marina Posted 3 April , 2005 Share Posted 3 April , 2005 Oh, dear... Well, that's too bad, it really is. Still, we've all had a lot of pleasure out of this thread and learned a lot from John's diary and the contributions of all the knowledgeable Pals who've mucked in to share. You deserve a medal for all that typing and deciphering, Jules, even though I'm sure it was a labour of love. Well done, and many thanks , Living in hope, Marina Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew P Posted 4 April , 2005 Share Posted 4 April , 2005 Hi Jules It would be great if you did discover more of his diaries, but you have done a terrific job giving us all access to those that you have found. Very Very interesting. Cheers Andrew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frev Posted 4 April , 2005 Share Posted 4 April , 2005 Oh Jules - I can't believe you feel you owe us an apology - you've shared so much with us - and I for one thank you deeply. Of course it would be wonderful if we could go on seeing the war through John's eyes - but I'm just grateful for what we've had. Don't let it get you down - anything could happen - and besides there's still a whole lot of research for you to do - and a book to put together!! Looking forward to seeing all the photos etc. The 'Saxon' doesn't ring any bells - perhaps it's the ship John returned to Australia on (15/9/18) - which poses an interesting question - do you know how long he stayed in Australia post-war, before returning to England? Always ready to help. Cheers, Frev Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marina Posted 4 April , 2005 Share Posted 4 April , 2005 Yes, there's a lot to be done, Frev, in working out what John did and when. Be good to see a photo in his officer's uniform. Maybe the rest of the books will turn up some time - but even if they don't, what has been shared already has been wealth. Marina Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozzie Posted 4 April , 2005 Share Posted 4 April , 2005 Am showing withdrawel symptoms. Hopefully something may turn up??? Thankyou for sharing this with us, every bit of information helps towards better understanding. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pompeyrodney Posted 4 April , 2005 Author Share Posted 4 April , 2005 Hello everybody. Thanks for all your kind words but like Frev and Marina say there is work to be done. I am too tired to do any tonight and I have not given up looking and I shall transcribe the remaining 3 months of diary starting tomorrow. Goodnight all Julian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marina Posted 4 April , 2005 Share Posted 4 April , 2005 The remaining three months? JOY! A reprieve! I couldn't have been paying attention - I thought the diary was finished NOW! HOORAY! Now, Jules, you get a good night's sleep so that you're fresh for the typing tomorrow! Night! Marina Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boreenatra Posted 4 April , 2005 Share Posted 4 April , 2005 Dear Jules.Bad luck not finding any other stuff but if you are supposed to find it you will.Just a thought.Did John ever send any stuff back home as say a war correspondent or to any publications, or are there any letters to the family? More in hope than expectation, but you never know!!!! Delving back always needs creative ways of looking for things,sometimes in the most obvious places. Keep on and as all the others have said a great job.Well done mate. Regards Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frev Posted 5 April , 2005 Share Posted 5 April , 2005 The remaining three months? JOY! A reprieve! I couldn't have been paying attention - I thought the diary was finished NOW! HOORAY! Now, Jules, you get a good night's sleep so that you're fresh for the typing tomorrow! Night! Marina <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I must have been talking in the back row of class with you Marina! But then - it's also possible that Jules mislead us on purpose - just for a tease!? A lot can happen in 3 months - looking forward Jules. Frev. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pompeyrodney Posted 6 April , 2005 Author Share Posted 6 April , 2005 Hello all Whi knows frev and Marina, I may have been teasing you but I honestly thought you realised that there were 3 more months to go. The book it is in is even more difficult to read than the previous three I have deciphered so please give me time. I have not done any diary the last couple of days as i have been very busy but I will try to do some today. TTFN Regards Julian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marina Posted 6 April , 2005 Share Posted 6 April , 2005 Take your timer, Jules. I;m actually quite relaxed after the three more months discovery! Marina Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pompeyrodney Posted 6 April , 2005 Author