E A Milward

[Guest KevinEndon]

Tue 18th January 1916.

Still felt unwell. Nice weather. Stomach pains. Bayonet, sword and rifle inspection.

[wilkokcl]

I've somehow managed to miss this thread until now - thanks for sharing it with us (and i'll now follow it's progress closely!)

Mark

[Guest KevinEndon]

Spread the word Mark, glad you are enjoying it.

[Guest KevinEndon]

Wed 19th January 1916.

Parade cancelled 09:30 alarm sounded was in bed ill but went on parade saw Major who let me come back to tent was sick and saw doctor. 2 pills.

[Guest KevinEndon]

Double entry tomorrow due to being absent from my computer on Sunday. I am going up to Glasgow to see Celtic take another step closer to winning the league and meeting Derek Robertson in Gretna on my route North.

Kevin

[Guest KevinEndon]

As promised here are two days of diary entries.

Thurs 20th January 1916.

In bed all day, no food. Still pains in body. Saw R.A.M.C. man 1 pill no better. Pay day.

Fri 21st January 1916.

Reveille 05.30. Stand to etc as usual. No better in bed again all day. Troops went to salt lake around 20 miles.

More again Monday.

[Guest KevinEndon]

Sat 22nd January 1916.

Parade exercise got up and did light duty but still felt unwell, football no1 troop 3 no 4 troop 2.

This just goes to show the joys of r&r when a soldier places a football match result in his diary.

What gets me is...... how many people in the world know that no1 troop no 4 troop 3-2 on the 22nd January 1916.

[Guest KevinEndon]

Sun 23rd January 1916.

Exercise only stayed in. Easy day, owing to move. On piquet tomorrow at night

[Guest KevinEndon]

Being tommorow is another date here is the memo from the last week

Memo.

Had a good time at Gabali, sorry to have to move to Reg. Headquarters at Abu Ganda.

Again if words are in bold the correct spelling or confirmation it is correct will be much appreciated.

Kevin.

[stevenbecker]

Mate,

I again place this as per Chris bit on this Regt on the front of the site.

"10 January 1916

HQ and B and C Squadrons moved to "Abu Gandir", D to "Kasr el Gebazi". (In this period there is much route marching, patrolling, etc. On 30 January, the regiment is inspected by Major General W.E. Peyton). Returned to Deir al Azab on 7 February".

I think the "Gabali" is Gebazi and "Abu Ganda" is Abu Gandir.

But I am open to being incorrect.

Cheers

S.B

[Guest KevinEndon]

Many thanks Steve, although I have searched for the thread you mention I could not find it. Could you post a direct link to it please.

Edit, I have found the thread in the long lost trail. I will aggree with you on the place names. I can see the letters in the diary now I know what I am looking for.

Here is todays episode in the life of E A Milward.

Mon 24th January 1916.

Breakfast 06:30 Stables and parade marching order 10am to be relieved by B squad who came late, led pack horse. Passed two of Camel Corps native.

[Rodge Dowson]

Thanks for sharing this wonderful collection, might I add though some acid free sleeves and acid free archive boxes would be much better to store the items in. This will help conserve them. They are not cheap but worth it, several companies including P.E.L. have online cats to purchase from. Thanks again - some really interesting items.

Rodge

[Guest KevinEndon]

Thanks Rodge for your reply, I am getting everything in order then the lot may go to a museum, which one has not been decided yet.

Tue 25th January 1916.

Reveille 05:30 stand to 05:40. Exercised horses on blankets. Inspection of all arms 12 noon easy day but wet and cold. In tents very good.

[Guest KevinEndon]

Very short entry today, never mind here it is.

Wed 26th January 1916.

Reveille 05:30 stand to 05:45. Squadron drill 08:45 with drawn swords.

[Guest KevinEndon]

Could this be one of the last parades Col Clowes was on before he died.

Thurs 27th January 1916.

B and D Squads parade under Col Clowes. Ceremonial parade followed by squadron drill. Pretty hot in desert.

[stevenbecker]

Mate,

I show he died in March 1916 (8th March 1916) in Cairo.

I surpose you mean he was sent to hosp around this time (Jan/Feb 1916) and never came out?

S.B

[Guest KevinEndon]

Milward and co didn't get the news of Col Clowes death until the 9th March. No details of what killed him though.

Todays post talks of a General comming to inspect the troops, can any pal guess which General it is, his name will be announced soon.

Fri 28th January 1916.

Exercise on blankets. General arms inspection also saddlery. Prepared for General next day.

[stevenbecker]

Mate,

See this;

"10 January 1916

HQ and B and C Squadrons moved to "Abu Gandir", D to "Kasr el Gebazi". (In this period there is much route marching, patrolling, etc.

On 30 January, the regiment is inspected by Major General W.E. Peyton). Returned to Deir al Azab on 7 February".

So General Peyton is your man.

As to Col Clowes he must have DoD, possibly some bug picked up in the desert,

I show soldiers dieing in Jan 1916 in Egypt from Enteric, Meningitis and Pheumonia as the main causes.

S.B

[Guest KevinEndon]

You know too much Steve lol. Hope you are finding these informative and interesting.

Sat 29th January 1916.

General inspection cancelled for a day, paraded under Col Davenport, general salute march past etc. Scheme on desert. I held lead horses.

[Guest KevinEndon]

I will be downloading some photos/postcards tomorrow of Mena camp, the pyramids and a few of Cairo, all of which are in perfect condition within an album which was in the box.

[Guest KevinEndon]

Sun 30th January. 1916.

Big days work Gen. Peyton inspected gallop past. Open order attack dismount action gallop away with sect horses. Aeroplane goes up 2,000 feet as a test, hardly see it.

What a contrast to today, when was the last time you entered in your diary seeing an aeroplane in the sky.

[Guest KevinEndon]

Mena Camp 1916

[Guest KevinEndon]

E A Milward is second in from left back row.

[Stebie9173]

Lt. Colonel Clowes has a Times obituary that states his cause of death.

Times 10-3-1916

Steve.

[Guest KevinEndon]

Brilliant Steve many thanks. When we read E A Milwards diary he quotes he has drunk dirty canal water.

Taken from post number 32. The water at the Brigade camp was Nile canal water, The Nile at its best is filthy to start with. That which we had, had sluggishly passed along miles of artificial canals which also took all drainage and such effluent as found its free way back to the canals. Beasts swam in it, natives bathed in it, animals and birds drowned in it and we drank it. We drank it, that is, after it had been forced through canvas and choride of lime added, to make an almost saturated solution. We had a mugful of this per day and if we could see the bottom of the mug when half full we were doing very well.

Is it any wonder Lt. Col Clowes of typhoid fever.

Here is what Lt. Col Clowes must have suffered, taken from the online doctor.

What causes typhoid fever and paratyphoid fever?

Typhoid fever is caused by an infection with the bacterium Salmonella typhi, which is only found in humans and may lead to serious illness.

When the bacterium passes down to the bowel, it penetrates through the intestinal mucosa (lining) to the underlying tissue.

If the immune system is unable to stop the infection here, the bacterium will multiply and then spread to the bloodstream, after which the first signs of disease are observed in the form of fever.

The bacterium penetrates further to the bone marrow, liver and bile ducts, from which bacteria are excreted into the bowel contents.

In the second phase of the disease the bacterium penetrates the immune tissue of the small intestine, and the often violent small-bowel symptoms begin.

What a way to die.