Diaries of AIF Servicemen

Bert Schramm

During part of the course of his military service with the AIF, 2823 Private Herbert Leslie Schramm, a farmer from White's River, near Tumby Bay on the Eyre Peninsular, kept a diary of his life. Bert was not a man of letters so this diary was produced with great effort on his behalf. Bert made a promise to his sweetheart, Lucy Solley, that he would do so after he received the blank pocket notebook wherein these entries are found. As a Brigade Scout since September 1918, he took a lead part in the September 1918 breakout by the Allied forces in Palestine. Bert's diary entries are placed alongside those of the 9th Light Horse Regiment to which he belonged and to the 3rd Light Horse Brigade to which the 9th LHR was attached. On this basis we can follow Bert in the context of his formation.

 Bert Schramm's Diary, 28 February 1919

Bert Schramm's Handwritten Diary, 26 February - 1 March 1919

[Click on page for a larger print version.]

Diaries

Bert Schramm

Friday, February 28, 1919

Bert Schramm's Location - Tripoli, Lebanon.

Bert Schramm's Diary - I visited the Kadisha Lodge tonight and had a good evening. I expect it will be the last as I believe weather permitting we will be leaving in a day or so.

9th Light Horse Regiment War Diary

9th Light Horse Regiment Location - Rafa, Egypt.

9th Light Horse Regiment War Diary -  Orders received that Australian Division Group would entrain on the evening of the 2nd March 1919 and move early on the morning of 3rd March 1919 to Moascar.

Darley, TH, With the Ninth Light Horse in the Great War, Adelaide, Hassell Press, 1924.

Next: Bert Schramm's Diary, 1 March 1919

Further Reading:

9th Light Horse Regiment AIF War Diary - Complete day by day list

Bert Schramm Diary 

Bert Schramm Diary - Complete day by day list

Additional Reading:

Darley, TH, With the Ninth Light Horse in the Great War, Adelaide, Hassell Press, 1924.

Citation: Bert Schramm's Diary, 28 February 1919

Posted by Project Leader at 12:01 AM EAST

Updated: Wednesday, 6 May 2009 1:28 PM EADT

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 The Query Club

The large scale of the Great War often gave people a sense of alienation from the activities of the government and the army. To overcome this, newspapers of the day commenced columns called Query Club or similar names, where ordinary people could clarify their understanding of the complex processes. They also provide us, the historians, an insight into witnessing first hand, the responses of the various bodies to public concerns. The end product is a window into a society now almost out of living memory.

This is the Query Club from the Sydney Mail, 5 January 1916, p. 30.

ALL INFANTRY

"Glen Innes"

The Light Horse Battalions we have sent to the front are not cavalry regiments; they are mounted infantry. The troopers receive the same rate of pay as the other infantrymen.


THE KING'S VISIT

"WBE"

King George's visit to France was made in the last week of October. The exact dat has not been mentioned, but it was probably about the 25th that he inspected the Australian voluntary hospital at Wimereux.


INTERNED CIVILIANS

"St John's" writes to say that intered civilians in Germany may be communicated with through the Mount Pleasant Post Office, London, as well as through Cook's Agency, to which we referred in the last issue.

Unstamped postcards only are permitted to go through. They should be addressed after this style:

"A---- B----, Civil Prisoner of War, No. 4 Marrack, Englanderlaager, Ruhleben, Germany."

The card should be enclosed in a stamped envelope addressed:

"A---- B----, Civil Prisoner of War, Germany, c/- Mount Pleasant Post Office, London."

Further Reading:

The Query Club

Posted by Project Leader at 12:01 AM EAST

Updated: Sunday, 12 April 2009 9:16 AM EADT

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Pasha and Yildirim, the Palestine Front, 1915 to 1918

[From: Ole Nikolajsen, Ottoman Aviation 1911 - 1919, p. 203.]

Part 1 - A Token Force

With the outbreak of the 1st World War in August 1914 it was planned that the Palestine Army Command in Damascus should be equipped with a Tayyare Boluk (Aircraft Company) of two flights, each with two aircraft. As the previously ordered French aircraft not were delivered the unit was formed initially with only a Rumpler Doppeltaube taken over from the German flyer Dr. Elias. (Dr. Elias later served as aircraft company commander for FA305 in 1918 in Palestine.)

This aircraft was chosen as it had the longest range of any available Turkish aircraft. Lieutenant Sakir who had received biplane training in Germany was selected to pilot the aircraft. This token force was to provide reconnaissance for the planned Turkish assault on the Suez Canal.

An aircraft named "Fazil" arrived at Aleppo on 28 December 1914. Here luck ran out and it crashed the next day during take-off when the engine failed. Lieutenant Sakir escaped unhurt and was soon sent to Germany to procure new aircraft for the 4th Army in Palestine.

In May 1915, Austria promised to deliver 12 LVG B.I's, but the first crashed during delivery and another 2 were delayed for many months during their transport through Romania. The rest of the order was never delivered.

