The last hundred days, 1918
In August 1918, Murray Robertson commanded his division’s bridging unit. This path follows him from the first day of the Amiens offensive to the last page of the diary on December 2. The diary has long gaps in September, October and November, so two entries come from his letters and documents instead.
- 1. August 8, 1918
“The only traffic that seems to be coming back is a stream of prisoners.”
The Amiens offensive opens at 4.30 in the morning. He watches the barrage while waiting for his unit to catch up, then moves forward with orders to leave surplus kit behind.
Read the full entry → - 2. August 23, 1918
“Next to SAVOY for a room & to a haberdasher’s for clothes.”
His first leave in England for fifteen months, as he later put it in a letter. He arrives in London at 2.30, goes to the bank for funds, then to the Savoy for a room.
Read the full entry → - 3. September 10, 1918
“Blew our bivvy all to hell & my new tunic & breeches with it.”
Back from leave the day before, he is shelled in the lines: nine horses killed and four wounded in the sunken road, and the new uniform he had brought back from leave destroyed.
Read the full entry → - 4. Document · September 17–21, 1918
The Canal du Nord Plan
There are no diary entries from September 12 to October 16. This is what was being planned: the 1st Brigade, Canadian Engineers’ orders for the crossing of the Canal du Nord, from Robertson’s own papers, with the air-photo survey that carries his unit’s stamp.
See the document → - 5. Letter · October 10, 1918
“I've been in it too long to feel wildly jubilant over victory.”
Written to his cousin Doris in the gap where the diary is silent. He describes the bridging work, the shell that destroyed his new uniform (the same event as September 10), and what he thinks of the coming victory.
Read the letter → - 6. October 17, 1918
“The bosch had gone back across the canal during the night.”
The Germans withdraw overnight and a rush order for heavy bridging material comes in at 3 in the afternoon. His unit is following the advance.
Read the full entry → - 7. October 19, 1918
“Civilians in SOMAIN are just about delerious with joy after being freed from Hun rule.”
Orders come at midnight to move forward again, and seven pontoons are collected for the next crossing. The entry ends with the people of Somain, just liberated.
Read the full entry → - 8. November 9, 1918
“Kaiser reported abdicating. – Naval revolution spreading.”
He is at Valenciennes while the army moves on Mons. German delegates have until Monday noon to accept or refuse the armistice terms.
Read the full entry → - 9. November 11, 1918
There is no entry for the Armistice. November 11 is blank, and so are the days on either side of it. The next entry is November 16.
See that day’s page → - 10. November 19, 1918
“Dr. says I have ‘flu’.”
He had felt rotten the day before, billeting at Neufvilles. With a temperature of 103, the doctor says influenza. The next day he is evacuated to a casualty clearing station in Mons.
Read the full entry → - 11. December 2, 1918
“so here I am in 48 C.C.S. marked for evac.”
The diary’s last entry. He is in a casualty clearing station, moved from Huy to Namur, and marked for evacuation.
Read the full entry →
That is the last entry in the diary. His letters to Doris run alongside it from 1916 to October 1918.