13th Oct. Wednesday.
Very cold day, N.E. wind. Large flocks of geese flying over as we were standing to arms 5-6 a.m. Gilholme1 got a commission and is posted to H.V. Had difficulty with T. Pitt over his appointment as Adjt. Got a mail, which was very disappointing as no letters from home, only a lot of letters enclosed from other people by P.D.’O.S.2 We have now been further amalgamated and are now the 2nd Regt. composed of remnants Herts, Westminsters, Bucks, Berks and Dorsets. The Berks consist of about 17 men! We are now up to about 90 counting machine gun. Cecil Bury3 and H. Daniell4 both returned but the latters feet are still very bad and he will have to go away. Reggie Smith5 had a temperature after having been seedy for some days but he would not give in. This will leave us with 4 Subalterns which is the right number now. Have now arranged that we stay in fire trenche 9 days then 3 in support. This afternoon heard rapid firing. Found one of our aeroplanes had come down very low over Turks trenches. It landed in Salt Lake. Reports vary as to whether it was hit.
14th Oct. Thursday.
Much colder. Amused myself by having shots at Turkish loopholes in trenches but strongly suspect they were closed and no one in them. Large flights of what I thought were geese, but one of the Lovat’s who thinks he knows says they are cranes. Dined with T. Pitt & Co. and drank Dick’s health. Reggie Smith5 went off to Hospital, and is bound for Alexandria, I believe.
15th Oct. Friday.
Had good mail in. Changed quarters to Lindsey Sap near “fire trenches” where I sleep with Hoare, Machine Gun Officer in Dorsets. Went down Lovat Sap to reconnoitre. Found I was getting rather old for the game. Cecil Bury3 went out to)night in that direction to find out what he could about Turk’s trenches. T.Pitt refused to let me go, much to my disappointment. C.B.3 took C. Whurr6 with him about 7.30 p.m. They got about 100 yds down track and found bullets were uncomfortably close. Apparently snipers were in ruined cottage I wanted them to go to. Australians had a bit of a “blatter” at 4 a.m. and Lovat’s at 11 p.m. so had rather a disturbed night.
16th Oct. Saturday.
Much warmer so decided to have a bathe which I had put off from day to day since coming in these trenches. It was lovely getting a complete change. The R.C. Chaplain has a dug out a chapel (?) just behind my dug-out. A German Aeroplane had a good luck at us. We fired a lot of rounds at it, but failed to bring it down. The Padre Pasham who buried Gurney7 came to lunch. Am messing while here with “A” Squadron. Awful Shock! At 7 p.m. had orders to clear out of trenches we were in and go up to our old lines beyond Tints Corner at 8.15. We had a most uncomfortable time getting to them as there is more water than ever. It appears the Heads suddenly realised the front trenches where Glosters, Warwicks and Worcesters men were too weak. Elwes, who commands there was awfully kind and so was Leslie Cheape who is the Adjt. and we dosed down fairly comfortably. I slept in Elwes dug-out and they gave us breakfast.
17th Oct. Sunday.
Went round front trenches with Charles Coventry. Here our trenches are about 130 yards from the Turks, it is much more exciting. We send up 6 or 7 posts there to-morrow. The Glosters had 2 men blown to bits there last week by the Turks Trench Mortar, so they were rather pleased to leave. There is an awful stench of dead men at the end of Worcesters line. There is a gully full of poor fellows. Suddenly had orders to stand to arms at 11.45 p.m. as Lovat’s were going for snipers post where I saw the Turk. They captured it and killed 20, but the Turks never counter attacked. They say they had no boots and were very starved. Unfortunately it poured with rain, so we all had a very uncomfortable night, especially myself as I had an attack of diarrhoea.
18th Oct. Monday
Wrote P.D.’O.S.8 Very quiet day after wet night. lines dried up well.. Took over night duty in half Worcester and Warwick lines. Could just do 7 posts (6 men) leaving 3 cooks and one servant over. Big flight of cranes over. Much firing down the line, at them, but no casualties. Had orders at 5 p.m. to clear out altogether out of lines below Dorset Sap to make room for Berks Yeomanry. So had to squash the men up among Warwicks and Worcesters, the Officers stayed where they were. Men took it very well but they do hate moving as they collect all sorts of private property. One man had 3 tortoises which I believe he takes everywhere and hopes to get back to Egypt where he lives. Worked hard on “dug-out” for Harry and Alf, but very hard rocky gravel to work on.
