War Diary Entries
October to December 1918

 

Tuesday October 1st 1918

9.30am relieved. Returned to battery. Sleep. At night on duty.

Wednesday October 2nd

Duty 12 to 2. Wrote to Mabs

Thursday October 3rd

Night off. Wrote to Mother, rote to Mabs.

Friday October 4th

O.P

Saturday October 5th

O.P with Walton & Eyre. Made mushroom on toast for Walton.

Sunday October 6th

Moved forward 4pm. Old lines in, new lines out. Found canteen, gave it a cleaning out. Not much spare time. Working in dark.

Monday October 7th

Put bivy up. Scrounged tables, chairs etc in Armentieres. Night duty.

Tuesday October 8th

Cleaned cellar and did part boarding. Night off. Wrote Mabs a few lines. Made porridge.

Wednesday October 9th

Cleaned clear, boarded floor. Two letters from Mabs. 24 hours pit duty. Wrote to Mabs and Mother, J Carlisle and Jack Roberts.

Thursday October 10th

Toothache. Have had aching over a week now but this morning it is thumping, terrible. Shall have it out first chance. Yesterday I received two letters from Mabs and in one she says her feelings are just the same to me as Feb 1917. Had to cease reading after reading that part. I had to dwell on it. I did not think I was as much to her as ever I was after all that has happened. She’s a precious little girlie.

Friday October 11th

8 inch HV Stint on position. Gunner billet knocked in and occupants buried. To make room for gunners - was sent to wagon line with C. Eyre. On arriving W.L. 8pm. Paid out 30 francs.

Saturday October 12th

Stayed in bed first parade. Sgt Major (Pongo) tried to get us out. 9am went with Parker and mess. Cart to old position for camouflage. Afternoon took mules(?) to graze. Put shack up to kip in at night. Finished shack off. Night I wrote letters. No letters received today.

Sunday October 13th

Stint on left. Got new overcoat today. Wrote to Mabs. My letters recently are most unsatisfactory.

Monday October 14th

Harness cleaning. Afternoon 1.30 to baths (first since return from leave). 6.30 when arrived back one letter from Mabs awaiting mew. I sort of smelt something wrong before I opened it, and it was as I thought. I did not know until now (after reading her letter) that she was practically engaged to Rob. I thought she had refused him when he asked. I wonder what is going to happen when he comes home on leave. Seems this mix up is worse than I thought. In fact I see now what a queer position dear Mabs is in. I have thought many times (since I returned) what relations were between Mab and Rob. I asked Mab a question (whilst on leave) which remained unanswered. I asked he if she would let Rob kiss her when he came on leave. Repeatedly in the space of a few minutes I asked, but it was passed on as if unnoticed. I should have mentioned it again but promised that I would not mention Rob’s name to her again.

The contents of the above entry are sufficient to indicate That Mabel Finton had been deceiving me for a long time. I have none of her letters to substantiate any statement that I now make, but it is obvious that within a short time of me going to Belgium in active service in March 1917 she began to encourage Rob’s friendship and over a long period of months she was telling me one thing and telling him another, and I had such implicit trust in her that I believed what she told me to be the truth.

Tuesday October 15th

Clipping all day. Very tired. Got in bed early

Wednesday October 16th

Clipping in the morning. Afternoon guns moved forward. Went as ammunition loader. Got back at 9pm tired out.

Thursday October 17th

Up at 3am. Sigs, horses to position for reconnaissance. Position at 6am. Battery brought up. Was on the saddle all day. Tired and no food since 3am this morning. Frozen to death at night.

Friday October 18th

Breakfast, thin slice of bread and bacon. Took Gingers and Sigs horse to position. Went forward reconnoitring position just outside Lille. Civilians all joyful, flag flying. Returned by 4.00, Div Duty. Went back to Erquimghen. W. Lines. No food since this morning. Terribly tired and hungry. Turned out of bed again with message to HQ at 12 midnight.

Saturday October 19th

Left Erquimghen W Lines. Stayed 2-3 hours cleaning party. Arrived old Sleinericke(?) W Lines 3.30. Dog tired and toothache. Stables till darkness. Rained all night, came right through blankets. Wet through. Type written letter from Mabs.

Sunday October 20th

Harness cleaning. Horse grazing. Toothache all day.

