4 October 1918; Friday

October 1918, , , , ,

Up about 7 o’clock. Transport moved off in the morning. Spent a lot of time picking blackberries. Terrific fighting down south and very slow advance. Fell in at 3 o’clock and marched to Brian1 where we entrained. Detrained at Warlincourt and marched to Souastre and arrived there early morning. No blankets and nearly frozen in the night.

  1. Brian: perhaps Brias (B), 5km NNE. of St Pol (A; near Grecourt? see 2 October); Warlincourt would be Warlincourt-lès-Pas (C), 11km E. of Doullens, just S. of the Arras road, and Souastre (D) is 16km E. of Doullens (Michelin square H6 and H7 respectively) – just off the NW corner of the 1916 Somme battle area. ↩

3 October 1918; Thursday

October 1918, , ,

[Written above date: “Franchie’s birthday 11th inst.”]

Up about 9 o’clock. Parade at 10 o’clock. Got back to Pernes and went in with Billy Truman. Had some tea at the Y M and then eggs and chips at a restaurant. Returned about 8 o’clock.

Very heavy fighting down south. Heard that the Germans were falling back from La Bassée.

2 October 1918; Wednesday

October 1918, , , ,

We arrived at Essars about 7 o’clock. Steam engine took over and we arrived at Burbure1 about 9. Marched to Auchel. Had breakfast about 10 o’clock and marched off for Grecourt2 about 2 and arrived by 5 o’clock. Dinner at night and to bed. Absolutely tired out.

  1. Burbure (B; Michelin square G4) is on the southern outskirts of Lillers, 17km E of Essars (A) and 6km NNW. of Auchel (C). ↩

  2. “Grecourt” is not in the Michelin map gazetteer, and I can’t find any name much resembling it within 3 hours’ march (especially if circuitous and/or lost) of Auchel. It was probably somewhere N. of Saint-Pol-sur-Ternoise (D), as they got back the next day (and no transport is mentioned) to Pernes, which is on the St Pol – Lillers road (Michelin square G5). ↩

1 October 1918; Tuesday

October 1918, , ,

Off duty in the morning. Went down to headquarters. Couldn’t sleep. Returned in the afternoon. Headquarters moved to Auchel1. Ambulance relieved. Left A D S at about 9.30 and marched up to Le Touret siding. Waited there until 2.45. Jerry shelled twice very near and we crouched under some rails, the hedge and anywhere. Most miserable night, light rail train broke down twice and stuck * and –

  1. Auchel (B; Michelin square G4) is 7km SSE. of Lillers, and 11km SW. of Béthune. If the Advanced Dressing Station was near the previous location of headquarters, and if that was at Essars (A), 2km NE. of Béthune (see 18 September), this could make sense. Le Touret (C) is a hamlet 3km NE. from Essars, in square I4. ↩

29 September 1918; Sunday

September 1918

Had a few cases in during the night. Finished about 8 o’clock and got down to it in a funk hole. Jerry shelled about 10 o’clock and blew up our marquee. We ran down the road a bit. Returned and packed up and went to headquarters to sleep until after tea. Returned in the afternoon. No-one hurt but the dinner all blown up. On duty all night.

27 September 1918; Friday

September 1918,

Up about 7 o’clock. Betts and Duggins went up and I and Pugh were left behind. Messed about the place a bit and turned in at night about 9. Walked to headquarters with Harvey.

Splendid news from Palestine1 and Macedonia. 40 thousand Turks prisoners. Heard that the Americans had advanced in the Argonne2 and taken 10 thousand prisoners.

  1. Palestine: See notes on 23 and 24 September. ↩

  2. The beginning of the Meuse-Argonne Offensive. ↩

25 September 1918; Wednesday

September 1918,

Up at 7 o’clock. On fatigue during the morning. Rather dull and showery but got out fine. Heard that the Americans had taken a redoubt†. Pulled out of bed at mid-night to go up the line. Dressed hurriedly and went up as far as the A D S. Got down in a marquee. Jerry shelled in the night and came very near. We ran into the dressing room. After a while lay down again. He shelled near but not so much as earlier in the evening.