12 April 1918; Friday

April 1918, , , ,

Up most of the night. Moved off from Kemmel about 7 o’clock in a car. Did nothing at Vierstraat and got down to it and slept good part of the day. Up for tea and orders to move at night again. Received letter and papers from home. News in the papers more encouraging. Packed up and marched off from Vierstraat at about 10 o’clock at night and arrived at Reningelst road1 about midnight. Went into Nissen hut in a camp there.

  1. “Reningelst road”: assumed to be near Reninghelst (C). The map shows the entire journey, starting from Kemmel (A) and going via Vierstraat (B). ↩

7 April 1918; Sunday

April 1918, ,

Packed up and handed over to A Section in the morning. Marched to Vierstraat1 (between Wijtschate and Kemmel) at noon and arrived about tea time. Opened main dressing station. On night duty first night. Not much to do.

  1. Vierstraat (B): 15km NE of Bailleul (A), where ALL had been since 2 April, and 3km NE. of Kemmel (C); Michelin square J2. ↩

5 April 1918; Friday

April 1918, , , , , , ,

Up about 7 o’clock. On parade and detailed off for the dispensary. Busy all day. Put up flagstaff and flag. Out for short walk at night.

The magazines came out. Bought six and sent them home, Ernie, Charlie, Marmie, Franchie and office1.

  1. ALL may have contributed to this magazine number – hence the copies for home; he mentions ‘writing’ occasionally, and specifically for the magazine on 6 and 11 May 1918. ↩

3 April 1918; Wednesday

April 1918,

Up about 7.30. Read all morning “Mr Britling Sees It Through”1. Received orders first thing after dinner to proceed to the new camp outside Bailleul with Billy Truman and Harman. Went by car. Had tea with Australians and had chips at night. Slept well. Rest of ambulance to follow in the morning.

  1. Mr Britling Sees it Through: Very popular novel by HG Wells about an ordinary man’s war, published in 1916 and described in David C. Smith’s 1986 biography of Wells (H.G. Wells: Desperately Mortal: A Biography) as Wells’ “masterpiece of the wartime experience in England”. We (ALL’s offspring) had a copy (and read it) during WWII. See also Mr. Britling Sees it Through and Arthur Linfoot’s Library. ↩