Up at 5.30 and got cleaned up. Wet morning. Moved to Le Vertannay1 farm and went on night duty again. Lay down during the afternoon and came on duty at 9 o’clock. Only slept short time and was very sleepy later in the morning. Received letter from Charlie and one from Franchie – quite a bright letter.
Le Vertannay (spelling not really certain): only a farm, so not identified on Michelin map. ↩
I slept from 2 o’clock until 6.30. Off duty at about 8 o’clock. Very heavy gunfire to the right. A rumour that we have attacked and won Arras and Soissons1. On duty at 9 at night, after spending a wakeful day. Heard that we have to move tomorrow owing to Jerry retiring so far. British continue to progress at several points. Turned in at 1am and slept on the floor of the dressing room. Received letter from home.
Soissons is the only place-name I can (roughly) fit to the shorthand outline, but it is far to the S. of Arras. (DL) ↩
On duty at night and did a little French. Off duty at 9 o’clock. Slept very little during the day. Heard that the British have advanced round about Achiet le Petit and the French are advancing towards Noyon. Very good news. On duty at 9 o’clock at night. Read a good bit of Richard Feverel1.
The Ordeal of Richard Feverel: See 20 August, The Ordeal of Richard Feverel and Arthur Linfoot’s Library. ↩
Went off duty shortly before 9 o’clock and went to bed. Up at about 7 and on duty at 9 o’clock. Did some French. Heard that the British have advanced and taken Merville1 and that our line had advanced a good distance.
Up at 7 o’clock. On parade at 8 o’clock. Detailed for the A D S at 2 o’clock. Arrived at the ADS shortly before tea time. Had a bit talk with Harvey. He left me Richard Feverel1 to read. On duty at 9 o’clock and kept awake with a struggle all night. Read a good bit. Did a scrap of French.
Heard that the French have advanced a little nearer Noyon2.
The Ordeal of Richard Feverel: novel by George Meredith. See also The Ordeal of Richard Feverel and Arthur Linfoot’s Library. ↩
Noyon: about 60km S. of the Somme battlefield; Michelin square K10. ↩
The Ordeal of Richard Feverel (subtitled “A History of Father and Son”) is the earliest full-length novel by George Meredith, published in 1859.
Sir Austin Feverel’s wife deserts him to run away with a poet, leaving her husband to bring up their boy Richard. Believing schools to be corrupt, Sir Austin, a scientific humanist, educates the boy at home with a plan of his own devising.
Arthur Linfoot wrote that his comrade, Harvey, had lent him “Richard Feverel” on 20 August 1918, while stationed at Choques, midway between Lillers and Béthune in Northern France. He continued to read the book in the following days.
Up at 7 o’clock. On party all day. Fine day. Guns very busy at night. Received letter from Marmie enclosing photographs of her and Dorothy. Went to Follies at night. They were very good indeed and quite worth going to.
Up at 7 o’clock. On parade at 9 and dismissed. Spent all day to dinner tea time working on our dugout. Made very good job if it. Went to C of E service with John Dory at night and enjoyed it very much. Read a bit at night and went to bed in good time.
Up at 7 o’clock and on parade at 8 o’clock Finished at 4 as usual. Wrote letter home and one to Harvey re article from the paper. Read at night.
Up at 7 o’clock. Informed that the C O is not satisfied with the progress made with the work and that we must do an hour extra in the afternoon, and be C B1 at night. At night finished at 4.30 and told that the progress of the work done is satisfactory and that we may go out at night. Worked at our own dugout and dug the back out but it fell in. Night wasted. Received letter from home. Wrote letter to Ernie.
C B: Confined to Barracks. ↩