Diary of Frederick William Gadsby Annand, 1917 - Part 6

SEPTEMBER, 1917. 
SUNDAY 16th. 
Conferred C.R.E re
stunt. D practically finished
duck board track to Gordon House.
CRE C.T asked them to carry it on a bit
tomorrow.
2 O.R wounded
one our AA/ Lewis guns
brought down a Hun plane
MONDAY 17th.
D Coy carried on extension of
Duck walk east of Gordon House.
1 OR wd, 1 OR acc wd.
TUESDAY 18th.
Lt T. Smith & 11 O.R wounded.
all of C Coy. & 1 O.R Killed.
A Coy finished trac loop plank
road N.W of Birr Cross Rd.
436 yds.
D Coy commenced camouflage
of School Gordon House track.
Padre & I visited Poperinghe & Busseboom
WEDNESDAY 19th.
Carting R.E. Material for roads &c.
Finished 1350x Road formation.
Finished culverts & helped planking.
Repaired new road where damaged.
Sent out maintenance party for roads & tramway
East of Birr X Roads,
Major Hockley dangerously wounded at Hd Qrs.
Lieut Furnell badly wounded : died at Fld Amb.
7 O.R wd & evacuated : 1 O.R wd with unit.
1 O.R Killed. Got operation order. Went to
D.H.Q . Got Major Donnelly as 2nd in Command. 

SEPTEMBER, 1917.
THURSDAY 20th.
Big attack on a wide front; successful :
all objectives gained. Our Bn worked
at maintenance of new roads & ran a
mile track from between lake &
Bellewaarde Ridge to Westhoek.
Major Hockley died of wounds.
7 O.R Killed, 10 O.R wounded, 2 OR wd unit.
Our L.G shot down enemy plane
Saw 6 observers jump from balloons.
FRIDAY 21st.
Road from Bellewaarde Ridge to Westhoek
widened & improved; some planking &c on
soft spots. Several guns taken up to the
Westhoek ridge during night over this
road. Some rails carted for tramway.
3 O.R wounded.
Major Hockley buried between Poperinghe &
Abeel. Fritz fired balloon over our
Hd Qrs: observers jumped in parasols. Lot of
bombing in evening.
SATURDAY 22nd.
Donnelly & I visited the road being made to
Westhoek & looked over the ridge  got a few close
shells. Heavy shelling of Bellewaarde Lake, South &
Menin Rd forenoon : our plank road afternoon.
A B & D Comys on improvement of Westhoek
Road. C Company carting fascines &
decauville track. Heard Lieut Waraker Killed.
1 O.R Killed ; 2 O.R wounded ; 1 O.R gassed. 

GOT LETTERS NELL 95; Nellie, Fred
Hanson & Wasteneys.
SEPTEMBER, 1917.
SUNDAY 23rd 
Lt Kitchen evacuated sick. WROTE NELL 67
C Coy started tram from Bellewarde Rd
Bend to Westhoek. Others conting road
MONDAY 24th.
50 Finger stalls recd. Melb.
Finished up on road to Westhoek.
B Coy started on emplacements &c
for Corps Heavy artillery.
1 OR Killed. 1 OR wounded.
TUESDAY 25th. 
Maintaining Bellewaard circuit; also
continuing planking of that circuit.
Heavy shelling about Hooge &
Chateau Wood.
C Coy finished tram from Bend
to 100 yds W of Westhoek.
Genl Birdwood called our Hd Qrs
1 OR Killed, 2 O.R died of w, 9 O.R wd, 2 O.R
missing.
WEDNESDAY 26th
Concentrating on Bellewaarde Circuit Rd.
planking. Transport could not get up
at night with material owing to traffic
congestion.
Planked 60 yds of Westhoek Rd at the
Bellewaarde Ridge.
Our L Gs report bringing down 3 planes. 
I took prisoners to D.H.Q
1 O.R wounded 

