Up about 7 o’clock and on duty as usual. Not much to do all day. A D M S1 inspected all men. Finished at 8 o’clock. Did a bit French and wrote long letter to Joe.
Assistant Director of Medical Services. ↩
28 July 1918; Sunday
Up about 7.15. At work all day. Not much to do. Did some shorthand1 and wrote letter to Harvey. Not much to do all day. Went to service at night after walk also with Sergeant Powell and enjoyed it. Stayed to communion service, about first time this year.
27 July 1918; Saturday
Up at 7 o’clock. Rain most of the day. Wrote letter home and one to Ernie. Received letter from Harvey. Did a little French and washed some clothes. Heard of the Coventry strike1.
There was an engineering and munitions strike in Birmingham and Coventry in July 1918, caused by ‘the embargo’: a Government prohibition of the employment of additional skilled men in specified firms; it applied to very few firms, and was not generally known until a misleading notice by one of the affected firms drew attention to it. The strikes ended after a week, when the Government announced that those still on strike on 29 July would have their protection certificates withdrawn, making them eligible for conscription. ↩
26 July 1918; Friday
Up shortly after 7 o’clock. On duty all day. Heavy showers and sunshine. Off at 6 o’clock, but returned to the tent and talked about leave etcetera.
25 July 1918; Thursday
Up about 7 o’clock. Eggs for breakfast. Went with Sergeant Powell in the afternoon for a bathe. Good water but the river bottom too soft. Stayed on until 8 o’clock. Had walk with Billy last thing and a bit serious chat. Fine night.
24 July 1918; Wednesday
Up about 7 o’clock. On duty at 8 o’clock. Fine morning. Pretty busy especially at dinner-time owing to dentist being here. Finished at 6 o’clock and went down road a bit with Sergeant Powell and Billy Truman. Had a good talk with Sergeant Powell on after-war problems and the cause of the war.
A lot of bombing in the night and a German plane brought down not far away.
23 July 1918; Tuesday
Up about 7 o’clock and on duty at 8 o’clock. Rained heavily all day. Did a little French. Received letter from Joe. Worked until 8 o’clock. Had short walk round the village at night. News continues to be good. Wrote letter to Charlie.
22 July 1918; Monday
Up about 7 o’clock and on duty at 8 o’clock. Not much doing all day. Had walk at night. Received parcel from home.
News from the American-French forces very good.
21 July 1918; Sunday
Up about 7 o’clock and on duty at 8 o’clock. Not much to do all day, but fiddling about all day, no work of my own. Wrote letter home and went to C of E service and stayed to communion but didn’t partake of it. Had short walk afterwards with Billy Truman. Slept in headquarters billet again. Slept pretty well.
20 July 1918; Saturday
Up early and packed up. Ambulance paraded at 8.45. Billy Truman and I stayed behind and looked to the disposal of some patients. A corporal in the sanitary section called Linfoot spoke to me and told me about himself. He lives at Manchester but hails from Yorkshire1. Rode to Bourecq2 by car and arrived before the ambulance. Looked to the few patients and opened out hospital in a kitchen shop.
Splendid news from the Champagne district.
Many of the Linfoots, including ALL himself, could trace their roots to North Yorkshire. It is possible that ALL and this new Linfoot were distantly related in some way. See also Family page. ↩
Bourecq (B): western suburb of Lillers, about 8.5 km NNW of Auchel (A). ↩