.H. in Cairo. I believe they came over in charge of one of the latest transports that arrived.

Tuesday 29 February 1916
Three hours leave in morning. Wrote letters . Very quiet day.

Wednesday 1 March 1916
Pay Day, but missed it on account of being on duty. Very bad cold through sleeping out on the balcony.

Thursday 2 March 1916
Saw a modern Joseph in his coat of many colours, riding on a tramcar. Nasty dusty blowy day.

Friday 3 March 1916
Cold getting better. Very warm weather. Getting very sunburnt.

Saturday 4 March 1916
Went for a walk through Kasr El Nil gardens

Sunday 5 March 1916
Received letters. Mafish picquet.

Monday 6 March 1916
Left Cairo, marched to Heliopolis in afternoon. Very warm day.

Tuesday 7 March 1916
Hottest day since we arrived I Egypt

Wednesday 8 March 1916
Saw Bob and Charlie in the evening. Spent evening with them in Heliopolis.

Thursday 9 March 1916
Marched to Zeitown. Up at 5 a.m., then in train to Cairo. Got 13 prisoners, came back to Zeitown and then delivered prisoners. Finished for the day at 2 p.m.

Friday 10 March 1916
Received orders to be ready to go to Tel El Kebir. 100 of our Company to go.

Saturday 11 March 1916
Rode all through Egyptian bazaar, Cairo. Saw Harry Madden. Wal in hospital with mumps.

Sunday 12 March 1916
Church parade. Spent day at Empire Club

Monday 13 March 1916
Shooting at Abassiah. Got mail from Australia, 5 letters. Great arguments, 8½ ???? given by Egyptian Government. We have not seen any of it yet.

Tuesday 14 March 1916
Cec came over on Sunday but somehow or other I missed him. Shooting all day.

Wednesday 15 March 1916
Saw Tommy Maher. Looks terribly ill. Might go back to Australia. Finished Musketry.

Thursday 16 March 1916
Was getting ready for guard when word came we were to go to Tel El Kebir tomorrow. Will be parted from Wal and Jack Quinlan.

Friday 17 March 1916
Moved from Heliopolis to Serapauim (the last place God made on the Suez Canal). Saw the old Demosthenes in Canal. Shifted from Infantry to Pioneer Engineers.

Saturday 18 March 1916
Saw A. Gove, D. Crowe and old Mrs. Long’s nephew, Don Ross is also here. Saw B. Polden and A. Lancaster.

Sunday 19 March 1916
Inspected by Prince of Wales today.

Monday 20 March 1916
Got inoculated. Going to France in a few days. Got our rifles to take to the Front.

Tuesday 21 March 1916
One bottle of water, one and a half pints, to wash, drink and wash eating utensils with. On Q.M.S. handed in one uniform and one pair of boots to save carrying.

Wednesday 22 March 1916
Packing ready to leave. Went to doctors. Told me I had a bad heart. Had to leave old rug behind as we could only take what we could carry.

Thursday 23 March 1916
Went for swim in Canal. Cut my foot on a rock.

Friday 24 March 1916
Off duty. Sore foot. Wrote some letters but don’t suppose they will ever reach their destination.

Saturday 25 March 1916
Ready to move off tomorrow. Got issued with ammunition.

Sunday 26 March 1916
Up at 3 a.m. March to station. Left at 10 p.m.

Monday 27 March 1916
Arrived Alexandria 8 a.m. after a 10-hours ride in an open truck on a cold night. Went on board the “Laxonia” a fine boat of the Cunard Line. Anchored in harbour.

Tuesday 28 March 1916
Sailed 8.30 a.m. Was inoculated again. In Mediterranean. Another troop-ship is behind us and we have a destroyer for an escort.

Wednesday 29 March 1916
Keep life belts on all day. Lights out 6 p.m. Steering a very quiet course. Passed a lot of land. Had an alarm at 9.15 at night. Snowie Kells got mumps.

It might be noticed that later on Gordon was to get mumps, too, but no talk of hospitals.

Thursday 30 March 1916
Passed a lot of shipping. Fred Durham is with our lot. Getting Mumps. Food on this boat is very poor, just enough to keep one alive.

Friday 31 March 1916
Water rough. Went into Malta, stopped off shore for a while but never put into harbour. Passed no vessels except a Hospital Ship. Land 5.30 p.m.

Saturday 1 April 1916
April Fools Day. Two chaplains had a friendly scrap last night, dead funny. In sight of land all day. Sea very rough.

Sunday 2 April 1916
Arrived at Marseilles 12 noon. Will be messing about all day.

