This is an extract from Arthur Linfoot’s own transcription of his diary, written in 1976.
Reveille at seven. Still standing by and no church parade. Rumours of Germans retiring all along the Line. Wrote to Willie Whittaker. Fine morning. Church parade in a field in the afternoon. Rained and no sermon. Went to bed early; lay awake with toothache; slept well later.
Up at 7 o’clock. Still standing by and no church service. Rumours of Germans’ retreat up the line. Wrote to Willie Whittaker. Fine morning. Service in the field in the afternoon but it rained and so we stopped before the sermon. Rained a bit at night. Wrote letter home in reply to one received and also to Willie Whittaker and Franchie Inwood. Went to bed early at night. Lay awake with toothache, but generally slept well.
1 killed and 9 wounded of the 57 Ambulance at La Boisselle.
This is an extract from Arthur Linfoot’s own transcription of his diary, written in 1976.
On guard from 6 to 8 a.m. Had breakfast and wrote letters. On guard again 10 to 2 p.m. Just commencing dinner when ordered to return to billet and pack our kits ready to move. Paraded twenty minutes later at transport lines. Waited there all afternoon and then were sent back to billets to wait. Beautiful summer evening. Wrote letter to Ernie. Turned in about ten.
Called up at 6 o’clock. Had breakfast shortly before 8 and was relieved then. Wrote letter to Joe and one to Charlie. Went on at 12 o’clock. Was relieved shortly before 2 o’clock. Just beginning dinner when we received orders to go to our billet and pack our kit. Packed kit in 20 minutes and paraded by the A.S.C. park. Had tea and waited. Received orders to go back to the billet and wait there. Beautiful afternoon. Wrote to Ernie. Turned in at the usual time.
This is an extract from Arthur Linfoot’s own transcription of his diary, written in 1976.
No bread and wretched dinner of boiled bully beef. Physical drill at 11 o’clock. Got hair cut. Rain in the morning, fine afternoon. Issued with new cap to replace cap lost up the Line – two sizes too small. On guard from 6 until 10 p.m. Found some blankets and slept on a bed in hospital barn. Very comfortable.
Up at 7. No bread and rotten dinner, boiled bully. Got hair cut. Physical drill at 11 o’clock. Wrote to Gertie. Received two copies of the Daily News from home. Rain in the morning but fine in the afternoon. Got new cap two sizes too small. Paraded at 6 o’clock with the guard. Went on from 6 until 10 o’clock. Got two blankets and slept with Lee on a fairly comfortable bed in the hospital barn.
This is an extract from Arthur Linfoot’s own transcription of his diary, written in 1976.
Slept badly. Hunted in shirt and pants. Found six big lice. Usual morning parade. Physical drill and waggon cleaning. No afternoon parade: lay down. After tea walked to Ribemont with Duggins and Leaky. Had eggs and chips and bought chocolate. Several thousands of cavalry passed through our village during the evening. Everybody excited and talking of break through and cavalry charge in the morning. Horses two abreast and occasional horse carrying machine gun only. Took ages to pass.
Up at 7 o’clock after a bad restless night. Hunted in shirt and pants and found about 6 big lice. Paraded in the morning for cleaning waggons etcetera and then physical drill. Lay down all afternoon – no parade. Had some peaches for tea. Received some papers from Betty and also a letter from home. Went out at night with Lee and called at a village. Bought some chocolate. Afterwards met Leaky and Duggins and went with them to Ribemont1. Had eggs, coffee and cakes and bread. Walked round village and bought card for Gertie. Saw a few thousand cavalry go by our village and understand they are going to charge in the morning.
Ribemont: presumably Ribemont-sur-Ancre, 7km SW of Albert, not Ribemont, SE of St Quentin. ↩
This is an extract from Arthur Linfoot’s own transcription of his diary, written in 1976.
Up at 7 o’clock. C. of E. parade at 11. Some good hymns: thanks for survival. Read a few verses from bible and article by Claudius Clear in British Weekly sent from home. In village shop the old woman gave me a 2 franc piece I had dropped there some time ago. She found it after we left her shop and remembered me. Went to open air concert outside Town Major’s house in village. Our C.O. and another officer took part in sketch. Washed socks and pants and wrote letters.
Up at 7 o’clock. Church parade at 11 o’clock. Very nice service – C of E – and good hymns O God Our Help, Jesu Lover of my Soul etcetera. Read Bible a bit. Read British Weekly and enjoyed article by Claudius Clear1. Went to concert in the open by the Town Major’s house. Our C.O. and a captain took part in good dialogue. I dropped a 2 franc piece and couldn’t find it at a shop. Called again with Walsh and the woman recognised me and told me where she had found it – on the window sill. Washed shirt, pants and socks and wrote a few letters.
Claudius Clear: alter-ego of William Robertson Nicoll (1851 – 1923), a Scottish Free Church minister, journalist, editor, and man of letters who founded the British Weekly, a Nonconformist newspaper. ↩