19th Oct. Tuesday.
Finished “dug-out” and am for the first time in really comfortable quarters. Gilholme1 and my new servant whom I took over from R. Smith5 is a treasure and takes a pride in making me comfortable. He is quite excited if he “finds” in my underclothing which I regret to say he does. He supplies me with “Trench Vermin Killer”, socks or anything else I want. A man was wounded in head to-day. He was looking over parapet. Marvellous to relate he seemed quite cheerful. Dr. says the bullet is still there. All the man said was “That was a d—-d good shot for the first one.” The Dr. says he will get all right. I slept and we dined in real comfort for the first time since I have been on Peninsula.
20th Oct. Wednesday.
After one really comfortable night in covered in dug-out had to leave it to make over trenches to Scottish Horse. Maddening! Marched out behind leading Unit Warwicks via Chocolate Hill about 8.15. Made myself very unpopular as I took the men a good deal out of the way, so as to be certain of having a good road. Arrived about 10 p.m. at trenches and tried to get in at the back of the Westminster lines which extended much further than I thought. Made men sit down while Gilholme1 (Adjt) and I went to find out why. The bullets were fizzing all round us but glad to say no one was hit. Eventually the exhausted men were got in all right. Had two rotten narrow shaves – one when Cecil Bury3 and I went in afternoon to see new trenches. We were coming back when a shell burst, I though over our heads, but it killed a man almost 15 yards off and a shrapnel bullet went into another man’s ammunition belt. The second I was standing by my new dug-out and a bullet went into the earth, a foot off my head.
Notes:
1 Edward Gilholme (1877 – 1950.) Served as Adjutant, 1st/1st Hertfordshire Yeomanry 14th October 1915 – 10th November 1916 after service as R.S.M. (W.O.I. 21st lancers, Served Egypt; Dardanelles.)
2 Phyllis D’Oyly Sheppard nee Noble, Edward’s wife.
3 Cecil Oliver Haigh Bury (16th November – 26th September 1967.) Appointed 2nd Lieutenant, Hertfordshire Yeomanry 2nd October 1912; Kieutenant 28th Novemebr 1916, with seniority 1st June 1916; captain 17th December 1917; resigned retaining rank 14th August 1920. Served 1st/1st Hertfordshire Yeomanry August 1914 – February 1919 in Egypt, Dardanelles, Western Desert & Mesopotamia.
4 Henry Charles Nugent Daniell (26th August 1869 – 13th July 1925.) Appointed 2nd Lieutenant, Hertfordshire Yeomanry 26th August 1914 after rpevious service with Hertfordshire Imperial Yeomanry. Served 1st/1st Hertfordshire Yeomanry August 1914 – May 1916 (Egypt, Dardanelles); 3rd/1st Hertfordshire Yeomanry May 1916 – February 1917; 6th Reserve Regiment of Cavalry February – November 1917.
5 Reginald Henry Macaulay Abel Smith (28th April 1890 – 12th March 1964.) Served 1st/1st Hertfordshire Yeomanry August 1914 – December 1915 (B Squadron – Egypt, Dardanelles);and August 1917 – March 1919 (commanding A Squadron – Egypt, Palastine M.C.); 2nd/1st Hertfordshire Yeomanry January – July 1917 (Adjutant 31st January – 11th July 1917); and 3rd/1st Hertfordshire Yeomanry January – December 1916.
6 Charles E. Whurr appointed 2nd Lieutenant, Hertfordshire 15th December 1917 after service in the ranks. Served 1st/1st Hertfordshire Yeomanry – Egypt, Dardanelles. 6th Reserve Regiment of Cavalry January – April 1918; 1st/1st Hertfordshire Yeomanry June – July 1918 (D Squadron – Mesopotania)
7 Major Samuel Gurney Sheppard (23rd March 1865 – 21st August 1915) Killed in action 21st August 1915 in attack on Chocolate Hill, Gallipoli. He had been raised to temporary Lt/Col when he replaced Lt/Co Harrison. He was Edward’s eldest brother.
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