BATES, Wilfred Froud - 51
| Original items held by the Army Museum of Western Australia |
| Conflict | World War 1 |
|---|---|
| Service Arm | Australian Imperial Force |
| Unit | 16th Infantry Battalion, B Company |
| Service No. | 51 |
| Service Arm | Army |
| Date of Birth | 28 December 1888 |
| Birthplace | South Yarra, Melbourne, VIC |
| Residence | Fremantle, WA |
| Date of Death | 12 May 1915 |
| Relatives | Wife - Florence May Williams Son - BATES, Wilfred Froud - WX25364 |
Correspondence with A.I.F. Headquarters
Diary
Thursday November 19th 1914
November 21st Left Fremantle
November 27 Arrived in Melbourne had a rotten trip
December 17th We marched through Melbourne
Dec 23 Embarked on the Ceramic
Dec 25 Spent Xmas day on board I had a rotten Xmas
Dec 26 Arrived at Albany good trip from Melbourne
Dec 30 Left Albany
1915
Jan 1st Man buried at sea
Jan 2nd Vaccinated splendid trip up to date we are travelling with lights covered up
Jan 4th I was awakened by a scream from you I am worrying & wondering if anything is the matter with you
Jan 8th Only just received a wire from you I take it to be your second wire I am worrying because I have only received 1 letter from you
since I left the West
Jan 10th Man buried at sea
Jan 11th Ditto
Jan 19 Ditto
Jan 20 Arrived at Aden
Jan 21 Robertson was taken on shore & buried at Aden
Jan 22 Received a letter from Flora today
Jan 23rd We left Aden today & another man died
Jan 24 Another man buried at sea today
Jan 28 Another man died & buried today
Jan 29 Arived at the mouth of the Suez today. Stayed out-side all day
Jan 30 We entered the Suez today & the NZs are entrenched all along the canal another man died today
Jan 31 Arrived at Port Said man taken ashore & buried there couple of __ overdue
Feb 1915
Feb 1 Arrived Alexandria today. Very dry and lot of shipping.
Feb 4 We land in Alexandria after 44 days trip 4 France to Heliopolis very fine city grand buildings
Feb 5 Went to Cairo terrible dirty and live with Prostitutes. I saw a Turkish __ arrested. Some Australian caught him.
February 14th Pyramids 456 ft high. Visited Pyramids. Climbed to the top. Took some climbing. I went all round them. saw about 6 tombs
of different Kings. Visited the Sphinx & its vaults. I wish Flo was with me to see them.
February 31 Went round all of the different mosques the citadel is the best of them all it is grand.
March 1st Went digging up old tombs they are supposed to be 2000 years old. I am sending Flo 2 beads I dug up there & 2 presents.
March 2nd I am sending the presents tonight.
We are getting hard work here & little food & the dust is a beggar when we are marching you cant see 5 yards ahead of you.
March 23rd Lieut Col Pope spoke to us & told us we would be fighting with flower of the British army within 2 weeks and we were the best
rated of the Brigade. That is to say we are the best of the Australian troops the General said so.
April 2nd Riot in Cairo the Aus were fired on by Red Caps, the Aus broke up the prostitutes places & burnt them
April 3rd Visited the Virgin Well & Virgin Tree the needle
April 4th Went to Cairo & was invited to a dinner by an Australian Bradley L Costicale. Made L Corporal today.
April 10th Leaving Heliopolis today & pleased we all are because the long looked for event has happened. Left Camp at 8 o'clock arrived at
Cairo 1/2 past 10 o'clock camped & entrained for Alexandria at 4 o'clock
April 11th Camped on warfe all day unpacked in afternoon went up the town
Apr 12 Started for the fighting line on the Hyda Pasha a little old thing captured from Germans
Apr 13th Broke down for about 7 or 8 hours
April 14th Picked up a pontoon a bit rough up to now
April 15 Arrived at Lemnos today it is a lovely harbour it is all green to waters edge the harbour is full of man of wars
April 16th The C.O. told us we were lucky because a Turk's destroyer was chased by a French gunboat right on our course we saw the French
boat going out
April Sun 25 Left Lemnos this morning we land at Gallipoli at 5 o'clock in the afternoon under fire of the warships we are in for a hot time
all on board are on good spirits & glad to get at it
April 25 We are in the shell fire we are just about to land warships form all round us my word it is grand two men wounded in landing was
fighting all night
April 26th __ 50,000 against 500 of us fighting all day was blown up 3 times with the shells off our own war-ship not hurt. terrible lot of
wounded just today
April 27 Was on out post last night I was lucky bullets were flying all round me. The fighting is very fierce one continual fire of rifles.
Battery & warships. Expecting an attack tonight.
April 28th No attack last night but we were up all night the fighting is still strong the Turks snipers are doing bad work amongst us
expecting an attack tonight
April 29th We were attacked last night but we gave them such a bad time of it that they did not come 20 yds we were itching for a charge
but did not get it up all night again I have not had any rest of 4 day & 4 night I am pretty tired i can tell you I had my baynet shot off
last night. Quiet time of it today I think we have the Turks all ready.
30th April Things were very quiet last night we are loosing a lot of men but the Turks are losing about 4 to 1 so we are not doing so bad
they won't come & show them selves. Was relieved today after 5 days & 5 nights in the trenches we wanted to
Sunday April 25 We were fighting against big odds there were 50,000 Turks & only Company of that is about 500 __ we were cut up terrible
but we held them in check until reinforcements came up. I believe Kitchener is surprised at the way we fought. I heard some officers
talking about what was said & heard said that if we had many more people in Australia we would take the world
May 1st Today is supposed to be a rest day for us but we are getting sniped off like one thing. We got the order to reinforce a place 5
o'clock today we had to climb a very steep hill but only a few of us got there & as soon as I got there was out of wind & an officer sent
me under heavy fire to bring some men from another place. When I got back with them I could not speak. I was that much done up & dry
May 2nd Sniped at all day. We made an attack & took the place. But we were cut up terrible & the RMLT were to support us with NZ & they
would not come up there is hardly any let up in the battle. We held the place for 13 hours & I was blown out of the trench again it lobbed
right in the trench I only got a little of it in the face. There is only 150 of us left. I took command & it __ all my name one I was up
7th or 8th
May 3 Nerves all gone to bits only 11 men left out of our platoon 46 out of 240 in Coy
May 4 Resting all day we need it we are all broke up after losing so many of our mates
May 6th Very hot night last night. Things are not so bad today
May 7th Very quiet
May 9th Making a charge tonight I was made Sarg today
May 10th We were supposed to be 2nd supports last night but we had to do the charge because the R__ LI would not go. We took the Turks
trenches & held them all night & could not get any reinforcements so we had to give the trenches again we lost heavy again I shot 13 Turks
before I left the trench & was nearly cut off.
I was made Platoon Sarg yesterday
May 11th We were supports last night we go in the trenches at 10 o'clock today
Service records
Statement of War Pension Claim
Attestation forms
