All posts by Arthur Linfoot

5 April 1918; Friday

April 1918, , , , , , ,

Up about 7 o’clock. On parade and detailed off for the dispensary. Busy all day. Put up flagstaff and flag. Out for short walk at night.

The magazines came out. Bought six and sent them home, Ernie, Charlie, Marmie, Franchie and office1.

  1. ALL may have contributed to this magazine number – hence the copies for home; he mentions ‘writing’ occasionally, and specifically for the magazine on 6 and 11 May 1918. ↩

3 April 1918; Wednesday

April 1918,

Up about 7.30. Read all morning “Mr Britling Sees It Through”1. Received orders first thing after dinner to proceed to the new camp outside Bailleul with Billy Truman and Harman. Went by car. Had tea with Australians and had chips at night. Slept well. Rest of ambulance to follow in the morning.

  1. Mr Britling Sees it Through: Very popular novel by HG Wells about an ordinary man’s war, published in 1916 and described in David C. Smith’s 1986 biography of Wells (H.G. Wells: Desperately Mortal: A Biography) as Wells’ “masterpiece of the wartime experience in England”. We (ALL’s offspring) had a copy (and read it) during WWII. See also Mr. Britling Sees it Through and Arthur Linfoot’s Library. ↩

2 April 1918; Tuesday

April 1918, , ,

Up at about 7.30. Paraded at 10 o’clock and marched to a camp near to Baileul1. Glorious day. Walked into Meteren2 at night and had some eggs at Jeanne’s. Beautiful afternoon and pleasant walk. Rained last thing.

  1. 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. Bailleul (B); is 6m SW of Locre (A). ↩

  2. Méteren (C); 4km W of Bailleul. ↩

1 April 1918; Monday

Abridged, April 1918, , , ,

Spent most of day packing waggons and overhauling equipment. Went out at night to Westoutre1. Over main road. Called at Johnny’s and had custard and coffee. Fine night. News from the Somme slightly better.

  1. Westoutre: Westouter (B) 3km NW. of Locre (A); Michelin square I3. ↩

30 March 1918; Saturday

March 1918, , ,

Arrived at Strazeel 1 at about 7 am. Went to * *2 in motor lorries. Wet night. Walked into Locre at night.

  1. Strazeel: Strazeele (B), 80km NNE. of Doullens (A); 7km E. of Hazebrouck on D642 Bailleul road; Michelin square I2. This means that since the Retreat began on 21 March, the 58th Field Ambulance had been withdrawn completely from the Somme/Ancre theatre, where the German breakthrough occurred, a good 45km north to the Ypres area. ↩

  2. No possible transcription of this place-name has been identified on the Michelin map; could be anything from a trench/camp name (‘Canada Green’?) to a local name (‘Candé Grand’? – or even ‘Mont Grand’.)  ↩

29 March 1918; Friday

March 1918, ,

Up about 8 o’clock. Had breakfast and packed up ready for moving. Rather stormy and showery. Marched to Doullens1. Lay down by roadside from 7 until past 12 o’clock. Got into train and went north.

  1. Doullens (B); 11km SW. of Humbercourt (A). ↩

28 March 1918; Thursday

March 1918, ,

Up about 7 o’clock. Packed everything up and took down tents. Moved off about 10 o’clock. Arrived at Humbercourt 1 at dinner-time. In billets and they seem quite luxurious billets. Had tea and got paid and went to bed early. Wet and stormy night. No further news from the line.

  1. Humbercourt (B); 11km W. of Humbercamps (A). It seems probable that ALL had written “Humbercourt” in error on 26 March, having meant to write “Humbercamps”, hence this journey from Humbercamps to Humbercourt two days later. ↩