Monday 3 April 1916
Left Marseilles 9.30 p.m. Sunday. Country is lovely, just like Aust. In parts. Women seem to do all the work. The men are away fighting.

Tuesday 4 April 1916
Still in train. Stopped at several villages for a while. Weather very cold. Saw some rabbits and a hare sleep like snakes coiled up. 7 in a carriage.

Wednesday 5 April 1916
Arrived Culcane 11 a.m. after 60 hours in train. Near the Belgian border. Marched to Rouge Croix. Camped in a barn at farmhouse. “Just like being at home.” 25 miles to Front.

Thursday 6 April 1916
Can hear the guns booming all day and night. The Germans attacked this farm one time but did no damage. Can hear the guns quite plainly, especially at night.

Friday 7 April 1916
Raining in morning. Went for a route march in afternoon. Roads very muddy. Wrote home. 100 of our Battalion going to Front Sunday.

Saturday 8 April 1916
Another march in afternoon. Went up town at night.

Sunday 9 April 1916
Frosty morning. Church parade.

Monday 10 April 1916
Very cold. Saw an aeroplane dropping bombs about 6 p.m. Bombardment not so heavy.

Tuesday 11 April 1916
Raining. Pay day. Got a bad cold. Got plenty of cigs. And tobacco issued. Wine 2p. a glass and beer 1p.

Wednesday 12 April 1916
Off duty with cold. Company went for a long march 14 miles. All came home sick and wet to the skin.

Thursday 13 April 1916
Went to hospital at Bailuel. A chap with a broken leg and a Tommy with his knee out came in the same ambulance. A chap named Slater from Rosedale came in.

Friday 14 April 1916
In hospital. Read and smoked all day. Germans dropped bombs on town Bailuel and aerodrome.

Saturday 15 April 1916
Spent all day reading and writing. Will be glad to get out and get a good feed.

Sunday 16 April 1916
Went for a stroll round Bailuel. Deadly place.

Monday 17 April 1916
Left hospital. They lost my blankets and equipment including 100 rounds of ammunition. Train never stopped at Strezeele so spent the night at Hazerbrouk.

Tuesday 18 April 1916
Went down to Rouge Croix and found Battalion gone. Walked to Strezeele but no train till 7 p.m. Walked to Hazerbrouk. Writing this while I am having a spell.

Wednesday 19 April 1916
Went by train to Strezeele. Walked to Merris. Got a drive from Headquarters to where our Battalion is camped. Plenty of noise from big guns. As one chap has it – “Duck season has opened.”

Thursday 20 April 1916
Three guns alongside our billet. Germans got range of these guns and are dropping shells all around our billet. You can hear them whistling a long way off.

Friday 21 April 1916
Aeroplane (German) over British lines. Guns fired a lot of shots but never hit her. Went down to St. Naur for provisions. Bombardment heavy all day.

Saturday 22 April 1916
Wet, miserable day. Got paid. On guard at night. Very dark and wet. Slept in an open wagon.

Sunday 23 April 1916
Shell burst against our tent and guard room.

Monday 24 April 1916
Sgt. Partridge killed by a shell. Went down to Sailly in morning. Entrenching behind tents ready to get cover when shells are bursting.

Tuesday 25 April 1916
Beautiful day. Very quiet in morning. It’s funny to see the children playing and singing in the villages liable to be shelled at any minute.

Wednesday 26 April 1916
Gas attack at night but not much came over. Guards smelt it and gave alarm. But there was not enough wind to drive it forward.

Thursday 27 April 1916
Beautiful day. Up at 6 a.m. Went down to Supply Depot. Got two wagon loads of Provisions. Things very quiet on the Front. Russian Army arriving in France.

Friday 28 April 1916
1 a.m. attack. Gas and alarm. All ready to march to trenches. Slept in equipment all night but was not called out. Shifted camp further out.

Saturday 29 April 1916
On guard. Not much sleep for three nights. A few shells dropped around billet in afternoon.

Sunday 30 April 1916
A lot of shells dropped but a great many unexploded.

Monday 1 May 1916
Yesterday shells blew our old billet (that we left on Friday) to bits. As I am writing, a shell hit a barn and up she went into the air like straw. Several of our chaps had narrow escapes. Got five letters.

Tuesday 2 May 1916
Saw several of the old 7th Batt. Although we are only 2 miles from the German trenches, we are camped in tents with comfortable wooden floors. We smear the tents with mud so as the enemy aircraft cannot seem them so plainly.

