Diary 1: September 20th 1914 to October 24th 1917

48.S.M.DIV.

1915

Feby. 2.

B’ham to Northhampton. Very good time.

Mch.10.

Transferred to 1st S.M.7. Amb. at Witham. Essex. Rather Dull.

Mch. 29.

Witham. 2.10 a.m. Arrived Southampton 8.30 a.m. Embarked 9.15 p.m.

Mch.30.

Arrived Nauve. France. 5.15 a.m. Left mid-night. all excitement.

Mch.31.

Left Nauve. 5 a.m. 28 hrs in Cattle Trucks. Not bad riding, altho’ very slow.

April 1st

Arrived Cassell. 3.15 a.m. Marched to Oudijeel. Very Tired.

April 5th.

Easter Monday. Oudejel to Bailleiul. 20 miles full kit. Pouring rain, all dead beaten & soaked. Rotten experience.

Armentiers to Romarin (Belgium). Saw 2nd Battle of Ypres & Hill 60. First effects of poison gas felt.

April 26

Romarin to Bailleul. Opened big hospital & was very busy.

April 28

Bailleul back to Romarin. Hospital handed over. Many Canadians in.

May 4

Romarin to Pait – de – Nieppe. School as hospial. Very nice.

May 24

Making Dug-outs at Ploegsteuch. Much sniping.

May27

Still on Dug-outs. Heavy German shelling. Very exciting Bomb explosion in Nieppe 20 casualties.

On G.D. at hospial.

June 20

Oultersteen – Vieux – Berquin. Wet through.

June 24

Nieppe – Oultersteen. Lovely barn.

June 26

V.B. – Gonnhem. Slept in old theatre. March 7pm – 4am

June 27

Gonnehem to Allouague theatre billet.

June 30

Under Canvas. Very nice.

July 15

Allouague. Ames Went round Indian Encampment. Very interesting.

July 20

Ames – Lillers. Entrained 7 p.m. for – ?.

Slept out. – Rain – wet through. On guard all night.

July 23.

Very busy at Hospital. on Nights.

July 27

Les Freeman came up form Havre.

August 6

Barton. Arqueves in barns. Not bad.

Aug 9

Officer’s Mess. Busy.

Aug 12

Day orderly in hospital, – Scabies ward. Many patients.

Sept 20

Twelve sent to Baths at Couin. Nice place.

Sept 24/30

Expect to move any time. Heavy bombardment. Big attack. Eng. & French advancing. Various points.

Back at Arqueves. G.D. at Hospital. A. Sec.

Nov. 13.

Back at Couin on Water Duty.

Dec. 24.

Christmas Eve. Pouring with rain. Very miserable.

Dec. 25.

Merry Xmas. Finished work 12.30. Had a good Time.

Dec. 26-28.

Felt Rotten. “Nuff Sed”

1916

Jan. 1st

New Year’s Day. Very nice time.

Jan. 14

Still on Water Duty. Couin + Coigneux. Decent.

Apl. 30.

Arrived “Blighty” 7 a.m. Home sweet Home 1.50. Sunday.

May 7

Had time of my life at home. Very rotten to come away. Left 11 a.m. arr Havre 2.30 A.M. Monday.

May 9

Back at Beauval. Unit on rest. Decent. Felt “fed up.”

May 10

On Nights at Hospital.

June. 4.

Left Beauval for Coulonvillers.

June 8-11.

On Manoeuvres. Very Tiring.

June 12.

Whit Monday. Coulonvillers to Yvrencheux in Barns.

June 14

Yvrencheux to Hem.

Preparing for big attack.

June 30

Left for Trenches 9 p.m.

Arr. Englebelmer 12 p.m. Heavy Shelling. Att. 29th Div.

(Somme Battle)

July 1st

Dawn. Big Attack all along the line. Food scarce.

July 2

Many deadand & wounded. Awful bombardment still on. Working day & night.

July 3

Colonel & Capt. Thomason wounded. Casualties in Amb. about 15. No luck on our Section. Newfoundland’s got an auful cutting up. German M. guns waiting for them. Terrible sights. Dead & wounded galore.

July 4

Thunderstorm. Dug-outs flooded. Wet Through. Left Trenches 11 p.m. for

Clearing up. Compliments by Corps Commander. Back with 48th Div.

July 7.

Arqueves for Thievres. Still bombarding.

July 9

Sent to baths at Courcelles. Very decent. Much shelling.

July 11

Went round Hebuterne with working party.

July 13.

Courcelles. – Thievres. Short notice.

July 14

Left Thievres for Senlis. (Nr Albert.

July 15

Left for Trenches 9 a.m. Arr “Crucifix Corner” & sent on to “Blightly Wood” Heavy shelling.

9 p.m. – 4 a.m. In German Trenches in front of Ovillers (which has just been captured by us). Awful mess.