SEPTEMBER, 1917.
THURSDAY 27th
Bellewaarde Circuit road finished at about
4 p.m. Not long after was blown out in parts &
took 3 hrs to repair by patrols. Our own waggons had
to help out with carting. Put in two loops.
Unconfirmed report our Lewis guns shot down three
more enemy planes.
Lot of enemy bombing at night our area.
New baths opened; great success.
1 OR Killed.
FRIDAY 28th. 
GOT LETTERS No 98 NELL, (2oM)
60 Geoff, Nellie, Doug, Jean, Mr Whitehill,
Bridge.
2 sidings Bellewaard Rd completed.
SATURDAY 29th.
Pair socks from Peggy R & washer from Joan.
Heavy shelling of Bellewaarde Circuit Road.
Badly broken in parts. Transport wrecked. Put 2
platoons of D Coy to reinforce A Coy on maintenance
patrol. Road blocked for 3 hours. Lt Taylor & his
platoon called for drinks at Comfort Stall on
Menin Rd & aerial bomb fell among them.
Lt Taylor & 6 men Killed outright & 19 wounded,
mostly very severely.
Day's total 1 of & 6 O.R Killed; 1 O.R died of wounds;
1 O.R gassed; 1 O.R missing. 

SEPT.- OCTOBER, 1917.
SUNDAY 30th.
New Road from Westh Bellewaarde Road over
Westhoek Ridge North of Kit & Kat improved. D
Mule tracks made from Cambridge Road
to Westhoek Rd northeast of Bellewaarde Ridge.
C Coy -  Camp bombed at night 7 OR wd
& evac. 2 OR wd with unit. My horse Darky
Killed. 56^th Bn camped us.
MONDAY 1st.
OCTOBER.
GOT LETTERS NELL 96 & 97, Doug, Jean,
Elsie, Mrs Taylor, Mlle Boileau
A Coy extending dry
weather track from near KIT KAT over
WESTHOEK RIDGE to beyond SANS SOUCI.
C Coy remade road from South of ANZAC
to 80 yds NE of GARTER POINT. A & D Coys
maintaining & improving roads.
1 O.R (Lewis Gunner on AA) Killed.
Tolley called
TUESDAY 2nd.
WROTE NELL No 68
Zonnebeke Road carried to 500 yds
from Brick Kiln.
Dry weather track to St Josephs Int.
Both would take Fld Guns.
Major McCrae, 2nd in Cd 4^th Pioneers
& Capt Graham Killed by bomb. McCrae
was in Sydney 2nd in Cd. 7^th Fld Coy.
WEDNESDAY 3rd.
Main road to ZONNEBEKE - BRICK KILN
opened up for guns, also via DW to St Joseph's
improved. Fascines carted.
1 OR Killed; 4 OR wounded; 1 offr wd unit,
1 OR missing.
From 22 Sept to date 20 O.R from Hosp & 3
offs joined in Small parties.
Lieut Wills special mention in 1^st Anzac
R.Os for special services. 3-10-17 

OCTOBER, 1917.
4th GOT LETTERS Elsie, Jean & note
Nell; Harriet Gregory, Miss Matthews, Mrs
Coupland.
THURSDAY 4th.
Big advance by our (1^st Anzac) Corps & 2^nd 
Anzac on our left. Objectives gained. Lot of emy
Killed & prisoners. Took ridges.
D Coy dug mule track around ZONNEBEKE
LAKE to Gasometer on ZONNEBEKE-BROODSEINDE Rd.
Others improving roads & maintaining.
A Coy made three tracks for Batteries,
totalling 450 yds.
FRIDAY 5th. 
Maintaining forward roads & preparing
for planking.
1 OR accidentally wounded.
GOT LETTERS NELL 99 ( & Fred) 100 & 101, proofs of
boys photo & good ones of Nell & girls, Geoff 61, Jean, Jean,
Rab, Rob & Doug, May Robinson, Mills.
SATURDAY 6th 
Relaid 400 yds of Decauville Tram
Westhoek towards Anzac. Sleepers put in.
C & one Tr Carted 18 loads Sleepers for Westhoek –
Zonnebeke Rd., put on 1st Pioneers Section
to make it passable
Transported 300 yds Decauville rails
to present end of line.
Did 100 yds formation.
B maintaining left road.
Capt Bean called for notes. 

