The words written over four short months in 1916-17 where penned when he was surrounded by the brutality and horror of trench warfare in France, yet his humanity shines through his words – words written when he was only 19.

Sgt Page and his older brother 21-year-old Sergeant Douglas Page who enlisted with him in January 1916 and served alongside him in France were born and raised on a farm at Main Creek near Dungog.

Tragically they both lost their lives in quick succession Greg first at Armentieres on March 9, 1917 and Doug at Messines, Belgium on May 17 of the same year.

They are the great uncles of Singleton resident John Atkins who provided the Singleton Argus with a copy of the Page brothers’ diary and their war service record.

Greg’s diary begins with the haunting words that show his prescience of his life in France “Should I this day, or in coming days of battle, fall in defence of our flag and justice, would the finder of this diary, be he friend or foe, kindly send it to the address on the front page.”

After those lines Greg goes onto describe the brothers’  time in a snowy England before they cross the Channel for the battlefields of France.

Once in France he talks about the kindness of the French people whom they are often billeted with and the horrible bully beef and biscuits which he describes as being like ‘iron’.

An operator in a Lewis Gun detachment he talks about ‘fritz’ and the ‘huns’ the enemy keeping them awake with their constant bombardments. 

The diary contains no self pity or complaining about life on the front apart from the one entry on the food which obviously shows Greg simply accepted the conditions and made the most of them in particular the camaraderie with his fellow soldiers and the French citizens.

What pleased him the most were the letters and gifts from home.

Christmas Day 1916 ‘All the lads are merry, but dear faces of last Xmas are sadly missed. At 11:30 great joy came to Doug and I in the parcel from home, sweet home, and how thoughtful the dear ones must have been who packed it for us- everything was just fine.”

“We shared the sweets with some poor lads who had been forgotten.

“I must write home to Mum now, and enclose a piece of holly.

“On the whole we have had a merry day amongst the parcels and letters home. Xmas Day is over. Next Xmas I hope to be back with dear ones at home – God Bless them.”

He and Doug were both promoted to the rank of Sergeant in January 1917 due to their excellent work in the trenches.

On February 24 1917 the entry reads ‘ Bill Harvey, our pal and comrade, was shot by a sniper with an explosive bullet in the left shoulder… we rushed across the open ground toward him, but he held up his hand saying: “Don’t come to help me, you’ll be hit yourself” and he began to crawl towards us.’

“Doug was there also and helped us in with him….His arm was practically severed. Stretcher bearers came and carried him out of the line. He was quite conscious and said goodbye to us.”

Greg’s last entry dated March 6 talks about it being a quiet day and a pal letting him know Bill Harvey had had to have his arm amputated at the shoulder.

The next entry is written by his grieving brother Doug “ Sleep on ! dear brother of my sweetest memories, Until this great sad day is ended; Then you and I shall stand again, side by side, In the ranks of our Maker’s Kingdom.”

March 10 “I am alone in the line, because now Greg has gone I will always be alone perchance some day I return across the waters. O God! Can I go on living like this, for everywhere I go I can see him. Greg my poor Greg. I loved him in life, could I love him more now I wonder. His was a life thousands crave to live, but can only read of.

“Pure strong in his every little action, Would that I could write in Verse all that I now feel, to do my noble brother justice.”

March 12 “I have written to Mother ….am posting letter with parcel. Will send cap and other items in separate parcel. It is murder having to write at all because I must tell of him – it is terrible.”

Doug continues the diary which contains many words about his beloved little brother until April 7, 1917 about six weeks before he himself is killed in action.

In a local newspaper cutting from 1917 Greg is described ‘ as a grand type of young manhood, being over 6ft in height and splendidly proportioned. 

He was a keen sportsman, and will be sadly missed from the tennis and cricket grounds. The late Sergeant Page was highly esteemed by all who knew him and his death came as a sad blow to all his friends.”

What a loss those two brothers lives were to the Page family but also to their friends and their community – what could that pair of brave and caring brothers achieved if only they had returned home.

Their diary entries though tragically short make for poignant reading and are a stark reminder of the horrors of war.