Busy as usual in the hospital. Off in the afternoon and spent the afternoon and evening at Bailleul. Went to the Merry Mauves1 at night and enjoyed it.
“Merry Mauves”: apparently a soldiers’ revue. ↩
Tag Archives: Bailleul
7 September 1916; Thursday
Up at 6.30. Went to the C.C.S. and had tooth stopped. Fine day. Called at Y.M. in Bailleul and looked at some papers. Went over to the house at the top of the village with Duggins and had some supper. Running short of cash and Wood had to dig us out.
Heard that the Zeppelin1 was brought down by an airman named Robinson23 who had been presented with the V.C.
“Zeppelin”: Continuing the story begun in the previous day’s diary entry. ↩
Lt. William Leefe Robinson of the Royal Flying Corps (as it still was) was the first British pilot to shoot down a German airship over Britain during the First World War and was indeed given the V.C. for this act. He was himself shot down in 1917 in France by one of the Red Baron group, and was thought dead for around 2 months until a letter arrived from him at a PoW camp. He was repatriated in 1918 but died of influenza on 31 December 1918. ↩
A similar incident is recorded on 7 June 1915 when Sub-Lt. Reginald A J Warneford RNAS brought down a Zeppelin over Ghent in Belgium by bombing it in the air. ↩
31 August 1916; Thursday
Went to Baileul 1 at 8.30 to have tooth done. Got there about 9 o’clock. Walked round town. Had dinner at the C.C.S. Left Bailleul about 3 o’clock. Called in at the house in the village we found the other night and had coffee. Munton, Taylor and Moss. Worked an hour extra at night. Wrote letter to Dorothy and commenced one to Father in reply to one <I> had received from him today.
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. ↩
26 August 1916; Saturday
Worked outside in the morning at the dining hall. My afternoon off. Went with Duggins to Baileul1. Walked so far and then jumped on the back of a motor lorry. Had a good day. Posted a few postcards. Went to the Y.M. and played the piano. First time since I have been in France. Went to the pictures and enjoyed them. Rode back in horse ambulance. Charlie Farr, Sam Hall, and Corporal Salisbury† in and they were all pretty well drunk. Had a good day.
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. ↩
24 August 1916; Thursday
Up at 6.30. Dressed and went across to headquarters with Taylor and off to Baileul1 C.C.S. for dental treatment again. Drilled a bit more out of my tooth and put me to go back in 6 days. Had a good day.
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. ↩
18 August 1916; Friday
Up at 6 o’clock. Dressed hurriedly and went on ambulance wagon again to Baileul1. Waited until 11.30 when my turn came and I have to go back again on Monday. Had a tooth out. Arrived back at the hospital about 4 o’clock. Had tea. Went along to the C section hospital and put up bivouac.
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. ↩
17 August 1916; Thursday
Up at 6.30. Dressed hurriedly and went on waggon to Baileul1 No 1 C.C.S. Waited all morning. The dentist looked at my tooth and asked me to call again tomorrow. Had dinner at the C.C.S. and returned about 4.30. Had tea. Saw †staff bod† who told me I had to commence in the hospital on Saturday. Listened to band in the town. Went with Duggins to a little café behind the hospital and had some coffee and custard. A girl there talks very good English and got to know all our Corps names.
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. ↩
7 August 1916; Monday
Reveille at 4 o’clock. Breakfast 4.30. Fell in at 6 and marched off. Arrived at Longpré about 8 o’clock. Train left about 10. We had choice of 3rd class carriage or cattle truck and chose truck. Passed through Boulogne and St Omer. One of our mules jumped out of the carriage at Boulogne and was run over in tunnel. Arrived at Baileul1 about 9 o’clock. Took waggons off the rail trucks in the dark. One of the horses got in a ditch and was in about half an hour. Marched off about 10 o’clock. Had one rest. Terribly tired and sleepy. Arrived at a farm and put up there for the night. About midnight when we got there. Slept on straw in a barn and slept well.
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. Bailleul is 16km SW of Ypres. The map shows the entire journey from Longpré (A), through Boulogne (B) and Saint-Omer (C) to Bailleul (D). ↩