April 1916

Fine - Warm. -

Pulled out of Berthen 8.15 A.M. after packing up for Gilbert. - Several halts near beginning of trek to allow 2nd Bn. Transport - 1st Bn & Div. Train to pass. - All O.K. from Westoutre. - Arr’d new billets 2.45 P.M. - Near Vlammertinghe. - A godforsaken looking country. Artillery on the strafe the whole time. Visited 1st Co’y this aft. & had a game of ball. - 8th co’y over here. Saw Ewart. Very comfortable billets, a bit crowded but will be jake when come of us move up to the line. - Saw Jim Matheson & Bob Eason as we came in.

Continual Artillery racket.

Met Wop Stewart.

Hot. - Some row last night. - Hope it isn’t the usual thing. - Turner, Harvey, Alexander & self for front line - Turner and I came up this morning. - Country more desolate than I ever imagined. - Had my first view of Ypres - On arrival at R.E. dugouts, met a bored looking youth from the 7th F.Co’y who, with another chap took us around the place after lunch. - The big stuff drifts over here from all sides. The mess from last Monday’s strafe not all cleaned up yet. - Shell holes overlap. Pep has given me some C.T.s & supports to look after. - Blocked up by mud & dead people. - About 6 P.M. - Fritz started on Gordon Terrace with whizz-bangs. - Thank goodness we are 12’ underground. - Waiting for the stuff to come up, but we may wait as the tramway must have been knocked about.

3 A.M. - still waiting. - Harvey & Alex got up with the men about 9.30 by making detour. - R.E. party has made several attempts to get out. - Two wounded. Fire on Gordon Tce. let up at Midnt. - Party went down for kits. - 1 A.M. they started a war on the rt. just beyond Canal. - The lid was off. Party got back with ½ the stuff just as Guy & Pete were starting out to look for them.

4.30 A.M. - Davey & Jim got up with Alex’s kit - Are going to get some sleep in our own dugout. - Place full of Durham L.I. - Still going strong on other side of canal.

Rolled our 7.30 - All men & kits safely up. - Several spent the night in shell holes. Hope this day doesn’t happen every night. - Kept house this aft. - Pep & Casey came up. - Went down to meet pioneer working parties. - Missed the rendezvous & got strafed by Webber (B.M.)

Finally got them up to the Hedge Trench by the Bluff. - Should have worked them in the International but too wet. - More smell around that place than imagined. - Boche snipers pretty busy. - Turner got strafed by the B.M. too. - All parties to work six hours. - To bed 2.30 A.M.

And didn’t get up very early. - Pete had to go into billets so Cur. came up with Pep at lunch time - Was going over to have a look at Grand Fleet St. this aft but Fritz turn on M.G. on the high ground beyond Pear Tree so altered my mind. - Have a D of S & T job now. - Several 5.9 washouts on the line to be fixed up - Met a bunch of pioneers and took them up the left line to Grant Fleet St. - Came back cross country to R.E. dugouts. Went down the line to see the section gang. - Came back & kept Turner awake with the able assistance of Marion who had a party from the 3rd. - Is going back to be a political Major.

Clear - Cool - Breakfast in bed & slept till 12.30. - Baker (9th F.A.) came in to lunch. - He’s a good scout. - Took a ramble up thro’ the support lines and found my way over to Gd. Fleet St. - A tall man would have a hard time up there. - Watched Fritz putting coal boxes and Woolly Bears across at St. Eloi. - They have been at it steady for almost two days now. - Met Fred Chidley again. - Visited Smythe, 2nd Bn & made a detail survey of Gr. Fl. St. - Kept on the go till 2.30 getting stuff up. - Chedderton I/c party. Made a last trip for I-beams but party gave me the slip.

Dull. - On the go with the carrying parties. Two ripping letters tonight. Nothing doing in the leave line till 5 months is up. Wish I had gone to the II Div. Cut the grousing. It’s no bon for soldier.

More strafing at St. Eloi.

Dull. - A bit of strafing at odd times all day. - Alex hot chased with whizz-bangs. Canon Scott was in. Got several trolleys running over part of the line. - Some heavy M.G. emp. frames to come up.

A beautiful day. Alex and I started for a stroll thro the supports but Fritz started a 3 minute interval strafe so we altered out course. Visited McBurney & Sampson. Toured the Bluff & visited the crater. - Good system working on tram line tonight - Wedd I/c party. - Traffic jam in front of Dump. First load delayed by shells at Langhof. - All working parties taking in materials. Foggy. - Relief tomorrow.