July 18

In German lines. Dead & wounded galore. Very busy. German Dug-outs very deep & comfortable. Awful smell of dead.

July 19.

Twenty – four hours in German lines. on end.

July 20

In Bombing attack with Glosters. Terrible night. Many wounded.

July 21

Left Trenches. March to Bouzaincourt.

July 22.

Sent back to Ovillers at short notice. Arr. 11.30 p.m. working all

Still working in German lines. Several gassed & wounded. Still attacking Trench we have fought for for several days taken, several prisoners & many wounded.

July 26.

Left Trenches. Back to Arqueves.

July 28.

Arqueves – Beauval. Very hot.

July 29.

Beauval – Danquer. still very hot.

July 30

Resting.

Aug 9

Danquer – Beauval.

Left for Ovillers Trenches. Stayed at Crucifix Corner. Night Clerk. Saved fellow from drowning in Ancre River near by. Very Exciting.

Aug 18.

Big battle going on. Good advances. 700 prisoners just arrived. 10.30 p.m. felt very sick, believe it to be effects of gas shells. Sent down to Bouzaincourt. Our own hospital.

Aug. 23.

Felling better.

Aug. 28.

Left Bouzaincourt. Boys returned from Trenches. March to Bus. Opened O.R.S. G.D.

Sept 7.

Bus to Sartan.

Gezaincourt to St. Hilaire. Soaked Through.

Sept. 22.

St. Hilaire to Ribeaucourt. Nr Domart.

Sept. 29.

Ribeaucourt to Candas.

Sept. 30.

Candas to :- (a farm on its own, – “Nowhere”). Nr Saulty.

Oct 1st.

? Farm to St. Amand in Barns. (Nr Souastre).

Oct. 20th.

St. Amand. to Grand Rullecourt. In huts.

Oct. 25.

Gd. Rullecourt. To Franvillers.

Millencourt to Contalmaison & trenches. Living in O.G. dugout 40ft deep under what was a Chateau. Terrible bombarding by both sides, & mud very deep. Several horses etc drowned in shell holes. Many burials is ground just by. 75 Germans killed in our dug-out when British first took over. Many traces of Germans found. Many experiences too numerous to mention. Very busy.

Dec. 16.

Left Contalmaison after six weeks for Albert.

Dec 25

Xmas Day in Albert. Reg at H.2. Hospital Sick Les also in hospital, two days ago. In charge of B. Sec. Water Cover. Loxley in BLIGHTY.

Jan 26.

Becourt to Morcourt. South of Somme River. Took over form French. Good sliding on Somme overflow.

Feby 2

Morcourt to Cappy. (On R. Somme) Relieve French soldiers.

March 1

Cappy to Fleucourt and trenches. Rather busy. Much enemy Shelling.

March 4th

Up the line with Capt. Kennora saw Peronne. some shelling.

Mch. 6. (At Stiffin Nr. Peronne)

Went up trenches thigh deep in mud for wounded fellow in T.M.B. Imposs to get him along trench

Mch 10

Sent down to Flanecourt for water. Shell fell on us and blew me full length. Wounded Groves and other chap shell shock. Me very badly shaken. A week of experiences.

Mch. 13.

21st Birthday.

Resing at Flaucourt Nr Perronne.

Peronne to Buere for 24 hrs.

Mch. 28.

Ret: to P Cor Orderly working the line round St Envily. Rounsoy etc.

May. 13.

Perrone to Conchles Bombles – Bapaume – Bapaume to Beuiny & up line. Terrible bombards. Arras push.

June 1st

Returned to H.Q.

June. 4.

Up line again.

July 1st

Relieved by 3rd Div.

July 2nd

Moved from Beugny to Achiet – Le – Grand.

July 22.

Left Gaudiempre & marched to Mandicourt – Pas. Entrained for Belgium.

July 23.

Arrived Godewaersvelde. March to Goperinght.

July 31. to Aug 3rd

Up line for Big Push. much work. Soaked through. Working 36 hrs in wet things. No dry place to sit anywhere. no shelter. Heavy/Fritz shelling. Ten Casualties in Amb to-date. Awful conditions. Never felt more fed up. Mud knee deep. Working round Kitchener’s Wood. St. Julien. Etc Nr Ypres.

Wounded by Fritz shell Nr K. wood. Rt. leg, thigh, arm, hand & chin. Small pieces

in 47 C.C.S.

Aug 17th.

Evacuated to Base in 26th Gen: Hos: Etaples.

Aug: 26th

Wounds better. Transferred to Convalescent Camp. Etaples.

Aug. 31st.

Entrained to No 13 con. Camp at Trouville Nr Haure 15hrs ride. Still very sore.

Sept 1st

Arr Trouville in huts. Plenty sea bathing etc.

Oct 2

Discharged from con. Camp and marked active.

“Nuff Sed”

Diary closed 24/10/17

See New Edition

F.G.A. x