Category Archives: April 1918

All diary entries written in April 1918.

30 April 1918; Tuesday

Up about 7 o’clock and busy all day. Some very bad cases in. Three died – one after an operation and both legs amputated. First time the ambulance has performed such an operation. Had short walk at night. The line a lot quieter. Slept in the dugout again.

25 April 1918; Thursday

Up about 7 o’clock. Busy in hospital all day. Received orders in the afternoon to pack up and stand by. Many rumours in from the line.

Heard of attack on Zeebrugge1.


  1. The Zeebrugge raid, with the simultaneous smaller raid on Ostend, took place on 23/24 April and was intended to prevent German access into the North Sea for blockade and military/naval purposes. It was approved in February 1918, but originally suggested by Admiral Fisher in 1917, partly as an attempt to outflank the Western Front (allegedly related to the Passchendaele campaign.) The Zeebrugge element was largely ineffective, mainly due to failure of the smoke screen and consequent failure of the main warship to get to the right place and silence the shore batteries, with the result that the concrete-laden blockships did not get into the harbour. The Ostend attack failed totally, as the British warships did not even reach the harbour entrance. Nevertheless, the raid was presented to the British public as a great achievement and 8 Victoria Crosses were awarded. 

21 April 1918; Sunday

Reveille at 3.30. Marched off about 6 o’clock. Arrived at Proven 1 at about 10 o’clock. Had something to eat and then started work. Got small dressing room nearly ready when we had to take over D R S 2 and open up the big house. Very nice place. Worked pretty hard. Went into the village at night and were at the end of a church service. The parson very dry. Had good night’s sleep.


  1. Proven (B) about 7km NW of Poperinghe (A). 

  2. “D R S”: Divisional Rest Station; see The Chain of Evacuation of The Royal Army Medical Corps at RAMC in the Great War.