Wednesday 3 May 1916
French digging at Bac. S. Maur. Saw two hares a boshter shot. Saw several of the old 7th Battalion.

Thursday 4 May 1916
Wrote three letters. Done some bayonet fighting. Lovely weather. All ready to go to the trenches when orders came not to go. It’s the way we are messed about.

Friday 5 May 1916
Heavy bombardment. On guard at night. Germans fired gas shells which burst into a green flame in the air but did no damage.

Saturday 6 May 1916
Got cigs. And tobacco issued. We are better off here than in any camp I was ever in before. Plenty to eat and good tents.

Sunday 7 May 1916
Saw D. Ross, W. Milligan and G. Cone. Went down to Sailly and got pinched.

Monday 8 May 1916
Wrote home. Went for a walk up to Bac St Maur in evening.

Tuesday 9 May 1916
Some of our chaps shelled while building parapets. A sniper in a cage which works on a pulley, greatly annoys our chaps.

Wednesday 10 May 1916
Saw Bill Curran at Sailly. Raining all night, our old tent leaks like a sieve.

Thursday 11 May 1916
In trenches. Worst part getting in and out as there are a lot of snipers in trees, etc. Saw the “Mad Major” in his aero. The Germans very nearly got him.

Friday 12 May 1916
Building parapets in second line. Go on at 2 p.m. come off at 10 p.m. Sometimes we catch a wagon but if not have to walk about five miles.

Saturday 13 May 1916
Very wet and muddy in trenches. The duck walks are slippery as glass.

Sunday 14 May 1916
Holiday. Very cold.

Monday 15 May 1916
Raining. Trenches very muddy. Rumors that the War is going to end very shortly. I doubt it will go another winter.

Tuesday 16 May 1916
Beautiful day. Getting on with our job tip top. Heavy bombardment by both sides about 4 o’clock. We were enfiladed by a machine gun at night.

Wednesday 17 May 1916
Gas alarm in trenches about 8 p.m. but no gas came over although the gas gongs went. We put our helmets on and waited.

Thursday 18 May 1916
Taube dropped bombs on our lines. Yesterday a German crawled over from their lines to our first line and surrendered. He gave some good information which turned out to be correct.

Friday 19 May 1916
Just heard which horse won the Sydney Cup. Plenty of skylarks here, they are beautiful singers. Heavy bombardment in the afternoon and at night. Building a bridge over a creek, after dark.

Saturday 20 May 1916
Was shelled while at work and had to do a duck, but no one was hit.

Sunday 21 May 1916
Holiday. Lovely day.

Monday 22 May 1916
Very quiet in trenches. Nothing doing at all.

Tuesday 23 May 1916
Building parapets. Got a ride home in the evening.

Wednesday 24 May 1916
Got parcel and two letters. Very wet. Trenches slippery.

Thursday 25 May 1916
Heavy bombardment. Riding home in a wagon and had a machine gun turned on us. Had a joyful ride. Got tobacco from Overseas Club. Very wet.

Friday 26 May 1916
Working in York Avenue. Very wet. Go to work at 7 in the evening, knock off at 2 a.m. in the morning.

Saturday 27 May 1916
Lieut. Dobie missing. Jumped over parapet and wasn’t seen any more.

Sunday 28 May 1916
Working at night. One of the stretcher bearers killed.

Monday 29 May 1916
Making a new trench. Very wet and muddy. Work all night. Sleep all day.

Tuesday 30 May 1916
Got four letters. 2 hours bombardment and gas attack and worked all night. 2 hours sleep and was ready to go out again when I was told to go on a company clerk.

Wednesday 31 May 1916
Started clerking, a change from the sublime to the ridiculous. A lot of our chaps missing from the bombardment on Monday night.

Thursday 1 June 1916
Saw a balloon break from its moorings and drift over German lines. The two observers came down in a parachute.

Friday 2 June 1916
Things very quiet. Both sides repairing damage done to trenches. A lot of Germans were killed on Tuesday also a lot of our chaps.

Saturday 3 June 1916
Working in trenches. Things very quiet. Germans put up a notice “Advance Australia If You Can.”

Sunday 4 June 1916
On guard. Wet.

Monday 5 June 1916
Heavy bombardment by our side last night all along our Front. Welsh troops advanced and took two trenches.

Tuesday 6 June 1916
Having 24 hours leave. Spent most time sleeping.

Wednesday 7 June 1916
Got 15 letters from home. Heard Lord K. was drowned. Started reading letters at 4.30 in morning.

