Called up at 6 o’clock. Had breakfast shortly before 8 and was relieved then. Wrote letter to Joe and one to Charlie. Went on at 12 o’clock. Was relieved shortly before 2 o’clock. Just beginning dinner when we received orders to go to our billet and pack our kit. Packed kit in 20 minutes and paraded by the A.S.C. park. Had tea and waited. Received orders to go back to the billet and wait there. Beautiful afternoon. Wrote to Ernie. Turned in at the usual time.
All posts by Arthur Linfoot
14 July 1916; Friday
This is an extract from Arthur Linfoot’s own transcription of his diary, written in 1976.
No bread and wretched dinner of boiled bully beef. Physical drill at 11 o’clock. Got hair cut. Rain in the morning, fine afternoon. Issued with new cap to replace cap lost up the Line – two sizes too small. On guard from 6 until 10 p.m. Found some blankets and slept on a bed in hospital barn. Very comfortable.
14 July 1916; Friday
Up at 7. No bread and rotten dinner, boiled bully. Got hair cut. Physical drill at 11 o’clock. Wrote to Gertie. Received two copies of the Daily News from home. Rain in the morning but fine in the afternoon. Got new cap two sizes too small. Paraded at 6 o’clock with the guard. Went on from 6 until 10 o’clock. Got two blankets and slept with Lee on a fairly comfortable bed in the hospital barn.
13 July 1916; Thursday
This is an extract from Arthur Linfoot’s own transcription of his diary, written in 1976.
Slept badly. Hunted in shirt and pants. Found six big lice. Usual morning parade. Physical drill and waggon cleaning. No afternoon parade: lay down. After tea walked to Ribemont with Duggins and Leaky. Had eggs and chips and bought chocolate. Several thousands of cavalry passed through our village during the evening. Everybody excited and talking of break through and cavalry charge in the morning. Horses two abreast and occasional horse carrying machine gun only. Took ages to pass.
13 July 1916; Thursday
Up at 7 o’clock after a bad restless night. Hunted in shirt and pants and found about 6 big lice. Paraded in the morning for cleaning waggons etcetera and then physical drill. Lay down all afternoon – no parade. Had some peaches for tea. Received some papers from Betty and also a letter from home. Went out at night with Lee and called at a village. Bought some chocolate. Afterwards met Leaky and Duggins and went with them to Ribemont1. Had eggs, coffee and cakes and bread. Walked round village and bought card for Gertie. Saw a few thousand cavalry go by our village and understand they are going to charge in the morning.
Ribemont: presumably Ribemont-sur-Ancre, 7km SW of Albert, not Ribemont, SE of St Quentin. ↩
12 July 1916; Wednesday
This is an extract from Arthur Linfoot’s own transcription of his diary, written in 1976.
Up at 7 o’clock. C. of E. parade at 11. Some good hymns: thanks for survival. Read a few verses from bible and article by Claudius Clear in British Weekly sent from home. In village shop the old woman gave me a 2 franc piece I had dropped there some time ago. She found it after we left her shop and remembered me. Went to open air concert outside Town Major’s house in village. Our C.O. and another officer took part in sketch. Washed socks and pants and wrote letters.
12 July 1916; Wednesday
Up at 7 o’clock. Church parade at 11 o’clock. Very nice service – C of E – and good hymns O God Our Help, Jesu Lover of my Soul etcetera. Read Bible a bit. Read British Weekly and enjoyed article by Claudius Clear1. Went to concert in the open by the Town Major’s house. Our C.O. and a captain took part in good dialogue. I dropped a 2 franc piece and couldn’t find it at a shop. Called again with Walsh and the woman recognised me and told me where she had found it – on the window sill. Washed shirt, pants and socks and wrote a few letters.
Claudius Clear: alter-ego of William Robertson Nicoll (1851 – 1923), a Scottish Free Church minister, journalist, editor, and man of letters who founded the British Weekly, a Nonconformist newspaper. ↩
11 July 1916; Tuesday
This is an extract from Arthur Linfoot’s own transcription of his diary, written in 1976.
Up again at 7 o’clock. Physical drill at eleven. Cleaned clothes and buttons. In the afternoon cleaned waggons and rubbed grease on the wheels. Got some grease on my tunic and belt. Read account of North Sea battle in a “News Chronicle” received from home this morning (Jutland). Lovely summer morning. Sat outside billet cleaning grease off tunic and belt. Had short walk with Lee before turning in.
11 July 1916; Tuesday
Up at 7 o’clock. Physical drill at 11 o’clock. Orders to clean buttons. Turned out at 2.15 to clean waggons. Dirtied tunic and had to clean it at night, and also belt. Beautiful evening. Sat outside billet and cleaned belt. Read account of North Sea battle1 in Daily News received from home this morning. Also read some of British Weekly2. Wrote letter home in reply to one received. Had slight trouble with toothache. Had short walk with Lee. Cleaned grease off tunic and pants.
“North Sea battle”: Jutland was 6 weeks ago, but reports were still coming through. The Germans’ next attempt to capitalise on what they claimed as a victory was a projected raid to shell Sunderland, on 19 August, but this was intercepted and defeated by the RN following Intelligence reports. ↩
The British Weekly, a Nonconformist newspaper founded by William Robertson Nicoll (1851 – 1923), a Scottish Free Church minister, journalist, editor, and man of letters. ↩
10 July 1916; Monday
This is an extract from Arthur Linfoot’s own transcription of his diary, written in 1976.
Up at 7. Spent morning scraping mud off clothes and puttees with jack knife. Paraded 3 o’clock. C.O. read message from Divisional Commander thanking us for good work and saying appreciated by troops. Walked to village Y.M.C.A. Newspaper from home. Everything so peaceful this side of Albert. Rather cold. Lost service and sunshade in trenches.