Slept pretty well. Orders to put up pack ready for inspection by C.O. Orders cancelled and ordered to clean waggons and pack up. Did some fatigue and the waggons went off. Had inspection at night and the C.O. read a letter from General Rowlandson1 saying that he appreciated the 19 Division’s work while with the 4th Army and he regretted to leave them. He referred to them as captors of La Boiselle and a great help in the village of Mametz and Bazentin.
Yearly Archives: 2016
1 August 1916; Tuesday
This is an extract from Arthur Linfoot’s own transcription of his diary, written in 1976.
Received parcel and letter from home and acknowledged them. Duggans and I went into a field and put up bivouac. Had dinner and tea out of my parcel.
1 August 1916; Tuesday
Up at 9 o’clock. Orders to clean up for the inspection. Wrote letter home. Went out into field with Duggins and put up bivouac in the field. Received parcel from home and had dinner and tea out of it.
31 July 1916; Monday
This is an extract from Arthur Linfoot’s own transcription of his diary, written in 1976.
Up at 7 o’clock. Very hot all day. The remainder of the bearers came down from the trenches in the afternoon and we marched off to Laviéville at night. Went to our old billets in the farmyard where the shrewish wife1 lives.
31 July 1916, Monday
30 July 1916; Sunday
This is an extract from Arthur Linfoot’s own transcription of his diary, written in 1976.
Up at seven a.m. After breakfast we walked down to the horse lines. Made a big shelter from rain with waggon sheets and waggons. Very hot day and I felt very tired. Germans shelled very heavily to the left and right of us with big stuff. After tea a few squads were sent up as reserves to the 59th Ambulance and the rest of us came back to the Chateau near Fricourt. Told to be ready to fall in and go up the line any time. Slept in the bivouac with Lavere again.
30 July 1916; Sunday
Up at 7 o’clock. Had breakfast. Marched down to the horse lines. Made big shelter with the big waggon sheet and the waggons. Hot day. Very tired. Finished writing little story. Germans shelled heavily to the right and left of us with big stuff. After tea a few squads went up in reserve to the 59th and the remainder of us came back to the château near Fricourt12. Told to be ready to fall in and go up the line any time. Slept with only Lavere again.
Gas alarm at night.
Fricourt: This is the first time ALL mentions Fricourt by name although this château was very probably the same one mentioned on 7th July and again on several occasions since. Fricourt is between Albert and Mametz, about 2km from latter; map sq. I 7/8 in Michelin. The map accompanying this post shows the approximate location of the château. ↩
Fricourt had been a salient in the German front line prior to July 1916 and was taken by the British on 1-2 July. It was presumably during this fighting that the château was ruined. ↩
29 July 1916; Saturday
This is an extract from Arthur Linfoot’s own transcription of his diary, written in 1976.
Slept well and up at 8 o’clock. Marched up to the big Canadian dugout and on from there to our advanced dressing station at 8 o’clock. Built bivouac in the big open dugout. Dealt with five stretcher cases and a few walking cases from artillery nearby. Lay down about 4 a.m. but slept badly owing to the noise of our guns and a few German shells. Felt depressed and “windy”. With Bascombe all day.
29 July 1916; Saturday
Slept well. Up shortly after 5 o’clock. Marched up but stayed at the big Canadian dugouts. Went to A.D. station at 8 o’clock. Stayed all night. Built bivouac in the big open dugout. With the stretcher cases and a few walking cases from artillery. Didn’t get down until about 4 o’clock and then slept badly from noise of guns and German shelling. Felt a bit “windy”. Bascombe with me.
28 July 1916; Friday
This is an extract from Arthur Linfoot’s own transcription of his diary, written in 1976.
Up at about 5 o’clock after sleeping very little. Walked to and fro to keep warm. Saw a small book lying on the salvage dump (stuff taken off dead and wounded) outside aid post. It was a New Testament and on the flyleaf was written , “Read a verse every day and God will keep you safe. Mind you say your prayers. Loving Mother.” In the grey dawn it was depressing. Moved back to old bivouac near Chateau. Weather fine. Had a bath in horse bucket. Letter from Sandwith. Turned in about nine o’clock.