Category Archives: October 1918

All diary entries written in October 1918.

31 October 1918; Thursday

Had rather bad night and a temperature of 102.2. Moved upstairs in the afternoon. Heard that Turkey and Austria had turned it in.

Austria1 & Turkey turn it in.

Armistice with Turkey to begin midday.2


  1. The Armistice of Villa Giusti, signed on 3 November,  officially ended warfare between Italy and Austria-Hungary on the Italian Front. On 31 October, Hungary ended the personal union with Austria, officially dissolving the Monarchy and making the Armistice inevitable. It was, perhaps, the imminent collapse of Austria-Hungary which led ALL to note that Austria had “turned it in”. 

  2. The Armistice of Mudros concluded on 30 October 1918 and ended hostilities between the Ottoman Empire and the Allies at noon on the 31st. 

27 October 1918; Sunday

Up shortly after 7 o’clock. Moved from Avesnes to Cauroir1 by lorry along with the bath people. Parade in cellars but worked hard all day and got a fire in there and made them comfortable by night. Walked out and tried to find the service but failed. Wrote letters.


  1. Cauroir (B): 7km W. of Avesnes-les-Aubert (A); ALL now 5km E. of Cambrai centre; Michelin square L6. 

24 October 1918; Thursday

Up at 7 o’clock. Paraded for a bath at 8 o’clock. Paraded at 2 and got hospital ready. Told at 3.30 that Billy and I had to go to another village to a baths job. Went by car at 4.30 and couldn’t find our baths. Ultimately found the place in ruined village and returned to our billet for the night.

23 October 1918; Wednesday

Up at 7 o’clock and found the place pretty full of wounded. I was clerk all day. The 61st Division relieved us at 4. We waited until after 5 for a car. Had to go a new way and were lost. Changed drivers and the new man was no good. Had a puncture and didn’t arrive until about 8 o’clock. Got down to it and slept well. Harry Streets back again with the unit. Heard that the Belgians had advanced well up the Belgian coast and that the whole region is moving forward.

22 October 1918; Tuesday

Up at about 7 o’clock. Kept busy all day and were properly fed up at night. Had some bad cases in from field artillery. Not so much shelling, but quite enough.

Awoke in the early hours of Wednesday morning with heavy shelling in the village. Some fell behind our place and one immediately in front and the gas came to us very strongly. Barrage went up at 2 o’clock and the German artillery stopped.