Up about 7 o’clock. Glorious day. Heard that we have now captured Kemmel and that the Germans are in the old pre-Messines stand† line. Had short walk at night.
Tag Archives: War
31 August 1918; Saturday
Up at 7 o’clock and on parade at 8 o’clock. Not much to do. Sick parade as usual. Received letter from home and pc1 from Ernie to say he is getting on well.
Heard that we have captured Baileul2 & Dranoutre3.
“pc”: Presumably post card. ↩
Baileul: ALL always omits one ‘l’ from ‘Bailleul’ in his longhand; the transcription follows this, but where he writes it in shorthand, ie phonetically, it is transcribed with the correct spelling. ↩
Dranoutre: NE. of Bailleul, near Kemmel and Locre – no doubt overrun in the March offensive (see 21 March); Michelin square I3. ↩
23 August 1918; Friday
I slept from 2 o’clock until 6.30. Off duty at about 8 o’clock. Very heavy gunfire to the right. A rumour that we have attacked and won Arras and Soissons1. On duty at 9 at night, after spending a wakeful day. Heard that we have to move tomorrow owing to Jerry retiring so far. British continue to progress at several points. Turned in at 1am and slept on the floor of the dressing room. Received letter from home.
Soissons is the only place-name I can (roughly) fit to the shorthand outline, but it is far to the S. of Arras. (DL) ↩
22 August 1918; Thursday
On duty at night and did a little French. Off duty at 9 o’clock. Slept very little during the day. Heard that the British have advanced round about Achiet le Petit and the French are advancing towards Noyon. Very good news. On duty at 9 o’clock at night. Read a good bit of Richard Feverel1.
The Ordeal of Richard Feverel: See 20 August, The Ordeal of Richard Feverel and Arthur Linfoot’s Library. ↩
21 August 1918; Wednesday
Went off duty shortly before 9 o’clock and went to bed. Up at about 7 and on duty at 9 o’clock. Did some French. Heard that the British have advanced and taken Merville1 and that our line had advanced a good distance.
20 August 1918; Monday
Up at 7 o’clock. On parade at 8 o’clock. Detailed for the A D S at 2 o’clock. Arrived at the ADS shortly before tea time. Had a bit talk with Harvey. He left me Richard Feverel1 to read. On duty at 9 o’clock and kept awake with a struggle all night. Read a good bit. Did a scrap of French.
Heard that the French have advanced a little nearer Noyon2.
The Ordeal of Richard Feverel: novel by George Meredith. See also The Ordeal of Richard Feverel and Arthur Linfoot’s Library. ↩
Noyon: about 60km S. of the Somme battlefield; Michelin square K10. ↩
15 August 1918; Thursday
Up at 7 o’clock. Busy all day with dugout making. Made ours at night. Glorious day. Good news. Over 750 guns captured in the recent fighting and about 10,000 machine guns. Received letter from Ernie..
14 August 1918; Wednesday
Up at 7 o’clock. Paraded at 8 o’clock. Bath and clean change in the morning, and then fatigues all day. Did a scrap of French and read a bit.
Jerry over at night and bombed a distance away. Terrific machine- and anti-aircraft gun-fire.
Good news from the French and British fronts.
12 August 1918; Monday
Lay down at 3 o’clock and got up at 6. Washed out the dressing room. Got into bed at 9 but couldn’t sleep and slept very little all day. Fine day. News that the total number of prisoners now exceeds 77 thousand down south. On again at night at 9.30pm.
10 August 1918; Saturday
Off duty at 9 and went down to headquarters at about 9.30 to have new eye-pieces fitted into our box1 respirators. Met Harvey, Holman and Benn. Returned in the afternoon. Headquarters bivouacking in a wood. Harvey and Benn returned with us to relieve the day men and Holman went up stretcher bearing. Lay down after tea and talked with Billy Truman about home and leave. On duty about 10. Jerry bombing at night and shelling pretty heavily.
Heard from the Somme that we have advanced 10 miles captured 25000 prisoners and 400 guns.
ALL’s shorthand reads as ‘Beck’s’, but he probably meant ‘box’ as no Beck’s respirator is traceable; see also 13 August 1917. ↩