Arrived at King’s X at about 6.30. Crossed by tube to Victoria and left there about 7.30. Arrived Folkestone at about 10 and left at 2 o’clock. Slept part of the way across and * †landing nest the rest†. Stayed below. Arrived at Boulogne1 at about 5 o’clock. Marched up bank to camp and got bills and francs. Got down about 10 o’clock.
The map shows ALL’s journey from Newcastle (A) to Boulogne (D), via London (B) and Folkestone (C). ↩
Up at 5 o’clock. Old John got breakfast for me and we got a car. Left Cambrai shortly before 8 o’clock. Arrived at Boulogne1 at about 9 o’clock at night and went to a rest camp. Had dinner and slept 14 in a tent.
Left unit on leave.
The map shows this stage of ALL’s journey to home leave, from Cagnoncles (A), via Cambrai (B) to Boulogne (C). ↩
Up at midnight. Breakfast 12.15. Paraded for rations 1.15. Fritz1 plane over and delayed for an hour. Marched to train 3 o’clock. Got into compartment with only one door. 12 hours on the journey. Arrived at Bailleul about 3 in the afternoon. Had dinner and got a lorry to Locre. Walked from there to Kemmel2 and arrived just after 4 o’clock. Commenced to write letter home, fine day, looked through letters received. Harvey and Holman up the line.
Arrived at Ambulance after leave.
Up about 7 o’clock. Breakfast and then paraded. Dismissed until about 1 o’clock. Wrote a letter home and one to Everyman1. Got on the boat shortly after 1 o’clock. Very good crossing and I enjoyed it. Big escort both in the air and sea. Marched up to Saint Martin’s camp2 in time for tea. Detailed off. Spent part of the night in the Y M and sent off a field card. Reveille at midnight.
More on this letter to Everyman in a later entry. See also Everyman and Arthur Linfoot’s Library. ↩
“Saint Martin’s camp”: one of several army camps in and around Boulogne. The map shows this part of ALL’s journey, from Folkestone (A) to Saint-Martin (B). ↩
Left Kemmel with Clifford† at about 10 o’clock and arrived at Bailleul about 11.30. Had dinner and reported at the station. Train started about 1.40. Weary Journey. Arrived at Boulogne1 about 11.30 and went into rest billets.
This journey marks the beginning of ALL’s only period of home leave during his service in France. The map shows this stage of ALL’s journey home, from Kemmel (A) to Boulogne (C) via Bailleul (B). ↩
Up at 7 o’clock. Sergeant Hughes told me that we may be going to Boulogne today. The brigade sports on and most of our chaps went out for the day. Over 4 leaves through. Started off for Boulougne [sic] about 11.40 and went there within 90 minutes including a puncture on the way. The country very beautiful and I enjoyed the ride immensely. Went up to the hospital but found that Ranald had been cleared on the 14th to England. Walked round the town a bit. Had dinner with the others. Went down by a beach and watched the sea and the shipping. A lot of girls, both English and French and they looked very pretty. Had tea in the Y M and got the car about 5 o’clock. Stopped on the way back for the chaps to go into a pub. Bought a packet of photographs.