Diary of a World War 1 Soldier

Vermelles France. Ruins of the village.

December 1.
We moved into a “Nissen” hut today as our hut was too small to work, sleep and live in. Very cold and icicles are everywhere. (Nissen huts were compact huts that when dismantled could be fitted into a 3 tonne truck and quickly assembled in a couple of hours in the field. Structurally they were very versatile and they were extensively used in World War 2 and later. The Australian Army used Nissen huts rather than the Armstrong.)
December 2.
Same old routine, lovely weather for ducks etc. Nothing much doing.
December 3.
Had a letter from Ron. Am writing this at 7.15am with a receiver on my ear. (As the winter progressed the fighting eased off and the army was able to improve the conditions for the troops with improved transport, rest areas where they could bathe, entertainment and better food.)
December 4.
Had a letter from Linton today. He is still at Tidworth and having a good time. Weather is very cold and wet.
December 5.
Very quiet.
December 6.
Very quiet these few days, had 10 letters from home.
December 7.
Sent a cable home today asking for £15 to be sent to the Commonwealth Bank, London for use when I go on leave which I expect to do in a month or so. Very wet and cold today.
December 8.
I had a couple of letters from England and also some from Australia. Nothing else of note happened.

Ypres, ruins after the fighting - Butter Street.

December 9.
Roumanians are getting beaten badly, (Roumania entered the war on August 27 on the side of the Allies.) . Have a bad cold. Was knocked rotten by a High Explosive shell this afternoon. Came back to this world in the bottom of a shell hole. “Clicked” for a piece in the leg. (A piece of the shell fragments entered his leg.) Luckily we have a F.D.S. (Field Dressing Station) near where I had it dressed. It’s feeling very sore. (The other diary only mentioned that nothing much happened today).
December 10.
Same old routine as usual today. Weather very much on the ??. It’s a “S’lovely” war. Found myself with a “gammy” leg, a poisoned hand and a beautiful cold this morning. Felt in great spirits too. Remained in bed on the floor all day. Do not want to go to hospital if I can help it. Another man came down from Headquarters during the day.
December 11.
My hand and foot still pretty bad. Weather not as cold as the last few days but still very wet. Some papers from home reached me today. Otherwise things very quiet.

Vermelles, German trenches destroyed by Allied bombardment

December 12.
Had three papers from Home today. A “Tribune” and “a yes”. Fritz shelled us today.
December 13.
Nothing much doing today. Weather improving.
December 14.
Rained in morning and had a fall of snow in afternoon. Germany is talking of peace proposals. What hopes! (On 12 December Germany offered a “Peace” notice to the Allies.)
December 15.
French are stirring things up near Verdun, on our own position on the front things are fairly quiet. Our own artillery are giving Fritz a Hell of a time. We are on the extreme left of the French whose 75s (artillery) are going day and night.
December 16.
Germany is not getting much satisfaction out of her peace proposal. Word came through on the wire (telephone) that the French had taken 5000 prisoners, numerous guns and 3 villages.
December 17.
French gains around Verdun further increased. Total of prisoners now 7,600 and 85 guns. Weather very wet and cold. Had letters and cards from home in morning. We are moving back for a spell in a few days. Will spend Christmas in comparative peace.

Vermelles, ruined chateau.
December 18.
Nothing doing today. When we aren’t busy we keep the phones off the rests and listen to the shells coming over. It is surprising how distinctively they can be heard on a telephone. Was speaking to the civil exchange at Amiens earlier this evening, the girl on duty could not speak English and I had a devil of a job trying to make her “compre” what I wanted. Every day we post up a collection of war news and men from all parts come in to where the blue and white flag flies to learn how the war is progressing.
December 19.
Same routine as usual. We say goodbye to Cosy Corner in a few days. (This was the name given to the camp at Maricourt). The mud is something frightful, I haven’t had a bath for ages and I could do with a hair cut and a shave too. It takes me all my time to wash myself with one hand.
December 20.
Joyful news, we leave here in the (tomorrow) morning for Ribemont where we will spend Christmas and further go on to Vignacourt. The 2nd Division advanced guard came in this afternoon. Fritz shelled us heavily all day. All our (telephone ) lines are down. We managed to get them repaired in time for the evening despatch. Was speaking to adjutant later on, he told me that we would be recommended for the afternoon’s work.

