Casement / Casey

1916

• 25 March 1916Channel str. “Sussex” out from Fkstn with mail & passengers Torpedoed yesterday Fair. - Harvey and Casement got back last night. Two of the R.E. chaps came in this morning. - Some houseful. Cur & I …
• 27 March 1916Clear to rain. Parade 8 A.M. - Physical jerks. Mac. being away - Casement gets #1. Turner now acting 2nd in command so I get #4 - Turner having to go back to Drano …
• 30 March 1916… osives, demolitions. - Change of work seems to be doing the crowd a lot of good. - Rode over to Gdsvelde with Casement. Pepler back from new billets. - We are going in on new front formed by Sunday’s attack. …
• 3 April 1916… eral 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 straf …
• 15 April 1916… indy. 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.
• 31 May 1916… Alex & Turner going this week end. – Don’t think I’ll get farther north than Oxford st. – Went up to 3rd F.C. Casey in bed with a bad knee. Must see the Alhambra show. Pep brought back some great records.
• 18 June 1916… t down & arranged football match with 2nd A.T. Co’y – Took a walk over thro. Vlammertinghe with the skipper & Casey. – A different stroll to last Sunday. – Wrote dad + went to bed.
• 19 June 1916Warm. – Bevan & Casey had the pontoons in the pond. Nothing to do + no energy to do it. – Turned showery this a …
• 21 June 1916… ng to do but look wise. – Lost my pipe – Took Turner’s pony out for exercise + rose over to the 1st F.C. with Casey. – Had a fine gallop cross-country between here and Ouderdom. – Great excitement caused b …
• 23 June 1916… ball + tossed a game of quoits after dinner. – Pete Cornell was around with 4th Batty wagons. – Cleaned up on Casey + Bevan playing cold hands. – The big drive is rumored to be on down south. – Guess we wi …
• 24 June 1916… fair. Took drivers parade. – Played solitaire all morning – Repeated in afternoon – Was cleared up by Bevan & Casey at Pontoon.
• 28 June 1916Casey went down to Corps to build model trenches so I get the next tour with Bevan. Went up to …
• 23 July 1916Fine – Bas & Casey got down in the early morning. – All serene till the M.O. came around. – Persuaded me tha …
• 13 August 1916… Beautiful old tower on hill. Switched to #4 Section. – McK. being absorbed to #2. Went exploring with Pete + Casey – Met some hospitable Frenchmen – Sleeping under the greenwood + retired early.
• 4 September 1916… the line. – Nothing much for us to do up there but clean up & it’s foolish to risk sappers on work like that. Casey took a party up tonight & had several hit. Cuzner the only one seriously – 13th Have reli …
• 17 September 1916Cold in the early morning. Made us cuss the man that cut down the blankets. – Casey & I were late for phys. jerks so were sent out like naughty children to take the route ma …
• 18 September 1916… to do but hang around the billet. – This is a mess of a country when it rains. Good news LEAVE IS ON AGAIN – Casey goes on the 20th. – It should work around to me in about 6 wks. If Guy has gone to the 2n …
• 19 September 1916… s. – Pep’s a good scout, but the cares of an O.C. rest too heavy on him. – Guy & I rode to Acheux this aft. – Casey’s leave cancelled at the 11th hour. – Went down to the 1st coy to help console Birkett. – …
• 11 October 1916… nce 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 he …
• 15 October 1916… tled. – 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 s …
• 18 October 1916Showery. – Casey, Mack & I rode into DOMART & back across country. – Very interesting old place. – And bea …
• 19 October 1916… as 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 …
• 20 October 1916… ld 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 t …
• 31 October 1916… ern 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 …
• 4 November 1916… t & got off the first letters to home I have written since we left ALBERT. – Cook came in & sang his dirge as Casey calls it at 2 A.M.
• 7 December 1916… etted last tour in had collapsed. – It hadn’t, but we near did when a minnie dropped too close for comfort. – Casey tells me he’s been having a row with our extra-supers. – Can’t say I’m strong for BONNEL. …
• 16 December 1916… t. – Have been writing all evening. – The fire’s gone out & Mac is out. – Won’t he be mad when he comes in. – Casey has gone down to WIMEREUX on the camo course.
• 20 December 1916Villers-au-bois to Fosse 7 COLD – Frozen up all day. Casey got back at an early hour. – Co’y left VILLERS at 8.30 A.M. – Picked up Transport at Serv …