24 September 1918; Tuesday

24 September 18September 1918Armistice, Essars, Leishman, Letters, WarArthur Linfoot

Up at about 7.30 and on guard 8 to 12. Taken off guard in the afternoon and put on a party of stretcher bearers and again taken from that later on. Received letter from Leishman. Heard that 25000 Turks and 260 guns were captured in Palestine¹ and that the Bulgarians were in full retreat².

Palestine: The Battle of Nablus again? See yesterday. ↩
Bulgarians in retreat: This diary entry was written towards the closing stages of the Vardar Offensive, which led to Bulgaria signing the Armistice of Salonica and thus withdrawing from the war on 29 September. ↩

23 September 1918; Monday

23 September 18September 1918Charlie, Essars, Letters, WarArthur Linfoot

Up about 7.30. The C O called about dinner-time and told me to go back to headquarters. Showery day. Heard of big victory in Palestine¹ and received a letter from Charlie enclosing two photographs. Had walk with Harvey.

The “big victory in Palestine” was possibly the Capture of Nablus on 21 September during the Battle of Nablus (19-25 September). ↩

22 September 1918; Sunday

22 September 18September 1918Essars, LettersArthur Linfoot

Up about 7 o’clock. Nothing to do. An A S C chap relieved me in the morning while I went to our headquarters and got rations. Wrote letters and did French all day. Turned in about 8 o’clock. Rather cold at night but not disturbed by shelling.

21 September 1918; Saturday

21 September 18September 1918Essars, LettersArthur Linfoot

Up at 7 and on parade. Detailed to go as soonest† to the Brigade headquarters. Set out shortly after 9. Spent the day sitting in a tent and writing letters. Rather showery. Rode across to the ambulance at night for a blanket and slept in the bell tent. Rather cold and a bit disturbed by shells falling too near.

20 September 1918; Friday

20 September 18September 1918Charlie, Essars, Letters, Ranald MacDonaldArthur Linfoot

Put on guard and did nothing all day but write to Ranald MacDonald and have a bath. Commenced letter to Charlie at night.

Our division made a stand† and captured a strong post, but lost it again in the afternoon.

19 September 1918; Thursday

19 September 18September 1918Essars, Letters, Ranald MacDonald, WarArthur Linfoot

Up at 7 o’clock. Detailed for working parade at A D S at 9. Worked until 2 and then walked back. Billy Truman, Harvey, I and three other men on it. Received a letter from Ranald MacDonald. Wrote letters at night. Free day. Heard of another push down south.

18 September 1918; Wednesday

18 September 18September 1918Essars, Floringhem, Letters, Map, Ranald MacDonaldArthur Linfoot

Up shortly after 6 o’clock. A lot of messing about and marched off 10 o’clock. Arrived, after numerous stops at our headquarters about 4.30. Headquarters near Esems¹. Got a kip, had tea, read letters. One told me of the death of Kenneth MacDonald² and another of the death of Mr Rowe. Fairly tired. Got down to it early.

Esems: not identified under this name; something that looks more like Essars (B), 20km ENE of Floringhem (A) occurs on 2 October (Michelin square H4); see 2 October. ↩
Kenneth MacDonald, Ranald MacDonald’s brother whom ALL had noted as missing on 27 August. ↩

17 September 1918; Tuesday

17 September 18September 1918Floringhem, Leave, Map, Pernes, RouenArthur Linfoot

Travelled all day until about 2 o’clock when we arrived at Pernes¹. Marched to the reception camp at Floringhem² and put up for the night. Saw Piggy Wood and Don Gordon. A lot of Americans there – hefty fellows. Poor billet.

Pernes (B), about 160km NE of Rouen (A). ↩
Floringhem (C): close to Pernes on the D916, midway between St Pol and Lillers; Michelin square G5. ↩

16 September 1918; Monday

16 September 18September 1918Leave, RouenArthur Linfoot

Marched to the rest shelters and slept. Up about 6, and marched up to the squad’s base depot. Off again at dinner time and entrained. Train started about 6 at night. We had a good carriage.

15 September 1918; Sunday

15 September 18September 1918Chapel, Leave, Map, Paris, RouenArthur Linfoot

Up about 9. At the Madeleine church in the morning to a service and walked through the Tuileries Gardens¹. Had lunch at the Y M near the barracks. Went up to the Invalides² in the afternoon and had a hurried look at Napoleon’s tomb and then back, tea and to the train. Moved off at about 4.40. Had an A S C man in the carriage who †had been south†. He spoke French and was rather enlightening†. Arrived at Rouen³ about mid-night.

The Tuileries Garden is a public garden located between the Louvre Museum and the Place de la Concorde in the 1st arrondissement of Paris. It was created by Catherine de’ Medici as the garden of the Tuileries Palace in 1564 and is famously the subject of Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition, No. 3, “Tuileries (Children’s Quarrel after Games)”. ↩
Les Invalides is a complex of buildings in the 7th arrondissement of Paris, containing museums and monuments, all relating to the military history of France, as well as a hospital and a retirement home for war veterans. ↩
Rouen (B), about 120km NW. of Paris (A). ↩

The Diary of Arthur L. Linfoot

58th Field Ambulance, R.A.M.C.