Salomika Campaigh post-Jan. 1917

[Guest tartan87terror]

My grandfather landed at Salonika on 7th Feb.1917. He was a farrier and in his diary notebook he tells first of all of being in a tent somewhere close to Salonika - nearly 100 men sleeping in that tent. Hedoes not mention which unit - but he Was R.H. & R.F.A.

Digging trenches --- kit inspection - - - general inspection - - - cleaned buttons (first time since leaving Newcastle) - - - fatigues (carrying stones for roads) - - - troops inspected before the General (Friday 16 Feb. 1917) - - - marched about 3 miles, dug holes and put in posts for mule enclosure (over 4,000 mules, remounts) - - - lots of route marching - - - marching to quarry and wheeling earth for roads all day - - - working besideGreeks, Roumanians, Turks and Bulgans (a lazy crowd) - - - 23 Feb. marched to another camp, remount depot 43rd squaron - - - 27 Feb. big air raid, 14 machines dropped bombs on camp, some men killed some injured, lots of mules killed - 27 in one kraal - - - 4 Mar. air raid 8.00 a.m., lot of men killed and injured - - - 6 Mar. got tent of our own (9 men) - - - 4 May a lot of donkeys arrived - - - 9 May general parade - - - 13 May aeroplanes over every morning now - - - 11 Oct. shifted to 18th A.V.C. - - - 21 Oct. shifted to 41st Remounts - - - 10 Apr. 1918 up line with horses 3 days - - - 7 Nov. on march - - - 8 Nov. bread today, first time for 4 weeks - - - 12 Nov. still on march (42 kms from Salonika) - - - marching - - -16 Nov. seem to be stopping here some time - - -6 Dec. warned we were going to Batoum (?Batumi?) on Black Sea, heard later that Gen. Milne had protested against it - - - 12 Jan. 1919 left camp on board T. S. Ormond, 14,800 tons - - - 13 Jan. left Salonika 3 p.m. en route for Batoum - - - Jan. 14 passed Gallipoli went up Dardanelles saw "River Clyde" at ? - - - 13Feb. left Batoun for Tblisi, 4 days journey, deep snow - - - 20 Feb. left Tblisi, half battery for Causbec (KazBek) - - - 22 Feb. back to Tiblis, barracks infirmary - - - 1 April inspection by General Borden - - - 26 Aug. entered 27th C.C.S. Batoum.

Then he was with 99th Bgde. and then 98th Bgde.

From the above, can anyone tell me more of what was going on there; what was the main function of Remounts (I know it appears obvious, but to assume is wrong); what is known of the 98th and 99th Bgdes at this stage?

I find it difficult to get much info. on the B.S.F.