Diary of Frederick William Gadsby Annand, 1917 - Part 5

JULY, 1917.
SUNDAY 8th.
Wet day
MONDAY 9th
Wrote Rab
Divisional exercise.
I commanded the Brigade that
represented the Germans. A good
day.
TUESDAY 10th.
Usual training
Lt Col Ralph dined our Mess.
'Splinters' Company gave good concert
at our Theatre.
Lecture on Salakien by a 'Scotty'
a poor effort.
Huns shelling Baupaume.
I rode 'Triump' to Albert.
WEDNESDAY 11th
Conference of Brigadiers.
chief Umpire & Staff with G.O.C.
re Monday's manoeuvres.
Major Donnelly ordered to report to
6^th Bde as Bde Major learner.
 

JULY, 1917.
THURSDAY I2th
Major Donnelly reported to 6^th Bde
as Bde Major learner.
I lectured to officers & N.C.Os on the
recent Divl exercise.
Capt Potts gave us excellent
dinner to celebrate promotion.
FRIDAY 13th.
Got Sig Car, & accompanied by Doc, Padre
Capt. King & Melo visited Arras, Souchez
& Aubigny. Called on Sister Thistlewaite at
the Hospice Aubigny.
SATURDAY 14th.
WROTE NELL No 62
Bn. boxing matches.
I visited 7^th Fld Coy, detachment of
C Coy, & 24^th Bn. 
 

JULY, 1917.
SUNDAY 15th.
Church Parade.
Tent pegging. Tea at 29^th C.C.S. Invited
nurses over on Thursday.
MONDAY 16th.
I called at D.H.Q, read attack orders
for Div Exercise, & lunched B Mess.
C.R.E. Wertheim & Vet rode back me
& inspected our bridges. Dined our
Mess & attended Boxing tourney.
TUESDAY 17th.
wrote Switzer
Met General Smyth & Lt Gen Sir ---
Woolcombe & went over posts we dug on
Beugny line. General complimentary.
Gen Smyth outlined proposed Div Exercise
I to command the Defence.
Col Bridges inspected our bridges.
WEDNESDAY 18th.
FAMILY REMITTANCE No 11 £10 - Total Nell £150
Doc & I interviewed Col Sutton
Col Sutton later visited our Camp
& inspected Disinfectors.
Rain  Lt Donnelly won
Hunters Cup at Corps School
Sports at AVELUY. 
 

JULY, 1917.
THURSDAY 19th
Reconnoitred Ground for
proposed tactical exercise.
Left off at erection of huts &
sent A Coy & part B & C to Bernafoy
to pull down a lot of huts for
transport.
Completed erection huts at
Beaulencourt.
FRIDAY 20th
Court Martial at 6^th Bde H.Q
disposed 2 cases.
Genl Smyth called at Bn Hd
qrs. I was out.
Excellent concert at night.
SATURDAY 21st.
Court Martial on a Capt at 6^th Bde.
Lunched there. Rode over ground
I am to defend in Monday's tactical
exercise. 
 

JULY, 1917.
SUNDAY 22nd.
Wrote Jean
Got Cable "Proceeds Raffle ten pounds
Keep remittance" Don't savee quite
Reconnoitered ground for Divl
Tactical exercise. Sited strong posts
&c. Tea & tennis at 29 C.C.S
MONDAY 23rd.
I commanded Bde in defence
in Divisional Exercise.
Set out at 12.30 am : got
back 8.30 a.m.
M
TUESDAY 24th.
Rode by Butte Warlencourt &
Factory Corner to High wood &
Hot Cross camp; Saw our men
dismantling huts.
Hay fever very bad.
Good concert our Theatre by 'Mess ups’.
WEDNESDAY 25th.
WROTE NELL 63
In bed forenoon. Visited D & B Coys
in afternoon.
C.R.E. called, also two M.O.s inspect
our fumigator.

