May 1918

Dull. Damp.

Renew “Bystander”

Quiet day. – Kidding myself I’m sick.

Fine. Clear.

A beautiful day. – Hodge gave me a dose of salts to cure my cough. – Am now afraid to cough.

Old Coles came in to lunch. Bell & Keyt were in to tea also Monty & Jardine later. The odd hun over again tonight to break up the game.

Fine Clear Warm

Ran down to SAVY on the jigger this A.M. – Had lunch with Gus & came up on the train. – Sure have some plant down there.

– Corps seems to be on the move again but no one knows the destination yet.

XVIII Corps coming in.

Moore left for Hesdin.

Fine & Warm Dark.

All traces of Spring Fever seem to be entirely removed.

Bunch of mail in to-day, & a good thing too for the div. P.O. on the railhead closed so goodness knows when we will get any more.

S.O. to C.E. XVIII Corps came down & had a look round this aft.

Heavy strafing going on again to-night but its getting to be the usual thing.

Putting up Trainor & 99 O.R. of the 2nd Pioneers overnight

Read “The Pomp of the Lavillettes” by Gilbert Parker

Made a good graft today. A bag of flour from a chink outfit. – Has the old Keewatin mark on it too.

Showery Showery.

Quiet.

Chockram & I hiked to Aubigny this aft to see a ballgame. – American Engrs. Vs M.T. Parks. – Had tea with Garrow at 4th M.T. co’y mess.

Some say the next war will start up here about the 7th. – He’s been putting a few more over round Etrun & “Y” hutments

Fine. Showery

Quiet. – Nothing much doing. – Murray & Reynard fairly busy with detrainments. Read “Canadian Born” by Mrs. Humphrey Ward.

Fine

Quiet. – Slack.

Mac came in after lunch. Charley Fellowes was in to dinner.

Read “Mrs. Pomeroy’s Rep”.

Fine.

Glorious day. – Too nice for this ruddy country.

– Quiet –

Had a ride in a tank.

Hinds, Adj. to C.R.E C.T., XVIII Corps came in to tea –

– 52nd div. Chap fresh from Palestine in to dinner.

– Nothing much doing in the yard.

Reading “Old St. Pauls” & “Kazan”

Warm Clear.

Everyone seems positive that the Hun is coming over again in the morning. – Don’t think he’ll get far round here, but only wish our boys were in the line to receive him instead of these people from the Holy Land. –

– Still, they are kilties & should be alright & we have the 51st on our rt. –

This new outfit sure want a flock of reports, but then I’ve always made a point of giving “a report” when asled for one.

Capt. Thomas – 12th K.L.pools was in to lunch & gave us some tales of the V Army & Hangard wood shows.

Fine. Cool.

Fairly busy. – Corps H.Q. has a lot of odd jobs to be done.

– Fritz did not come over this A.M. as expected, but the breeze was fairly high in spots.

– White, Adjt to C.R.E. -52 came in this A.M. & gave me some interesting dope on R.E. work in Palestine.

– Had to go up to Corps this aft. –

– Hinds ran me up. – Walked back.

– Chambers seems a decent chap to work with.

– Simmy came over & took me back to dinner. – Bull Boswell & Capt. Masters & Williamson of the Am. Engs were there.

Fine

More jobs for the carp. shop.

Stevenson ran me down to SAVY this aft. & around the country a bit. – Glorious day for a drive. – Had tea with him at V Sqdn.

Paper to-day full of the Gen. Maurice incident in Parliament.

– Asquith made a very feeble attempt for an investigation. – Lloyd George put it all over him. – Asquith is a ruddy pro-Hun anyhow. – No guts to him.

Fine N. Moon

A bit cloudy & breezy but a nice day just the same.

– Sitting on the mess verandah it’s hard to believe that you’re not at some little shack in the country & that the hum of an R.E.8 coming in isn’t a speedboat on the lake.

– Not much doing.

– Papers report that the blocking of ostend has been completed by taking the “Vindictive” back & sinking her, – Pretty nearby to go back there again.

Rainy

Nothing doing. – A few off shells in the vicinity

Read “The Chief of Staff”

Fine

Very little doing – Shops busy.

Simmy sent over a side car so went with him & Mac to the Corps Theatre. – “See Toos” – Same as before, but very good.

Fine

Getting warm. – If it it[sic] was warm as this at home I’d not be wearing woollens but over here it’s different. – Skipper went to Doullens. – Says that the big bosche offensive won’t come off for some time yet. – All C.O.’s of regts opposite us are on leave. –

Impression seems to be that the corps is now part of Foch’s reserve & will be out for some time. – If so, the reorganisation of the sappers may take place.

Hot Bright.

The first really hot day. – White (52nd Div) was down & stayed to lunch.

Simpson came up from Tincques this aft, & Murray put him up for the night, so phoned Simmy & Macuaig to come over. –

Got a bid from C.R.E. 1st Div to a dinner tomorrow so went up to V & borrowed a side car from Stevenson.