OCTOBER, 1917.
SUNDAY 7th. 
Transporting planks by waggons to Westhoek
Carried 440 yds of duckboards, Cambridge Rd
to beyond Zonnebeke. C. Coy & B Coy on
roads –
2 O.R (transport) wounded. 2 horses Killed
MONDAY 8th.
C Coy on Zonnebeke Road.
B Coy clearing road through Zonnebeke
from Church forwards.
A & D carrying duck boards from
Birr X Road & laying from Tokio
to De Knoet Farm.
Lts Hope & Ride from Super list & Lt Fisher been Seconded
40 OR retd from Hosp & 30 O.R from Reinforcements.
TUESDAY 9th.
C Coy on Zonnebeke Road
A & D Coys cleared & reformed road
from Brick Kiln through Zonnebeke
to Broodseinde.
B Coy cleared road Zonnebeke
back to Roulers Railway & the road
on top of ridge to north.
Further advance our front & on left
up to & including French Sector.
WEDNESDAY 10th 
Duckboard track extended from
about St. Joseph's through Zonnebeke
to Moulin Farm. Had to carry from
Cambridge road.
B Coy improving Rd from Roulers Rly ford
C Coy on Zonnebeke Road.
Relieved on ford work at midnight by
4^th Divn. I inspected Dug outs at
Mud Lane to put in Coy patrolling
plank roads. 

OCTOBER, 1917.
Wrote NELL 69
THURSDAY 11th. 
D Coy patrolling plank roads.
4 O.R Killed, 1 missing, 3 wounded.
Capt Sinclair returned from Training Bn.
2/Lts Malcolm & Jenkins jd from 9th Rfts.
3 O.R retd from Hosp.
FRIDAY 12th.
A. Coy patrolling plank roads,
1 OR wounded
10 O.R retd from Hosp.
SATURDAY 13th 
B. C & D Comys started on
roads at Zonnebeke, B on Zonnebeke to
Seine & others others from Brickfield South.
2 O.R Killed  3 OR wounded 

OCTOBER, 1917.
GOT LETTERS Elsie, Padre, Boileau
Capt Sinclair Killed. Splendid officer.
SUNDAY 14th.
B. C & D. Coys on roads through & North
& South of Zonnebeke.
2 OR Killed; 8 OR wounded; 1 OR wd with unit.
Letter of thanks from 6^th Fld Amb, help given.
MONDAY 15th.
20 Rft arrived.
Still on rds in and beyond
Zonnebeke.
2 O.R wounded.
1 Off Capt Needham, wd at duty.
Capt Shaw, M.C ; Bar to MM Pte Fraser;
M.M Sergt G. A. Kent ; Sgt J. H. Ferguson.
Anzac orders No 84 (Orders 434-436.) 14/10/17
TUESDAY 16th. 
Same work as yesterday
1 OR gassed
3 O.R joined from Hosp
WEDNESDAY 17th. 
2 Coys on roads in North & east of
Zonnebeke. D. Coy started from
village back to meet Corps party
working forward.
1 O.R gassed.
Capt Moss called & lunched, then
took Donnelly & I by car to Bailleul &
back to Poperinghe. I got some books
&c from my Kit at Ecole Dedessin. 

OCTOBER, 1917.
THURSDAY 18th.
Moss lent us car in which Donnelly, Doc &
new Padre went to convent between Poperinghe
& Proven. Bought lace handkerchief for Nell
went to Catfire near Abele & bought
Kilo of sugar.
No casualties
FRIDAY 19th.
I called on C.R.E
Usual work
4 O.R wounded
10 O.R retd from Hosp
SATURDAY 20th 
Work as before
1 O.R wounded
Lieut Holder & 4 O.R retd from Hosp. 

