Terrell, Frederick Leopold – November 1915
1 November
… During the night I was rudely awakened by a great inrush of water through the roof of my dugout, leaving me the rest of night to sleep in wet blankets…
2 November
Still very rough, put in the day on pick and shovel work as usual. knocked off at 4.30 P M, had tea and set to work to answer Clara’s letter but did not succeed bed at 9.20. P.M
3 November
Fairly good day… had a somewhat lively time, the Turks had some successful shooting, putting two shells into the Prince George, both of them going in her stern, another tramp was unfortunate receiving four shells in her fore hatch setting her on fire and she continued burning well on to midnight…
5 November
… we have practically nothing here for the 300 men who are detailed on this work… We are supposed to be British But I think we are worse off than German prisoners as regards treatment. It could not be worse.
6 November
… received a letter from Clara dated 7th Sep.
7 November
A very quiet day the Battleships put in 9·5 inch shells into Anna Farta and warmed them up a bit it was a great view watching them
8 November
Turned out at 6 oclock, and carried on with same old monotonous work about camp wrote answer to Clara’s letter and also wrote to Mother… was reprimanded for writing facts in it which hurt the doctor very much ending up with being called a bally rotter.
10 November
A very rough day The Battleships had a very busy day putting in shells into the Turks who must have lost many men.
11 November
Today we had a rotten bit of British justice passed to a chap named Derrick, who was sentenced to 42 days in Malta for going out of camp, to see his chum at Anzac. There are horrid sentences passed on men here for things that men with brains would overlook,
13 November
A very cool day, had a horrid silly job to do, had to try and salvage a life boat which had gone ashore But like everything else we have anything to do, we make a big mess of it as we have a very incompitent lot of Officers who have not the slightest sense or idea of doing anything and only make fools of good men
14 November
Things are in a bad way here. On account of writing the truth in my letter to mother the doctor, has me now set and will hardly pass a letter I write …
16 November
Yesterday morning I was brought up before Leuit. Bond on a charge of not turning out on parade smart enough. Was punished with 3 days I D A making my days work start at 5.15 a.m and finish at 9 P.M…
18 November
… The Turks took a sad dislike to our hospital, and put 35 shells into it making a terrible mess…
21 November
It is again Sunday but no sunday for us here as we still have to go on unloading… a very cold N. Easterly wind winter is setting in to perfection now
25 November
… Received news that one of our mails boats had been sunk namely the Orange Prince with Aus. mail on board
26 November
life still the same rations are shortening are living on bully and biscuits
28 November
During night we had snow & sleat, slush and mud everywhere.
29 November
… the cold is more intense as the mud has all frozen and is firm under foot. In evening went out with a party to bring in Frost Bitten soldiers who are very numerous. The trenches were a sight never to be forgotten, being 4 ft deep with water with ice 3 & 4 inches thick.
30 November
All day long sees one continual line of frost bitten soldiers returning from trenches many bare footed and many who started dropped dead on the road side through being exposed to the bleak elements during most of the last 3 day the men in our firing line and Turkish have been sitting on the parapet of trench
Diary of Frederick Leopold Terrell
