Tag Archives: Hospital

Diary entries written while Arthur Linfoot was stationed at various military hospitals in France.

11 May 1917; Friday

Up shortly after 6 o’clock. Took over from the 110th field ambulance during the morning. Kept busy all day and got into trouble at night for not doing all the treatments. Tom Ordell evidently didn’t get them down in the book and everything upside down. Went to bed late and tired. Very warm and glorious weather.

1 March 1917; Thursday

Up at 7 o’clock. Received short notice in the morning that we are to move away to headquarters at 11 o’clock. And pack up and move off about 12 o’clock. I was very much distressed on the way and fell out about half way there with Harvey. Very heavy going. Arrived shortly after the parade. Shaved and cleaned up. Had afternoon off. Returned to the camp at Maily1.


  1. Maily: probably Mailly-Maillet, as mentioned on 23 January and apparently the location of headquarters; 10km N. of Albert, Michelin square H7. 

28 February 1917; Wednesday

Up at 7 o’clock. Shaved and dressed and went to tent. Had paste egg1 for breakfast. Posted letter to Charlie. Expecting 400 to [figure omitted?] wounded soldiers.

The papers tells [sic] us of the capture of Serre, Pys, Miraumont2 etcetera. 2 mile advance on 12 mile front – also capture of Kut- el-Amam3.


  1. “Paste egg”: North-Eastern English vernacular for hard boiled egg. Paste eggs were usually decorated and were associated with Easter although this particular paste egg would have been neither. 

  2. Miraumont (A) and Pys (B) are 5km and 7km respectively E. of Serre (C; Michelin square I7); Pys is 3km NW of the D929 from Albert to Bapaume, and only 7km from the latter. 

  3. Possibly a reference to the second battle of Kut. See also yesterday and 20 February

27 February 1917; Tuesday

Up at usual time. Papers mention the capture of Serre & village beyond1.

Rumoured capture of Kut-el-Amam2.

Walked to Lealvillers but found no concert there. Bought some things and walked to the little cocoa house and had some biscuits and cocoa. Went to bed fairly early and slept well. Wrote long letter home. Had tent crowded out at night.


  1. See 25 February

  2. Possibly a reference to the second battle of Kut. See also 20 February

25 February 1917; Sunday

Busy all day. M O called round twice and rumour of the evacuation of Serre1. All sorts of news going round all day. Went to service at night at the Y M C A.


  1. Serre (C): Michelin square I7, about halfway between Gommecourt (A) and Thiepval (B) and 12km E of Acheux-en-Amiénois (D). This was evacuation by the Germans. See the Capture of Serre at The Accrington Pals and Serre at World War One battlefields.