October 1916

Clear & cool

Variable. – chilly etc. Pounded my ear till 11A.M. as well as possible with Garrow’s bat-man & flies buzzing around. – My cold doesn’t seem quite so heavy to-day. Maybe I worked it off last night. Don’t know what’s come over me, whether it’s the weather or not, but I’m feeling anything but merry & bright. I guess I’m getting yellow but I seem to dread going up to-night – Don’t believe I’d be the least bit insulted if some-one offered me a job back at 3rd Echelon. – Carmen was killed to-day.

Everything O.K. – Hit the hay at 4.30 A.M.-- About 10.30 a.M. Twineberrow blew in + routed me out. – Chased round the country with him & ran over to his place for lunch. – He ran me back about teatime. – His is what I call a real job. – Am going over again sometime.

Clear. – All went well tonight. – They got fairly adjacent with a few. – Working behind a heavy battery is almost asking for trouble. Some of us had horseshoes for fair. Once thing about the 4th Div. they aren’t gun-shy, but it makes you feel foolish. Slept in till after lunch. – Casey got back from leave, bringing the rumor that we are bound for Vimy Ridge when we leave here, – Can’t leave here too soon for me. – Looks like Currie was trying to get himself a place in the sun by sacrificing the 1st Div. – Saw Clint. – Twin called. – By Boswell’s dope I should get leave in about 3 wks.

4AM Clear. – looks like it might rain & spoil our good work on the road. – All went well even if they did scare me yellow a couple of times. Have just had old Jimmie Simpson in & raised Cain with him. – You can’t argue with a scotsman. – Good night.

Went up to the brick-fields looking for the 73rd. Didn’t see them. Went in to the Y.M. tent for tea & found it over-run with Freshmen. All serene up forward tonight, we put on a bit of a strafe early in the eve’g. Visited Ham. – they are moving up to cut wire.

And 13 of us rode down on the wagon – That must have broken the spell. – Mack got no party again this morning & it is a dam shame – 3 full nights work on that road while it has been dry would have made something that might stand up for awhile in the rain. – As it is – GOOD NIGHT.

Went for a ride with Mack after lunch. – over thro BECORT Wood. – Crossed the Grenadine Gds. parade ground & saw Walter Batch. – Also saw Len Rainboth. – Turner gone to 2nd F.C. They say there is another show on for the 15th. – Suppose the 4th Div will go over. – Party with Jukes & Fraser from 43rd. tonight. – Got chased into old Kay Trench when exploring the tram-line – All quiet otherwise. – Road is beginning to look something like now. – Fritz straffed this battery in front so accurately that it didn’t worry us a bit. – Rolled in about 5

Roused at noon with the news that I had to take Ferguson & Ross of 3rd A.T.C. over the roads as we pull out tomorrow. Can’t say I’m sorry to go but I really liked the road job. – Took the chaps around. Was going to visit MOUQUET FM. but was prevented. – Visited the other stranded Tank instead. – Saw Billy Nick with M.M.G.’s [?] going up to Left of Courcellette to fire tonight. Spent the evening with the C.R.E. to his sorrow – Slight error he come out top side. – It was Boswell’s party – Helped me towards my leave too.

Cloudy & showery. – Pulled out of Albert at 8.30 Loaded pontoons at Senlis and had lunch with 1st Entrenching Bn. – Came ahead of Co’y to HARPONVILLE to look for billets. – Co’y arr’d 3 P.M. – All settled. – Hdqrs, 1st 2nd 3rd Co’y & 2nd A.T. Coy all in town. – Explored the place with Boswell. – After dinner Casey & I visited 2nd A.T. co’y. – Bunked in a shack & jolly cold too. Some difference to our shift to-day to when the Major is around.

Cool. – Pulled out of HARPONVILLE at 8 A.M. – Div. Engrs Marching together. Chased off to rustle forage in HERISSART. Bummed some off 15th Corps Supply Col. – Fell in with 1st Bgde Col. on march while trying to catch up to Co’y. Good billets at LAVICOGNE. Difference to last time. – Rode into TALMAS with Birkett. Tott got his commission, that is another one over me.

Cool. – Came ahead to PERNOIS to look for billets. – Well [?]. – Decidedly different to those we had in HALLOY six weeks ago on our way in. – Mack & I are in the Padre’s house. – His housekeeper insists on giving us sheets for the beds. – It’s a treat to strike a place where they treat you white. – Madam at the mess invited us in for music tonight too, & the best of it is we are to stay here a day or two.

Showery. – Casey, Mack & I rode into DOMART & back across country. – Very interesting old place. – And beautifully situated. – Old church up on a cliff overlooking town. Really fine. – Slept most of the afternoon as I have a bit of a cold.