Monday October 21st to Wed 23rd

Entrained at Strazeele. 24 hours journey. Detrained at Roisel (this station blew up 2 or 3 days after). 12 hours march to Nurlu arrived 3am. Picquet until 8am. Still toothache. Orderly all day.

Thursday October 24th

Moved off early. Long days march. Stopped at Beaurevoir. In the village saw stabbed girl and many dead Boche and horses. Toothache.

Friday October 25th

Moved off early. Long march. Stopping at Ramicourt(?). Jerry sent 5 shrapnel over at night. Casualties in 220 Brigade.

Saturday October 26th

Left section went into action. Went down ? way to E.F.C. Canteen. Nothing doing.

Sunday October 27th

Moved off early. Through Le Cateau to wagon lines. Dead boche. Not buried yet. Jerry very active here. Pit duty.

It was on this march in the road to Le Cateau that the Battery passed an old gun position that was occupied just before March 21st 1918 and from which we had to retreat so hurriedly. Several of the men went on foot across the field to have a look at the old position and when they returned they told me that they had seen a mound of earth with a simple wooden cross stuck on it and on the cross was the name “Major Bell”. As Major Bell was still one of our officers the grave could obviously not be his. The only casualty that occurred on that day Jerry blasted us out of position was that of my friend J. Macguire who was also the officers cook. We knew that he had been killed on that day but was killed by a falling steel girder. Our conclusions were that when the Jerries found him, they searched him and possibly found an envelope on him with Major bells name on it and thus they buried him, having no further proof as to who he was.

Monday October 28th

Pit duty. Wish I could have some teeth out. They are maddeningly aching all the time.

Tuesday October 29th

Moved position today. Registered Guns ?. Went with Signallers from each Battery on O.P. Line. Mended 15 breaks. Line through for 5 minutes and then down. Returned to new position.

Wednesday October 30th

Day off. Made dug out better. Afternoon finished off the needlework souvenir. Helped Shuttleworth to make Bully Pudding. Jerry’s Bully being used.

Thursday October 31st

Duty in pit. Afternoon went out with Marriot scrounging. Found potatoes. Went in Bouges found pillow slip containing beans, maize and a tin of condensed mil (which we consumed under an apple tree).

Winter 1918

Friday November 1st

Rose 10am. Still after reducing mule. Mended Cpl pipe(?), identification disc came off last night for first time since bought at Lacon. Letters from Rosie, Bill, J. Roberts. News today good – Austria and Turkey checked in Italy captured 30,000 prisoners.
After getting back to position with Marriott, was ordered to go with Jim Bradbury to fetch Jerry G.S. Wagon from the other side of ? Fontaine near first line trenches. What a fools errand to be sent on. I was the only one who knew where it was. We got it by the skin of our teeth. It was loaded with bombs, grenades, machine guns etc which we dumped near red cross place. There was a good feed waiting me on return which the lads had made, Bully Pie and potatoes.

Saturday November 2nd

Ordinary day, are moving soon for Stint(?). Some good news from Austria and Turkey.

Sunday November 3rd

Moved forward 7pm for Stint(?). Pip squeaked during early morning 4 ?. Stint at 6.10am, to 11am on the 4th Nov.

Monday November 4th

Finished shooting at 11am, Helped gunners to get ammo off big haul of prisoners and guns. Felt very happy for once. No retaliation on 7. 3rd ? Gds.

Tuesday November 5th

9am moved off position. Rendezvous with 66th Infantry ? formed up in the section of guns ….. …… …… … covering Connaught Rangers. Moved forward to Landrecies(?), opened in the rain, soaked wet, found cotton shirt and pit it on as was extraordinary lousy. Roads in terrible condition. Many dead lying about. Jerry going back fast.

Wednesday November 6th

Landrecies(?). Got up for breakfast. Hung around afternoon. Sought J. Carlisle out at 198 Brigade. Got back to billets, put on advance O.P. Part moving straight away. Went with Feeny and Atkinson to Moreuil(?). Found billets, sent back to Brigade to move Battery on. Very dark, nearly missed the Battery. Took them to the billets then went with Frost and Major to Infantry Brigade, Waited in the cold two hours. Went back to Battery again, took Hayes to Brigade as runner. Arrived back at Battery 12 midnight and soaking wet. Shivering with cold. No fags.

