December 1917

Dull, to rain & blustery – Cold

Fine morning for a ride. – Went back to the dentist at 4 Vents again. – One filling – Came back via Aubigny – Saw Butler at 42 C.C.S. – Fritz caught him deviating from the perpendicular up Arleux way so he's good for 6 mos. in Blitey Bill paid the yard a visit this aft and the skipper being out I disgraced myself again. – Barbed wire he wanted to talk about this time. Wheeler & I took in the "Archies" to-night. Two big boxes of candy by mail from E. Barnes this aft. – Xmas is starting early.

Cold

I think we're licked. – The bosche came back on the Cambrai front a couple of days ago and if it hadn't been for the Guards & 47th Div. by all accounts would have retaken all we knocked him out of last week. – As it was he got a flock of prisoners & guns. What's the use anyhow with people like Lansdowne raving in England. We all adjourned to the club at noon to discuss the matter. – Met R. Normandin en route to Paris. – Brought him up to lunch so he missed his train & started for Arras on foot. We sat around the fire and were pessimistic all aft. – Gus came down & joined the merry party. – Stayed to tea and dinner. – Laurie blew in later. – He's a regular boarder these days, but pays his way. – Clear & cold tonight. – Real wintry.

– Another big box of chocs, evidently from Mrs S. this aft.

+32

Cold.

Heavy frost last night & will be another to-night. – Skipper's leave coming round in a couple of days, I have to handle the election. – Not much doubt how the Co'y will go. – Only about six opposition people in the outfit as far as I know. Wescot (13 Corps Sigs.) in to dinner.

Cold.

Spent the morning getting ready for the election & the aft. in voting 26 good men & true as well as one doubtful person. Salmon, Peake, Wheeler & y.r attended a performance of the "Nissen Huts" – not half bad. – Salmon messing with us now.

+22

Cold.

Taking over from the O.C. -

A R.E. Major chap that Murray brought up to tea says that we killed plenty of Bosche in the Cambrai stunt & ensuing counter attacks. – A Fritz plane came over about 6 P.M. & dropped a cart-load of bombs in the vicinity of the Chinese camp. – Caused a mad rush for the dug-outs, but no damage.

-15

Cold.

The O.C. got away this aft, having swopped a ton of coal to take him as far as AMIENS. Feeling out of sorts. – Sore at everybody. No more bombs but we all had the wind up as soon as it got dusk.

– Carless went on leave. – Gave him two prop. sticks for Ch. Cross.

Mild.

Started the day by breaking the news to Cpl. Heggie that he was to be fired. – Voted the other inefficients who are being shipped.

– Cpl. Norman going on leave. – Got his cheques.

– 10 carloads of stuff in. –

– Murray went out & got pie-eyed at noon & came tacking in thro the yard about 2 P.M. – Will can him in the morning.

– Cook & quartermaster gone in one day. – Goodness knows what will happen before the O.C. gets back.

Mild to rain

Started the war at 8 A.M. – Got 15 of the crocks packed off. – Fired the cook – Hope the O.C. re-instates him or we'll have no xmas dinner.

Afternoon went off fairly peacefully. Walker let his hut catch fire but even that excitement was only momentary. All serene at bed time.

Rain.

The moisture rather put the lid on the trip Peveral & I intended making into the back country. Rowley caused the most excitement to-day. – Being used as a stool pigeon by the M.P.s he was out after tatoo last night. – The S.M. ran him & I remanded him for court martial. – Saw the A.P.M. Assistant Provost Marshal about it & have decided to dismiss the case altho' the blighter deserves to get it – has his crime-sheet covered on both sides with absences. – However we'll be rid of him when the next bunch of crocks goes. Voted quite a bunch this aft. – Peveral & I dropped in at the club on the way back from the A.P.M’s – the place gets quite a lot of patronage.

+6

Mild.