Thursday 8 June 1916
Very wet. Rained all night. Working in Arab Avenue. Heard Wal King was in Cyclist Corps in Egypt. Wrote home. [Wal King did join the Cyclist Corps and went to France where served as a Despatch Rider.]

Friday 9 June 1916
Still working at night. Germans seem to have all young chaps in their trenches, learning them and then they will move them to other fronts.

Saturday 10 June 1916
Working between our firing lines and the Germans in No Mans Land. 150 yards from their trenches.

Sunday 11 June 1916
Raining. Wrote home. Good news about Russians.

Monday 12 June 1916
Germans seen us tonight and fired on us for quarter of an hour with machine guns. One sergeant killed. Four wounded.

Tuesday 13 June 1916
Left job in No Mans Land a it was too dangerous. Heads reckon they would lose one thousand men.

Wednesday 14 June 1916
Daylight saving came in in France. Got letter from home.

Thursday 15 June 1916
Weather fining up. Saw Les Davidson in Bac St. Maur.

Friday 16 June 1916
Gas attack at night severe. 2 A.S.C. men found dead in their wagons. Rifles, tinware, etc., all turned black. Pay day.

Saturday 17 June 1916
Got 10 letters. Rumours that we are leaving here soon.

Sunday 18 June 1916
Holiday. Went to church.

Monday 19 June 1916
Things very quiet in reserve trench. Sick from effects of gas attack.

Tuesday 20 June 1916
Heavy bombardment but not much damage done. Nights fine for working, day breaks 2 a.m. and ends about 10 p.m.

Wednesday 21 June 1916
Off trenches. Cpl. Edmunds and Pte. Ryan received Military Medal. Longest day.

Thursday 22 June 1916
Working in firing line. Raining. Things very quiet.

Friday 23 June 1916
Still working in Front Line. 2 gas alarms but no gas came over.

Saturday 24 June 1916
Arrived home 1 a.m. No work at night. Had a good sleep.

Sunday 25 June 1916
Sandbagging. Bombardment at night.

Monday 26 June 1916
On guard. Both sides bombarded all night. Germans put up a notice “Don’t fire only an old man and his two sons here.”

Tuesday 27 June 1916
Got issue of tobacco from Overseas Club. Artillery very active from Laventio to Ypres. Our side using gas now.

Wednesday 28 June 1916
A chap got a letter from a tunneler that was reported missing. He is a prisoner with five others in Germany.

Thursday 29 June 1916
6 months today since we left Australia. Very heavy bombardment. Fusiliers took two trenches. On guard. Sgt. Bell killed.

Friday 30 June 1916
Got 2 letters from home. Pay day. Came off guard 6 o’clock. Soon moving from here.

Saturday 1 July 1916
Heavy bombardment right along line. Raid by 9th and 10th Batt. Working in reserve.

Sunday 2 July 1916
No work. On parade. British offensive starts.

Monday 3 July 1916
Bombardment last night. Raiding party went to German trenches and found all the Germans dead. News of big offensive.

Tuesday 4 July 1916
Working in Penny Avenue. Saw General Berdwood, walked in front of us up the trench. Bombardment every two hours.

Wednesday 5 July 1916
General parade. On guard at night. Gas alarm, had to raise the crowd. Gas very light. As the papers say, “The Day” goes well for England and France.

Thursday 6 July 1916
Getting ready to shift. I think to Ypres. Germans shelled Bac St. Maur.

Friday 7 July 1916
Platoon drill. Working in afternoon. Having a sort of holiday, before we take Lille. That will be the day when the Anzacs toddle into Lille.

Saturday 8 July 1916
12 months today since I enlisted. Making wire entanglements.

Sunday 9 July 1916
Marched from Sailly to Merris, camped at night.

Monday 10 July 1916
Stopped at Merris, a beautiful little place, all day. Taube dropped bomb at night. Went to bed at 10 o’clock and up again at 12.

Tuesday 11 July 1916
Marched out at one a.m. to Bailleul, entrained and went to Doullan. Marched to Haveras, 12 miles. Camped all night at Haveras arriving 7 p.m.

Wednesday 12 July 1916
Left Haveras at 10 a.m. Marched through lovely country to Mont Villiers. Having a tour through France. The old Colonel walks like a Briton all the way.

Thursday 13 July 1916
Having a spell at Monto, people in Village 35, are very stand off. Must have German sympathies. We are still a long way off the firing line. Old chateaux and splendid woods.

Friday 14 July 1916
21 today …. Very wet day. All he Batt. Went sick. Had a letter from George in France. Can’t hear the guns. It seems way out in the bush.

