Of 393 Sapper Charles Rowland Hill Hq Signals
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4TH DIARY (1918) OF 393 SAPPER CHARLES ROWLAND HILL HQ SIGNALS 17 TH BATTALION 5TH INFANTRY BRIGADE 1ST AIF Tuesday 1st January It was 10:00am when I got up this morning and had a little breakfast and then went down to HP (Hyde Park Corner) . Had a little dinner and then cleaned up and got my few things and came up home. I cooked my tea and then got ready for bed. I wrote a letter to Mollie tonight. Things are going along very quietly. Wednesday 2nd January I was up in good time and made my breakfast and then set of down. The Sgt was not back as he went into Division HQ last evening (2nd Division) . I got a cup of tea and then went down through Romion (Romarin) and got a bath and change of clothes; it went well. It was a long walk there and back and it was very cold. (This was a round trip of approximately 6 miles!) It is thawing a little and getting very muddy. I came back and got my rations then home and cooked my tea. There are new boys in here tonight but things are going well. Thursday 3rd January I was out in good time this morning and cleaned up and went down to where some of the boys are in a cosy little home. I got a good fire going and had a good wash and then did some washing and hung it up. I went down to HP (Hyde Park Corner) and got dinner. My mate and I did some testing on a line but it came right after a while; the lad got a little funny with a drop of rum. I set off and dried a towel by the fire at the other place and then off home. The lad went up to U.R with some books, he was very amusing indeed. I got home and cooked my tea and turned in early. Friday 4th January I was cleaned up in good time this morning and commenced to do a little testing but didn’t take long as something else had to be done. I went down and had dinner and got my rations and got the remainder of my clothes. The boys are getting their pay today. Some of the boys are up and starting on a buried route. I helped my mate to carry up his gear to UR as he is relieving one of the other boys and then I came back and up to my own place and cooked my tea. The weather is very mild but continues to be misty so is very good to be getting out in all directions. Saturday 5th January Things are going along very well. I was up in good time and cooked my breakfast and then got my things straightened up and then went down to BG, I then went down to BN with another Corps linesman. Went down and got a little dinner and then my rations and then off home again and got tea. I do not feel like writing as am expecting mail any day but it seems a long time coming along. We are very cosy down in the cellar and get along well with the boys. Sunday 6th January I was up early and got some breakfast and cleaned up. I was ready when my mate came up and we went up forward to one of the test panels and connected through on a good line then we had to go and bridge another strip. We then went overland across the route. We got on to the railway and down round the left Battalion of our sector and had dinner with our mates at UR test box. It’s a nice little post in a pillbox. We set off back about 2:00pm and went along where the boys are doing the buried job; they were working on the cable. I went down to HP (Hyde Park corner) and got my rations and then off home. I got down to a good tea as I was in great form. Monday 7th January Was up in good time and got cleaned up and was down about 10:00am. We had a job to do till dinner time getting the cables ready to go on the board. I got away soon after 12 and gave Mc (?) a ring and he met me down the road then we set off down to some of the camps and found the old Battalion. Found some of the boys; several were away on leave in Blighty the others were all doing well. We could not stop too long as it gets dark early and it is a long way to walk. It was thawing a lot today and very muddy getting about. I called in and got my rations and came home just as it was dark. Got my tea and wrote a letter to Mollie in the evening. Tuesday 8th January I was up about 8:00am and got my breakfast and cleaned up. We had a very heavy snowstorm this morning and freezing also. We tested both our routes from here this morning and were late getting away. We went down quick and lively as it was still snowing. Got down and had some dinner and didn’t stop long. I got my rations and also got a dozen letters and 3 papers; it was October mail (1917!) . I got 3 letters from Mothe r and 3 from Mollie and a couple of Post Cards from Sydney . I also got my diary back from Mollie . Got home and had tea and then did a little writing. Wednesday 9th January I had to be up early this morning as one of my mates came up and we went on up to the US test panel and had to test a line and could not right it. So we went across to another panel and from there back further still to another called MB and we bridged through another line. From there we went back to HP (Hyde Park). It was a lovely clear morning and plenty of planes up but it was blowing very hard and cold. A heavy snowstorm came on in the afternoon; I came home in it, things were very quiet. I got an Auckland Weekly from home and I wrote a letter to Mother and one to Rosie. The boys changed over tonight, some of the lads that came in were here before. Thursday 10th January I had a good sleep in this morning. It was about 9:00am when I got up and had breakfast and cleaned myself up. It was 12 o’clock when I left here and Fritz was putting some stuff around us. I got down to HP (Hyde Park) in time for dinner and got my rations. Then I went in and saw the boys in BG and got a good fire on and had a good wash and did a little washing. It was after 4:00pm when I set off home and shells were still flying round; I got home very lively. I got a letter from Geo (George) Singleton and another Auckland Weekly from home. It rained a lot during the night and the snow has all disappeared so things are very slippery indeed. Friday 11th January I had the usual sleep in this morning. Got my breakfast and then cleaned up and set of down to HP (Hyde Park) , Things were quiet this morning and the weather was very mild but very muddy getting about. I did not stop long; put in a little time with the other boys and went with them up to a test box as they were identifying the new route. Set of for home soon after 4:00pm and then cooked a good tea. I wrote a letter in the evening to Geo S (George Singleton) . I have got plenty to read now with all the New Zealand papers. Saturday 12th January I was up at the usual time this morning and got my breakfast and cleaned up then set off. I called in at some test strips and then got as far as BG station and had a cup of tea. I then went down to HP (Hyde Park) and got my dinner; the rations don’t come down until after dinner. We went down to the Canteen but couldn’t get much. I got 3 more papers today. I got my rations and then came up here. It’s still very muddy and hard work getting about in it all. I expect a job now for a couple of days up forward on the route at FZ fixing up some new strips. Sunday 13th January Had a good sleep in this morning it was 10 o’clock when I got breakfast. I went down to the boys close on 12 o’clock. I got dinner and then tried to have a bath but could only get a change of clothes. I got my rations and then came home. The boys went out this evening and a 6th Brigade is here now and they soon got settled. (Transcribers Note: The 6th Brigade consisted of all Victorian Battalions: 21st, 22nd, 23rd and 24th) I wrote a couple of letters in the evening. It was very cold again tonight. Monday 14th January I was up at the usual time this morning and got things cleaned up. There was a very heavy fall of snow last night and everything is nice and white today.