Christmas card sent home by the AIF troops.
December 21.
We left the ‘appy ‘ome in cold and rain and marched back to Fricourt which was reached at 2pm. The road was inches deep in sticky mud. Felt very weary by the time we got to Fricourt. Caught a motor lorry from here to Ribemont. Fell fast asleep during the journey. Met Frank Parnell at the Signals Office.
December 22.
On duty at 8am today, weather fair but rather cold. Things are very quiet here after Cosy Corner. Had a long yarn to some of the Corps. The Company came out with only 4 wounded and one case of shell shock.
December 23.
On night duty. During the afternoon Ray Hancock and myself went over to Dernacourt to see some pals. All are making great preparations for Christmas. We are going to have some spread.

Inside of Christmas Card.
December 24.
Christmas Eve I wonder where I shall spend it. (This was written in a different ink to what has been used over the last few months, It was printed which he was occasionally doing early in the year and this type of ink was only used in March.) Big bombardment on all day, Fritz is getting his Christmas presents. It is the strangest Christmas Eve I have ever spent. I wonder where I will spend the next.
December 25.
Christmas Day and some Christmas Day too. Four of us had six plum puddings between us. Had to go to bed to sleep it off. Wrote some letters afterwards. I hope and trust that I will spend next Christmas at Home.
December 26.
Please note this!! I had my first bath in six weeks today. We marched over to Heilly in the rain to have it. Felt very young and fresh afterwards. My jaw is feeling very sore again. Suppose I shall have to go to Hospital with it and have it operated on again.

Christmas Decorations 1916 Ribemont.
December 27.
Things are fairly quiet just at present. We have practically no work to do and no where to go. We spend most of our spare time, of which we have a considerable amount of, in a restaurant drinking “Café au Lait” and strong chocolate.
December 28.
Nothing doing today. Weather very cold though not very wet. My face is very sore and I will go to the doctor in the morning and see what he has to say. Still at Ribemont and will be here for some days yet.
December 29.
Went to the Doctors today and spent a good hour with the worthy gentleman who thoroughly examined me. He told me that my jaw was fractured and would have to be operated on. Left for Casualty Clearing Station in ambulance at 2.30pm. Reached Balmoul?? Farm (C.C.S.) at 4pm. Just before leaving a parcel from home reached me but I had to leave most of it behind me. Am writing this sitting up in bed with a huge bandage around my head. Do not know how long I shall remain here but do not think it will be too long.
December 30.
Still here in Clearing Station. As soon as a hospital train comes in we are being evacuated to a General Hospital. Its “Bon” being in hospital though my face is still sore.
December 31.
We left the C.C.S. for another C.C.S. at Heilly. (He seems to be moved around in a small area as all the places mentioned above are close to each other. Not known which C.C.S. he was sent to, some were not located in the village of Heilly. Heilly Station, situated at Mericourt-l'Abbe, just north of the River Somme, and about 6 miles south-west of Albert. In July 1916, during the first days of the Battle of the Somme, the CCSs at Heilly were closest to the battlefield, but the last on the route taken by ambulance trains on their journey taking casualties back to hospital. They admitted thousands of men during those first few days, but the shortage of trains meant that no casualties could be evacuated for more than 72 hours. During that time, the death toll at Heilly was so great, that to save both time and space, men were often buried on top of each other, three to a grave. As there was so little room on each headstone for three names, the regimental badges of the soldiers had to be omitted, and instead the insignia of 117 separate units are incorporated into a cloister and screen wall at one end of the cemetery. There were up to 4 C.C.S situated here, some were quite extensive hospitals.)
Reached there just on tea-time. Rather a big place here, hundreds of wounded and trench foot casualities came in which we were having our needs attended to after tea. I was put to bed and felt as sick as a dog and didn’t care what happened to me. New Year’s Eve and what a way to spend it. I wonder under what circumstances I should spend the next one. I hope that it is at home.