JULY, 1917.
Got letters. 85 & 86 Nell; Jean;
Rab (invoice brooch), 56 Geoff; Elsie
Nellie & Fred
THURSDAY 26th.
Hockley, Potts & I dined at
25^th Bn Hd Qrs.
Had Potts lecture to Bn on
'Supplies.'
Promulgated CM sentences on
Bn parade.
FRIDAY 27th.
Huts pulled down 295 NISSEN
1 church army.
Reerected 32
GOT LETTERS, Pierre Robinson, Col Griffiths,
Mrs Cowes.
Rode Motor bike to PERONNE & had
afternoon tea there. Genl. Smythe called
our camp.
SATURDAY 28th.
Had Church Parade at Ligny
Bn marched to Aveluy to entrain
for Flanders. 
 

JULY-AUGUST, 1917.
SUNDAY 29th.
Bn (less B Coy & Band) arrived at ARQUES (near
St Omer) 3 p.m. D Coy about 7 p.m. Billeted at
ARQUES. I very bilious. Better by 8 pm.
Donnelly met me. Capt Moss called.
MONDAY 30th
Hockley & I rode through Wardereques
to near Eblinghem. Called at chateau
Renescure & chatted with Genl Smyth
who invited me to lunch.
Walked into St Omer in evening &
ordered papers.
TUESDAY 31st.
Big offensive begun; good results,
I reconnoitred training grounds &
wrote plan for night marches.
WEDNESDAY 1st.
AUGUST.
Remittance to RAB ₤3/10/-
for brooch.
WROTE NELL 64
A & B Companies had night
march. Hockley and I met them.
B got astray coming home.
Raining
 

AUGUST, 1917.
2850
Pte DEW, E.O, B Coy
idea re matches -
THURSDAY 2nd.
C & D Coys did Night March.
Raining.
Divided S.W of Arques into four
districts for picquet patrol.
Fracas at an estaminet, NCOs of
28^th Bn the culprits
FRIDAY 3rd.
{Hockley & I reconnoitred
{large wood N.E. of Arques.
{Major Donnelly dined with us.
{Lot of small light red deer in
↓{park.
Walked to St Omer with
Padre. Met Hockley & dined
at Cafe Vincent.
SATURDAY 4th.
 ↓→  
 

AUGUST, 1917.
SUNDAY 5th.
Church Parade. Add aims of war
Padre & I visited St Omer & heard
Band in Park
MONDAY 6th.
Digging specimen trenches
for bomb school. Met
Waraker.
Lt Col Bridges called.
Demonstrations of cooking & lecture
on Intelligence.
3 NZ nurses to afternoon tea
at our Mess
TUESDAY 7th.
At B on bombing trenches,
Met Genl Smyth on the work.
C & D did night march to
Foret de Clairmarais & laid out
posts. Two platoons got to wrong
location.
WEDNESDAY 8th.
Completed Bomb School
Trenches.

AUGUST, 1917.
THURSDAY 9th.
Bn Concert in Arques a great
Success. Two N Z nurses 
called at our Mess.
FRIDAY 10th.
Hockley, Wills & I visited paper
factory at below Blendricques.
Most interesting experience.
Hockley & I visited A Coy officers
Hd Qrs & had champagne & music.
Sent 6 men to Corps Shops Hazebrouck
to construct experimental motor for
Irish Trench monorail.
SATURDAY 11th.
Attended 5^th Bde Water Sports
Met Brig Genl Lotbiniere. 
 

AUGUST, 1917.
SUNDAY 12th.
Donnelly & I motorcycled to DUNKERQUE.
Lunched there. Met Capt. Lawrence
Saw Capt Guynemer, celebrated airman.
GOT LETTERS, No 93 NELL, (9 missing)
No 58 Geoff (4 missing) Elsie, Tasker (& Nell)
MONDAY 13^th.
Hockley & I reconnoitred Foret de
Clairmarais. In afternoon
went through the unique
dock lock at Arques that lifts
vessels & puts them over Rly line.
TUESDAY 14th.
Bn practised marching in extd
order through Foret de Clairmarais
A Batman of C Coy accidentally
shot by another cleaning German
auto pistol.
WEDNESDAY 15th.
Further practice of marching
extended through forest.
One advance made wearing
Box respirators

