All posts by Arthur Linfoot

17 November 1917; Saturday

Up about 7. Double1 at 7.15. On parade at 9. Stretcher drill and suchlike and game of wild†2 board. Spent afternoon at French etcetera and a short walk at night.


  1. Double march, or run. See all diary entries tagged “double“. 

  2. “Wild” originally transcribed as “ouija”, but the shorthand outline doesn’t really fit this, and it seems unlikely that anyone might have had a ouija board or that ALL would have played at it. 

10 November 1917; Saturday

Up shortly after 6 o’clock. Raining all morning. Got ready for parade at 9.15. Marched to Bailleul station. Had train to near Hazebr.<ouck> and marched to Wallon Cappell1. Our billets just outside the village.


  1. Wallon-Cappell (C): 5km W. of Hazebrouck, on D642 to St Omer; Michelin square G3. Map shows entire journey from Bailleul (A) via Hazebrouck (B). 

8 November 1917; Thursday

Up about 7 o’clock. On parade at 9 o’clock. Helped to pack in the morning. Got pass to Bailleul in the afternoon but Ernie didn’t turn up there so I only went into Locre. Returned in good time.

Heard of the death of Willie Whittaker 1 in a letter from Ernie.


  1. ALL also recorded this in a note added to his diary on the date of Willie Whittaker’s death, 22 October 1917