Up about 7 o’clock. Nothing doing all morning. Had pleasant walk at night to a neighbouring village. Wrote letter to Charlie. And received one from him.
Tag Archives: Charlie
5 April 1918; Friday
Up about 7 o’clock. On parade and detailed off for the dispensary. Busy all day. Put up flagstaff and flag. Out for short walk at night.
The magazines came out. Bought six and sent them home, Ernie, Charlie, Marmie, Franchie and office1.
7 March 1918; Thursday
Up at 6 o’clock. On parade at 7 and straight into a medical ward. Worked hard all day with Harvey and finished about 7 o’clock at night. Had short walk. Received letter from home and one from Charlie enclosing a photograph. Replied.
3 March 1918; Sunday
Up about 7 o’clock. In bed all day. Bad weather. Went to a C of E service at night and it was very good. They took a full musical service as they had an excellent orchestra (the Dorset†) with them. The orchestra also played a couple of selections which were very fine. I wrote to Charlie and Ernie last thing. Came on duty at about 8 o’clock and turned into bed about one o’clock. My face rather badly broken out round my mouth, but my general health much better.
10 February 1918; Sunday
Up about 7.45. Not much to do all day. Went to headquarters in the morning and again to a service at night with Harvey. Had interesting conversation coming back.
Received letter from Charlie dated 18/1/18.
1 February 1918; Friday
Up about 7.30. Not much to do. Wrote some letters. Received letter from Charlie dated the 10th Jan. It was written by a friend and says Charlie had a whitlow on his finger.
10 January 1918; Thursday
On guard at 2 o’clock. Called the others up at 7. Chopped wood first thing. On again from 10 to 12 and from 4 to 6. Fritz1 sent over a few whizzbangs2 at night about tea time. Off guard at 6 o’clock. Went to bed soon and slept well.
Dreamed that I was going to marry Mildred Woodruff3. Received long letter from Charlie.
Fritz: a name given to German troops by the British and others in the First and Second World Wars. ↩
Whizzbangs: high-velocity, low-trajectory shells giving only brief audible warning of approach. ↩
Mildred Woodruff: Never mentioned in the diaries other than here. Identity unknown. ↩
25 December 1917; Tuesday
Up at about 7.30 after rather restless night with the cold. Paraded at 9 o’clock and did a small fatigue job. Cleaned canteen and wrote up diary. Two dining sessions and I went into the second one at 1.15. Very good spread. Menu and all the rest of it. C O and officers came in and made usual speech. Room very nicely decorated. Concert at 3.30. Steve Bott and John Dory pretty good and the others pretty awful. Corporal Chapman and Cotter about the worst singers. Went to A section billet to hear the R F’s1 band. Returned about 9 o’clock and went to bed.
Received letter from home saying that they had heard from Charlie dated 18th November.
R F’s: probably Royal Fusiliers ↩
15 December 1917; Saturday
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.
21 November 1917; Wednesday
Up at 7 o’clock. On parade in the morning. Wet day. I played the part of wounded man and was carried on a stretcher for the first time in my life. Football match in the afternoon between our team and the King’s Own1, first round in the cup tie – and we won 6 – 0. Received papers from home and “Everyman”2 published my letter in reply to Roderick Random. Received letter from Charlie written on the 28th October.