Category Archives: July 1917

All diary entries written in July 1917.

9 July 1917; Monday

July 1917

Up at 7 o’clock. Nothing much to do all day. Piggy Wood came to take over from Sergeant Holmes, who has gone on leave to see his wife. My turn on at night. Did a wee bit French. No raid at night. Slept in the next door cellar again. Very heavy firing in front and to our right.

8 July 1917; Sunday

July 1917, ,

Up at 8 o’clock. A tremendous rush to get through and had breakfast late. Decided to go and see Ernie in the afternoon. Set out about 1.30. Walked through Dikbush1 and arrived at the battery, without much trouble, about 4.15. Just in time for tea. He showed me round and I saw his friends – very nice chaps. Left about 6.30. He showed me back almost to La Clyte and we arranged to meet again at La Clyte on Sunday next. Arrived home shortly after 9 o’clock. Slept in the old woman’s cellar and slept well.          Visited Ernie.

  1. Dikbush: Dikkebus; see 5 July. ↩

7 July 1917; Saturday

July 1917

Up at 7 o’clock. Old lady next door asked some of us to sleep in part of her cellar, and 9 of us went down altogether. My night in. About 4.30 next morning found the rain coming in and had to go upstairs to sleep. Some fun. Walking about in shorts and boots.

6 July 1917; Friday

July 1917

Up at 7 o’clock after good night’s sleep. Fine day. I stayed in all day and swotted French in the afternoon. Turned in at usual time. German planes came over and bombed us from 11 to 3 next morning, dropped about 80 bombs. We finished our night’s sleep in the kitchen and were very tired next morning. Some very big bombs dropped.

5 July 1917; Thursday

July 1917, , ,

Up at 7 o’clock. Busy all morning. Lieutenant Jones number 2 turned up again in the afternoon with his ankle trouble and two brothers in beds next to one another.

Ernie called to see me and met me as I was putting Captain Holmes’ kit into the ambulance. He looked round the place, had a wash and brush up and then we had tea in the small town, walked round and back again. I set him up to Locre. He is at Dikbush1 with 8” guns. Told one another a few adventures. Jolly called to see me.

Walked round with Walker at night.

  1. Dikbush: apparently (Flemish) Dikkebus (A); Michelin square J3, 4km SE. of Ypres and 12km NE of Bailleul (B) where ALL was stationed at the time. ↩

4 July 1917; Wednesday

July 1917, ,

Up at 7 o’clock. Fairly busy all day. My turn out at night and went to the Australia concert party’s concert. It was pretty good and they had a good band and some good singers especially the bass.

The King visited the town in the afternoon. News of a Russian offensive.

I made an awful fool of myself at night.