Meanwhile the Turkish attack on the Suez Canal had been repulsed largely due to lack of Turkish aircraft to provide reconnaissance.

In this situation, for the task the unsuitable acrobatic training aircraft of Ponnier design was rushed to Palestine. However, it was the only Turkish aircraft available and it safely arrived at Damascus on the 17th of March. After a few flights however it crashed on the 9th of April.

While the Ottoman Army was trying desperately to get aircraft to Turkey the German Major E. Serno arrived to reorganize the flying units. Another German named Dittmar took a commission in the Ottoman Army and was soon sent to Palestine where he organized an airfield near Beersheba in late 1915.

Source: The above extract is obtained from a self published work by Ole Nikolajsen called Ottoman Aviation 1911 - 1919.  A Token Force comes from Chapter 8, Pasha and Yildirim, the Palestine Front, 1915 to 1918, p. 174. The text has been edited to remove errors and make it readable for an English speaking audience.

Further Reading:

The German Ottoman Air Force 

Gustav Adolf Dittmar 

Air War on the Palestine Front, December 1915 to January 1917

Turkish Units - The Ottoman Air Force

Lieutenant Colonel Hüseyin Hüsnü Emir, Yildirim

Go to:

Next Chapter:  Pasha I

Posted by Project Leader at 11:01 PM EAST

Updated: Sunday, 1 March 2009 9:04 AM EAST

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Third Ypres

Belgium, September till to November, 1917

Third Ypres, the collective name given to the campaign fought between September and November 1917 aimed at capturing the Gheluvelt Plateau in southern Belgium. The operations followed earlier campaigns over the same ground, the first during October - November 1914 and the second in April-May 1915.

This time they were directed by General Sir Herbert Plumer, commander of the British Second Army, who decided on a step-by-step approach of limited advances preceded by heavy artillery bombardment. Once each attack had attained its objective, the attacking troops were to be protected by further barrages while they consolidated their positions-this measure being necessary to thwart the German tactics of dealing with each penetration of their line with an immediate counter-attack by formations held well hack specifically for this purpose.

When Plumer requested fresh troops he was given I Anzac Corps under Lieut.-General Sir William Birdwood. The actions in which the Australians took part are listed individually.

See:

• Menin Road;
• Polygon Wood;
• Broodseinde;
• Poelcappelle; and,
• Passchendaele.

Extracted from the book produced by Chris Coulthard-Clark, Where Australians Fought - The Encyclopaedia of Australia's Battles, Allen and Unwin, Sydney, 1998, p. 130.

Additional References cited by Chris Coulthard-Clark:

C.E.W. Bean, (1933), The Australian Imperial Force in France 1917,  Sydney: Angus & Robertson.

P.A. Pedersen, (1985), Monash as Military Commander, Carlton, Vic.: Melbourne University Press.

Further Reading:

Battles where Australians fought, 1899-1920

Posted by Project Leader at 11:01 PM EAST

Updated: Sunday, 5 April 2009 12:51 PM EADT

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Diaries of AIF Servicemen

Bert Schramm

During part of the course of his military service with the AIF, 2823 Private Herbert Leslie Schramm, a farmer from White's River, near Tumby Bay on the Eyre Peninsular, kept a diary of his life. Bert was not a man of letters so this diary was produced with great effort on his behalf. Bert made a promise to his sweetheart, Lucy Solley, that he would do so after he received the blank pocket notebook wherein these entries are found. As a Brigade Scout since September 1918, he took a lead part in the September 1918 breakout by the Allied forces in Palestine. Bert's diary entries are placed alongside those of the 9th Light Horse Regiment to which he belonged and to the 3rd Light Horse Brigade to which the 9th LHR was attached. On this basis we can follow Bert in the context of his formation.

 Bert Schramm's Diary, 27 February 1919

Bert Schramm's Handwritten Diary, 26 February - 1 March 1919

[Click on page for a larger print version.]

Diaries

Bert Schramm

Thursday, February 27, 1919

Bert Schramm's Location - Tripoli, Lebanon.

Bert Schramm's Diary - Weather still rough and wet. No news. Nothing doing. I ought to write some letters but things are so unsettled I think I will have to wait until I get down to Egypt.

9th Light Horse Regiment War Diary

9th Light Horse Regiment Location - Rafa, Egypt.

9th Light Horse Regiment War Diary -  Camp routine.

Darley, TH, With the Ninth Light Horse in the Great War, Adelaide, Hassell Press, 1924.

Next: Bert Schramm's Diary, 28 February 1919

Further Reading:

9th Light Horse Regiment AIF War Diary - Complete day by day list

Bert Schramm Diary 

Bert Schramm Diary - Complete day by day list

Additional Reading:

Darley, TH, With the Ninth Light Horse in the Great War, Adelaide, Hassell Press, 1924.

Citation: Bert Schramm's Diary, 27 February 1919

Posted by Project Leader at 12:01 AM EAST

Updated: Wednesday, 6 May 2009 1:30 PM EADT

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