The diary transcript
A Transcript of the Diary of Sgt Albert W. Bishop, IW Rifles, Gallipoli, 1915
Monday Aug 9th
Left Lemnos 4pm on patrol boat. Arrived Imbross 9pm. Slept on deck. Heard guns in action.
Tuesday Aug 10th
Very hot. A lot of troops going over. Left 12.30. Landed at Suvla Bay at 5pm. Battleships shelling forts. Very hot fighting. Took up a position 1 mile inland. Shells passing us from ships. Aeroplane duel at 7.30pm both lost in clouds. 9.30pm advanced 2 miles and stopped the night.
Wednesday Aug 11th
4am advanced 1 ½ miles and dug ourselves in. Enemy shelled us. Gun trenches finished. Very hot. Under rifle fire. Boys took it very well. No casualties. Several aeroplanes came over and were fired at. Very cold at night.
Thursday Aug 12th
In the trenches firing all night. 4am improved our trench before sun got too high. Very thirsty, would give anything for a drink of water. Very uncomfortable. Shells from our ships going over us one way and Turkish shells the other. We have orders to advance at 4 oc and take a large hill. 3.30 just getting ready, so good-bye. I wonder how the choir outing is getting on.
Friday Aug 13th
Wounded in the neck at 6.30pm yesterday. A sad day for the Island, I’m afraid many have dropped. I was hit while advancing. It was hell. The boys were grand - they went forward like heroes. I crawled back to a field dressing tent and was bound up. Stayed there the night. Was carried down to the sea this morning. Am writing this sitting on a stretcher waiting for a boat to take me off to a hospital ship. Have no news yet. Heavy firing all night. A lot of Hants are in wounded. Besides the one through the neck, I had one through my helmet and one through my haversack. Thank God I am here. I never expected to get out of it. Went off to ship at 2pm. 400 of us there. Had some Bovril and pudding. What a God-send.
Saturday Aug 14th
Ship not moved yet. Can’t say where we are going. Wound painful.
Sunday Aug 15th
Still off the landing. Wounded still coming off. Was washed this morning and had my left cheek shaved. That is the only part of my face to be seen, all the rest bandaged. Neck very stiff. Feel rotten in myself. Shall be glad when we can get some fresh air. 6.30pm under way bound we know not where.
Monday Aug 16th
24 today, what a birthday. Pray to God my next is in England. We are lying in Madross Harbour, Lemnos. Wound a little better. Sent letter home. I wish I was going with them.
Tuesday Aug 17th
Still lying at Lemnos. Feel a bit rotten today. The heat is very trying. Feel dizzy. No news about moving.
Wednesday Aug 18th
Another day aboard. How we long to be moved. Several fellows died. No room for us ashore yet. A lot of troops arriving and leaving. Weather stifling.
Thursday Aug 19th
No change. Things are getting bad. No room anywhere yet so they say. Too many aboard, very crowded. Rotten old ship too, overrun with rats.
Friday Aug 20th
Fire alarm at 12.15pm. Fire in hold. Naval crews came aboard and did grand work. All wounded taken off to different places. Some ashore. I am aboard the Franconia. The boys were grand, they didn’t murmur, although they must have suffered a lot what with stroke and being moved about.
Saturday Aug 21st
More comfortable aboard here but can’t say how long we are to stay. Ship is going to England, wish we were going on her.
Sunday Aug 22nd
Spent a quiet day. Had 2 church services, Xmas pudding for dinner. Quite a treat. A change from bread and jam. Wrote to Nance.
Monday Aug 23rd
Feel much better, wound healing quickly, shall soon be fit again. No news yet as to what is going to happen to us. Big battle going on, a lot of wounded expected. Preparations made to receive 1500 aboard here.
Tuesday Aug 24th
500 wounded came on today. Hard wind, quite cool. 8.30pm now, full moon shining in on bed. Very nice. Should just love to be on the Medina with Nance. Pleasant memories today. Had a long talk with the ships chaplain. He has done a lot of yachting inside the Wight. Knows Beaulieu well.
Wednesday Aug 25th
Nice and cool. Still discharging cargo. Palled up with some Australians, very decent fellows. Saw the Minerva today. A whole crowd of wounded coming aboard.
Thursday Aug 26th
Woke this morning and found ourselves at sea. Left Lemnos during the night. A grand day, just a nice gentle breeze. We all wonder where we are going. Am going out on deck presently. Neck healing fast. Lovely on deck, passed a lot of islands. Ship going to Malta and England.
