18th January 1915

Artillery on exercise at the Mena training grounds, 1915.
[Courtesy of National Library of Australia]

 

Mena Camp

Monday January 18 1915 

It came out in orders this morning about our reductions and I am down as a gunner so now I will get a chance to learn something now and the Corporal this morning put me on wheel driving of the Firing Battery Wagon so I did today as wheel driver.  Tomorrow I am on cooks mate.  It is a big pill to swallow but a man might just do it cheerfully and make the best of it.  It was very funny last Friday I took wheel driver voluntary just for the fun of it and today I had to take it weather I liked it or not.  There has been a reorganisation of the Battery.  The Sergeant of A sup who threw his stripes in got transferred to the Amm. Column.  The Sergeant of D sup got put over as a Sgt of Amm Column so now there has been a good deal of alteration.  The Corpl. who was acting as Sgt of C is now Sgt of D sup.  A Cpl of B sup. is Sgt of C sup.  The Sgt of C sup. is now Sgt of A. sup. and a Cpl of A sup. is now Sgt of B sup. and one of our gunners of D has been sent over to C. and we have got two more gunners sent over from other subs. and in the other subs. there has been changes too in the gunners.  Our drivers have been changed about.  Well its hard I am cooks mate tomorrow and the cook is the only man I have put under arrest when I had a stripe so he will rub it in for me now although I was perfectly in the right for he went over the odds so I had to do it.  OK so I lived before I got the stripe and will still live after I have lost it.  We will be doing some firing this week if all goes well.  There is just one thing now and that is my Transfer to the Light Horse.  The sooner it comes the better.  I have now to wright to the bank and let them know about the payment.  I am getting six bob a day and before I was getting 8/6 per day.

Monday 18th January

At manoeuvre area all day. Working on tactical scheme. Enemy occupying villages near Pyramids, our Artillery cooperating with 1st Infantry Brigade. Very useful day. Gun layers being tested. All men and horses absolutely white on return to camp, from dust of area and road.

Went into town at 4 PM with Gunner Benson. Made arrangements for sketching blocks for units, water colours and blocks.

Called at Davies Bryan and got British warm, also made enquiries re Kiwi polishes. Had evening meal in Grill room of Continental Hotel with Benson. Reached camp at 9.30PM.

[Courtesy of State Library of New South Wales - Sir Charles Rosenthal diary]