Book-keeping in the yard is giving a bit of trouble. Too many returns.

HOT. Fine

1st Div ENGRS DINNER

Changed me “clout”

Went up to Corps this A.M. & saw Chambers about cutting down a bit on the book keeping. – He’s a very reasonable chap.

Macuaig came over to tea & at 4.45 we hit for HOUBIN-HOUVIGNEUL where the dinner was. – Arr’d about 5.45. – Foot-ball match in progress. – Talked about a gathering of the clans. – G.O.C. Div. – 3 Brigs., the C.E. & a flock of staff guests – About 75 all told. – Some dinner too. – Hodgins sat next me at dinner & had some good news for me. – The re-organization is going thro & me with it.

Lots of planes over

Pretty warm Bright.

Not very busy & a good thing. – Late hours don’t leave me very fresh the next day.

Hot.

Ran into AUBIGNY with the skipper & Murray on the flier.

Besieged with people asking for stuff they shouldn’t have all aft.

White & Dunn were down. – Cycled over to Macuaig’s with them after tea & had a game of tennis.

Hot. Close Clear

Busy. –

Papers report the arrest of de Valera & a lot more Sinn Feiners. – Wheeler gives me 2 to 1 they’ll be shot.

Hot. Clear.

Having been busy yesterday, took to-day off and went to Savy. – Held commune with Gus & had my hair cut.

– Skipper & I came back to Aubigny about 3.30 & joined a little picnic party, arranged by Tobin & 3 sisters from 57 C.C.S. chaperoned by Padre Phillips – Ran an engine & one car out on the “Metre-Guage” as far as Bellavesnes where we found a nice little Grove, had tea and came back about 6.

– The day was only marred when the “jigger” laid down on us coming back & we had to shove her home.

Finished “Old St. Paul’s”

Hot. Close Clear.

Sweltered all day. –

Nothing much doing

– Went up to dinner with White at 52 Div. – Simmy lent me a side-car to go up, but as it was a nice clear night I walked back. – Sat down near the bridge by Acq to have a smoke & admire the night. – Meditations were rudely interrupted by a flock of Gothas & as I was too near the jct. to be pleasant, I made the dugout in record time. – Fritz spent a busy night.

Cooler. Windy Clear

He’s at it again to-night but with the rubber gun – Sounds like he’s getting them in round Bray & the pump station. – Cooper has taken the blankets below again any how.

Nothing much doing today –

He’s increasing his range so I’m goin to bed

Wet. windy Dud.

Rained pretty near all day.

Not very busy.

– Sent the S.M.’s pack up to Corps for the C.E. to have a look at.

– Got a bunch of new books from Blitey. – “Top Speed” “Three Musketeers” “Second book of Artemus” & “The Old Front Line”.

The hun bombed Blitey again on Sunday. – First for some time. –

Also smashed up some hospitals round the base the other night.

Warmer Overcast

Not much doing.

Reading Fortescues book on the Wars in Marlboroughs times. – Some difference

Fine Full.

Not much doing.

Went over to 3rd A.T. & played 6 sets of tennis.

– McCuaig says 4th Div Engrs. are reorganizing.

– Moon just coming up big as a house – Shouldn’t be surprised if we went to ground before morning.

Fine Clear

The Skipper & I went to ground at 3.45 A.M. –

Fritz kept putting over the odd shell all day. – Mostly air bursts. – It was very foggy at dawn – shouldn’t be surprised if he came over, this A.M. – A lot of strafing going on all day.

– The Skipper got notice that Barclay would understudy him for the command of the Coy – No notice yet of where he is to go himself, or what I am to do. – Leaving this place will be worse than leaving home.

– Intended to do some letter writing this evening but Cluens came up so we sat & discussed bombs while the Hun hovered overhead.

Fine. Dark.

The odd obus at intervals all day in the vicinity.

– Very little doing in yard & shop.

Mac came down to lunch

Cluen came up to dinner & will join the mess.

White was down to tea.

Considerable strafing all day. – Our heavies have been putting a lot over.

Fine Dark.

Continued shelling at intervals. Barclay came up to-day.

– Fellowes is getting a co’y in the 11th Battn

Papers report the Bosche as having attacked again on a 40 mile front round Chemin des Dames.

Finished “Top Speed”

Fine. Clear

Odd shells between the Jct. & aerodrome all day. – Just before dusk he put on a shoot with two guns for about half an hour. – No damage.

– Nothing much doing in the yard. –

Fellowes goes to the 5th Bn. under Tim Russell he says.

Papers report that the Bosche has crossed the Aisne

Reading H.G. Wels the “War & the Future” a good deal of rot in it.

Warm Clear.

Very little doing in the yard. – A dud came in near the dugout during the night.

– Fritz fired a series of six duds at lunch time. – Four more between 3 & 3.30 & another series of 10 at dinner, the sixth landing in the garden sent us to earth.

Papers report the Hun still going ahead on the Aisne.