Share Posted 6 April , 2005 Evening All 46th Instalment Tuesday September 19th 1916 Up at 9 o/c nothing doing today. Volunteered for the raiding party. Went over to D company in the morning. Things pretty quiet. We get a shell here now occasionally. Have to go to the line with fatigue parties tomorrow. Wednesday September 20th Awakened at 5 o/c, raining cats and dogs. 6 o/c parties cancelled by brigade H2. Just finished breakfast and got message that fatigue parties would carry on. Proceeded to the line, saw the men to their jobs in various parts; one of them being in the front line trench near to where Bue Kirkland is? Spent most of the time with him. The track up to the lines is in a frightful mess and it is a long tramp there and back. In camp 4.30. I have not been accepted for raiding party; and I am not at all sorry. Mr Evans is running it and left with the men for the training ground tonight. Frank Hickson now in command. Not much due to pressures of time and work, night all. Regards Julian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marina Posted 6 April , 2005 Share Posted 6 April , 2005 We'll regard this as an aperitif! Night, Jules Marina Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pompeyrodney Posted 7 April , 2005 Author Share Posted 7 April , 2005 Evening all and welcome to the next instalment 47th Instalment Thursday September 21st Up at 9 o/c. Nothing doing all day. Raining like fury. Have to paddle about wherever you go. A lot of returned wounded and sick reinforcements came in yesterday from England including Johnson, Geo? Peatery etc. Went to D company in afternoon. Mr Stevenson to tea and some had a game of bridge. Friday September 22nd Breakfast 8 o/c. Turned in again but would come round soon after that. Our new Brigadier, Brigadier General Anthill would be around very shortly. Got up in a devil of a hurry and got things straightened up. The warning caught us all in bed. Company orderly officer. The old boy however, did not turn up until after dinner about 1.30. I was introduced by Colonel Coulter. He asked me my job and went on at 2.30. All officers not on duty paraded at B H2 and he made a speech and congratulated all those who had won commissions from the ranks and told the reinforcement officers to consider themselves lucky to have commissions which I thought rather hard. Artillery pretty active this afternoon as a result of 2 Hun planes being overhead this morning. We however fired back with interest all we received. Bridge after tea. Night all Regards Julian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marina Posted 7 April , 2005 Share Posted 7 April , 2005 Artillery pretty active this afternoon as a result of 2 Hun planes being overhead this morning. We however fired back with interest all we received. Bridge after tea. Watched the Great War in Colour tonight - I could SEE John's Hun planes! Couldn't believe how low they flew! Night, Marina Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew P Posted 8 April , 2005 Share Posted 8 April , 2005 The poor 2nd Brigade now had 'Bull' Anthill as their Brigadier. Not a very popular man, especially to the men of his previous posting, the 3rd Light Horse Brigade. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marina Posted 8 April , 2005 Share Posted 8 April , 2005 What was the reason for his unpopularity, Andrew? Marina Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pompeyrodney Posted 8 April , 2005 Author Share Posted 8 April , 2005 Evening All 48th Instalment Saturday September 23rd Up fairly early this morning and roamed round in the morning. After dinner Matt Stevenson and I walked up to Ypres which is about two and a half miles from here. It is now an absolutely indescribable mass of ruins. Nowhere in the city, which has at one time evidently been one of considerable importance judging by its size, can there be found a building which has not been considerably damaged and in scores of places only heaps of bricks or stones and mortar etc are left. The red cathedral and the famous Cloth Hall are blown to atoms, also the Belgian barracks. A considerable number of troops are camped in cellars and tarpaulin covered wrecks of houses. In camp 4 o/c when we started to pay the company. Bridge after tea. Sunday September 24th Went over to D company and had a yarn with the boys before dinner and after dinner borrowed a bike from HQ and rode out to the battalion wagon lines via Dikkebus, about 10 miles there and back. Got some clothing a little better than I had. Back at 4.30. A short voluntary church service after tea. Very hard to get the boys to church here as they are working hard. About 10 o/c I was wanted on the phone by HQ and was told to proceed with 4 men to a one days bombing course at 4.30 in the morning. Alas that is all my fellow pals, please keep the comments coming as I love to hear your