Trip to see Willow

 

It was time for a trip down south to see Willow again. The last time we saw her it was a very miserable and teary girl we left on Newcastle Railway station when we caught the train back to Sydney and on to Malaysia.

It was the night flight from Darwin to Sydney, arriving there a little early due to some good tail winds. The flight was no better or worse than other trips down, the plane left on time and it was not until we were nearing Sydney that any sign of life could be seen below. Closer to Sydney the roads were already quite busy even though it was not yet 6am. By the time we had landed the airport was quite busy with 3 planes following behind us and several had already taken off.

After collecting our luggage and having a quick breakfast the next move was down to the railway station by the lift and to catch the next train into Sydney then on to Newcastle. The first train to arrive was one of the newer double deck trains. A short walk bought us to the Newcastle train which was showing its age and lack of cleaners even though it was one of the double deck carriages. It was a smooth ride out through the suburbs then through the hilly country to the north over some rivers and through several tunnels. For a while the train line followed the estuary of the Hawkesbury River and its extensive oysters farms.

Arriving at the outskirts of Newcastle we changed trains as the Newcastle train only stops at the main stations due to its length. After catching up with Christine and Mark and lunch at the local shopping Centre it was off to Cessnock. After a couple of hours it was time to drop into the child care centre where Willow was and she was not aware that we were coming down. There was initially a surprised look then she rushed over with a big happy grin for a cuddle. And that night she was delighted to have a new bed time story reader and some one else to order around to get her milk!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For the Friday we had a quiet day at Christine's place as it was very overcast and threatening to rain but it did not, though further north there were some heavy storms. The local supermarkets were checked out as we needed to obtain some foods for the next few days. Both Coles and Woolworths are here and the 2 shopping centres are next door to each other with ample parking.

 

Homework time?	Some one was soo tired there was no room for dinner.

On the Monday which was a public holiday, we visited the markets at Wollombi which is only held when there is a long weekend. It is a small town dating back to the 19^th C when the area was opened up. Most of the items for sale were those items which your grandfather would have had in the shed down the back plus piles of old cups and plates, many in very good condition and plenty of bric a brac ranging from the interesting to 'is it really worth that?!' But we purchased nothing, only Christine did.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dance time at home	Did you know blue is my favourite colour?

 

Another trip was made out to the Hunter Valley Gardens which is in the Pokolbin area which is one of the better wine growing areas in Australia. A few vineyards are up for sale with the asking price of well over a million++. The Gardens feature a number of stores and restaurants and it is a popular site for weddings with its own chapel situated in the rose garden. While it was now winter time there were a few trees with some of their autumn leaves still hanging on and others had their spring buds already forming. This time it was nice and sunny, a lot different from our previous visit 12 months ago when it was raining. Lunch was very good with a Ploughman's Lunch and pancakes and cream. The store also had some  interesting signs.

 

The Rotunda and park area beside some of the shops	Front of the shops
Some of the signs

Other popular stores here was the British Lolly shop with its wide range of mainly boiled lollies and the Chocolate shop with a wide range of chocolates.

On the following Sunday we visited the Richmond Vale Railway and Mining Museum which has an operating steam train. Originally this was the centre of the J & A Brown coalfields and the mine at Richmond Vale was very extensive with the workshops, coal washing and mine winding buildings and power station. Most of it still remains though the buildings at the other mine site at Pelaw Main were destroyed when the company closed down some 40 years ago. There is one restored locomotive from the J Brown fleet which does the run to Pelaw Main. The line was only used to transport workers to and from the mine at Richmond Vale as it was the only mine in this area which did not have a worker village attached. After a ride in the train we had a guided tour over the site.

 

Just outside Cessnock is the Potters Brewery which is a large restaurant and a brewery and they brew a wide range of beers and ginger beers. The meals here are very good with a reasonable array available and warming for the cold night. Some one had been good so she had a good time with a chocolate coated ice cream.

