Monthly Archives: July 2016

21 July 1916; Friday

1976

This is an extract from Arthur Linfoot’s own transcription of his diary, written in 1976.

Up at 8 o’clock. Watched aeroplanes. Glorious morning. Read “The Passing Show” and two chapters of 1st Corinthians. Received orders to move at 12.30 p.m. Hunted for chats (lice) and found over twenty in my shirt. Left our camp about one o’clock. Arrived further up road near a battery of 60 pounders and dug into the bank to make a shelter for a dressing station. Got down for the night on the ground with Piggy Wood, Bascombe, Houghton and a few others. Orders to be up at 5 o’clock. Very cold and damp at night and a terrible noise from the guns just over the road and some 8” guns not far away. Germans shelling the road just ahead. Watched aeroplanes being shot at. Beautifully fine.

21 July 1916; Friday

July 1916,

Up at 8 o’clock. Had breakfast. Watched aeroplanes. Glorious morning. Read The Passing Show1, and a couple of chapters in Corinthians. Received orders to move at 12.30. Hunted for lice and found over 20 in my shirt. Left our camp about 1 o’clock. Arrived further up road near a battery of 60 pounders and made a dug out for a first aid dressing station. Got down for the night with Bascombe, Piggy Wood and a few others with orders to be up at 5 o’clock. Very cold and damp all night and a terrible noise with the guns. The 5” gun over the way and some 8” guns quite near made an awful noise. Troubled a lot with lice too. Germans shelling the road. Watched aeroplanes fighting and being fired at. Beautifully fine.

  1. “The Passing Show” was a small tabloid-size magazine published by Odhams Press. It was later merged with Illustrated. It featured cartoons and short stories and cost 2d. ↩

20 July 1916; Thursday

1976

This is an extract from Arthur Linfoot’s own transcription of his diary, written in 1976.

Don’t know where we are. Near the Line as artillery all round. Put in new squad; Bascombe, Houghton and Hall. Tossed up for who should sleep on stretcher and I won. Got a blanket and slept well from 4 to about 7 a.m. Had breakfast at 9 and washed and shaved. Near a noisy 6” naval gun. Watched masses of infantry, endless field guns and 8 or 9 heavy guns draw by tractors go towards the Line. Aeroplanes swarming overhead. Once counted 22. Saw one shot down. Saw German field gun being brought back. Received orders to move but these were immediately cancelled and we stayed all night. Found out we are not far from Chateau. Rather to the right of it. Slept well.

20 July 1916; Thursday

July 1916,

Arrived about 4 o’clock at our resting place. Don’t know where it is. Tossed for the stretcher and I won. We were issued with blankets and I got one to myself. Slept well. Awoke about 7. Got up about 9 o’clock. Had good breakfast. Washed, wrote up diary and lay on stretcher. Near to very heavy (probably 6”) gun. Watched about 8 or 9 big guns with traction engines go by. A tremendous number of field guns and troops continually passing. Received letter from home and wrote a reply. Watched aeroplanes (sometimes 21 up together) flying and saw one brought down. Saw captured German field gun brought down line. Received orders to move, but these were cancelled and we stayed all night. Found out we were near the château to the right.

19 July 1916; Wednesday

1976

This is an extract from Arthur Linfoot’s own transcription of his diary, written in 1976.

Up at 7 o’clock. Physical drill in the morning. Fine all day. Letter from Geo. Crawford and replied to it. Washed feet in horse bucket. Marched off at 7.30 and reached destination at about 4 a.m. Passed close by rear of batteries and interested to notice the rim of the gun breeches light up red flame when the gun is fired in the dark.

19 July 1916; Wednesday

July 1916,

Up at 7 o’clock. Physical drill in the morning. Kept fine all day. Received letter from George Crawford and replied to it. Washed feet at night. Received orders to fall in about 7.30. Marched off about 8 o’clock. Many stops by the way and arrived at an open place near some artillery about 4 o’clock in the morning.

Most interesting though tiresome march. I was with my new squad. Bascombe, Hall, Houghton and myself. Talked with the others and found them all right to talk to.

17 July 1916; Monday

1976

This is an extract from Arthur Linfoot’s own transcription of his diary, written in 1976.

Dull damp morning. Rumour that four men of the 104th ambulance that relieved us at the chateau were killed by one shell. No longer standing by. Walked to Ribemont with Walsh and Lee after tea and had eggs and chips. Rained and got wet. Turned in about nine, but kept awake by noisy argument between Forrest and his pals on football until about eleven. Watched rats playing about in the roof of barn all day.

17 July 1916; Monday

July 1916,

Up at 7 o’clock. Dull and damp in the morning. Received rumour that 4 of the 104th Field Ambulance men were killed in the château we left1. Killed by a shell bursting in their billet. Received orders that we were not to stand by after dinner. Went to Ribemont at night with Walsh and Lee and had eggs. Got wet in going. Went to bed at about 9 o’clock. Big dispute with Forrest and others about football until about 11 o’clock. Watched the rats playing about in the rafters all day.

  1. “The château we left”: Probably Fricourt Château again; see map on 7 July entry. ↩