NOVEMBER 1918 - ARMISTICE !

Friday 1st

Not very comfortable during the night. Too crowded. Stopped for an hour at Movogovo & had Breakfast. Kilossa 2 PM. Dodoma 9.30 PM. Had dinner there.

Saturday 2nd

Still travelling & going strong. Arrived Tabora 4.30 PM. Had to change into another train. When loaded up found we had to stay here for the night. Giving to “Spanish Flue” I think. Walked to the town & nearly got lost.

Memo

Not a bad place Tabora. Fine open country.

Sunday 3rd

No1 Coy was here when I awoke. Still hanging around awaiting for orders. 4 PM. had to get out of the train hurriedly. 1/2nd took our place & we slept on the station.

Monday 4th

Was awake at 5.30 AM & given orders to move at 6 AM. Open drawn waggon came to cart our loads. Going 11 miles out. Got there but got no skoff not even a wash. Loads arrived about 8 PM. Bed tired about 10.30 PM. A most awful day. Fed up properly.

Tuesday 5th

Askaris are building their Banda’s first so we have to remain without shelter from the Sun.

Wednesday 6th

Still no Bandas started for us & in consequence of being in the Sun all day am not feeling too grand.

Thursday 7th

Made a start on our Banda’s to day but don’t get on very fast.

Friday 8th

Still on the same stunt. Awfully slow job. It is jolly warm here.

Saturday 9th

Got my Banda finished & took possession in the evening.

Sunday 10th

Swahili exam this morning. Pretty simple. I passed.

Monday 11th

Went & saw the Doctor this morning. He thinks I have got the Flu. 5 PM. News just received that hostilities have finished. Hooray.

Tuesday 12th

No work to day. Football match took place this evening. After dark a huge bonfire was lighted, Pembe distributed & an Ngoma held.

Wednesday 13th

Started work again at 4 PM. Waiting anxiously for more news to come through.

Thursday 14th

News is a long time coming through. We are getting impatient.

Friday 15th

Armistice terms through to day. We wonder what old Von Settow is going to do.

Saturday 16th

We are getting a few showers now. It is the start of the rainy season. Another football match this afternoon for a change the Batt won.

Sunday 17th

B.O. Sgt to day just because I was looking forward to a lay in. The natives had sports to amuse them in the evening.

Monday 18th

A continuation of the Sports took place this evening. They were highly amusing.

Tuesday 19th

Pity the poor Stokes we have to do an extra hrs parade now. Had a lecture by the C.G after parade.

Wednesday 20th

My job is getting awfully monotonous now. Same old thing every day. Turned a hut into a mess room to day.

Thursday 21st

The sick are returning back from Hospital now so our numbers are increasing.

Friday 22nd

Only did an hours drill this evening owing to a football match being arranged. We won again by 1 to 0.

Saturday 23rd

No parades to day. Kit & Camp inspection. In the evening played the Officers at football. They beat us by 2 to 0. My long lost kit turned up to day.

Sunday 24th

Spent a very quiet day resting & reading. Short stroll in the cool of the evening. Askari played football. Some game.

Monday 25th

Work again. After lunch had a heavy thunderstorm & it did thunder some. As expected got washed out.

Tuesday 26th

Some of the 4/4 arrived here to day. They are forming a camp here.

Wednesday 27th

Things are looking up. We have a ½ days holiday now every Wednesday. Played the Officers football again & we lost again by 3 to 2.

Thursday 28th

Orders came through after lunch that we were moving so I set to & did some carpentering. Played the 4/4th Football 7 after an exciting game we won 1 to 0.

Friday 29th

Made a start at 7 AM. I have a roving commission. The porters were very lively. Tabora at 12. Packed ammo into the vans & then lunch. Began our eventful journey at 7 PM in a prison truck.

Saturday 30th

Did not sleep very well owing to the jarring noise. Stopped for 3 hrs at Dodoma. Had lunch there. Off again at 5 PM. Enlivened the journey by sham fights.

Memo

Where we were camped all November was called Urumiuo.

