Date: 8.11.1915
Quiet day and night. Routine parades as usual. No men to hospital. Weather during past few days very fine. Practise alarm at 2030.
Date: 9.11.1915
Uneventful day and night. Orders received for relief of Suffolk Yeomanry in new Centre Sector on following day. Trenches visited by officers in afternoon. Two men to hospital. Routine as usual.
Date: 10.11.1915
Suffolk Yeomanry relieved at dawn. Day mostly spent on necessary fatigues and in improving accommodation for troops. A few shrapnel burst near the BARRICADE during morning and one man wounded. Night uneventful. Patrol reported everything quiet to our front. One man to hospital.
Date: 11.11.1915
Two Turks surrendered themselves at the BARRICADE at 0700 and escorted to Bde Hqrs. A few shells burst over lines about 1100. No damage. Lines visited during morning by G06 Divnn. 40 men engaged in various trench improvements under trench Engineering Officers. Quiet day and night. Nil report from patrol. Four men to hospital and strength of battalion reduced below 200. Definite warning received that gas attacks may be expected at any time
Date: 12.11.1915
Battalion stood-to at 0530 on receiving warning from 10th London advanced post on BEDFORD RIDGE that bodies of Turks were advancing towards our lines. None of the enemy however seen. Remainder of day and night quiet. Patrol reports enemy occupying trench on summit of BULGAR BLUFF. One man to hospital. Work on trenches as usual.
Date: 13.11.1915
Quiet day and progress made on various trench improvements. Patrol left trenches at dusk and proceeding at once up slopes of BULGAR BLUFF found enemy trench unoccupied; after remaining undisturbed fro some hours it retired. Night quiet until midnight. Three men to hospital and one officer (2nd Lt E.Wilson).
Date: 14.11.1915
About 0200 10th London post on BEDFORD RIDGE heavily attacked. Fire opened on enemy from our trenches with success and attack eventually driven off. Capts Clark and Lewthwaite with draft of 48 men arrive from Mudros. Three men to hospital. Remainder of day quiet. Two patrols sent out 1800 and 2300 respectively. Former found BULGAR BLUFF occupied and retired under fire. Night otherwise quiet.
More Information
The Turks were not the only enemy. As it got colder, dysentery became less of a threat. But, just as the numbers of soldiers being sent to hospital began to go down, winter came in with a vengeance. This was not the tourist dream of Turkey’s coasts with beautiful blue seas bathed in sunshine. The weather worsened after the 15th November.
Friends of Islington Museum 
Leave a comment