193
To My Dear Mother
DIARY
FROM 16th September 1915 TO 21st November 1915
193 Cpl R.D. Doughty
2nd Battery
1st F.A. Brigade
1st Australian Division
Cape Helles
Gallipoli Pen.
Turkey in Europe

Ralph started Diary Two on the 16th September while the Bty were still at Cape Helles with Daily entries like Heavy shelling of the French Reserve lines in rear of our position by a new Turkish 6 gun battery. Not to much damage done however. Ralph was to make a lovely entry in his Diary on the 19th Suffering acutely from some minor complaint usually diagnosed as ‘‘The morning after the night before’’. Had a Champagne Supper with the Sergt’s. Got about half way though when we got called into action and spent an hour or so torturing somebody up ahead. Managed to get some fruit and ye Gods, Egyptian cigarettes today. Active service uncertainties again. The Bty were also to experiance several artillery duels that they were having against the Turks. Marching Orders were received on the 29th from H.Q. that the Bty would soon be of to ANZAC cove. Great excitement. Seems there is a war on somewhere. So on the 30th the Bty were to pack all day and then embarked the guns onto a lighter before they went and had a final swim, to which the Turks had to have a last shot at trying to blow them out of the water, and missed.

On the 1st October the Bty were up all night loading the guns and ammunition from the lighter onto the Princess Louise and from there they travelled over to Embros Is to collect stores. From there they picked up two destroyers to escort them at 6.30pm at full speed back to Cape Helles again to load the 1st & 3rd Bty aboard. They were loading most of the night and arrived at ANZAC cove at about 3am.

After disembarking the 1st Bty & most of the 3rd they had to head back to Embros Is because it was too risky to hang about after day break. They then left Embros Is at dusk and headed back to Walker Landing and disembarked the artillery at 4.30am, they then got ashore themselves at 5.30am. On the 3rd October Ralph was also Acting QMS (Quartermaster Sergeant). He also went and had a swim off the pier when an insignificant Bty shelled them. It managed to get some soldiers and a few mules. They also had to avoid some Snipers and a Taube which amused itself by dropping some bombs. Then on the 5th the Bty arrived at there destination Shrapnel Gully only to be informed that as there was no water in the place and that they would be issued with a gallon each day per person which was to be used for both washing, drinking & messing generals. Ralph was also to make an entry in his Diary that day that Out of 98 men to land 76 are casualties.

Ralph received Orders on the 7th that the Bty would be relieved from duty for a much needed rest, so they reported down to Walker Pier and boarded a lighter that then pulled up alongside a small steamer SS Elkahera and then headed for Lemnos Is.

With the Bty’s rest over on the 6th November they packed up and went down to Mudros West to get aboard the SS Newmarket and headed back to ANZAC cove. Landing back at Walkers Landing on the 7th they proceeded back to there rendezvous to arrive back at the Bty at 2.30am.

He arrived back to un-opened mail from Australia & NZ (which he read at least a 100 times) commenting I am sitting in a dug out with a rifle a bayonet. All ready for fun and even while writing their machine guns & bombs are few short yards up ahead. On the 8th Ralph went up and had a look at a new Bty position were they would go into action. With there range being 1175 and returned back to his rendezvous later. Ralph was also to comment on the 10th that Our friends must have known that we had done because all this morning they gave us special attention. Sent over about 30 and our "posy" at present resembles a rabbit burrow. Missed our gun and waggon by a matter of feet. At night the machine guns enfiladed our Gully but the bullets were too high to do any damage. Raining.

Ralph was to finish Diary Two on the 21st November with an entry saying that he was pulled out of bed at 8pm, after having only 1hrs rest, and had to drag the Bty’s guns and waggons over a ridge that the two horses couldn’t face and deliver then down to the beach, and that the Bty were expecting reinforcements to arrive that day.