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, 24 January 1919

Bert Schramm's Handwritten Diary, 22 - 26 January 1919

[Click on page for a larger print version.]

Diaries

Bert Schramm

Friday, January 24, 1919

Bert Schramm's Location - Tripoli, Lebanon.

Bert Schramm's Diary -  Nothing worth recording. Has been raining like fun.

9th Light Horse Regiment War Diary

9th Light Horse Regiment Location - Tripoli, Lebanon.

9th Light Horse Regiment War Diary - Information received that Todd, Lieutenant Colonel TJ, CNG DSO, CO, 10th Light Horse Regiment died suddenly at Aswan.

The Regimental flag [received from the Ladies of Australia in December 1918] was flown at half mast throughout the day.

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

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, 24 January 1919

Posted by Project Leader at 6:12 AM EAST

Updated: Saturday, 24 January 2009 6:14 AM EAST

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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, 23 January 1919

Bert Schramm's Handwritten Diary, 22 - 26 January 1919

[Click on page for a larger print version.]

Diaries

Bert Schramm

Thursday, January 23, 1919

Bert Schramm's Location - Tripoli, Lebanon.

Bert Schramm's Diary -  I went into another Lodge meeting tonight. Visited the Union Lodge under the Italian Constitution. Three of our fellows were initiated there tonight. I strongly disapproved of it as the working here is very poorly done in fact I was disgusted with it.

9th Light Horse Regiment War Diary

9th Light Horse Regiment Location - Tripoli, Lebanon.

9th Light Horse Regiment War Diary - FGCM [Field General Court Martial] at 9th Light Horse Regiment Headquarters.

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

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, 23 January 1919

Posted by Project Leader at 11:01 PM EAST

Updated: Saturday, 24 January 2009 6:16 AM EAST

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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, 22 January 1919

Bert Schramm's Handwritten Diary, 22 - 26 January 1919

[Click on page for a larger print version.]

Diaries

Bert Schramm

Wednesday, January 22, 1919

Bert Schramm's Location - Tripoli, Lebanon.

Bert Schramm's Diary -  Raining like fun all day looks as if it will rain for a week. Toby went away on leave to Port Said so I will be on my own for a week or so.

9th Light Horse Regiment War Diary

9th Light Horse Regiment Location - Tripoli, Lebanon.

9th Light Horse Regiment War Diary - Bleechmore, Major C; and, 16 Other Ranks proceeded to Besherri. Stephen, Lieutenant HH; and, five Other Ranks to Port Said leave.

Two Non Commissioned Officers left to attend the Imperial School of Instruction, Zeitoun.

Ragless, Captain BB, promoted to Temporary Major dated 1st January 1919.

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

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, 22 January 1919

Posted by Project Leader at 11:01 PM EAST

Updated: Saturday, 24 January 2009 6:18 AM EAST

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The Ottoman Air Force in the Sinai and Palestine

German Personnel

Gustav Adolf Dittmar

Gustav Dittmar, born 24 November 1890.

Pre Great War Service

7 October 1908 - 1. /Esk.  Kür. Rgt. 4
23 December 1909 - Gefreiter
7 June 1911 - Unteroffizier
5 August 1913  2./Flg. Batl.4
7 April 1914 - Sergeant

Great War Service

2 August 1914 - 17 June 1915 - FFA  2
15 August 1914 - Vizefeldwebel
1 January 1915  - Offiziers-Stellverteter
18 June 1915 - 12 September 1915 - Fea 9
13 September 1915 -  30 September 1915 - Insp. der Fliegertruppen
1 October 1915 - 31 March 1916 - Osmanische  Fliegertruppe
1 April 1916 - 7 October 1917 - FA 300 Pascha
18 October 1916  - Leutnant
3 January 1917 - Kaiserl. Osman. Oberleutnant
8 October 1917 - 18 December 1919  - In a British POW Camp

World War 2 Service

15 December 1941 - 19 May 1944 - Junkers Factory Magdeburg  as Military and Political Representative
1945 - Possibly kidnapped by  the Russians

The Capture -  8  October 1917

Monday, 8 October 1917 started well for the British and allied forces in Palestine. Not so for the Turkish forces and their allies. At 7.30am Oberleutnant Gustav Adolf Dittmar of Fliegerabteilung 300 stepped into his Albatros with serial number 636/17 along with a comrade piloting another aircraft. Dittmar had moved to Turkey in 1912 and on outbreak of the war had joined the German forces assisting Turkey.

This morning as he flew into the air, he did not know of an event that was to change the nature of the air war in Palestine - the introduction of the Bristol to the air strip at Deir el Belah. That morning Second Lieutenant RC Steele [a Canadian] and Lieutenant JJ Lloyd-Williams from 111 Squadron took off from Deir el Belah with two other aircraft for their morning patrol.

At 8am the three British aircraft came into contact with the two Taubes. Much to the shock of Dittmar, he was outgunned and outmanoeuvred by this new aircraft. A bullet through his petrol tank and another through the radiator ended his flight. The aeroplane glided to a smooth landing between Goz el Basal and Karm.

Some men of the 9th Light Horsemen who were on outpost work on the west side of Goz el Basal immediately mounted and galloped out to where the aeroplane had landed. They arrived at the same time as Dittmar was attempting to set light to the aircraft.

A couple yelled instructions and a few rifles waving wildly convinced Dittmar that his downed aircraft was not worth dying for so he awaited capture. It didn't take long for dozens of men to arrive and marvel at the captive aeroplane.

A gun limber was brought up and the aeroplane attached like a jinker on the limber and was carted off to British lines. Later on the aeroplane was dismantled and sent to London for examination.

As for Dittmar, he spent his first night of captivity as guest to the British at Deir el Belah and then onto a POW camp in Egypt where he spent the rest of his war.

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

Posted by Project Leader at 8:08 AM EAST

Updated: Sunday, 4 September 2011 10:07 AM EADT

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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, 21 January 1919

Bert Schramm's Handwritten Diary, 18 - 21 January 1919

[Click on page for a larger print version.]

Diaries

Bert Schramm

Tuesday, January 21, 1919

Bert Schramm's Location - Tripoli, Lebanon.

Bert Schramm's Diary -  A mail has arrived at last. I had seven letters altogether but none from home. Four were from Lucy and the last two were written after the news of the armistice had got home and Lucy seemed very excited about it and was thinking I would be home soon but I am afraid it will be some time yet. But thank God, I have left wine and women alone since I have been here. I can go back with a clear conscience in that respect although I don't by any means wish to pose as a saint. I visited the Kadisha Lodge again tonight and had a very enjoyable evening.

9th Light Horse Regiment War Diary

9th Light Horse Regiment Location - Tripoli, Lebanon.

9th Light Horse Regiment War Diary - 1000 - 1100 - Troop drill dismounted. Sounding of trumpet calls commenced.

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

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, 21 January 1919

Posted by Project Leader at 11:01 PM EAST

Updated: Saturday, 24 January 2009 6:19 AM EAST

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