Up about 7 o’clock and on duty at 8 o’clock. Rained heavily all day. Did a little French. Received letter from Joe. Worked until 8 o’clock. Had short walk round the village at night. News continues to be good. Wrote letter to Charlie.
Tag Archives: Letters
21 July 1918; Sunday
Up about 7 o’clock and on duty at 8 o’clock. Not much to do all day, but fiddling about all day, no work of my own. Wrote letter home and went to C of E service and stayed to communion but didn’t partake of it. Had short walk afterwards with Billy Truman. Slept in headquarters billet again. Slept pretty well.
13 July 1918; Saturday
Up about 7 o’clock. Busy until 6 o’clock at night. Walked round town and round pit head. Saw the engine room, the winding gear and watched men and tubs going up and down. Watched the girls sorting at the screening place. Very interesting. Had a drink of coffee with Steve Bott and Edgar, Billy and Steve. The news pretty good. Received letter from Ernie and one from Ranald MacDonald. Jerry over at night but dropped nothing very close.
12 July 1918; Friday
Up at 7 o’clock and paraded at 8. On duty in the hospital which is in the Hotel de Ville. Worked all day until 8 at night. Wrote letter home. Put in charge of civilian patients. Fine day. Good news. Moved up to town hall to sleep.
8 July 1918; Monday
Up about 7 o’clock and on duty. Received other two patients in the afternoon, making a total of 7. Had bath in the stream in the afternoon. Got boilers and baths underway. Heard that the German minister1 in Moscow had been assassinated2. Harvey and Holman went to number 8 C C S for duty. Wrote letter to Mother and one to Franchie Inwood at night. Thunder storm after tea. Sanders came to help us.
“German minister”: Actually the German ambassador to Russia, Wilhelm von Mirbach. ↩
The assassination (on 6 July 1918) was an attempt by the Left Socialist Revolutionaries to re-start war between Russia and Germany. ↩
6 July 1918; Saturday
Up at 6.30. On parade at 8 o’clock and went for short march. Got passes to Lumbres1 in the afternoon and spent a pleasant night there. Spoke to some Americans. Had a good supper and bought some figs and things. Received letter from Ernie saying that he had seen our Divisional transport de-train but missed me.
5 July 1918; Friday
Up at about 6.30. On parade. Spent morning at squad drill and a short march. Paraded at 8 o’clock. Went for bath in the stream in the afternoon. Did a little French. Read 3 essays by William James1 on releasing the energies of men2 and habit† 3 and found them exceptionally good. Wrote letter to Joe, called in to see Sergeant Powell and went for short walk. Changed billet.
William James (January 11, 1842 – August 26, 1910) was an American philosopher and psychologist, and the first educator to offer a psychology course in the United States. ↩
The Energies of Men is an essay by William James, published c. 1907. The full text is available here. ↩
Habit, if correct, may refer to William James’ book, Habit, apparently published c. 1887. ↩
4 July 1918; Thursday
Up about 7 o’clock. Merely inspection and then dismissed. Wrote letters during the morning. Spent most of day reading and writing. Did a little French. Had a bath in the stream in the afternoon and a walk to a neighbouring village at night with Bob Fraser, Harvey and Holman. Saw the remains of a German bombing plane.
3 July 1918; Wednesday
Woke about 7 o’clock. Had breakfast at a station by the way. Finished journey at Hesdin1 at about noon. Got motor-lorries and went to Ouve2, about 30 kilos. Took us about 5 hours owing to breaking down and losing the way. Walked round village at night. Received two letters from Ernie and one from Gertie in which she tells me about her progress at the piano. Decent news from the line. Weather fine. Sergeant Powell unwell. Turned in about 9.30.
30 June 1918; Sunday
Up at 5.30. Paraded at 7.15 and marched off at 7.30. Splendid day. Very fine morning but rather warm. Marched about 15 kilos1 and arrived at Semoine2 at about midday. Received letters from home and Franchie. Had wash in stream near to the billet. Walked into village last thing and wrote two letters.