AUGUST, 1917.
THURSDAY 16th.
Bn parade for inspection of
clothing & equipment.
Sisters Flower & Stuart called & dined
us. Hockley & I accompanied them
back to St. Omer & then attended
concert given by our party at No 7
General Hospital. Invited to tea next
Sunday & to dinner next Tuesday.
FRIDAY 17th.
Lecture on Gas & Gas shells by
Div. Gas offr.
Started improvement of Div Bomb
School & 5th Bde Bomb School.
Major Stanley called
Col Somerville & Dods called.
SATURDAY 18th.
Stanley called for me, picked up Grant
at VIEUX BERQUIN, met Phillips at BAILLEUL.
We four photographed there, dined at offrs club,
& dropped Phillips at Croix de Bac on way
home.
Met Col Witham, Major Berry, Toc See 
Wilson & sundry others.
Saw planes picked up by searchlights
& fired on by Archies. 
 

AUGUST, 1917.
SUNDAY 19th.
GOT LETTERS NELL 87(8 missing)
Doug, Elsie, Lucy Robinson, Jane Forsyth,
Mrs Vidgen
afternoon tea at No 7 Hospital
Took Col Somerville, Stanley & Donnelly
MONDAY 20th.
Bn moved to new billets
in & about la SABLONRE
TUESDAY 21st.
I inspected forest ground
view training purposes.
Rode M B to D.H.Q, saw CRE
Wertheim &c.
Bike seized. gear chain broken. Left at 18^th Bn
Dined at No 7 Hosp. Met Sir Alexr
McCormick, Major Scott Skirving &
other leading surgeons. Good times
our boyish share
WEDNESDAY 22nd.
Cabled 'Happy Returns Nellie'.
Major Genl Smyth called
Bomb school trenches & bathing.
'B' Coy cooker damaged by horses swimming
over at bank near Arques.
Air raids Aire & St Omer. Heard planes
& bombs, saw lot search lights, & archie
shells. Heard of lot of casualties.

AUGUST, 1917.
wrote NELL 65
THURSDAY 23rd.
Division inspected by Genl Birdwood
on canal bank between Pont Arquin
& Campagne. Lot of rain.
Bn looked well.
Lectured officers on "Defence
of a position: general principles"
FRIDAY 24th.
I inspected progress of work
at Div Bomb School.
In afternoon rode to St. Omer
for hot bath. Returning met
Sir Douglas Haig out walking.
He said 'Good afternoon.'
SATURDAY 25th.
Rode to D.H.Q
Two Coys on Bomb School.
Conference at D.H.Q re Inspection &
New enemy tactics.
Wrote Doug. 
 

AUGUST, 1917.
SUNDAY 26th.
LETTERS, NELL 89, 90, 91, 92 & Nellie
Geoff 57, Doug (2) &
Mrs Vidgen, Jean 2, Elsie (2) Gipsy
Hervey, A Cresswell, Taylor, Pollie from
Sydney Comforts.
Stanley came; drove to tea No 7
Canadian Hosp. our Band there
Invited to 58^th for Tuesday/4 Rft 18 retd men joined
MONDAY 27th.
Bn joined in practice of
Review.
25 reinforcements arrived.
Parcel from Nell containing
book 'What all the world's a seeking'
socks fr Geoff, soap, chocs & Bulletin.
TUESDAY 28th.
Stanley drove me to bath at St Omer.
Afternoon tea at No 58 Scottish Hospital
Rough stormy day.
WEDNESDAY 29th.
Division reviewed by C in C, Fld
Marshall Sir Douglas Haig, who shook
hands with me & said the Pioneers
have done fine work.
On parade 771 - no transport.

