Monthly Archives: July 2016

2 July 1916; Sunday

July 1916, ,

Were lost in trench all night. Passed through front line trenches where Cheshires and Welsh1 regiments were waiting to go over the top. After being under fire by a machine gun (and seeing many retreats†) we found our way to the dugout aid post. Germans shelling2, so we had to wait. Finally got a case. Took us until 5 o’clock to get it down through mud and crowded trenches. Had to wait for so long until Germans stopped shelling communication trench. Were nearly down when a regimental stretcher bearer followed us and asked us to go back. 3 went back and took over the stretcher. Lay about most of afternoon very much done up. No regular meals, only snatches of biscuits and cheese. Ordered to fall in at night. Frightened us a bit and Leaky suggested staying back. Orders about 3 o’clock to stand up with gas helmets. Lay down again. Met stretcher squads. Lay on side of trench part of the morning. Very heavy bombardment and fighting in front. Distances confusing.

[This (2 July) and the adjoining pages are very difficult to read. Along the bottom edge of the 2 July page there has been a further line of shorthand, even fainter and more smudged than the rest of these pages. The words “time”, “distance” and “making” may be there, but nothing else can even be guessed.]

  1. ALL’s own records say that the 58th Field Ambulance was in the 57th Brigade. The 9th Cheshires, the 9th Welch and the 9th Royal Welch Fusiliers were also in the 19th Division, but in the 58th Brigade. ↩

  2. “Germans shelling”: whereas the British artillery barrage had as pre-arranged extended its range as soon as the first infantry attack began, so as to leave the first lines of German trenches clear for the British infantry (whose progress, if any, was however much slower than foreseen, thus giving the Germans time to emerge with their machine guns before the British infantry got there), the German artillery fire was concentrated on No Man’s Land as soon as the British infantry entered it. In readiness for this, the German field batteries had delayed firing during the British preliminary barrage, thus escaping observation (and avoiding getting shelled themselves), and reassuring the British Staff that they had been silenced by the British barrage. ↩

1 July 1916; Saturday

1976

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

Lay awake with the cold. Dozed off a few times. About 6 o’clock awoke with the tremendous heavy firing of guns and big shells passing flying overhead. Stood by our billets and watched troops moving up. (the Albert – Bapaume road). Had breakfast of cheese, biscuits and margarine and tea.

Received our orders and then returned to dugouts. Bombardment continued. Lincolns moved off and captured first line (we heard). Desperate fighting going on. 8th Division has lost about half its strength. Watched German aeroplane being shelled by our guns. Heavy batteries behind us pounding away all day. Even horse ambulances full of wounded galloping back down the Bapaume Road. Told to turn in at 10 p.m. and almost immediately received orders to go up the line. Some uncertainty about orders then marched off after about twenty minutes. In Albert about 30 minutes later. (Now quite dark.) Were given steel helmets at our main dressing station in Albert, taken from casualties. All very bewildering noise with two 15” howitzers in Albert firing as quickly as they could. Marched out of Albert up the road. In the fields on either side massed British field guns and French 75s and behind us massed heavies. All blazing away. Scores of green flares dancing in the sky before us with occasional red flares calling for support. Terrific noise and real Bedlam. Utter confusion.

1 July 1916; Saturday

July 1916,

Awoke with the cold. Dozed off a few times. About 6 o’clock awoke with tremendous heavy fire and big shells flying overhead1. Watched troops moving up. Had breakfast. Cheese, biscuits and butter and tea. Received orders and then returned to the dugouts. Bombardment continued. Lincolns2 moved off first and captured first line. Reported that desperate fighting is going on and that the 8 Division has lost half of its strength. Watched German aeroplanes being shelled. Batteries behind us pounding away all day. Lay in dugouts all day. Beautiful day. Didn’t wash or shave all day. Used unique latrines. Watched wounded walking and riding back. Turned in about 10 o’clock and immediately received orders to go up. Fell in in 20 minutes and marched off. Sat near the church in Albert about 30 minutes , received shrapnel helmets and then marched off. Terrific bombardment going on and the sky lit up with flares and guns. Left equipment at aid post and marched up trench.

  1. This was of course the start of the battle of the Somme. For those unfamiliar with what happened in the first few days of the battle, I venture to offer a brief outline on this page. ↩

  2. “Lincolns”: these may have been the 2nd Lincolns (in the 8th Division), or more probably the 10th Lincolns (in the 34th Division.) Both these divisions were in III Corps, which in turn was in the 4th Army (under Gen. Rawlinson.)  ↩