About the Turner Diaries

Diary One: 26 April to 7 August 1915. It is a tiny repurposed address book, in which Bert wrote under the light of a slush lamp in the dugouts of Gallipoli. It shows signs of water damage and some parts are illegible. — **Diary One:** 26 April to 7 August 1915. It is a tiny repurposed address book, in which Bert wrote under the light of a slush lamp in the dugouts of Gallipoli. It shows signs of water damage and some parts are illegible.

Diary Two: 26 April to 6 August 1915; a second draft of Diary One. It is a ‘Dardanelles Diary’ gifted by Bert’s aunt. — **Diary Two:** 26 April to 6 August 1915; a second draft of Diary One. It is a ‘Dardanelles Diary’ gifted by Bert’s aunt.

Diary Three: 7 August 1915 to 6 January 1916, when Herbert was at Gallipoli, on Lemnos, and leaving for Alexandria. It is a black-coated, card-lined notebook. — **Diary Three:** 7 August 1915 to 6 January 1916, when Herbert was at Gallipoli, on Lemnos, and leaving for Alexandria. It is a black-coated, card-lined notebook.

Diary Four: 27 October 1916 to 28 February 1917, on the Western Front. It is a blue notebook. — **Diary Four:** 27 October 1916 to 28 February 1917, on the Western Front. It is a blue notebook.

Diary Five: 1 March to 17 June 1917, on the Western Front. It is a black-embossed card notebook. — **Diary Five:** 1 March to 17 June 1917, on the Western Front. It is a black-embossed card notebook.

Diary Six: 27 June to 1 August 1918, on the Western Front. The shortest, it is a tan card notebook. — **Diary Six:** 27 June to 1 August 1918, on the Western Front. The shortest, it is a tan card notebook.

Book Seven: Meticulously detailed records and tables keeping a log of letters Herbert sent and received, his travel, and pay. These details, along with Herbert’s WWI service record, and the 11th and 51st Battalion’s and 4th Division Signals Company unit diaries allowed us to fill gaps resulting from the fact that one or two of Bert’s diaries never made it home. — **Book Seven:** Meticulously detailed records and tables keeping a log of letters Herbert sent and received, his travel, and pay. These details, along with Herbert’s WWI service record, and the 11th and 51st Battalion’s and 4th Division Signals Company unit diaries allowed us to fill gaps resulting from the fact that one or two of Bert’s diaries never made it home.

Book Eight: A 1918 gift diary containing important information for soldiers such as French phrases, military insignia, etc. Produced en masse by The Australian Comforts Fund and given to all the ‘Fit Fighting Men of Australia’. — **Book Eight:** A 1918 gift diary containing important information for soldiers such as French phrases, military insignia, etc. Produced en masse by The Australian Comforts Fund and given to all the ‘Fit Fighting Men of Australia’.

There are two chunks of time missing, which we’ve filled with exhaustive research and information Herbert had written in his records books.

We have also kept Herbert’s own misspellings and unique grammatical style intact. Sometimes this adds insight to Herbert’s mental state and character. There’s something very human and accessible about misspelling ‘Diaorhea’.

Matthew Willemsen
Project Leader
Story from A Signaller’s Story Exhibit

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