Up at 4.30 am. Paraded at 6 o’clock. Got in the buses at the top of the hill and rode to Auchel1, a mining town near Lillers etcetera. Rotten billet in the top of a house, next to the roof. Took out a pan-tile to make light. Went to a concert at night given by a concert party, Camouflage, and it was splendid. The best I have seen in France. They sent an invitation for 100 of us and we were marched up. Turned in and slept well.
Tag Archives: Ouve-Wirquin
10 July 1918; Wednesday
Up at 7 o’clock. Packed up things and struck tents. Cleared out all patients. Did some French.
9 July 1918; Tuesday
Up about 6.30. Glorious morning. On duty at 7 o’clock. Heard that we are moving in the direction of the line either the next day or night. Got a Hendon1 man in as a patient. Had a bath at night and a short walk.
Hendon: not the Hendon in London but a SE. district of Sunderland, where ALL’s former employer, the Hendon Paper Works Company was situated. ↩
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. ↩
7 July 1918; Sunday
Up about 7.30. Paraded at 9 for bath and clean change. Warned to go to the scabies tents for duty with Billy Truman. 5 patients but no boilers. Had a bath in the afternoon.
Made enquiries with an eye to getting to Hesdin but couldn’t manage it.
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.