Got tea cocoa up at Salety and the men arrived about 3 in the morning. Stood about until nearly 7 o’clock. Left in the car and arrived at desolate place near a village called Millemont1. Left there about 10 o’clock on a lorry and arrived at Courcelles2 about midday. The men left at 12 and arrived about 5 o’clock, pretty well done up. A mess up at night for the food. Passed over some of the ground retaken in the retreat from Bapaume. Rather enjoyed the ride. Slept well.
Millemont: in shorthand, so transcription not certain; not identifiable on the map. ↩
Courcelles: Courcelles-le-Comte (B, 8km NNW. of Bapaume, map square I7) is on a fairly direct route from Saulty (A, if this is correct) to Fins, but Courcelles-au-Bois (C, 19km W. of Bapaume, map square H7) also seems possible. ↩
Up about 7 o’clock. Paraded at the dispensary sick. News not very good. Told off to ride in the ambulance cars. Went down to a car after dinner and started off shortly after 2 o’clock. Arrived at Steenbecque1 station before 3 o’clock. Got up tea for the men, who arrived about 5 o’clock and then as the blanket lorry had broken down our ambulance had to make four journeys for our blankets. We packed up and left again at about 9.10. After a quiet journey arrived at Salety2 about midnight.
3 M T men, Corporal Jones, Sergeant Strauss† and myself on the car.
Salety: this is in legible longhand, but not identifiable under this name on the Michelin map; possibly Saulty (C) (off the N25 midway between Doullens and Arras, Michelin square H6), but this leaves the next day’s journey unclear - ↩
Up about 7 o’clock. On double1. Spent morning practising stretcher business. In afternoon played football. First game I have played since I left school. Sprained my ankle at the start of the match but kept on playing. Had short walk at night but had to turn it in2.
Double march, or run. See all diary entries tagged “double“. ↩
“Had to turn it in”: ALL had to abandon his walk as a result of the ankle injury he sustained while playing football. ↩
Up about 7 o’clock and on double1 as usual. Spent morning at stretcher drill. Went to match in the afternoon. We scored first half. They equalised second half. Played extra time and we scored shortly before time. Ambulance team beat North Lancs 2 – 12. Letter in the Daily News from Lord Lansdowne asking what we are fighting for?3
Double march, or run. See all diary entries tagged “double“. ↩
Henry Petty-Fitzmaurice, 5th Marquess of Lansdowne, famously wrote a letter which called for Britain to negotiate a peace with Imperial Germany in 1917. The letter was published in The Daily Telegraph on 29 November 1917; presumably The Daily News had subsequently picked up the story. The letter was highly controversial at the time. See Lansdowne Letter at Wikipedia. ↩
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 S1.
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. ↩
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 Cambrai2. 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. ↩
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 following text is the letter written by ALL, referred to in the diary entry for 21 November 1917 and published in “Everyman”, November 1917. This letter, over the pseudonym B.E.F. (presumably for British Expeditionary Force), which is preserved in a correspondence book of ALL’s, was written on 31 October in Folkestone while ALL was waiting there to be taken across the Channel on his return to France from home leave.
Cutting from “Everyman” November 1917 – click or tap to enlarge.
SIR. – I have been very much amused and occasionally just a little annoyed by the neat little gibes which “Roderick Random” so often makes at teetotalers. In the last copy which I had the pleasure of reading he said something (I haven’t EVERYMAN by me) about “before men grew teetotal and flabby.” Permit me, modestly and with cap in hand, to state my own case. I am one of a third generation of most bigoted teetotalers, and neither I nor my fathers are – or were – particularly flabby. We can boast fairly healthy carcases, tolerably clear minds, and maybe a seasoning of humour. In the realm of hard knocks we hold our own whether they be the playful little taps of circumstance or the more energetic blows given by fragments of high-explosive shell. I am just winding up ten days’ leave after twenty months’ active service, and have had the honour – scarcely a pleasure – of being in every stunt in that period with the exception of Vimy Ridge – and never condescended to indulge in a rum ration. I am not by any means the only total abstainer on active service. They are as plentiful as German whizzbangs and as hard as Army biscuits. I venture to assert that you will find more flabbiness of body and mind amongst topers than amongst abstainers.
Pardon scrawl and a hastily written letter. I am at rest camp waiting for the cross-Channel boat. In a few more hours I shall be wending my way to the battle-line and will face Fritz – without a rum ration.
Up at 7 o’clock. Double1 before breakfast and usual morning’s work. Spent afternoon on French and reading “Old St Paul’s”2. Had walk at night with Holman and Harvey and discussed music and a few odd things.
Double march, or run. See all diary entries tagged “double“. ↩
