2 September 1917; Sunday

September 1917, , , ,

Up at 7 o’clock. Finished at noon and set out to Ernie at the battery1 and arrived about 3.45. Found that Ernie had gone down sick. Swan and the red-haired lad set me down to Dikbush A D S2. I was informed that Ernie had gone to Reninghelst3. Walked down to Reninghelst and arrived there about 7 o’clock. Stayed about half an hour with Ernie and then returned to headquarters.

Bombs dropped all round in the night.

  1. Ernie was stationed at Dikkebus near Ypres in Belgium; see note on 5 July ↩

  2. Dikbush A D S: Dikkebus (B) Advanced Dressing Station;. ↩

  3. Reninghelst, now Reninghelst (Flemish), about 6km E of Boeschepe (A). ↩

1 September 1917; Saturday

September 1917, ,

Up about 7 o’clock. On usual fatigues, put down trench boards. Had walk into Berthen1 at night.

  1. Berthen (B), about 2.5km S of Boeschepe (A). ↩

31 August 1917; Friday

August 1917, ,

Up at 7.15. Wet morning and parade put off in consequence. Had walk at night up to Mont des Cats1 and had a good supper.

  1. Mont des Cats (B), where ALL had been stationed for a week in May 1917, about 3km SW of Boeschepe (A). ↩

29 August 1917; Wednesday

August 1917, , , ,

Up at 7 o’clock. Paraded first thing and then dismissed. Wet morning and walked into the village shortly before dinner. Fell in at about 4.30 and marched into the village about 5 o’clock. Got into buses and rode into Wizernes1 in about an hour. Got into the train there, left shortly after 7 o’clock and arrived at Baileul2 about 9 o’clock. Best journey I have done in France. Marched to Boeschepe army camp and arrived shortly before midnight3. Got tea and turned in to bed about 1 o’clock.

  1. Wizernes: 5km SSW. of St. Omer (Michelin square F3); Boeschepe is 8km NNW. of Bailleul, Michelin square I3 – just W. of the Ypres Salient. ↩

  2. Baileul: ALL always omits one ‘l’ from ‘Bailleul’ in his longhand; the transcription follows this, but where he writes it in shorthand, ie phonetically, it is transcribed with the correct spelling. ↩

  3. The map shows the entire journey from Nielles-les-Bléquin (A), through Wizernes (B) and Bailleul (C), to Boeschepe (D), the latter only about 3km NE of Mont des Cats, where ALL had briefly stayed in May. ↩

28 August 1917; Tuesday

August 1917

Up at 7.30. Wet morning. Parade as usual and did some squad drill and then cleaned up our kit. Billy Truman not well and stayed in kip. Had long walk at night with Holman, Harvey and Dory. Went along the northern road past the shrine and called back by the monument in the wood. Glorious night. Strong breeze. Ended up with supper – omelettes and salad – at the Café de la Gare.