Arrived about 4 o’clock at our resting place. Don’t know where it is. Tossed for the stretcher and I won. We were issued with blankets and I got one to myself. Slept well. Awoke about 7. Got up about 9 o’clock. Had good breakfast. Washed, wrote up diary and lay on stretcher. Near to very heavy (probably 6”) gun. Watched about 8 or 9 big guns with traction engines go by. A tremendous number of field guns and troops continually passing. Received letter from home and wrote a reply. Watched aeroplanes (sometimes 21 up together) flying and saw one brought down. Saw captured German field gun brought down line. Received orders to move, but these were cancelled and we stayed all night. Found out we were near the château to the right.
All posts by Arthur Linfoot
19 July 1916; Wednesday
This is an extract from Arthur Linfoot’s own transcription of his diary, written in 1976.
Up at 7 o’clock. Physical drill in the morning. Fine all day. Letter from Geo. Crawford and replied to it. Washed feet in horse bucket. Marched off at 7.30 and reached destination at about 4 a.m. Passed close by rear of batteries and interested to notice the rim of the gun breeches light up red flame when the gun is fired in the dark.
19 July 1916; Wednesday
Up at 7 o’clock. Physical drill in the morning. Kept fine all day. Received letter from George Crawford and replied to it. Washed feet at night. Received orders to fall in about 7.30. Marched off about 8 o’clock. Many stops by the way and arrived at an open place near some artillery about 4 o’clock in the morning.
Most interesting though tiresome march. I was with my new squad. Bascombe, Hall, Houghton and myself. Talked with the others and found them all right to talk to.
18 July 1916; Tuesday
This is an extract from Arthur Linfoot’s own transcription of his diary, written in 1976.
Paraded 7 o’clock. Orders to stand by again. Parcel from home. Read “British Weekly”. Letters from Charlie and Green. Walked to village at night. Some rain. Watched rats playing in rafters of barn.
18 July 1916; Tuesday
Up at 7 o’clock. Received orders to stand by again. Received parcel from home, letter from Charlie, letter from Green and the British Weekly. Wrote home. Walked round village at night. Some rain. Watched the rats playing about the barn roof.
17 July 1916; Monday
This is an extract from Arthur Linfoot’s own transcription of his diary, written in 1976.
Dull damp morning. Rumour that four men of the 104th ambulance that relieved us at the chateau were killed by one shell. No longer standing by. Walked to Ribemont with Walsh and Lee after tea and had eggs and chips. Rained and got wet. Turned in about nine, but kept awake by noisy argument between Forrest and his pals on football until about eleven. Watched rats playing about in the roof of barn all day.
17 July 1916; Monday
Up at 7 o’clock. Dull and damp in the morning. Received rumour that 4 of the 104th Field Ambulance men were killed in the château we left1. Killed by a shell bursting in their billet. Received orders that we were not to stand by after dinner. Went to Ribemont at night with Walsh and Lee and had eggs. Got wet in going. Went to bed at about 9 o’clock. Big dispute with Forrest and others about football until about 11 o’clock. Watched the rats playing about in the rafters all day.
16 July 1916; Sunday
This is an extract from Arthur Linfoot’s own transcription of his diary, written in 1976.
Reveille at seven. Still standing by and no church parade. Rumours of Germans retiring all along the Line. Wrote to Willie Whittaker. Fine morning. Church parade in a field in the afternoon. Rained and no sermon. Went to bed early; lay awake with toothache; slept well later.
16 July 1916; Sunday
Up at 7 o’clock. Still standing by and no church service. Rumours of Germans’ retreat up the line. Wrote to Willie Whittaker. Fine morning. Service in the field in the afternoon but it rained and so we stopped before the sermon. Rained a bit at night. Wrote letter home in reply to one received and also to Willie Whittaker and Franchie Inwood. Went to bed early at night. Lay awake with toothache, but generally slept well.
1 killed and 9 wounded of the 57 Ambulance at La Boisselle.
15 July 1916; Saturday
This is an extract from Arthur Linfoot’s own transcription of his diary, written in 1976.
On guard from 6 to 8 a.m. Had breakfast and wrote letters. On guard again 10 to 2 p.m. Just commencing dinner when ordered to return to billet and pack our kits ready to move. Paraded twenty minutes later at transport lines. Waited there all afternoon and then were sent back to billets to wait. Beautiful summer evening. Wrote letter to Ernie. Turned in about ten.