Cool. - Peerless & Bevan came up. - Parties as usual tonight. No delay at all to traffic in spite of 1st Bn. Relief. Some trouble getting mining cases. - Swiped some front tunnellers. - Kept on the go between Langhof and Woodcote. - Wrote a bunch of letters this aft or rather one long letter answering a bunch.

Last train load up at 12.30 A.M.

Went down to Woodcote to look for Roe. He had gone. - Called in at 8th Bn - Don’t like travelling around the back country alone. - Hung around Langhof & Guided a 19th chap up to the bridge. - Lots of news of the craters. 6th Bde suffered heavily. - Germans in part of two. - Going after them right now. - Row started at 2 A.M. - After a powwow in the other D.O. To bed 2.45.

Up at noon. - Took a walk with Alex thro the BEAN & POLLOCK. - Fritz brought down a Br. plane. - Is Lying all crumpled up on our wire. - Visited 2nd Bn. Hdq. - Just missed some new bombs Fritz was trying out. - Got into a shower of Archies at entrance to Pear-tree. - Pulled out for billets 7.45 P.M.

I/c #3 - uneventful trip. - A few rear shells around. Arr’d billets 9.30 - spent the rest of the evening playing the new records.

Rain. - Up at 10 am. Appreciate comfy billets after a few days up the line - Had a much needed bath this aft. - Met Bill Morris & Allie Gammell also Richardson, 42nd - Communiques seem to denote a wild time at St. Eloi. - Craters, taken, lost, regained, partly occupied by both sides. We are in all of them, but Fritz still holds on in two. - After dinner put the pontoons over on Alex & Pete for a flock of pfennigs.

Rain. Wind. -

A nice miserable looking day. - Made it all the longer by getting up at 7.30. - Read two melancholy yarns in the post & wrote a letter. - Played the gramophone & wondered what I’d do next. - Our host proved to be the exception to the usual run of Belgians & passed round the cigars. - They are nice clean people. - The C.R.E. paid us a call. - Mac, Alex & I borrowed his car & drove to Poperinghe for supplies. After dinner, wrote letters.

Windy - Clear - slept in. - This aft. took a trip with Pete. - Visited 6th & 5th Co’ys. - Fortier wounded on his first trip to the line. - Nice blighty - Lucky beggar. - Rex Carvin is convalescing at the Cecil. Am to go out with the C.R.E. in the morning to locate a new road & build it - No rest for the wicked.

Clear - Cool. Showers. C.R.E. changed his mind. - Orders to report to 2nd Army Troops Co’y. - Went down and had lunch. - Met Rolston & McKendricks. - May be a good thing to work with them for a while as they are in direct touch with H.Q. They are a good crowd anyway. - No work for me yet. - Called on 8th Co’y and saw “La” Scott. - Spent the evening with Pete Alex & Chafley playing “Sevens upwards”. Will have to build a few more pontoons.

Clear. - Windy.

Fooled around all morning. Visited 7th F.C.C.E. this aft. - Saw Newt Alford & a lot of the depot crowd. Casement came in with #1 sec.

Clear - to rain. Nothing doing. - Church parade this aft. in spite of the Archies’ efforts to break it up. - Acted as Mac’s orderly tonight to test his “zone of safety” - Nothing in it - Shelled at Kruisstraat & transport fm. - Fritz bounced the shrapnel along the road like marbles - To make matters worse it rained - Mac is a beggar to walk with anyhow. Back at 1 A.M.

Rainy. - Bevan, Morrow & Peerless back last night. - Rather crowds the place. - As we are out in rest everyone has a special job. - Ted Smyth was over this aft. - Discovered a volume of Shakespeare & have been perusing that all evening.

Blustery. - Spent the morning on “The Taming of The Shrew” - Reported to 2nd A.T. Co’y after lunch and went up to look over the world. - It’s an awful neck of the woods. - Too new Kruistraat to suit me. - Went up with Joe at night - Fritz is fond of dropping 5.9s in the locality. Tramped around int he rain. - Called on Maj. Creor of the 12th Batty. Got back 1.30 A.M.

Showery & cold. - Took a tour with Joe in the aft. & layed our some more work. - Very quiet. - Didn’t go out tonight lots of strafing going on.

No one seems to know how things are at St. Eloi.

