Up at 7 o’clock. On fatigue in the morning cleaning waggons and in the afternoon at a hospital across the village which is to be run by C section. Duggins ordered across as orderly. Worked a bit after tea, until about 6.30. A band played in the village beside the church. Among some reinforcements just arrived is one of the Newcastle Alnwick boys. Had walk in the village. Bought some loaves for supper and had good supper. No bread issue today. Received orders to be orderly man tomorrow.
All posts by Arthur Linfoot
8 August 1916; Tuesday
This is an extract from Arthur Linfoot’s own transcription of his diary, written in 1976.
Up at 9 and told at breakfast that dinner would be at 11.30. Marched off full marching order about midday. Crossed Belgian frontier and reached a village about 2 o’clock. Duggins, Cpl. Stanton and I bivouacked together. (Found out later the village was Westoutre). In the village at night we found the small shops sold a great variety of articles and that the people spoke fair English. Bought some silk1 at a farm. Weather still fine and warm. Gas alarm at night.
“Silk”: shorthand reads “milk” ↩
8 August 1916; Tuesday
Up at 9 o’clock. Had breakfast and received orders to have dinner at 11.30 and fall in <in> full marching order at 12 o’clock. Marched off shortly after 12 o’clock. Crossed Belgian Frontier and arrived at the village of [space – probably intended to be filled in later when name known] 1 about 2 o’clock. Duggins, Corporal Stanton and I made a bivouac together. Very nice place. Don’t know what the future holds. Walked into village at night. Found out we could buy all sorts of things including newspapers and that most of the people talk marvellous† English. Bought some milk at a farm. Weather hot all the time.
News of Battle at Suez2.
Heard Last Post blown and it sounded fine. Gas alarm at night.
According to ALL’s own 1976 transcription, the village was Westoutre, now Westouter. ↩
“Battle at Suez”: Probably the Battle of Romani (3-5 August 1916), the last ground attack of the Central Powers on the Suez Canal at the beginning of the Sinai and Palestine Campaign during the First World War. ↩
7 August 1916; Monday
This is an extract from Arthur Linfoot’s own transcription of his diary, written in 1976.
Reveille 4 a.m. Breakfast 4.30. Fell in at 6 and marched off to Longpre. Got there at 8. Had choice of 3rd class carriages or horse boxes and chose horse boxes. Left Longpre about ten and passed through Boulogne and St. Omer. A mule got loose, fell off its truck in a tunnel and was killed. Arrived Bailleul about 9 p.m. Unloaded waggons and mules off trucks in the dark and a mule fell into a ditch. Took half an hour to get it out. Marched off about ten and had one rest. Stayed at a farm barn for the night. Midnight when we got down. Very tired and slept well, on straw.
7 August 1916; Monday
Reveille at 4 o’clock. Breakfast 4.30. Fell in at 6 and marched off. Arrived at Longpré about 8 o’clock. Train left about 10. We had choice of 3rd class carriage or cattle truck and chose truck. Passed through Boulogne and St Omer. One of our mules jumped out of the carriage at Boulogne and was run over in tunnel. Arrived at Baileul1 about 9 o’clock. Took waggons off the rail trucks in the dark. One of the horses got in a ditch and was in about half an hour. Marched off about 10 o’clock. Had one rest. Terribly tired and sleepy. Arrived at a farm and put up there for the night. About midnight when we got there. Slept on straw in a barn and slept well.
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 is 16km SW of Ypres. The map shows the entire journey from Longpré (A), through Boulogne (B) and Saint-Omer (C) to Bailleul (D). ↩
6 August 1916; Sunday
This is an extract from Arthur Linfoot’s own transcription of his diary, written in 1976.
Seven as usual. Field service and good preacher. Commenced book by Clark Russell. Another beautiful summer day. Wrote up diary. Turned in at nine with orders to be up at 4 a.m.
6 August 1916; Sunday
Up at 7 o’clock. Field service at 11 o’clock and preaching good. Went up by the new little church in the afternoon and commenced reading “List, Ye Landsmen!” by Clark Russell1. Beautiful day and beautiful scenery. Had short walk at night with Duggins. Wrote up diary. Turned in about 9 o’clock. Orders to be up at 4 o’clock in the morning.
William Clark Russell (1844-1911); writer of sea and horror stories. List, Ye Landsmen! (subtitled “A Romance of Incident”) is a seafaring adventure set in the year 1815. See also List, Ye Landsmen! and Arthur Linfoot’s Library. ↩
5 August 1916; Saturday
This is an extract from Arthur Linfoot’s own transcription of his diary, written in 1976.
Up at seven. Had boots repaired. In the evening walked to Flixecourt with Cpl. Stanton and Duggins. Eggs and chips. Beautiful summer evening and enjoyed walk back through corn fields and woods. All lovely in the setting sun.
5 August 1916; Saturday
Up at 7 o’clock. Did nothing all day. Had boots repaired in the afternoon. Wrote some letters. Went to a little town called Flixecourt1 with Corporal Stanton and Duggins. Beautiful night. Had a feed of chips and eggs. Enjoyed walk back. Thought of home in the pleasant melancholy of the evening. Wonderful scenery and the woods and corn fields were lovely in the setting sun.
Flixecourt (A): 5km SE of Vauchelles-lès-Domart (B), on the D1001 between Abbeville and Amiens. ↩
4 August 1916; Friday
This is an extract from Arthur Linfoot’s own transcription of his diary, written in 1976.
Up at seven after restless night. Wrote letters and walked to village at night.