Friday Aug 27th
We expect to reach Malta tonight. Some going ashore, others going to England. Can’t say yet where I am for, I trust it is home. I long to see everyone again. Tomorrow will decide. Passed two French battleships just now 11.30am going east. A glorious evening, what a place for yachting.
Saturday Aug 28th
Arrived at Malta 6am, a fine harbour. Hundreds of boats alongside selling fruit, sweets, shirts, smokes and other things. Bought some things for certain dear little girls at home. Rare fun bargaining. Some wounded going ashore, hope I am not. Although it is a fine place, I know a better. Cooling here. Chaplain came just now for letters, scribbled a short note to Nance, bless her, I hope she is not worrying too much. I am far away from danger. Boats round the ship until dark. We could see women ashore wearing the ‘Hood of Shame’. One lady came aboard to see the nurses.
Sunday Aug 29th
Left Malta 6.30am. Not put ashore, thank God. Buried 5 poor fellows outside. Holy Communion at 7.30, service at 10.30. A fine day, just a nice breeze. A 100 went ashore at Malta. Service again at 6pm. A beautiful sunset over the port bow, a month ago it was over the quarter. Hard wind blowing now 9pm, just beginning to roll. Writing this in bed. Spent 6 hours on deck today. Shall soon leave my bandages off.
Monday Aug 30th
Very hot, no wind at all, sea like a pond. Nothing to write about today. Saw no land or ships, only a whale and a shoal of dolphins. Spent the day reading. Had our usual sing-song of hymns on the after deck this evening.
Tuesday Aug 31st
Much cooler, nice breeze. Passed a few ships, nothing very important to make a note of. Expect to reach Gib. Today. Passed a schooner quite close going east. Fresh wind. Anchored off Gib. At 9.30pm.
Wednesday Sept 1st
Went into harbour at 6am for what reason no one knows. We have a fine view of the town and rock. Several other ships of wounded lying here. Some say we are to have an escort as subs are about. A black 3 masted yacht lying astern of us, can’t see her name but think she is the St George. Shouldn’t care to be one of a landing force here. It was bad enough at Suvla but here - well I’m afraid very few would get back again. I wish we were allowed ashore, it must be very interesting.
Thursday Sept 2nd
Still lying in harbour. No orders yet. We hear the German fleet is out. 9 ships full of wounded waiting to go home. Much colder today, had a little rain, the first I have seen since leaving England. Some of the fellows have been fishing, caught several including an octopus. Wrote home.
Friday Sept 3rd
Nothing doing yet, still waiting patiently for orders. Had some old Daily Expresses sent aboard today, my word! how glad we were of them. Much finer now but still cool. Wrote to Flo. P&O Lines came in this evening, been chased by a submarine.
Saturday Sept 4th
Quite hot again. No news yet. A few of us were allowed ashore for the afternoon. Gib is a fine place and worth a lot to see. We had a good look around. Sent a few cards home and bought some fruit. Grapes 1 /2d lb, peaches ditto, pineapples 2d each. Wish we could get them home. Have discovered that eating too much fruit isn’t wise after a few weeks of plain - very plain- food. I had a rich tea, perhaps that caused it.
Sunday Sept 5th
Holy Communion at 7.30am. Going to sea today. Orders at last. A hard wind blowing so expect to have a lively time presently. Left Gib. At 10am. Lost Spanish coast at 1pm and African coast at 3pm. Passed other ships of convoy and now lead the line.
Monday Sept 6th
A glorious day. Left all the other ships behind. Nothing in sight except an old schooner. Passed some spouting whales and saw 2 ships at 5pm. Lifebelts issued and arrangements made to save as many bed cases as possible in case of accidents. All told off to boats. Did 45 miles up to midday. In the Bay of Biscay now, quite smooth, no motion at all. Shall be half way home when we wake tomorrow.
Tuesday Sept 7th
A fine day, nothing to write about. Sighted nothing all day. Spent the time reading.
Wednesday Sept 8th
Have an escort today, a fast destroyer picked us up during the night. Has been zig zagging across our bows all the morning. Wrote to Nance and Win. No land in sight yet 11am. Passed the Eddystone to port at noon. Had a good view, no more than a mile off. Brought up in Plymouth Sound at 1 oc. Went up to Devonport at 4pm and made fast in the dockyard. Had a great reception, military band and thousands of people. Wounded going ashore, a Red Cross train lying alongside. Don’t know yet if I am going tonight.
Thursday Sept 9th
Went ashore at 9am entrained for London. Arrived at Paddington 5pm, taken by cars to various hospitals. I am now in St Bartholomews. Bomb dropped here last night, hope they won’t visit us tonight. It is grand to be in a bed again and have decent food.