Took over at midnight. Did some French and wrote a short letter to Charlie. Didn’t sleep well all day. Warned for a new arrangement and to start at 8 tomorrow night instead of 4 o’clock to-night. Lay in bed. A few minutes later warned for duty at once and had to get up. No sooner on duty than warned to clear up and go back to bed and return to headquarters first thing in the morning. Returned to bed.
14 December 1917; Friday
On duty at night. Wrote long letter to Hilda Linfoot1. Two very bad cases in and we didn’t finish them until 9 o’clock. One man’s face was horribly smashed. Spent most of the day in bed but didn’t sleep at all. Very tired at night. Went on duty about 9 o’clock. Got the place ready, talked, and had dinner.
Hilda Tate Linfoot, ALL’s cousin. See Hilda disambiguation page. ↩
13 December 1917; Thursday
Up all night on duty in the stretcher case dressing room. About 20 of us on duty and not a case in. Changed our kit to a fresh place by the side of a stage in a hut. Slept through until nearly tea time. Moved our kit to a nice square marquee at night and slept there until after 11. On duty at 12.
12 December 1917; Wednesday
Up about 7.30. Warned for the Corps main dressing station. Reported at 9 and arrived there in about 10. Warned for our duties. We put the dressing room right in the afternoon and are to go on duty at midnight. Had a bath.
11 December 1917; Tuesday
Up about 8 o’clock. Had breakfast rather late. Wrote up diary. Very cold morning. Spent afternoon messing round camp and picking up rubbish. Sat shivering round the fire in the hut at night.
10 December 1917; Monday
Up about 8 o’clock. No rations up so we had iron ration biscuits and bully for breakfast with a drink of tea without any sugar. Paraded at 10. I reported sick and was given duty. The American officer put a bandage on my ankle. Spent afternoon writing a letter home. We tried to improve our billet but the sergeants took it from us because two officers took theirs. Received letters from Gertie, Mother, Ernie and Hilda Linfoot1 in New Zealand. Got down to it about 8 o’clock. Had a look inside of a tank. Walked round inside gate† and was very much interested in it. Quite a lot2 where we are. A rumour that some of us are going to a place on duty.
Hilda Tate Linfoot, ALL’s cousin. See Hilda disambiguation page. ↩
“Quite a lot [of tanks]”: By this stage of the war in late 1917, tanks were deployed in large numbers – see also note on 22 November. ↩
9 December 1917; Sunday
Called up at 7 in the morning and told to fall in at 8. I rode on a lorry again with the quartermaster’s staff. We left about 9 o’clock (the men marched off shortly after 8 o’clock) and arrived at Fins about 4 o’clock1. We had rather a miserable journey through the most desolate and blasted country. The men arrived about 7 o’clock after 10 hours marching and were very much done up2. They had had no dinner, the same as yesterday. Got into miserable cold billets, just canvas shelters. I was put on guard and did from midnight until 4 o’clock. Very cold in bed and my feet nearly frozen.
8 December 1917; Saturday
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. ↩
7 December 1917; Friday
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.
Steenbecque (B): 7km SSW. of Hazebrouck (A); Michelin square G3. ↩
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 - ↩
6 December 1917; Thursday
Reported sick again and Captain Fryer saw me in the billet. Ankle much better and able to walk pretty easily. Wrote letters to Leishman, Ranald MacDonald and home. Not quite so cold. Played chess last thing and lost a game with Holman.