Up about 7 o’clock. On parade at 9 o’clock and didn’t do much work. Walked out at night with Harvey and had a long talk. Glorious woods. Did a little French. Received a letter from Franchie.
Heard better news from the French battle front and that the Germans were having to fight for all that they got.
Up about 6.30. On duty at 8 o’clock. Fine morning. Jerry commenced machine-gunning first thing. Heard that a chap called Sharpe1 had been killed in the morning. He was buried at night near to the dressing station2 and we paraded for it. Had short walk at night.
Received 3 letters, 2 from home and one from Ranald MacDonald.
Sharpe: Probably 118184 Private F E Sharpe, 58th Field Ambulance, RAMC. Now buried at Marfaux British Cemetery (B), approximately 4km N of Nanteuil-la-Forêt (A). ↩
Sharpe was re-interred at Marfaux British Cemetery in February 1920, as part of the “concentration of graves” process initiated by the Army Graves Service. See glossary at the CWGC and Lewis on 4 June. ↩
Up about 6.30. Not much to do all day. Only a few cases through. Seven German aeroplanes over in the morning machine-gunning the roads etcetera. Finished at 8 o’clock. Went to bed pretty early. Had two letters from Ernie dated the 23 and 25th. Fine day.
Up about 7 o’clock. Not much to do all day. Stayed in until last thing but when I had a short walk with Willie Truman. Fine day. Wrote letter to Mr Inwood and one to Charlie and did a little French, besides reading through a book by Foottit† entitled “The Guard”1.
Foottit’s “The Guard”: Author and book not yet identified. Other books are listed in Arthur Linfoot’s Library. ↩
Up about 6 o’clock. Not much to do all day. Wrote letters home and did a bit French. Our cook went sick and came into hospital at night. Had short walk last thing.
Up about 7 o’clock. Received 4 patients in the ward and had to attend to one sick officer in his billet. Glorious day. Our Commanding Officer and medico came round in the evening. Wrote letter to Ernie. Wrote letter to Ranald McDonald at night.
Up about 7 o’clock. Not much to do all day. Wrote to Ernie and to home. Got new tunic fitted up. Had short walk at night and went to bed fairly soon. Wrote letter home and one to Ernie.
Up about 7 o’clock. Not much to do. Got new tunic at night. Fine day. Received letter from home saying that my final Intimation of Wound1 had come through. Also letter from Gertie telling me about her lessons.
We know from ALL’s papers (specifically a document entitled “UNIT REGISTER CARD A.G.Z.500 FRANCE”) that he had qualified for “Wound Stripes: One”, no doubt in virtue of the wound sustained on 14 April; one assumes from this entry that wounds, even minor ones, were formally notified to next of kin. ↩
Up about 7 o’clock. An attack of some sort on and we were very busy all day with wounded. Had about 250 through during the day. Finished about 7 o’clock and had a walk. Letter from Ernie telling me that he is all right. Fine day.
Heard that the Germans had attacked and our counter attacks had returned them to their front line near Dikbush1.
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.