Up at 5 o’clock. Marched off at 9†.30. Heavy road and very muddy. Arrived about 11 o’clock. Call new village Meteren1. Germans here a few days and driven out by British. Going to run a D.R.S. 2 and we are the advance party to clean up. Unloaded† waggons in the afternoon. Went round village at night and found Y.M. Played piano a bit. Dug latrines and dug up some refuse with a fearful smell.
Yearly Archives: 2016
27 August 1916; Sunday
On duty as usual. Received orders to move tomorrow. Took down our bivouac. Last thing received orders to pack our waggons and worked until nearly midnight. Slept in the hospital on stretcher.
26 August 1916; Saturday
Worked outside in the morning at the dining hall. My afternoon off. Went with Duggins to Baileul1. Walked so far and then jumped on the back of a motor lorry. Had a good day. Posted a few postcards. Went to the Y.M. and played the piano. First time since I have been in France. Went to the pictures and enjoyed them. Rode back in horse ambulance. Charlie Farr, Sam Hall, and Corporal Salisbury† in and they were all pretty well drunk. Had a good day.
Baileul: ALL always omits one ‘l’ from ‘Bailleul’ in his longhand; the transcription follows this, but where he writes it in shorthand, ie phonetically, it is transcribed with the correct spelling. ↩
25 August 1916; Friday
Up well before 7 o’clock. Took our turn outside in the dining hall. Very little to do. I had fatigue over at the other side and helped to build a stable. Spent day digging over foundations.
24 August 1916; Thursday
Up at 6.30. Dressed and went across to headquarters with Taylor and off to Baileul1 C.C.S. for dental treatment again. Drilled a bit more out of my tooth and put me to go back in 6 days. Had a good day.
Baileul: ALL always omits one ‘l’ from ‘Bailleul’ in his longhand; the transcription follows this, but where he writes it in shorthand, ie phonetically, it is transcribed with the correct spelling. ↩
23 August 1916; Wednesday
This is the final extract from Arthur Linfoot’s own transcription of his diary, written in 1976.
Up at 6.40 and on duty as usual. (Too faint to read more).
23 August 1916; Wednesday
Up at 6.45 and had to hurry. A foot parade on and Taylor had to look after the group and I called the roll†. Scrubbed one out with mop†. In the afternoon went across to headquarters and got a gramophone. It played most of afternoon, very good too. Washed mess tin first, mess tin cover and handkerchief. Wrote a letter home. Went to bed early.
Got friendly with an R.F.A. man called Salkeld, he went out in the afternoon.
22 August 1916; Tuesday
This is an extract from Arthur Linfoot’s own transcription of his diary, written in 1976.
Helped to wash hospital floors. Letter from home saying Rev. Wm. Chadwick had departed. Eggs for supper.
22 August 1916; Tuesday
Up at 7 o’clock. Kept busy all morning washing floor. Had afternoon off. Received letter from home telling me of Chadwicks’1 departure. Read some of British Weekly. Had eggs and coffee and custard for super.
Rev. Chadwick had been a minister at the South Durham Street United Methodist Free Church, of which ALL had been a member prior to enlisting. Rev. Chadwick was first mentioned on 4 January 1914, and again on many subsequent occasions. ↩
21 August 1916; Monday
This is an extract from Arthur Linfoot’s own transcription of his diary, written in 1976.
Hospital duty as usual. Walk in village. Letter from home.