Tag Archives: Metz-en-Couture

6 January 1918; Sunday

January 1918,

[Three lines of shorthand crossed out – apparently the next day’s entry.]

Up at 6 o’clock and on guard. Finished my turn at 10, but relieved the others from eleven. Finished guard at 6 o’clock. Went to special Newton1 thanksgiving service in the little chapel at night. Rather dull.

  1. Joseph Fort Newton, 1876-1950, Texan Baptist minister; studied at Harvard under William James (elder brother of Henry James), served at London’s City Temple 1916-20, travelled widely in British Isles, gained international fame through his sermons. See also 12 and 18 January entries. ↩

4 January 1918; Friday

January 1918

Up about 7.30. Spent morning looking after our little dugout. A new lot from the 52 Ambulance took over and arranged for us to go on night duty. Immediately after dinner received orders to return. Went down in the car just in time for tea. Went to A section billet in the big cellar. Had a cold on chest and felt a bit off form. Got down to it about 5.30 and slept well.

3 January 1918; Thursday

Abridged, January 1918, ,

Up about 7.45. On parade at 9 o’clock. On working party in the wood. Some German planes over and dropped bombs. Killed a few men and several horses. One of the planes brought down with a bomb. Wrote letter to Ernie. Fine bright day.

Sergeant Rogers warned me to go to the walking wounded place to relieve Mills at once. Went on the car immediately after dinner. Helped with some field artillery wounded. Went to bed about 9.30.

2 January 1918; Wednesday

January 1918

Up about 7.30. On working party at new A D S.1 Stayed until 3 o’clock, and got back about 4 o’clock. Very cold and a fair amount of snow. Had no dinner until we returned – only a drop of vile tea and dry bread. Went to whist drive at night in the dispensary. Very good time. Decent refreshments and spent the night from 6.30 to 10. I scored 140. Top score 190, bottom 120.

  1. Advanced Dressing Station ↩

31 December 1917; Monday

Abridged, December 1917

Got into a car at headquarters and went up to the A D S 1 with it. Murrill, Truman and myself stayed at the dressing station and the other men went up. Sat all night. Got to know that our bearers had had a rough house in the night and that we had 20 casualties to clear 17 stretcher cases.

THE END      
of
       19172

Bob Forrest, Webbs†, Jarratt, Frankland, Wood and three others went down the line. Billy Truman and I returned to headquarters in the evening about 7. Spent afternoon in the Hindenburg Trench bringing down sick.

  1. A D S: Advanced Dressing Station. See The evacuation chain for wounded and sick soldiers at The Long, Long Trail. ↩

  2. It was ALL’s habit to write “THE END”, or some variation thereof, on the last day of each diary; q.v. 1914, 1915, 1916. ↩

30 December 1917; Sunday

Abridged, December 1917, , , ,

Up about 7.30. Woke up by heavy gunfire and German shells bursting near. Heard that the Germans had attacked and taken two lines of trenches. Saw a few German prisoners. On fatigue all day. Went to a C of E service at night and it was very good. Commenced letter to Mr Eaves1 and then had a discussion about war and armies and all the rest of it. Turned in about 11 o’clock. Pulled out again about 12 to go up the line. About 30 of us altogether.

  1. Edward Eaves was a minister at the South Durham Street United Methodist Free Church in Sunderland where ALL had been a member before joining the RAMC. See also all diary entries tagged Eaves. ↩