Fair - Showery - RAIN

Last night’s strafe did us no good. Guards lost trenches. - 13th had warm time in the crater at end of the bluff but hold it. - Gilbert McGibbon killed. - Everything too quiet tonight. - Dug into a lot of stiffs which rather spoiled the night's work - Toured the roads from Canal to Café Belge.

Not much of a day - Cool & heavy rain this eve’g. - Everyone has the wind up. - Looking for Fritz to celebrate the 22nd - Rotten night for work. - These entrenching people are poor workers at best. - Some of them should never be out here. - Saw Norm McCaghey

Attempt to land arms in Ireland

German aux-cruiser sunk and Sir Roger Casement - renegade - captured.

First Gas Attack - Ypres 1915

R.A.I.N. -

Rose at noon. - Read all aft. Loafed all ev’g. - G.H. called off work. - Massiaen left to join the Anzacs. - Horse line & several hits under water.- Too wet for the Huns to make their attack. - Couple of letters from home.

Hippo Horsey killed.

Sinn Fein troubles broke out in Dublin. - A lot of good fighting material going to waste.

As nice a day as yesterday wasn’t. - Read all morning. - Took a walk up thro’ Ypres in the aft. Poked about in the ruins of the Cloth Hall. - An awful wreck. - Got back 6.30.

Joe going up tonight. - I’ll go tomorrow night. - Went up to 3rd for dinner. - Looks like I miss this tour in the trenches. - Others going up tonight.- Advanced billets “no bon”. - R.V. Mac’s comm. In. Wrote Hazel. - Wrote up a lot of last year’s diary.

Fine & clear.

Read all morning - Loafed all aft. - Took a stroll as far as the 52nd to see Norm McCaghey - He was away. - Ken Stewart - McHendrick’s & Rolston were in. - Lots of planes up. Fritz shelled Kruis. corner with tear shells. - Made me sick. - Had to come home. - Rode G.H.’s horse down & lost that when I stopped at the 3rd.

Warm - Dry

Took a trip round the country in the side-car with Joe. - Very warm & dusty. - Went up to the 3rd F.C.C.E. with Haigh, for most of the aft. - Taylor blew in to 2nd A.T. to be o.c. trench wardens

Morrow Killed

Fred Chidley killed

Hot. Dry.

Writing in the morning. - Went up to the Co’y after lunch to get particulars re Cur. - Was hit by rifle grenade. - Heavy art. fire on front this eve. - Fritz retaliated on supports, with some heavy stuff in the back country. - Impossible for party to pass Kruis. corner. - Gas shells & H.E. - Took shelter in Art. H.Q. - Chalet Belge. Saw Bagg & Archie Gordon. - I Div. dump shelled & G.H. & I rescue 3rd F.C. horse. Fritz sprung a mine on 1st Bde front & later had another bombing attack at St. Eloi.

Hot. - Curs funeral in A.M. instead of aft. as arranged, so missed. - Rather sorry too. - Saw a bunch around Renninghelst. - Called at 1st Batty on way back - Saw Ham stayed there all aft. - Was not going up tonight only Joe’s leave came thro’ so had to go up with him. Came down fairly early, on a G.S. wagon.

Hot. - Went up with Sgt. Jackson to look things over this aft. - Going to get levels & drain the place first. - Met Pym & got details of the Wed. night show. - Mine on 2nd Bn front cleared out two secs. of #4 Co’y - Capt. Kelly killed. Very quiet on work tonight. - Fritz put some big stuff in the field back of camp, which turned the men out. Boche airman dropped streamers with photo of Br. airman’s grave. - Packet dropped in read Swan chateau.

Hot. - Got up for parade. - Went up in side-car to see day party. - Decided to dig long drain. - Read & slept all aft. - Buchanan, 13th arrived to take over Taylor’s job. - A great evening for work. - Rode up & came down about 10 P.M. with MacCallum - Retiring early. Nice gentle gas wind.

Heard Peerless was killed (27th)

Warm

An awful day. - Nothing but scares - This is a poor war. - Mac was just waking me up to watch another bombardment at St. Eloi when the S.M. hammered on the door bawling out GAS. - Turned out on the double. Must say I went yellow. - No effects up here - Evidently all down on the rt. Back to bed at daylight. Went up and called on 1st Heavies but they know nothing. - Attack reported at S.B. Molen. - No working parties tonight. - Wrote letters. Gas alarm sounded 10 P.M. - All turnout out but no further signs so went to bed.