Tried out Salmond's "Mealy Puddings" for brekker. – Rather flat tasting stuff. Coles came down to pay us a visit. Dismissed Rowley's case. – Got the rest of the crocks off. – Car-load of coal only mat. in today. Maj. Rolston & Bogart came down this aft. – Rolston is taking over the 1st F.C. & turning his job over to Bogart. – B. being a signaller doesn't know a screw-picket from an elephant shelter, still I don't doubt we will get on O.K. – They stayed to tea. – Maj. R's remark that the mess was a fine place to come to in order to get away from the war was a bit premature as a Bosche airman dumped a cart-load of bombs a few minutes later, which rather shattered the peaceful atmosphere. – As previously recorded, I shouldn't mind being in a Fld. Co'y under Rolly. May have a try at it. Managed to get a letter written home.

Cold.

Late getting up so was behind hand all morning. – Had to get Sewell to help with the mail. – Went up to Corps after lunch. – Saw Melville & got leave cheques. – Tea'd at Eng. Mess. Lots of gossip. – Hertzy is going to be C.R.E. 1st. – Quite a bunch of subs. going back to the 5th Div. or to Eng. any way in exch. – Sandy is going to be C.R.E. 5th. – I'm a back number alright & seem bound to remain one unless I go back to the line.

-22

Maj. Rolston sent down a side car for me to go up to Corps for lunch and to fix up about men to replace the crocks we sent away. – Picked out forty-odd tradesmen from lists he had so should be able to pick out a few good ones. – Nothing much doing round Corps. We all attended the "Owls" show to-night, not bad. We sat around the fire till about 1 A.M. chewing the rag most pessimistically and making ourselves generally miserable.

Raw.

Not much doing, but plenty of odds & ends to keep you going. – Hamel from V Sqdn came in to vote. – Brickenden dropped in. – A train in but with 300 chinks in the yard the stuff is getting cleared. Saw Col. Glynn at noon. – He missed the O.C. in Paris so have to get in touch with him in order to get the turkey's up. – Town Major came in wanting help with a stove. – Asked me to dinner. – Met Wisse 13th Corps Agr. Officer. – Will try & hit him up for geese & pigs if the O.C.’s stunt for getting turkey's fails. They tried to teach me the proper way to play bridge after. Rec'd a complaint about "some unpleasantness in Acq between Canadians & Portuguese."

Dull. – Drizzly

Duchesnay came in. – Balloon section Johnny hasn't been around. – He's going to be disappointed next time he does come as he hasn't produced the transport to Bethune. Cleaned up some stuff I'd shelved. Recommended Grant for M.S.M. Discussed ways & means for Xmas with F.W.Q.M.S. Grant & Sgt. Watts. Finished off voting. Monty came back from leave & stayed to dinner. – Hamel from V Sqdn came down to dinner. - Cast my own vote to-day.

Cold.

Nothing much doing 'cepting that Murray & I went over to the XIll Corps Sup. Col. to dinner and spent a very pleasant eve’g with Capt. Cloves, Brotchy, Crabb + Pettit. Voted myself to day to finish things off.

Cold. – Snow at night.

Capt. Taylor R.F.C. came in during brekker. – Squared him with a few things and later walked up to the Squadron (V) with Salmon to arrange for bivying with them. – We decided that they were not very hospitable. Got in the first snowball of the season on Peake + did some letter writing. Had an exceptionally wise letter from the kid today. Quite a fall of snow this evening and it does smell good. – Don't know whether it is that that is making me lonely, but I'm almost homesick tonight.

Blizzardy. ELECTION DAY

Had a premonition of evil when I dreamt of the C.E. so that when young Watts woke me up with a telegram "Report at C.E.s office first thing in the morning", it quite put the wind up me. – Consequently it was not exactly a shock when Rolly told me we might have to shift out of here on acc't of the Corps side-slipping a Div, – not to mention the fact that he was sending me 20 tin-smiths to make stoves. Lovely weather to make a move & build a new plant up around Lens Jct. someplace.

– Everything seems to happen during the boss's absence. – Being a poor sort of afternoon, rounded up Murray, Herts (Trans. Of W. Yorks) + Redel, for a little game. After dinner we visited Redel's billet. Plenty of strafing going on. – Everyone seems to expect a do along here. – Sent in Election stuff.

+5 +7

Cold & Raw.

Fed to the troth – Met Hodden, Westcote + Co'y at the Club so lunched with them there + went in to Bethune with H after. – It was cold.

