Category Archives: 1976

These entries comprise Arthur Linfoot’s own transcription of part of his diaries completed in 1976.

16 June 1916; Friday

This is an extract from Arthur Linfoot’s own transcription of his diary, written in 1976.

Paraded 7 in the morning and marched to Rainneville. The whole Brigade passed before us and it was an impressive sight. Full marching order. About eight miles. Warm day. New billet in a barn at a French farmhouse. Better and cleaner than the last one. Had café au lait in the farmhouse. Went to bed early (i.e., lay down on the straw). Wrote letter home.

17 June 1916; Saturday

This is an extract from Arthur Linfoot’s own transcription of his diary, written in 1976.

Up at 7 o’clock. Paraded first thing and cleaned waggons. An hour’s physical drill – and pretty hard too. A nice little route march in the afternoon. Walked into the village at evening and bought a paper. (Probably Paris edition, Daily Mail). Russians still advancing. Posted letter home.

18 June 1916; Sunday

This is an extract from Arthur Linfoot’s own transcription of his diary, written in 1976.

Up at 7 o’clock. Could hear the guns at the front very distinctly. On Church parade at 9. Open air service. After the service each of us were given a pair of socks. First time I have been at a field service. In the afternoon lay in a field writing a letter to Mr Inwood. Watched aeroplanes playing about. Fine day. Went to field service again at night. Had discussion with Lee about singing words in hymns which we didn’t agree with. Walked to the village in the evening.

23 June 1916; Friday

This is an extract from Arthur Linfoot’s own transcription of his diary, written in 1976.

Up before 7 o’clock. Parades as usual. Practised various methods of carrying helpless men and I carried Lee ‘fireman’s lift’. (I was 9½ st.; Lee 121.) Gas tests in a barn in the afternoon, also tear gas test. Finished reading “Simon the Jester”.


  1. 9½ stones is 133 pounds, or a little over 60kg. 12 stones is 168 pounds or a little over 76kg. 

25 June 1916; Sunday

This is an extract from Arthur Linfoot’s own transcription of his diary, written in 1976.

Up at usual time. Attended church parade. Wrote letters to Geo. Crawford and Roland McDonald1. Now nine observation balloons up. Noise of guns very heavy at night. Bonny calm evening.


  1. “Roland McDonald”: sic; RM was a Sunderland contact, first mentioned on 30 August 1914, but his name is unmistakably Ranald MacDonald. This is written several times in lists of addresses contained in the diaries, these lists including a service number which leads to this record at Lives of the First World War.