Category Archives: November 1917

All diary entries written in November 1917.

30 November 1917; Friday

30 November 17November 1917Ernie, Letters, Wallon-CappellArthur Linfoot

Up about 7 o’clock. Full marching order parade at 9.30. Combined drill. Afterwards competition for stretcher pairs. A & C Sections won. Spent afternoon writing letters and doing French. Received letter from home and one from Ernie.

29 November 1917; Thursday

29 November 17November 1917Double, Wallon-CappellArthur Linfoot

Up at about 7 o’clock. Double¹ and parade as usual. Afternoon off. Wrote and did a bit French. Had walk at night with Harvey. Had bath in the afternoon.

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

28 November 1917; Wednesday

28 November 17Abridged, November 1917Football, Wallon-CappellArthur Linfoot

Up shortly before 7 o’clock. Paraded at 10 o’clock with full pack and were inspected first by the C.O. and afterwards by the A D M S ¹.

In the afternoon went to the football match between our team and the North Lancs². A very exciting game. They scored in the second half and we scored in the last three minutes. Played extra time 10 minutes and played the Lancs to a standstill, but couldn’t score.

A D M S: Assistant Director of Medical Services. ↩
“North Lancs” is probably the Loyal North Lancashire Regiment; its 7th battalion was in the 19th (Western) Division. ↩

27 November 1917; Tuesday

27 November 17November 1917Wallon-CappellArthur Linfoot

Up about 7 o’clock. Rained most of the day and no parades. Had short walk at night. Did a bit French.

26 November 1917; Monday

26 November 17November 1917Double, Wallon-CappellArthur Linfoot

Up about 7 o’clock. Double¹ first thing and then paraded full marching order before the C.O. Did a bit stretcher drill. Did some French in the afternoon.

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

25 November 1917; Sunday

25 November 17November 1917Football, Wallon-CappellArthur Linfoot

Up about 7.15. Kit inspection at 9.30. Spent most of morning rolling football field.

Football match in the afternoon.

Ambulance 2, the Second Lincolns¹ 0.

Very good game. Did a bit French at night.

The 2nd Battalion of the Lincolnshire Regiment was in 25th Brigade, 8th Division. ↩

24 November 1917; Saturday

24 November 17November 1917Double, Wallon-CappellArthur Linfoot

Up about 7 o’clock. Double¹, and most of the morning spent on stretcher drill with the C O and other officers looking on. Had walk at night.

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

23 November 1917; Friday

23 November 17November 1917Wallon-CappellArthur Linfoot

Up about 7 o’clock. Spent most of morning drilling and messing about. Had walk at night. Heard of advances on Cambrai¹.

Cambrai: See note on 22 November. ↩

22 November 1917; Thursday

22 November 17Abridged, November 1917Double, Somme, Wallon-Cappell, WarArthur Linfoot

Up about 7 o’clock. On the double¹ as usual. On parade and put on the competition squad. Spent afternoon writing and made good progress with French. Heard of victory on the Somme.

British advance on Cambrai ². 8000 prisoners and many guns.

Double march, or run. See all diary entries tagged “double“. ↩
The Battle of Cambrai (commenced 20 November) is best known as the occasion when tanks were first used in adequate numbers; the few available in 1916 having had their secrecy blown by being tried prematurely on the Somme, and in 1917, still in small numbers, having been largely wasted in impractical ground conditions at Passchendaele. ↩

21 November 1917; Wednesday

21 November 17Abridged, November 1917Charlie, Everyman, Football, Letters, Library, Wallon-CappellArthur Linfoot

Up at 7 o’clock. On parade in the morning. Wet day. I played the part of wounded man and was carried on a stretcher for the first time in my life. Football match in the afternoon between our team and the King’s Own¹, first round in the cup tie – and we won 6 – 0. Received papers from home and “Everyman”² published my letter in reply to Roderick Random. Received letter from Charlie written on the 28th October.

The 7th battalion of the King’s Own Regiment was in the 56th Brigade, 19th (Western) Division. ↩
The text of ALL’s published letter is reproduced here. See all diary entries tagged “Everyman” and also Everyman from the Arthur Linfoot’s library page. ↩

The Diary of Arthur L. Linfoot

58th Field Ambulance, R.A.M.C.