|
Applied for a transfer
to our Australian
hospital but was refused
(only a few yards away).
Before I'll come away
again to an English
field hospital they'll
have to shoot me. I am
cutting out a few days
here. Won't record
anything. Want to forget
this spasm."
On August 4 he was: "Off
back again, thank God.
Feeling pretty rotten
but I'll take my chance
in getting better hack
there!"
Violence
Doughty's unit was
evacuated from Gallipoli
on December 8, first to
Lemnos where the troops
became involved in a
series of inter-unit
rugby matches which, as
far as violence was
concerned, seemed to
lose little in
comparison with some of
the event of the past
eight months. "Look at
me. Both knees minus
skin, ditto ankle and
nose and a swollen lip.
Watson got a bump on the
head which knocked him
silly for 3 hrs and
England got a broken
rib. Still it was a
ripping match. We beat
the Engineers 9 to 0."
This period of time is
contained in the second
diary. The third diary
commenced in March 1916
on the eve of the next
Great Adventure, the one
which would, for Ralph
Doughty, last but 16
months. Even now, after
eight months of what
most historians would
agree on as being close
to the ultimate in
hellish campaigns, the
old Anzac spirit
remained unquenched:
"Hur-blooming-ray.
Marching orders at last
and as pleased as a cat
with two tails. This
time I leave Egypt as a
blooming officer. Am
feeling awfully fit, so
watch out somebody!" |
|
[13 July 1917]
We established our wagon lines at
Ghyvelde which is 6˝ miles east of
Dunkerque and about two miles from the
sea. The Royal Naval Air Service (as it
was then known) had its aerodromes all
along the coast at Bray Dunes near here
and the officers often came and dined
with us and we with them. Some of our
chaps went up with them on occasion and
had a look at our targets from the air.
It was raining all day on 14 July when
Major Crisp and Lieutenant Doughty went
up to reconnoitre the gun positions.
They returned at 10.30 p.m.
[15 July 1917]
Had heavy rain
throughout the night but it fined up a
bit on Sunday, 15 July. At 6.30 p.m.
Major Crisp, Lieutenant Doughty, Roberts
and I, together with the right section,
left for the gun positions about fifteen
miles away. Went through Nieuport and
arrived at the battery position at
midnight. After unloading I brought the
wagons back to Coxyde Bains for more
ammunition, finally getting back to the
wagon lines at 6.10 a.m. on 16 July.
[20-23 July 1917]
I might mention that,
with the exception of the Heavy
Batteries, we were the only Australians
up in this direction and we had English
and Scottish Regiments in front of us.
Taubes were busy on 20 July and the Hun
shelled heavily a couple of hundred
yards behind us.
His planes were busy again on 21 July
and they were so low we were firing at
them with rifles. Our heavies were
successful in blowing up a couple of his
dumps too. Major Crisp went on leave;
Roberts went down to wagon lines and
Hely came to battery. At about 10.30
p.m. ‘Fritz’ opened up with 77 mm for
about an hour and later put down a
barrage of gas shell in Nieuport, There
were from 1500 to 2000 casualties in
this town itself and I got a slight
touch of gas (for the second time)
myself. We had an S.O.S. at 11.30 p.m.
and went on until 2.30 a.m. on Monday,
23 July. Then again at 3.10 a.m. until
after 4 a.m. About 3.30 a.m., when
things slackened a little, I went over
to the control pit to see if any news
had been received as to what was going
on and, as I came round one side,
Lieutenant Doughty came round the other
and we met at the entrance to the pit.
He put his hand behind me and said ‘‘‘Go
on, hop in ‘Kingie’’’, which I did. He
fell in behind me. A premature from one
of the 12th Brigade guns just behind us
had sent a splinter in his back and out
his stomach. We got a stretcher, cut
down the gas curtain, and sent him off
to the dressing station. He was a fine
man and a very well-liked Officer.
This left only Hely and myself at the
battery. I managed to get some sleep at
6 a.m. on 23 July but was up again at
10.30 a.m. and went to Pelican Bridge to
see about some decauville line and
barges for bringing up ammunition. Had
news that Doughty was doing well and
Roberts came up for lunch. Was busy all
night at Pelican Dump with ammunition
which I brought up the canal on barges.
‘Fritz’ was shelling the bridges about
50 yards from our guns and, at 10.30
p.m., I got caught (with Lieutenant
Hamilton, Royal Artillery) in a barrage
of 77 mm gas shell and had to shelter
for a while in some trenches near the
bridge. Fogg rejoined the battery. Got
to bed at 4.30 a.m. on 25 July and up
again at 9 a.m. Rainy and dull all day
and we got word that Doughty had died at
the 15th Corps Dressing Station.
[7 August 1917]
Rode over to Bray
Dunes on Sunday, 5 August and round La
Panne looking for new wagon lines on 6
August. Rode into Bray Dunes again on 7
August, then on to Coxyde Military
Cemetery where I planted a small wooden
cross on Lieutenant Doughty’s grave and
got back to wagon lines at 10.45 p.m.
[On the following day, 8 August 1917,
Ken’s eldest brother, Major H.F.
Kingsmill D.S.O., was killed near
Ypres.] |
