Felt a bit under the weather in the morning and paraded sick with a temperature of 1001. Sent to bed in hospital instead of as orderly as I wished. Lay in bed all day. Felt pretty rotten. Corporal Chapman next to me.
100°F is about 37.8°C. ALL was evidently still running a slight fever, though we don’t know why. ↩
Left Authie about 9.30. Part of the morning† Harry Bascombe left at the hospital in the village. Had to wait several times for the Division to move and in one place had to put off our pack and push the waggons up a very steep bank. Marched about 9 miles. Arrived at Val de Maison1 about 4 o’clock. I felt pretty rotten and got down as quickly as possible.
Temperature 101.4 at night2.
Val de Maison: presumably the Val de Maison (B) in Michelin map square G7, 3km E. of N25, mid-way between Doullens and Amiens, 9 miles/14.5km from Authie (A); it would be about 20km march from Val de Maison to the Brickfields camp at Albert on 23 October. ↩
“Temperature”: Presumably ALL’s body temperature. 101.4°F is c. 38.5°C – a moderate fever – the malaise causing this fever is not specified. ↩
Up at about 8 o’clock. I lay in last. Had good breakfast including Quaker Oats and bacon and bread. A party relieved us in the afternoon and after tea we returned in a motorcar to Authie and I slept by Ike again.
A mouse or something ran over my foot at night.
Up at 7.30. Got breakfast including Quaker Oats. Didn’t eat much but read Tom Brown at Oxford1. Paddy not very well.
Tom Brown at Oxford: A novel by Thomas Hughes, first published in 1861; sequel to the better-known Tom Brown’s School Days. See also Tom Brown at Oxford and Arthur Linfoot’s Library. ↩
Tom Brown at Oxford is a novel by Thomas Hughes, first published in 1861. It is a sequel to the better-known Tom Brown’s School Days.
Tom Brown’s School Days culminates in Tom’s graduation from Rugby, having become an honourable Christian gentleman who embodies Dr. Arnold’s ideal of “muscular Christianity”. This little known sequel tells of Tom’s university life, until the completion of his M.A. degree and marriage, and his continuing development as a Christian gentleman.
The book was out of print for many years but is now available again in both print and electronic book versions.
Arthur Linfoot wrote that he had read Tom Brown at Oxford on 15th October 1916, while stationed at Authie in Northern France.
Up at 7.30. Rather short of rations. Had breakfast, and then just lay about and read. Harman and I went over to * * * * and got a loaf of bread and some biscuits. Talk of going over the top on this part of the line. The rats very lively at night.
Up at 7.30. Put on the water job and taken off again and away in the motor-car to Sailly-au-Bois1 to a dugout. Sergeant Fraser, Harman, Truman, Axley and Moss. Cleaned up the place and had dinner and tea there. The rest very busy. I wrote a few letters and wrote up diary.
Up at 7.15. On fatigue in the morning picking up leaves. Had a bath at dinner-time and got a new shirt and pair of pants. Physical drill and smoke helmet drill in the afternoon. Wrote letters and diary in the evening. Captain Birrell spoke to me about a letter which <I> had written home and told me not to mention anything about journeys†1. I got the letter back.
Received letter from Ernie, and one from Ray McRoss.
Letters home from the front would doubtless have been subject to censorship. ALL was evidently in the habit of including details of his movements in France in letters home, probably in very much the same way as he did in his diaries. Unlike in letters home, there does not appear to have been any prohibition on the use of personal diaries in this way. ↩
On parade as usual. Fatigue in the morning and physical drill and gas helmet drill in the afternoon. Had short walk at night and read a good bit.
Franchie’s birthday.
On parade as usual. Got a chap to go down to a stream and got water in a barrel in one of the horse ambulance waggons. Did it over in the afternoon. Had short walk with Holman.