 

Eventually it was time to return back to Darwin so after picking Willow up from Child Care  M. drove us all to the Newcastle  Railway Station where the Sydney train soon arrived, it was one of the newer double deckers and quite clean. Soon after its arrival the smaller train   going north left. Willow was not happy for us to be going and she had to stay behind. Pleeeasee!! We were soon off on the three hour run back to Sydney  and the further south we went the wetter it became but by the time we pulled into Central Station the rain had stopped. We joined the peak hour rush going home by catching the train that stopped at the Domestic Airport Terminal and then through Departures and Security to the Transit area for a meal. Have eaten better.

 

The flight back was uneventful though there was a strong headwind which delayed our arrival in Darwin by 30 minutes so we reached there at 1.30am then it was home to bed and a dryish looking garden.

WONG FAMILY TREE (Part 14)

Photos of old Kedah and Alor Setar.

St. Annes with Feast of St Anne’s around 1960	Merdeka. Arch erected by Ceylonese/Sri Lanka people.
		A birds eye view of the same area as photo on the left. Taken from the clock tower looking south down Pekan Melayu. The F+N signboard is near where the structure was erected.
Merdeka 1957 Arch erected by the Alor Setar Chinese	near the Zahir Mosque
Bailey Bridge to replace bridge bombed by British and Japanese	Bridge Alor Setar
HH The Rajah Muda and Tomgkees returning to Kedah cir 1900	Prince Necorn Sawan Paribatras departs from Kedah 1901
River trade	The Sultan’s Music Hall, the Balai Nobat c1931
Alor Setar General Post Office postcard cancelled 1932.	Alor Setar Post Office established 1907 photo cir 1922
Mosque Zahir State Mosque built 1912. cir 1930	Merbon river and Kedah Peak. 1910 and the country seat of the Sultan
The Sultan of Kedah, Abdul Hamid Hutim Shah	Kedah Clock tower and Mosque cir 1924	The Sultan’s Music Hall
Alor Setar 1989	Alor Setar 1989
Bullock cart 1947	Waterfront dwellings Port Weld 1947
Alor Setar railway station cir 1960s?	Older Malay style houses.
Rubber tapping	Alor Setar from the air.

Alor Setar 2009

Alor Setar 2013 Masjid Zahir
Alor Setar 2013 First day of CNY

Either Church or School Excursion, several relations in the photo.

From British Pathe newsreels.©

British troops	Kedah to	Siam 1942
Alor Star mosque	Trucks on the road.
Sign post to Siam		Through rubber plantations
	Thai border	Border control post
Preparing boats	Crossing river in Thailand
Japanese bombing of	Kuala Lumpur 1942
Japanese surrender	Sugani Petani 1945
Japanese soldiers approaching parade ground	Surrendered Japanese swords	March past after surrender by Japanese soldiers
Japanese soldiers saluting the Union Jack.
Japanese surrender	Penang 1945
Penang harbour from british warship	Troops disembarking	Surrendered Japanese soldiers
Raising the Union Jack	Japanese POW	Troops at the dock
Penang crowds welcoming the allied troops	Procession through town	Surrender at the airport?
Japanese Rice sent to Malaya	1947
Penang, rice being transported on funicular railway.	Unloading bagged rice
Communist Uprising 1947
Malaysian floods 1955
General Templar arrives in	Malaya 1955.
Independence Celebrations	Kuala Lumpur 1957
Official guests		British representatives
	Flag raising	Stadium
Malaysian King visits	Penang 1958
Alor Setar Railway station

Alor Setar Railway Station	Alor Setar Empire cinema.
Alor Setar old bridge.	Alor Setar old Wednesday market Pekan Rebu.
Pekan Rebu 2012 looking towards police HQ	Alor Setar, above view in Dec 2012,
Old Kedah Fort.	Procession/ celebration.

View over old Kuala Lumpur	Railway bridge Kuala Lumpur
Curing rubber	Plantation workers.
Rubber plantations	Rubber plantations workers.
Tin dredging.	Mining

Victory Parade end of WW2	Japanese officials
Japanese troops Malaya	Japanese guard of honour.

Ships unknown port in Malaya	Penang harbour
Penang harbour
Penang gowdowns	Railway cutting Batu Caves.

Penang
	Sailing boat Penang