5th December 1915

Kephalos Harbour on Imbros, November or December 1915.

[Courtesy of Google Cultural Institute]

Sunday 5th Dec

This morning Eltham & I got busy & I marked cases & we managed to get transport down to the wharf. I spent the day getting final matters fixed up & we intended to move things early next day to get aboard if possible. To our surprise the Trawler who had left in the morning came back without taking off any of the cases sent over. Things looked blue for us to get ours away in view of this. We concocted a scheme to try & work ours in on the same boat & to move them early in the morning. I took first watch till about 1 am & instructed Eltham to wake me at 3.45. This he did & we bustled all our stores aboard before any one was moving.

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

5

(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]

5.12.15

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

0850 Enemy gun from OLIVE GROVE Right section fired a few rounds towards Beach.

0930 Large number of Enemy observed Square 48-M-4-5.

1020 Enemy working party 68-R-3 dispersed by 8th Bty.

1130 A large party of enemy horsemen moving Square 48-M-4-5.

1145 Enemy gun from OLIVE GROVE fired a on Beach.  Unlocated.  9th Bty retaliated on enemy Trenches East of GABA TEPE.

1210 Enemy gun unlocated from the direction of CEMENT EMPLACEMENTS fired towards 8th Bty.

1350 Two unlocated enemy guns from OLIVE GROVE in vicinity of Square 56-Q-4 fired towards Beach, and another gun sounding to be heavier than usual fired from the direction of Square 56-W-1 ASMAK HOWITZER.  The gun which fired at 1210 again fired two rounds at 8th Bty.  8th and 9th Btys engaged OLIVE GROVE.

1510 Our Heavy Bty fired on Square 48-M-4-5.

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

1671 Driver James McKenzie
(7th Battery, 3rd Field Artillery Brigade)

Since writing the first part of this letter I have to inform you that quite a number of Ipswich volunteers are here in Heliopolis. Jack Mannion out of the railway moulding shop and H. J. Woodford, from Booval, have just joined up with their unit, the 2nd Light Horse, 1st contingent. Mannion was badly wounded, and is down for light duty in Egypt, but he states that he is trying to get away with the next draft. R. Mulvihill, Sergt. Alf. Perrett and Richmond, are here, also Sergt. Turley. I have much pleasure in telling you your son (driver B. J. Barker), has been further promoted to Corporal. We are trying to get all the Ipswich volunteers together to be photographed at the Pyramids next Sunday, as we have found another in young "Charlie" Sharp, of Bundanba.

Published in the Queensland Times, on the 1st February 1916.

[Courtesy of National Library of Australia - TROVE]