Thursday November 7th

Moved from Moreuil(?) 12 dinner time to Marbaux.

Friday November 8th

Marbaux reveille 3am. Moved off 7am. Our infantry in line, many casualties. Stood to on road all day. Iron rations. One loaf bread between 22. Eating carrots etc. Eventually moved to Saint Hilaire. Jerry shelling roads. Scrounged fags and tea off our Infantry. They are very sympathetic and good infantry. Put on Picquet up there while shelling continues. We have only 6 guns and two 4.5 howitzers. …… ……. ……. Div front. Got supper. In bed for 1am. My feet are very sore and I am very weary and worn out. Expected being put on duty but instead got my first good night sleep after some days. No fags or tobacco.

Saturday November 9th

Picquet 1.30 to 4am. Breakfast. Moved off from Saint Hilaire to go into action. Went in action outside Avesnes. Polly and I had walk though Aresnes. People very excited and pleased at being set free. Plenty of flags flying. Cathedral bells chiming. Afternoon derailed horses, sig drivers and gunners and / to go to B Battery, to go on scotching jerry up who had retired another 16 km. Went to rendezvous 10 mins away B Battery gone. Waited all night for guide. No sleep and weather changed from rain to frost. Very cold. Army Service Corp and guide arrived.

Sunday November 10th

5am no fags. Reveille. Off from Avesnes to catch up B Battery. Travelled 14km with two or three halts on the way. Found Battery in other side of S-Le-Chateau. Jerry strafed(?) road all the time. Sent up to gun position at night. Jerry very active on roads. Civilians still being ?

Monday November 11th

Got out of bed at 10am. DADR told us armistice at 11am. Found two tins of bully and breadcrumbs, made porridge with milk from farms.

Armistice started 11am. Capt B Battery informed us not to make jollification as it was not ? halfpeace. He gave us that day to ourselves. Breakfast up (Bully and biscuits at 11.30am. Can’t get a fag anywhere.

Harry Letter 30th Oct

‘Enclosed’ is a letter dated 30th October 1918 sent to me my eldest brother Harry and which I must have received early in November for I have used the backs of the two pages to record my diary from 4th Nov to 11th Nov Armistice Day.

Dear John
Your letter of 13th reached me in due course. I was pleased to hear from you so soon and no doubt you will have been expecting to hear from me before now. I will not attempt an apology for the delay, for I have said so much previously about my ideas in this connection, that to repeat the same argument now would be labouring the point without justification. I was interested in your remarks in the attempts to have made to write up a short article. Speaking generally, the creator of anything is seldom satisfied with his creations or rather the expression of his ideas, and especially with regard to his first or early efforts. Experience is one of the best, if not the best, of teachers. I appreciate your lack of time and do not urge you to complete the article at the earliest possible moment, and further I would not have you employ your mind seriously on anything but duty while you are on duty. Don’t worry anymore about the article but send it on to me. Perhaps I cane phrase it or in some way make suggestion about it. Your account of how your time is taken makes me feel that I might not have said anything about it in the first place. You have quite enough to put up with as it is, what with uncomfortable quarters and the almost ever likelihood of receiving a message from Jerry. I hope you get the expected rest you spoke of and that it revived your shaken nerves. Alice thanks you very much for your offer to get her some Eau-de-Cologne, but wishes me to say that you must not put yourself to any trouble to get it. Of course she will be pleased to have it, but does not like to think it will perhaps be troublesome for you to get it. I have had a letter from Will since I heard from you. Chas I have not heard from for some time but Will seems run down. Says he has had a touch of the flu and his nerves are going to pieces. But he does not want any report of this to ‘91’. How thankful we will be when it is over! And it is shaping well just now towards this stage, thank God. Let us hope there will be no unnecessary or unfortunate delay. So far as I know all is well at ‘91’. It is so with Alice and myself. So with best wishes and love from both of us, your affectionate brother Harry.

 

Ossogne

According to my knowledge we must have settled in Ossogne about the beginning or during the first week in December.

 

See Anecdotes for events from Ossogne

 

On Wednesday January 1st 1919 I started to write brief notes in a diary. These I show below and will refer to them again later.

 

January to February 1919