DECEMBER 1918 - DEPRESSION

Sunday 1st

Arrived Movogovo at 8 AM. 3 mile to our camp. It is up on the side of a hill. Very pretty & a very extensive view. Had our 1917 Xmas dinner to night.

Monday 2nd

No parades to day so had a good lay in. The Sgts we left behind arrived this morning. Very hot here.

Tuesday 3rd

Only fatigues to day so I again score having nothing to do. Had a lovely walk this evening.

Wednesday 4th

Still nothing but fatigues. Men not on fatigues are practicing for all the sports which take place on Saturday.

Thursday 5th

Drew some pay today so after lunch went down to the town. Not much doing. Finished up with a lively night.

Friday 6th

No 4 Coy arrived this morning. After lunch felt rather rotten. Later in the evening the M orderly sent me up to the hospital.

Saturday 7th

Not much wrong with me. Shall not be here very long.

Sunday 8th

Not a very decent hospital.

Monday 9th

No entry

Tuesday 10th

Should have gone out to day but the orderly overlooked it. So I have a bucksheesh day.

Wednesday 11th

Kicked out of Hospital today. Saw Jock Aves of the 1/3rd K.A.R. Played Footer in the evening.

Thursday 12th

Started work today with the Coy.

Friday 13th

According to rumours we shall soon be packing up now.

Saturday 14th

Batt Parade this morning. Had 3 hrs of it & got very fed up with it. In the evening an international match was played England v Scotland. England won.

Sunday 15th

The Sack at last. Bid goodbye to the Batt at 7 AM. Entrained at 8.30. DSM 4 PM. Put up at the Konig Detail Camp.

Monday 16th

What a camp this is. Skoff very poor. Medical inspection to night ready for the boat trip. Dinner at the Central.

Tuesday 17th

Boarded the Ngomo at 10 AM. Sailed at 3.30 PM. What a game. The sweat rolled off me like water. Awfully crowded. Had to hump our own kits aboard.

Wednesday 18th

Arrived in Kilindini about 7.30 AM but did not get off before midday. It was a glorious mix up. Got to Camp but no where to sleep. So we settled under a tree. Had a walk to Mombassa.

Thursday 19th

Much warmer today. We are still under the shadow of our tree. Not getting away today. After a so called dinner had another stroll round Mombassa.

Friday 20th

We are getting some awful skoff here. No luck to day. Went for a bathe this evening & after a stroll round the town.

Saturday 21st

Getting away to day. Travelling 30 in a truck. Departed at 2.15 P.M. Some picture when we all got down to sleep. Managed to get a few hrs shut eye.

Sunday 22nd

Still going strong. Unfortunately up to the present have not been able to get any skoff in the waiting rooms. Had lunch at Kiu. Arrived Nairobi 7 P.M. & was packed straight off to Mlagathe.

Monday 23rd

What a show cannot get any skoff & have got no money to buy any with. Got our first meal at mid-day. My ear is troubling me again.

Tuesday 24th

Got a pass to go into Nairobi to day. Went in on the tractor & nearly had an accident. Went & got 100 chips & got told off. Returned at 5.30 PM absolutely fed up.

Wednesday 25th

Owing to the fact of getting a bit of Xmas pudding we thought it was Xmas day. Otherwise we might have forgotten. Spent a very quiet day.

Thursday 26th

Another quiet day. Did not know what to do with ourselves.

Friday 27th

Had a muster parade at 9.30 & then finished for the day. Some of the Boys have not got over Xmas yet.

Saturday 28th

Should have gone out shooting but the weather was too bad so stayed in.

Sunday 29th

Had a stroll down to the Prisoners of war camp & spent a few hrs there.

Monday 30th

Had a route march this morning. They have formed a football league in camp. The first match was played this evening. NCO’s class won.

Tuesday 31st

Quiet day. Rain in the morning so no parade. Made out a list of kit in my possession. In the evening the 4th Reg played the 3rd Reg & after an exciting game it finished in a draw. Did not see the New Year in.