Cool. – A most enjoyable evening. – Madame’s “soirée musicale” was a great success. – Small & select gathering etc. – A madame & 2 Mademoiselles from Paris. – A 15th Johnny, Casey, Mack & I. – Luck at the Piano, Pearson & Giles Violin & Banjo. – Am afraid this life is not conducive to cultivating drawing room manners. – I was about as damp as an oyster & not only on account of bad French. – Even let the Jock beat me out at taking the girls home. – It’s a pity we can’t strike more billets like this. – Mack went ahead billeting today – Results yet to be seen – Big long letter from Hazel. – Went down to 13th to look up I. Matheson. – Told he had P.B. – Glad of that.

Cool. – Pulled out of our cushy billets at 9.45 A.M. – Good march. Arr’d DOMESMONT about 1 P.M. – Beastly chilly billets. – Having a double mess with 1st Entr. Bn. – They are a congenial bunch, just the C.O. – Col. Dingwall of Wpg. – His Adj. capt. Oldfield & the M.D. – Capt. Rankine, an old friend of MacD’s – Shivered all aft. playing Rummy & Blackjack with the Doc. & after Dinner gave Col. D. & Casey a party. – The Doc & I couldn’t catch a cold so kept each other company till he started to recite Hamlet to Stubbins. Very easy march today for a Bgde hike. 500 yd. Interval between units makes a big diff. – The Co’y is running itself well. Just tell the S.M. what time we move & then go out + say “Form 4’s – Right” + that’s all there is to it.

COLD. – The S.M. came in at 2 A.M. with operation orders, so I had to roll out at 5.30 to go billeting & it was cold – Heavy frost last night. – Met Capt Urquhart at PROUVILLE & came ahead to BEALCOURT. – No trouble finding places. – Co’y arr’d 12.30 – Messing with 1st Entr. again. Had another Disastrous session tonight but the Col. had a fine log fire in his billet which helped a lot. – Mail in this aft. – A letter from mother, box of Neilson’s from Aunt R. + more candy from Edna B. –

Fine, clear, cool. – Trekked from BEALCOURT to CANNETMONT – Lunched al fresco en route. – Cut out a tool-cart at FREVENT & with Stubbins looked up the E.F.C. Fairly good billets. – Pete came back without getting married. He sat in tonight which seemed to change my luck.

Fine, clear, cool. – Rode ahead billeting with Rogayne & Dowdswell. – Picked up Capt. Urquhart at + went to AVERDOIGN – Some trouble getting billets. – My French improves all the time. – The usual session tonight – On the down grade again. Mess in a fine old farm. Box of cakes from mother.

Rain. – Slept in till lunch time. – Only one thing to do on a wet afternoon. My barometer rose. – Repeated in evening. – Tried to write letters but a little bit too crowded + too many using the tables. Stubbins fired. – Rember took over.

Rain. – Slept in again. – Making preparations after lunch to wile away the afternoon when orders came to move at once to GOUY-SERVINS. Moved off at 3.15 P.M. – Halted to feed up at Savy. – Some H.Q. staff work. No word sent tho Div train so we’ll trust to God for rations. – Thank goodness we have a Navy. – Blew into Gouy about 9.30 P.M. & thanks to #1 Co’y the men had tea + we got dinner & a bed.

Showery. – Went into VILLERS-AU-BOIS with both Macs to take over from 104th F.C. R.E. – Line looks pretty easy & sounds nice & cushy. – Dugouts fair. – Got back about 2 P.M. – Guided 1 & 2 secs up at 5 P.M. – Started to write tonight but mail came in for censoring so nothing doing. Telegraph from the O.C. to say that he had a weeks extension.

Showery. – Taking it easy round billets. – Mac got orders to go back to Corps School again. – Guy & Alex came in to dinner. – Pete & I felt quite out of place among the 3-star M.C.’s - The Col dropped in after dinner & the visitors entertained.

Fine. – Up at 5.30 to take the B.M. up the line. – Nice crisp morning & would have been a good ride if ground were firm. – Just went to Pr. G & came back. – Pete did the honors. Went down to XVII Corps Park at Bois de Bray & found out that no one knows nothing. – Came back & found note from C.R.E. to take a party of Pioneers up. – Walked, came back tired out. – Censored mail. – Mac got away to Corps so Pete & I are busy boys.

Rainy. – Fussed around the O.R. Rode over to Corps Park again to rustle material. – When I got back, Pete had orders for Mack to proceed to BOULOGNE on 5 weeks course, so me for the line. – Some co’y, – run by 3 souls. Don’t think Mack half appreciates his luck. – Went up forward about 5 P.M.

Fine. – Went around the line with Segt. Cook. Called in at Bn H.Q. + heard the B.M. discussing some of his plans for systematic work schedules for routine work in the trenches. Don’t think Maj McCuaig paid much attention to him.

All quiet on our sector of the western front. 16th had a dugout collapse & kill a man. – News from Pete that 2 new officers will be up tomorrow. Casey & I are wondering what they will be like. – It makes a big difference when you are living with a man. – Got energetic and went up the line tonight, but with Cook on the job I’m only in the way so might as well stay in.