Allsop Diary

[Top Left] 1916 [Centre] 4th Month - 30 Days [Top Right] April

bags together for roof of dug out. Altogether the dug out would displace about 60 tons of sand. Not yet paid. Last pay day on board ship 5/12/15. Hair cut with small scissors. Our Camel Corps sighted Turkish scouts (12). Message sent to our Head Quarters. Only 3 miles out. Tuesday 28th. Dec 1915 3 letters from home 2 " " Nell Nothing of any importance. Indian Patrol reported having sighted Turkish outposts. Wednesday 29th. Dec 1915 More signs of enemy scouts. Horse marks in sand only half a mile out. In morning 10 am alarm whistle blew and tents had to be dropped immediately. Tent fell on me and it took some time to crawl out amidst the laughter of my pals. Major Hockley congratulated

[Top Left] May [Centre] 5th Month - 31 Days [Top Right] 1916 in the smart way we dropped tents, put on equipment & manned the trenches. It was all done in 1/2 a minute. 3 Turkish Armies only 10 miles out from us. 37 New Aeroplanes arrived at Ismailia for raid on enemy camps. Hand Grenade & Bomb Factory in Ismailia manned chiefly by Indians. Jam tin bombs are made out of ordinary Jam tins with a stick of Gelignite and a number of rectangular pieces of iron inside, ranging from 50 to 150 pieces. Colonel Tibby & Lt Col Clarke (Eng Officer lent to Aust. as second in Command) arrived on horseback and the first thing they inspected was our dug out. They fully expected to hear that we had been attacked & were quite surprised to hear

[Top Left] 1916 [Centre] 6th Month - 30 Days [Top Right] June that no engagement had taken place. An English General with his Cavalry Corps has taken up a position a mile to the rear of us. This General was to have been here to [Illegible] but our Colonels came in without him. It is understood that the General was sore after his long ride so he stayed with his cavalary. Towards evening important news ame to hand. All guards & sentries were doubled and sent out earlier than usual. Strict instructions were given by the Major. Shortky after the sentries had manned the trenches at spaces of about 7 or 8 ft. betueen men, I heard an order ring out. "No. 3 Face outwards & load your rifles". Shortly after going to bed we heard a few sharp shouts "Halt" delivered by the Indians.

[Top Left] July [Centre] 7th Month - 31 Days [Top Right] 1916 It was only one of our own men. Thursday 30th. Dec 1915 We heard that a little further down the Canal there has been a brush between New Zealanders Indians & the Enemy. A few casualties resulted. One man to be bought up for being asleep whilst on Sentry. Max penalty is death but somehow we dont think it will be enforced. The punishent is something we are anxiously waiting to hear of. Camel Corps & Mountain Battery returning to Ismailia today. Infantry being relieved on Monday but we 12 want to stay until the scrap comes. Plan of camp 10 miles from canal.

[ SKETCH OF CAMP AREA ]

[Top Left] 1916 [Centre] 8th Month - 31 Days [Top Right] August Bird Cages are circular dug outs about 30 ft in diameter and may contain 1 officer 4 nco's & 28 men. Heard experiences of Tickinkana the Indian in South African War under Col. Kitson (4th. in Command in France) when he ( the Indian ) was shot through the head. The mark is still there. Two companies of Inf. marched out 2 miles feeling for the enemy scouts & the Captain asked if any others would like to go. I volunteered so out we went. I doubt if any Aust. had ever been out so far before. We didn't see any of the enemy but our first casualty in the field was a chap with a dislocated knee. Capt. North soon put it right & the Corp rode back on the Majors horse. The penalty awarded to the sentry who went to sleep was "extra fatigue work".