Relieved about 8 and went down to headquarters for a sleep. Several * pair up for a stay. Slept all day. Returned at night after tea. Went down to transport lines to get clean things.
Monthly Archives: September 2018
29 September 1918; Sunday
Had a few cases in during the night. Finished about 8 o’clock and got down to it in a funk hole. Jerry shelled about 10 o’clock and blew up our marquee. We ran down the road a bit. Returned and packed up and went to headquarters to sleep until after tea. Returned in the afternoon. No-one hurt but the dinner all blown up. On duty all night.
28 September 1918; Saturday
Up at 7 o’clock. Rain in the morning. Heard that we are to be relieved on the 4th October. On duty all day but not much to do. Clegg went on leave so I was put on night duty with Holman and stayed up all night.
Received letters from home – one typewritten from Joe and one from Mother.
27 September 1918; Friday
Up about 7 o’clock. Betts and Duggins went up and I and Pugh were left behind. Messed about the place a bit and turned in at night about 9. Walked to headquarters with Harvey.
Splendid news from Palestine1 and Macedonia. 40 thousand Turks prisoners. Heard that the Americans had advanced in the Argonne2 and taken 10 thousand prisoners.
Palestine: See notes on 23 and 24 September. ↩
The beginning of the Meuse-Argonne Offensive. ↩
26 September 1918; Thursday
Up at 7 o’clock and lay down again for a while. Messed about the place all day. Fixed up a funk hole in the afternoon and decided not to sleep in it at night as it was too near the big guns. Splendid news from Palestine and Bulgaria1.
Palestine and Bulgaria: See notes on 24 September. ↩
25 September 1918; Wednesday
Up at 7 o’clock. On fatigue during the morning. Rather dull and showery but got out fine. Heard that the Americans had taken a redoubt†. Pulled out of bed at mid-night to go up the line. Dressed hurriedly and went up as far as the A D S. Got down in a marquee. Jerry shelled in the night and came very near. We ran into the dressing room. After a while lay down again. He shelled near but not so much as earlier in the evening.
24 September 1918; Tuesday
Up at about 7.30 and on guard 8 to 12. Taken off guard in the afternoon and put on a party of stretcher bearers and again taken from that later on. Received letter from Leishman. Heard that 25000 Turks and 260 guns were captured in Palestine1 and that the Bulgarians were in full retreat2.
Palestine: The Battle of Nablus again? See yesterday. ↩
Bulgarians in retreat: This diary entry was written towards the closing stages of the Vardar Offensive, which led to Bulgaria signing the Armistice of Salonica and thus withdrawing from the war on 29 September. ↩
23 September 1918; Monday
Up about 7.30. The C O called about dinner-time and told me to go back to headquarters. Showery day. Heard of big victory in Palestine1 and received a letter from Charlie enclosing two photographs. Had walk with Harvey.
The “big victory in Palestine” was possibly the Capture of Nablus on 21 September during the Battle of Nablus (19-25 September). ↩
22 September 1918; Sunday
Up about 7 o’clock. Nothing to do. An A S C chap relieved me in the morning while I went to our headquarters and got rations. Wrote letters and did French all day. Turned in about 8 o’clock. Rather cold at night but not disturbed by shelling.
21 September 1918; Saturday
Up at 7 and on parade. Detailed to go as soonest† to the Brigade headquarters. Set out shortly after 9. Spent the day sitting in a tent and writing letters. Rather showery. Rode across to the ambulance at night for a blanket and slept in the bell tent. Rather cold and a bit disturbed by shells falling too near.