23rd October 1915

The only canteen at Anzac, established by the YMCA near the tents on the right, photographed

in October 1915 - Will Sparkes repeatedly took advantage of their wares (below).

[Courtesy of Australian War Memorial - G01136]

Saturday 23^rd

It fined up to-day a little but still it was overcast & windy. Had a trip to Ordnance & saw Owens of YMCA who run a Canteen Store with goods from Embross Isld. He makes trip to & fro every week. A big crowd was there but I managed to get inside knowing Owens & secured some cakes & tin fish are delicious quite in this region. Going along the beach to Supply about Sundown “Beachy" opened up on our party & sent several shells at us. There was a scramble for shelter on the high banks & we had to hide there for some little time & then venture forth one at a time. It was the number together that attracted the shelling & luckily no one was hit. The scramble on top of my tea rather interfered with my digestion. I saw Captn Brunditt a Brisbane chap I knew well to-day. He is with the 5th Light Horse. Our rations are now wonderfully improved. We get fresh meat & Bread almost every day or two & I often wonder if it is too good to last.

A ration of wood 1 lb per man at present a daily occurrence whereas before we were lucky to get any. There was occasionally an issue about once a month. All the wood has to be brought in as this country is devoid of trees. It is all undergrowth & brushwood holly etc. There was such a scarcity of fuel that we had to resort to grubbing out roots of the shrubs & burn them with the aid of a little piece off a case the rations arrive in.

The other day I managed to secure a few eggs & as our cooks had erected an oven made up a bread pudding – one of my old favourites.

Very cold to-day.

[Courtesy of State Library of New South Wales - William Sparkes diary]

23

(Captain Alan Percy Crisp, temporary O/C 7^th Battery)

The Battery did not fire.

[Courtesy of Australian War Memorial - Official unit war diary, 7th Battery]

23.10.15

(Major Francis Augustus Hughes, temporary O/C 3rd Field Artillery Brigade)

1040 Heavy and 9th.Batteries firing on WINE GLASS RIDGE no retaliation.

1330 Considerable amount of movement in SQ.38-R--

1340 Mule Transport going North behind WINE GLASS RIDGE.

1350 Party of men working on trench East from WINE GLASS

1717 75.m.m. gun from direction of SCRUBBY KNOLL firing into ALLAH GULLY.

1725 Gun from OLIVE GROVE RT.SEC. firing towards BEACH.

[Courtesy of Australian War Memorial - Official unit war diary, 3rd Field Artillery Brigade]