Saturday 15 July 1916
Sports and concert at night. 3 letters, the first addressed to France. Moving tonight.

Sunday 16 July 1916
Shifted to Harponville from Mont Villiers.

Monday 17 July 1916
Saw D. Burton, D. Ross, Les Davidson and Billy Foley. British advanced 7 kilometres. Got parcel. Saw Lt. Taylor.

Tuesday 18 July 1916
3rd Brigade passed through, also First Artillery. Engineers and A.S.C. standing by for a shift at any time.

Wednesday 19 July 1916
5.30 p.m. left Harponville, went by motor bus to Albert. Camped at Albert all night. Town a wreck.

Thursday 20 July 1916
Moved to firing line. Very warm. Acres and acres ploughed up with shells. We are in old German trenches shelled all along the road. A Taube just brought down two today.

Friday 21 July 1916
Digging trenches for the advance. 17 casualties in our Battalion.

Saturday 22 July 1916
The Australians advanced and took two trenches and a lot of prisoners. Capt. Hibbe killed.

Sunday 23 July 1916
Got hit with shrapnel in the head and foot, but not hurt.

Monday 24 July 1916
Working all night. Very warm. Bombardment by both sides. 2nd Brigade attacked and took two lines of trenches.

Tuesday 25 July 1916
Working in front line. Germans counter attack. Beaten off with bombs. Sgt. Pearce killed, also three others of our Platoon.

Wednesday 26 July 1916
Australians got last bit of Poziers. First Division is nearly cut to pieces, especially 5th, 1st and 2nd Batts. We had about 200 casualties.

Thursday 27 July 1916
Relieved by Second Division. Came back to Albert. Saw Dave Pye. In the morning got shelled out of gully but only one man wounded. Mail.

Friday 28 July 1916
Went from Albert to Harponville. Jack Manders missing.

Saturday 29 July 1916
Harponville to …… Saw F. Steward and Bern. Polden and Jack Quinlan. All came through safely.

Sunday 30 July 1916
Marched to Bonneville. Heard Lieut. Taylor was killed.

Monday 31 July 1916
Camped at Bonneville. Wrote home. A very pretty place. Beautiful weather, camped under trees. Australian mail in.

Tuesday 1 August 1916
Resting at Bonneville, a very pretty place with a fine church and not many inhabitants and most of them appear to be pro-German.

Wednesday 2 August 1916
Bomb throwing and bayonet fighting, camped under trees.

Thursday 3 August 1916
Inspected by General Walker, on Picquet Caudas in evening.

Friday 4 August 1916
Drilling four hours a day.

Saturday 5 August 1916
2nd Division got 400 prisoners. Capt. Murphy going away. Lieut. Harvey in charge.

Sunday 6 August 1916
Church parade. Going back to Albert shortly.

Monday 7 August 1916
Anniversary of War. Saw Bern. Marched from Bonneville. Camped near a big aerodrome. Saw some fine exhibitions of flying, loop the loop, etc. On guard at night.

Tuesday 8 August 1916
Harponville again. Going into Albert in a few days. After doing our turn in the trenches will probably go back to Egypt.

Wednesday 9 August 1916
Resting all day. Weather quite hot. Harponville a very decent town.

Thursday 10 August 1916
Doing no drill. Beautiful weather.

Friday 11 August 1916
Got parcel. Saw Wally Milligan. Got paid.

Saturday 12 August 1916
Got four letters, also some papers. Digging experimental trenches.

Sunday 13 August 1916
Church parade. Slept all afternoon.

Monday 14 August 1916
Moved from Harponville to Albert. Got a ride all the way as I was a bit crook. Camped in a splendid dugout at night. Table, chairs, beds, etc, in it.

Tuesday 15 August 1916
Lieuts. Tilford, Holley and Martyn all recommended for Military Cross. Colonel said all the Pioneers should get one. Laying out a new road.

Wednesday 16 August 1916
Road making to Front Line. Instead of metal, white chalk is put on the surface, then rolled. The air is alive with balloons and aeroplanes.

Thursday 17 August 1916
Saw a Fokker brought down by a battle plane. The Fokker came to the ground in flames. Working on a trench at night.

Friday 18 August 1916
Digging a communication trench at night. Plenty of shells. Camped near what was village of La Boiselles but is now razed to the ground.

Saturday 19 August 1916
Working at night. H. Johnson wounded. Our chaps hop over every night and take some ground.

Sunday 20 August 1916
Very heavy bombardment.

Monday 21 August 1916
Taube dropped bombs on where we are camped, and killed one man.