Jullundur
.
May 22nd. |
Orders received at 4 p.m.
to move in 24 hours. No excitement - more or less expected. Plenty
of work. |
| May
23rd. |
Left Jullundur 10 p.m. |
| May
24th. |
Arrived Mari Indus 3.20
p.m. Crossed the Indus and bivied at Kalabagh. Crossed part of
Sind desert in a sand storm. |
| May
25th. |
Left Kalabagh 1.15 p.m. -
most uncomfortable journey - Stopped at Pezu for night. |
| May
26th. |
Arrived Tank Station 10
am. arrived camp 1 p-.m. May 27th to Completing P & M Books.
Plenty of work. |
| June
6th. |
|
| June
7th. |
Marched out from Tank 1
a.m. arrived Zam Post about 4 a.m. Ghurka scrap - Rotten sight
with dead badly mutilated - Continued march to Khirgi. after
Mahsuds had fled. Arrived Khirgi 2 p.m. Chronic March - Sgt. James
died exhaustion. Several others left behind in bad state. |
| June
8th. |
Left Khirgi 7 a.m. arrived
Jandola 12 noon. |
| June
9th & 10th. |
Quiet. |
| June
11th. |
Mahsuds surrounded camp 1
a.m. and opened fire - Luckily no casualties. |
| June
12th. |
Went out to meet the
Mahsuds who cleared off as we advanced, but on our retirement to
camp they swarmed after us. Our first scrap – too much to thin.
about to feel funky - Everybody quite cool - When crossing the
river fellows started drinking the water despite the fact that
bullets were whistling overhead and dropping all around - 2
wounded in "D" Company - G.O.C. said Ldns. didn't take
things seriously enough. |
| June
13th. |
Went out road making. |
| June
14th. |
Quiet. |
| June
15th. |
Left Jandola 8 a.m.
arrived Haidari Kach 6 p.m. Tiring march - No resistance from
enemy. Crossed river 68 times - Burned crops on way. |
| June
16th. |
Strafed and burned Manzal
village. |
| June
17th. |
Making roads - Capt.G.
down. |
| June
18th. |
43rd and 45th 3rigades
move to 3urwand. Left H.K. 6 a.m. Long and tiring march - fighting
all the way. Leave river 2 miles from H.K. No water in water
bottles or packals - Sniped by enemy all night - Hot time - Sikh
piquet surrounded and attacked all night - Held out till relieved
in morning when their casualties were about 20 to. 25 out of 30. |
| June
19th. |
Left camp 6.30 a.m. for
Ispana Baghza - Still no water - "C" and "D"
Companies attacked two hills. 1 killed (Stone) 3 wounded (Sgt.
Blott, Salter, Brown 0.H.1 Ghurkas who came up afterwards 2
wounded Mahendral Regiment on adjoining hills had rough time and
were charged by enemy who were dispersed by machine guns and bombs
from aeroplanes - Major Hart killed. Mahsuds attempted to cut us
off when we evacuated our hill but were seen from camp and 2
companies of Ghurkas were sent out to our relief. Did not know of
this till our return to camp. |
| June
21st. |
Midnight attack on camp -
Enemy repulsed - very exciting - Heavy sniping remainder of night
- In morning "C" Company relieved B who have been hard
pressed. Captain Paget severely wounded - Burtenshaw killed and 4
others wounded. |
| June
22nd. |
Left Camp 5.30 a.m. for
strafe on village (name not known) Heavy sniping - no other
resistance - Return camp 3 p.m. whacked - Quiet night. |
| June
23rd. |
Left Camp 7.30 a.m.
Further advance up valley - Londons in main body - Plenty of water
- Burning villages all the way - Finished up by looting village
near camp. "B" Company rough time on piquet - 6
casualties. Gaylor killed. Gee died of :rounds afterwards. |
| June
24th. |
Battn. in camp - Remainder
of force go out and give energy rough packet - one party caught in
nullah and practically wiped out - At night our Company relieved
"3" on piquet. One incident which put the wind up us -
otherwise quiet. |
| June
25th. |
Mahsuds believed to be
giving in - Left camp p.30 a.m. for march back to Ispana Baghza.
arrived 6 p.m. Looted grain on the way - good night-no trouble. |
| June
26th. |
Several tribes ask for
peace - quiet night. |
| June
27th. |
Rest - On piquet at night. |
| June
28th. |
Packing up for move
tomorrow - Left camp 5.30 a.m. for move up valley - arrived at
Boji Khel 5.30 p.m. |
| June
29th. |
Rest. |
| June
30th. |
On piquet for convoy -
cushy. |
| July
1st. |
do. do. |
| July
2nd. |
Mahsud peace conference. |
| July
3rd. |
Very hot. |
| July
5th. |
Piquetting for convoy 15
miles (knocked) |
| July
6th. |
Mail bag
"pinched" by Mahsuds - Quiet time. |
| July
7th. |
Waiting for Mahsuds to
arrive with riles. |
| July
8th. |
Peace negotiations broken
off. |
| July
9th. |
Some rifles handed in -
Still waiting for Mahsuds to decide for peace. Time limit
extended. |
| July
10th. |
Jugah down at river.
PEACE. |
| July
11th. |
Packing up for move. |
| July
12th. |
Left Boji Khel at 7 a.m.
Arrived Mangal 4 p.m. knocked. Pouring in rain all day - only had
shirt on - soaked thro’. |
| July
13th. |
G.O.C. proceeded to
Sarwekai to arrange final terms - Piquetting - Sack in camp 2 p.m. |
| July
14th to
29th. |
Drill and piquetting duty. |
| July
30th. |
Heat commenced to get us
down at about this time - nearly everyone had diarrhea - I caught
it at Boji Khel and had it for 2 months straight off. |
| July
31st
& August 1st. |
Drill and Piquetting. |
| August
2nd. |
Poured with rain all day -
Piquetted for incoming convoy which was delayed by floods - out
from 5 a.m. to 7.15 P.M. - Rum issue. |
|
|
| August
3rd to 5th. |
Drill and piquetting. |
| August
6th. |
Piquetting - Rain all day
- River in flood - out from 6 a.m. to 6.30 p.m. "A"
Company lose two mules in river overtaken by spate. |
| August
7th to 9th. |
Drill fatigues and
piquetting - On 9th orders to move. |
| August
10th. |
Packing up. |
| August
11th. |
Leave Manzal 5.15 a.m.
arrived Jandola 11 a.m. (Easy day) |
| August
12th. |
Left Jandola 6 a.m.
arrived Zam Post 4 p.m. 182 miles - Frightfully hot - Everyone
knocked to the wide. |
| August
13th. |
Left Zam Post for Tank -
Cheers! the last stage Batt, to leave in 3 trains, 1st train 6.40
p.m. postponed owing to line being washed away further up. |
| August
14th. |
3.30 a.m. Dam bursts and
camp in middle of raging torrent 3 and 4 feet deep - made for
trains and spent rest of night there - most of our kit lost and
ruined by flood. Laid out salvaged kit to dry on platform - some
sight! |
| August
15th. |
Line being repaired -
Stink from flooded land frightful. |
| August
16th. |
Left Tank about 7 p.m. |
| August
17th. |
Arrived Kalabagh and
crossed Indus to Mari Indus about 8 a.m. good rest camp and
Y.M.C.A. Civilisation again : Left Mari Indus 9.45 p.m. |
| August
18th. |
Arrived Jullundur barracks
5 p.m. "HOME" again! A fine welcome. Wouldn't go through
past 3 months again for all the money in the world. |