thoughts about John at war. Night all Regards Julian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pompeyrodney Posted 8 April , 2005 Author Share Posted 8 April , 2005 Dear Jules.Bad luck not finding any other stuff but if you are supposed to find it you will.Just a thought.Did John ever send any stuff back home as say a war correspondent or to any publications, or are there any letters to the family? More in hope than expectation, but you never know!!!! Delving back always needs creative ways of looking for things,sometimes in the most obvious places. Keep on and as all the others have said a great job.Well done mate. Regards Steve <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Hi Steve I have not as yet found any letters but I do have some magazines, one of which is called "From the Australian Front" and is dated XMAS 1917. It is quite good and contains 127 pages of photos most of which I have never seen before. When I have been through the rest of the stuff I have I will let you know what there is Steve. Regards Julian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marina Posted 8 April , 2005 Share Posted 8 April , 2005 Evening All What strikes me is that when he's away from the front, how free and easy everything seems to be - for example, he can cycle ten miles to get some uniform, or sit down to a game of bridge. I'm glad he can - but it does feel odd when you think that this is the battle of the Somme and what he was going through just the week before and what he will no doubt be going through next week. I think that image of him cycling through the countryside will say with me. Here are some of Frank Hurley's photos of Ypres, including one of the ruined Cloth Hall. http://www.greatwar.nl/ http://www.greatwar.nl/ http://www.greatwar.nl/ Carry on, Jules! Marina Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew P Posted 9 April , 2005 Share Posted 9 April , 2005 What was the reason for his unpopularity, Andrew? Marina <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Hi Marina He was never was a popular officer within the 3rd Light Horse Brigade since the Brigade's inception. From what has been written It seems his acerbic personality largely gave rise to his initial unpopularity. He also never seemed to work well with the Regimental Commanding Officers. This was excacerbated by his poor performance on Gallipoli as Brigade Major where many of the 3rd Light Horse Brigade blamed him for the continuation of the disastrous charge at the Nek by the 8th & 10th Light Horse Regiments. Fortunately for those in the 2nd Australian Infantry Brigade, his command was not a long one. The definitive history of the Nek deals with Antill. 'The Nek' by Peter Burness is a must read & John Hamilton also covers him in 'Goodbye Cobber God Bless You' Cheers Andrew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frev Posted 9 April , 2005 Share Posted 9 April , 2005 Yep - I bet you all those in the 2nd that new of Antill's reputation were very pleased when he was evacuated sick to England in November. It'll be interesting to see if John has any more contact with him in the next month - because he didn't even rate a mention in the Unit History. Thur Sept 14th ..... and Ia-fa--- covered shells of houses. Sat Sept 23rd ..... and tarpaulin covered wrecks of houses. Wed Sept 20th ..... near to where Bue Kirkland is? ...... Jules, the only Kirkland in the 8th arrived in France much later - so he had to be in another battalion (many of them & none with a name like this) - could Bue possibly be Blue - if so this would probably be a nickname (if he was a red-head). Thur Sept 21st Geo? Peatery - this was George PEATEY (mentioned Jul 26) Sun Sept 24th Dikkebus - this is actually spelt Dickebusch (according to my map) Imagine having to get up at 4.30 in the morning just to go to Bomb School - a battle I can understand - but school!! Cheers, Frev. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozzie Posted 9 April , 2005 Share Posted 9 April , 2005 I agree with Marina. He goes from life on the line, battling the elements to cycling around etc. I wonder if all the activity was so as not to sit and brood on what may have happened or what was to come? Reading this is like reading a novel, a bit of a cliff hanger waiting to see what happens. Thanks Jules Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marina Posted 9 April , 2005 Share Posted 9 April , 2005 Hi Marina Thanks, Andrew. He'd better not mess withpur John, that's all I can say! Marina Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GY402 Posted 9 April , 2005 Share Posted 9 April , 2005 At the risk of sounding a pedant, Marina, would he have been at the battle of the Somme if he was a short distance from Ypres, and Poperinge? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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