18 November 1916

Extract from the official war diary of the 1st Bn, 22nd (Cheshire) Regiment

Billets

Football match, Cheshires V 15^th M.G. Coy.  Lost 3-0.  Weather wet and windy.

Col. ALLASON, D.S.O. and Officers 1^st Bedfords, came to dinner.

Usual training programme.

 Extract from the diary of Norman Hughes, “B” Coy, 1/4th Cheshire Regiment 53rd (Welsh) Division [Norman Hughes came from Neston]

Sinai Peninsula

“Nothing great is easy.”

I am very sick in the night and in the morning have dysentery very bad. Drink nothing all day long and eat only a very little chocolate.

Could not eat any dinner at evening but manage to get to the concert later on

13 November 1916

Extract from the diary of Norman Hughes, “B” Coy, 1/4th Cheshire Regiment 53rd (Welsh) Division [Norman Hughes came from Neston]

Sinai Peninsula

“Our remedies oft in ourselves do lie when we ascribe ourselves to Heaven.”      

       We have a grand concert, splendid turns. A B.W.I. sergeant gives a turn which is a great success.

          Sergt Foster is a very fine fellow, he is absolutely black with every stamp of an American negro, but  when you live with him, have meals together and chat with him, he is quite a[n] English gentleman for his manners are splendid, he is attached to us for food and discipline while attending a Bombing course at Brigade.

29 October 1916

Extract from the diary of Norman Hughes, “B” Coy, 1/4th Cheshire Regiment 53rd (Welsh) Division [Norman Hughes came from Neston]

Sinai peninsula

“Book and church and day are given for man, not God.”

Church Parade. Very foggy morning men have to stand to till fog clears 10 a.m.

4 October 1916

Extract from the diary of Norman Hughes, “B” Coy, 1/4th Cheshire Regiment 53rd (Welsh) Division [Norman Hughes came from Neston]

Sinai peninsula

“The pathway of Life is a pathway of Will & Effort.”

My platoon have a great deal of barbed-wiring to do

2 August 1916

Extract from the diary of Norman Hughes, “B” Coy, 1/4th Cheshire Regiment 53rd (Welsh) Division [Norman Hughes came from Neston. Sailing from Alexandria in Egypt]

“Be your best today, no matter what happened yesterday”.

Sail from Sollum Bay at 2 p.m. after taking the Welsh Regt. on board in the morning; the H.M.S Lily is our escort but most peculiar she just keeps a few hundred yds in our rear the whole journey.

Very quiet night at sea and our ship is a splendid sailer [sic]. – no-one sick. The “Minnetonka” is about 12,000 tons.

26 July 1916

Extract from the diary of Norman Hughes, “B” Coy, 1/4th Cheshire Regiment 53rd (Welsh) Division [Norman Hughes came from Neston. In Egypt]

“Character cannot be made only by long steady continued progress.”

During the evening I am in charge of the Outpost Piquet and at dusk the Armoured Cars returned and continue to come in during the night.

They raided a Senoussi settlement along the coast where it is believed that submarines are visiting. The raid was successful the extent of damage done is not yet reported but we had two killed and 3 wounded.

22 July 1916

Extract from the diary of Norman Hughes, “B” Coy, 1/4th Cheshire Regiment 53rd (Welsh) Division [Norman Hughes came from Neston. In Egypt]

“if you want to become more courageous, become more loving”.

I am on the Supply Guard, and have a fearful toothache, it is so f violent that I hand the Guard to by corporal and go over to the R.A.M.C. and [have] one pulled out, but they refused to draw a very big one; afterwards I have 3 more drawn: spent a fearful night, but stick it through. I have a good Cpl in Corpl Randles he does everything.

15 July 1916

Extract from the diary of Norman Hughes, “B” Coy, 1/4th Cheshire Regiment 53rd (Welsh) Division [Norman Hughes came from Neston. In Egypt]

Rembrandt born 1606.

“There are gains for all our losses and balms for all our pains.”

Last night at 11-45 p.m. the regt. set off on a night march across the desert.

Attack a certain spot at the signal of the rocket at 4-10 am exactly.

Men charge very well, then we march back about 2 miles to the places where we left the camels with the cooks to make tea which they have ready for us. We rest half an hour eat a slice of our bread ration and have a lovely drink of tea.

By this time the sun has appeared over the horizon and dried the dew up from our clothes.

We start off again from Sollum arriving in at 8am having done from 12 to 14 miles made an attack, finished with a charge, and had a slight meal.

Have to-day off – sleep till midday, then in the afternoon well there is nowhere really to go to till evening, when we have a grand concert .

25 April 1916

Extract from the diary of Norman Hughes, “B” Coy, 1/4th Cheshire Regiment 53rd (Welsh) Division

[Norman Hughes came from Neston. In Egypt with the 4th Bn]

Princess Mary born 1897. See thou lovest what is lovely.

A few of all my our men received a parcel from Princess Mary while on the [Gallipoli] peninsula just before the evacuation took place

11 April 1916

Extract from the diary of Norman Hughes, “B” Coy, 1/4th Ches. Regt. 53rd (Welsh) Division

[Norman Hughes came from Neston. In Egypt with the 4th Bn]

“If you cannot bear with your brother how will he bear with you?”

Marching & manoeuvring across the desert again. Advance as far as possible without opening fire.