AUG.-SEPTEMBER, 1917.
THURSDAY 30th.
B Coy practising Pontooning
& Weldon Trestles.
FRIDAY 31st.
Criticism of defence of position
Schemes & work Party tables.
Musketry training.
SATURDAY 1st
SEPTEMBER.
Attended 6th Bde sports. Met boy from
Queant. Called at D.H.Q re L.G. badges.
D Coy put pontoon bridges over
Canal
 

SEPTEMBER, 1917.
SUNDAY 2nd.
Cable Happy Returns Rab Granny
Afternoon tea at No 7 Hosp St Omer
Had supper there. Our Band there.
Big air raid on St Omer as we coming
home.
MONDAY 3rd.
A Coy pontooning.
C.R.E dined with us.
Lecture Mil Suspension bridges by
Lt Murrell.
Lecture on enemy gas shells
Hockley & I lunched Arques &
visited big aerodrome.
TUESDAY 4th.
Stanley called & took me to tea
at No 58 Scottish Hospital. Later
to lecture wood fighting by G.S.O 1
Dined in.
Lecture on revetments by
Lt. Furnell.
WEDNESDAY 5th.
I went to Divn. re proposed
sending of 2 Coys to Ypres to
work for Corps.

SEPTEMBER, 1917.
THURSDAY 6th.
Bn took part of defenders in
Divl Exercise E of Clairmarais
Forest. I commanded Defence & had
also 7^th Fld Coy under Major Webb
Major Hockley & 2 other officers went
up to Ypres to reconnoitre proposed
work for Corps
FRIDAY 7th.
Bn moved to Swan Chateau
near Ypres by motor lorries (55)
Transport by road to new abeel.
Arranged for parties of 60 C Coy & 90 B
Coy to go out at 3.30 am to commence
road from near BIRR X Rd N of lake
Aeroplane bombing our vicinity
SATURDAY 8th.
60 men of C & 90 of B Coy on
formation of new road from BIRR ROAD to
North of lake ETANG DE BELLEWAARDE.
C.R.E Corps troops called & asked for 2
Coys to construct shelters against bank of YPRES
COMINES CANAL. 
 

SEPTEMBER, 1917.
SUNDAY 9th.
Commenced shelters on Ypres-
Comines Canal.
one man D Coy wd & evacuated.
MONDAY 10th.
Same work
Pte Hughes D Coy Killed by aerial bomb & 1 wd.
& remg on duty also by bomb; 2 others wd
& remg duty. 1 man missing (probably
evac wd.
2 horses Killed by shell fire.
8 retd men rejoined Bn
3 staff Captains billeted with us &
Lt Boyles
TUESDAY 11th.
Wrote NELL No 66.
2 rtd men & 3 rfts joined up.
1st party of C Coy on Bellewaarde Road
got bad time mustard gas & did very
little work.
WEDNESDAY 12th.
17 of C evacuated mustard shell gas.
Mullarky Furnell & 1 platoon commenced
roster supply scheme at Zillebeke.
Got LETTERS Nell 94 (1 missing) Geoff 58,
Rab, Nellie, Doug, Elsie
I went out early to the forward
plank road.

SEPTEMBER, 1917.
THURSDAY 13th.
A Coy started plank road deviation
from 250x west of BIRR X Rd to join
SECAUSPION RD at Cambridge Road.
length to be about 400 yds.
Four of our A.A Lewis Guns
placed on duty Cambridge Rd & South
of Birr X Rd.               →                             ↓
FRIDAY 14th.
6 O.R wounded & evacuated.                ↓
GOT LETTERS Jess Robinson,
Peggy Robinson, Mrs Mills.                      ↓
Dugout shelters to accommodate
1050 men completed on Canal banks   ↓
Kruistraat area. Sergt. Fraser Killed
                                                                        ←
SATURDAY 15th.
D Comy commenced Duck board track
from YPRES SCHOOL to GORDON HOUSE.
Sergt Fraser B Coy Killed : 1 O.R wounded Killed &
8 wounded. Work interrupted through
our barrages & retaliation.
Lot of enemy planes came over.
Squadron of 20 bombing gunners &c.
We finished planking new road
Did 625 yds