Fritz came over and dropped the odd bomb while we were there. – People have the wind up badly. – Fritz is strafing all the wire area. Cold trip coming back and owing to delays didn't get in till 12.30.

– Got off most of my Blitey cards etc. this morning.

– Coffin was up for overstaying leave but as his yarn was very weak, gave him 14 days F.P.I.

Election results in, (voting in CAN.)

Govt - 128

Op. - 87

Unheard - 16

Deferred - 4

Blondin & one other minister lost out.

Raw - Misty.

Rolled out early in the cold in order to give our refugee friends any assistance they req’d. – The C.O. left early but the "Doc" & McKenzie stayed to brekker. Chasing round all morning. – Damp raw in the yard & think I got a bit of a chill last night. Bogart is going to prove rather fussy on the phone I'm afraid. – Wish Rolly wasn't quitting the job. – He came down this aft. & stayed to tea, as usual – he's a good sport. Maj. Wilby & Dupuis were in about noon. – Business of Nissen Huts. V Sq'dn seems to be rather falling down on their end of the mutual agreement. – Promise all sorts of things in the way of tenders which don't materialize. – Went over to see Taylor to-day. Lots of pessimistic news in the Mail this morning. – Another rain on LONDON Tues. night & a raid in the N. Sea. –

Fritz is strafing away up front. – Rolston tells me our move is off. – Cheers. Tired. – To bed early for once.

Cold. – Clear.

A bit damp & raw.

Nothing much stirring.

Squire Greening & Elmsley dropped in. –

Went over to V Sq'dn & hit them up for a tender for to-morrow.

Clear – Cold.

Tender arrived about 9.30 so set sail for St. Pol, taking Morris, Noble and Robinson – Managed to get almost everything we wanted & rather enjoyed the shopping. – Quite a crowd in buying and prices well up. – Saw some fellows skating on a pond along the road and it looked pretty good. – Had lunch at the hotel Mod. by the station. – Picked up our various purchases and hit the high spots coming back. The O.C. got back from leave thereby relieving me of any work I might be doing so am feeling fed up already. – Think I'll stick it till i get my next leave & then go back to work.

+16

Clear. - Cold.

Peake's Main busted so the yard is out of water. – A very quiet & peaceful day as far as we are concerned, seemed to be a heavy strafe on up Oppy way just after dark. – Fritz has been fairly active with his raids lately. Went over to V Sq'dn & had tea with Rigby. – Gus came back off leave and will shift down to live with us to-morrow. – A glorious night to-night. – Clear & crisp with a topping moon. – Oh, for a cutter & a good horse

-4

Clear – stayed frozen up all day.

Had brekker in bed & roamed down to the yard about noon. Met Marshall at the club. – We figured we should be able to rig up a sleigh between us & get some good sleighing in while the snow lasts. Fether came in this aft. Woods from 3rd Siege Bty came down with lorries for material so rode back to Villers with him. – Half the C.C.H.A. seems to be around there so evidently they don't expect to have much happen round here. Saw Ernie for a few minutes & dined with Scully who is out again with the 8th.

+12

Cold N. Wind – Blizzardy

Got up at a semi-respectable hour.

Marshall came round about noon so we got busy on our sleigh. – Chartrand says he knows all about it so let him go to it. – Only hope the frost lasts long enough for us to give it a try-out. McCuaig, Simpson & Melville came over to dinner. Pat Harrison is out again I hear.

– May go to the 3rd if Pep is going back with Sandy. – Me for the old 1st Div again as soon as I get my next leave.

+1

Cold.

Picked up a bit of a cold somewhere. – Nothing much doing. Boswell came down after lunch & stayed a while. Ernie came in & we chewed the rag & had tea in the room. – Much milder tonight. – Afraid it won't be cold enough to use the sleigh by the time it is ready.

-8

Mild.

Stayed in bed till noon to shake my cold. –

Pat Harrison came down to lunch, dry as ever. Managed to get a few letters written. McCallum came down to tea. – Was talking about going down to Nice the end of the month with Fether & Orm. – Might be a better stunt to go down there than to Blitey this weather.