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Percy Brown's war diary

A blog by priestleysj in General

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About this blog

A personal account of Percy Brown's service in the Hampshire Regiment, 1908 to 1915

Entries in this blog

15 August to 13 September 1915

Sun. Aug 15th/15. I left Heliopolis today, for Alexandria. I am not sorry to say goodbye to Luna (tic) Park. On arrival at Alexandria we embarked on H. M. Hospital Ship "Ghoorkha". This is a very good boat. The sisters & doctors are English, but all the orderlies are natives of India. Some of them are very nice fellows, & I spend many an hour talking to them in Hindustani. Mon. Aug. 16th/15. We had a man die in our ward today. One man suffering from dysentery, is nothing but a mere skele
priestleysj

priestleysj

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11 May to 12 August 1915

Tues. May 11th/15. I have a touch of dysentery, & am very sick and giddy. The Turkish artillery generally gives us a good "straffing" three times a day (meal times) Wed. May 12th/15. My dysentery is rather worse today. I am not getting much rest out of our week's releif from the firing line. Thur. May 13th/15. Still about the same, & very weak. I have had no food for two days now; the very sight of it makes me sick. Sun. May 16th/15. I am rather worse today, so am being sent back to the
priestleysj

priestleysj

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7 to 10 May 1915

Fri. May 7th/15. Everything practically quiet during the day. We made an advance about tea time. I, & about 50 others, got cut off from the regt, & had a very hot time, as we were only about 100 yards from the Turks trenches. We held on to a gulley, when the Turks started working round our flanks, trying to surround us. We had to retreat & make a run for it. We had no idea where our trenches were, as by this time it had got dark. I kept on running back, under heavy rifle fire from th
priestleysj

priestleysj

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2 to 6 May 1915

Sun. May 2nd 1915. We started to attack Krithia again this morning, but had to retire into our trenches, under heavy artillery fire; many casualities. I had to go out again today & help bring in the wounded. There were about a dozen of us went out. We only took our rifles & a bandolier of ammunition (50 rounds). We went out in extended order; from 20 to 30 yards apart. I was left hand man, & we had gone about 200 yards, when I saw a man out on my left front. He was sitting up, waving
priestleysj

priestleysj

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26 April to 1 May 1915

Mon April 26th 1915. We made great progress today, with few casualties, driving the Turks back & destroying their forts. Snipers are still a great danger. They sometimes remain in their positions all day without being discovered. They paint their rifles & faces to match the ground, & it is very hard to find them with field glasses even. We had a narrow escape from artillery fire at dusk last night. We had formed up to take over another line of trenches, when all at once the Turks ope
priestleysj

priestleysj

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24 and 25 April 1915

About mid night on Sat. april 24th 1915 we left Lemnos; all lights out & every one below deck. Before dawn on Sun. April 25th 1915 we arrived off Cape Helles, Gallîpoli (Gal-lîp-o-li) We heard the Navy bombarding some hours ago. The flash of the guns was like lightning, & you had to shout yourself hoarse to make yourself heard above the roar of the guns. We had to stand off for a while, & wait untill the Navy had done a little more damage. It was fine, watching the shells pitch in th
priestleysj

priestleysj

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November 1914 to 13 April 1915

Nov 1914 we embarked at Bombay on H. M. T. "Aragon" for England, via Aden, Suez Canal, Malta, & Gibraltar. Dec 23rd 1914. We arrived at Plymouth, & disembarked the following day, & entrained for Romsey, Hants, where we were billeted. We went home the same day on leave for Xmas. Feb 1915 we left Romsey, & entrained for Stratford on Avon, Warwickshire, where we went into billets. March. 1915. We left Stratford, & marched to Warwick (8 miles) where we were again billeted. Whilst
priestleysj

priestleysj

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7 December 1913 to November 1914

Dec.7th 1913. We sailed from P. Louis today on H.M.S. "Hardinge" for India being releived at Mauritius by the Essex Regt. Dec. 17th 1913 we arrived at Bombay, India, where we disembarked & trained for Inhow, Central India (3 days & nights journey in the train) The scenery was very interesting, & we saw several large baboons & water buffaloes on the way. It was extremely cold at night; riding in the train. Inhow is a fine healthy station. We found our old companions (X & Y . B
priestleysj

priestleysj

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13 December 1911 to 23 October 1912

Dec. 13th 1911 we left Durban for Mauritius; a small island off the west coast of Africa (32 miles long & 28 miles wide) Dec. 18th 1911 we arrived at Port Louis, Mauritius & disembarked in lighters, as there are no docks, owing to the shallowness of the harbour. We marched to the station & entrained for Vacoas, (Vak-o-ah) a distance of about 12 miles from P. Louis. We have one company on detatchment at Curepipe (Cure-a-pip) which is about 4 miles from Vacoas. The island is chiefly in
priestleysj

priestleysj

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3 October 1908 to 10 December 1911

Oct. 3rd 1908. I enlisted at Aldershot, Hants, in the 1st Battalion, Hants Regt. I was attached to the South Wales Borders Regt, North Camp, A'shot, for a few days then sent to Winchester, Hants; which is my regimental depôt. Here I am learnt my foot and rifle drill. After six weeks at Winchester, I am sent to my battalion; which is stationed at Londonderry, Ireland. L'derry is rather a cold wet place, situated on the banks of the river Foyle; which flows out to the sea on the north coast of Ire
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