Tag Archives: Courcelles-le-Comte

9 December 1917; Sunday

Abridged, December 1917, ,

Called up at 7 in the morning and told to fall in at 8. I rode on a lorry again with the quartermaster’s staff. We left about 9 o’clock (the men marched off shortly after 8 o’clock) and arrived at Fins about 4 o’clock1. We had rather a miserable journey through the most desolate and blasted country. The men arrived about 7 o’clock after 10 hours marching and were very much done up2. They had had no dinner, the same as yesterday. Got into miserable cold billets, just canvas shelters. I was put on guard and did from midnight until 4 o’clock. Very cold in bed and my feet nearly frozen.

  1. Fins (B): 16km SE. of Bapaume, on the Péronne – Cambrai road; Michelin square K7, and about 30km from Courcelles-le-Comte (A). “Fins” inserted in longhand above “at about” by ALL ↩

  2. “Done up”: Exhausted. ↩

8 December 1917; Saturday

Abridged, December 1917, ,

Got tea cocoa up at Salety and the men arrived about 3 in the morning. Stood about until nearly 7 o’clock. Left in the car and arrived at desolate place near a village called Millemont1. Left there about 10 o’clock on a lorry and arrived at Courcelles2 about midday. The men left at 12 and arrived about 5 o’clock, pretty well done up. A mess up at night for the food. Passed over some of the ground retaken in the retreat from Bapaume. Rather enjoyed the ride. Slept well.

  1. Millemont: in shorthand, so transcription not certain; not identifiable on the map. ↩

  2. Courcelles: Courcelles-le-Comte (B, 8km NNW. of Bapaume, map square I7) is on a fairly direct route from Saulty (A, if this is correct) to Fins, but Courcelles-au-Bois (C, 19km W. of Bapaume, map square H7) also seems possible. ↩