Tag Archives: Double

“Double” means “double march”, i.e. a run; there appear to have been sporadic attempts to improve the men’s fitness when not in the line.

17 November 1917; Saturday

Up about 7. Double1 at 7.15. On parade at 9. Stretcher drill and suchlike and game of wild†2 board. Spent afternoon at French etcetera and a short walk at night.


  1. Double march, or run. See all diary entries tagged “double“. ↩

  2. “Wild” originally transcribed as “ouija”, but the shorthand outline doesn’t really fit this, and it seems unlikely that anyone might have had a ouija board or that ALL would have played at it. ↩

30 November 1916; Thursday

Up at 7. Parade at 7.25 for a double1. Hard work. Parade 9.15 for physical drill and afterwards short route march. Off in the afternoon. Walked into Doullens with Holman. Had 2 eggs for tea. Bought tea cosy for Mother. Heard of Air Raid and 2 Zeppelins brought down. One near Durham2.


  1. “Double”, if correct, would mean “double march”, ie a run; there appear to have been sporadic attempts to improve the men’s fitness when not in the line. ↩

  2. The Zeppelin brought down “near Durham” may have been L34, shot down near Hartlepool, about 20 miles from Durham, on 27 November by Second Lieutenant I. V. Pyott, flying a B.E. 2C aircraft of C flight 36 Squadron based at Seaton Carew aerodrome. ↩