Up at about 5.30. Wet morning. Heavy barrage. Marched off at 8 o’clock. Rained heavily and <wet> bed sheets. Went across country part of the way. Arrived at Jenlain1 about mid-day. Put on guard at night and did 9 – 1 and 5 – 9. Went round to church in the afternoon, with Wood, Jones and Tresand and party of 57th men. Rained all the while. Heard that the Americans and French are doing well.
Tag Archives: War
2 November 1918; Saturday
Up at 8 o’clock. Waited about for the horse ambulance. The boys marched off at 9 o’clock. Moved up shortly after dinner in cars and arrived at Montrecourt1 before tea. Played Black Lady at night and turned in about 9. News through that our sailors occupied the forts of the Dardanelles & the Bosphorus and that Germany may agree to our armistice before the end of next week.
31 October 1918; Thursday
Had rather bad night and a temperature of 102.2. Moved upstairs in the afternoon. Heard that Turkey and Austria had turned it in.
Austria1 & Turkey turn it in.
Armistice with Turkey to begin midday.2
The Armistice of Villa Giusti, signed on 3 November, officially ended warfare between Italy and Austria-Hungary on the Italian Front. On 31 October, Hungary ended the personal union with Austria, officially dissolving the Monarchy and making the Armistice inevitable. It was, perhaps, the imminent collapse of Austria-Hungary which led ALL to note that Austria had “turned it in”. ↩
The Armistice of Mudros concluded on 30 October 1918 and ended hostilities between the Ottoman Empire and the Allies at noon on the 31st. ↩
18 October 1918; Friday
Up about 6 o’clock. Breakfast 6.30. Packed up and moved at 9 o’clock. Arrived at Rieux1 about 1 o’clock. Opened up hospital after dinner and slept in cellar under hospital. Heard that Ostend & Bruges had been taken and that Lille is encircled.
17 October 1918; Thursday
Up at 7 o’clock after good night‘s sleep. Heard that the Belgians and British in the north had taken 11 thousand prisoners and 100 guns. Warned to go up the line with the A D S party. Went up to billet and slept. Slept in the hospital. Played some duets with Cox at night1.
Heard that we will be moving in the morning.
Duets: On the organ in the billet again? ↩
16 October 1918; Wednesday
Up at about 7 o’clock and on duty. Wet night and day. Had to move our beds in the night owing to the rain coming through the roof. Heard that the Belgians had advanced further and taken prisoners and guns. Had some music at night and turned in about 9 o’clock. Had long talk with old artilleryman in the ward.
11 October 1918; Friday
Up about 7 o’clock. Did nothing during morning. In the afternoon went into wood to prepare some broken down billets and moved into them after tea. Wet night. Glanced over a little French. Rather miserable over the change. Heard that we have Le Cateau1. Got down at about 8 o’clock.
9 October 1918; Wednesday
Up at 8 o’clock. Heard that the Germans are retiring from Cambrai and received orders to stand by. Infantry moving up. Watched Cambrai burning. News after tea that the Germans are ten kilos from Cambrai. Got down to bed about 7 o’clock and slept until 7 next morning.
8 October 1918; Tuesday
Up at about 8 o’clock. Had very little sleep and felt washed out. Spent nearly all day building dugout with Sergeant Powell and Billy Truman. British made a big attack north and south of Cambrai and got * after hard fighting. Got down to bed in good time and slept well. Heard rumours of the French and Americans advancing in the Argonne.
6 October 1918; Sunday
Up about 8 o’clock. The air full of rumours. Went to nonconformist service with Billy Truman and enjoyed it. Stayed round the fire in the afternoon and stewed apples. Walked out with Billy Truman at night and had long talk. Heard that the Central Powers1 had asked for an armistice and the air full of rumours.
The Central Powers consisting of Germany, Austria-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire and Bulgaria. ↩