OCTOBER, 1917.
SUNDAY 21st. 
Donnelly & I visited No 3 Aust CCS
at 9 Elms. Camp bombed as we
entered it.
MONDAY 22nd.
WROTE NELL 70
Work as usual.
TUESDAY 23rd.
Work as usual. Got word
we to start tomorrow making –
Bellewaarde Rd to double width.
Got my leave warrant & drove
to Poperinghe to get train.
WEDNESDAY 24th.
Arrived at & left Calais pr S.S. Dieppe. I
was O/C ship. Arrived Dover about
10:30. Arrived London 1.50 p.m.. Put
up at Ivanhoe Hotel.
Went to Samson & Delilah at
Drury Lane Theatre. Good show.
Called Horseferry Road. 

OCTOBER, 1917.
THURSDAY 25th.
Visited Sick this morning. Had cup
tea in bedroom.
Attended perf show of film
'Intolerance'.
Called on Sir Thos Robinson
Agent General
FRIDAY 26th.
Called on Mr Bidmore at Sparrow's.
Saw my basket of brass at Burns Philps,
London House, 35 Crutched Friars E C.
Left 40 coins & note in Sealed envelope at
Q.N Bank Princes Street. Got Mrs Bage's
address from Royal Bank. Lunched at Baltic Exchg
Mr Bidmore. Met Mrs Boret at Trocadero for tea
& drive to The Gables. Spent night there.
SATURDAY 27th.
At ‘The Gables’. Drove to Et Windsor & lunched
with Borets at Castle Inn. Inspected chapel
& old Schools at Eton. Visited Nuttall’s
at Kingston. Spent night at The Gables. 

OCTOBER, 1917.
SUNDAY 28th.
Left Surbiton & went via Clapham Jct. to East
Croydon to stay Mrs Bidmead.
Very welcome & spent delightful evening,
Singing &c. Lovely apples & pears.
MONDAY 29th.
Called on Miss Bage, invited to stay with
Bages at Tavistock Square.
Met at Bage's Mr Peter Clark & also
Lt Blake.
Left Ivanhoe Hotel
Spoke to Bruggy at Horseferry Rd,
Air raid warning but no trouble.
TUESDAY 30th.
Bit sick in morning.
Stayed in bed till midday
Bought 8 engineering manuals for
Geoff.
WEDNESDAY 31st.
Went to 'The Boy' with
Mrs. Bage. Good show 

NOVEMBER, 1917.
THURSDAY 1st 
Lunched with J C Whitehill
at Simpson's Cheapside. Fish
Dinner. Guessing cheese.
Drew £35. Inspected Harrod's
& dined at Frascati's.
FRIDAY 2nd.
Got Letters, NELL 103, 104, 105.
Jean 3, Nellie, Fred, Doug, Rab,
Geoff 62 & 2 Sept, Elsie, Peggy Robinson
Nellies written.
Left Paddington (London) 11.20 am, arrived
Fishguard (Wales) about 7 p.m. Dined at
Hotel & went aboard steamer to KINGLERE
about 10 pm & went to bed. A pleasant
trip through picturesque country.
SATURDAY 3rd.
WROTE NELL 71
Arrived in CORK about 10.30 am. Drove in
Irish Car to Moore's Hotel on river.
Called on Mr Clegg. Walked around.
Rather a damp day. 

NOVEMBER, 1917.
SUNDAY 4th 
Went by steam train to BLARNEY. Nice day. Went
to top of old Castle & saw procession
of 1600 Sinn Feiners with pipe band & flags march
to near St Ann's & engage in drill all afternoon.
I touched the Blarney Stone. Walked to Hydro
at St Ann's & lunched there. Walked another 5
miles towards Cork, had cup of tea & caught train to Cork
MONDAY 5th.
Left Cork at 9.45 am. Arrived at
Dublin about 4.30 pm. Put up at
Shelbourne Hotel. Called on Rt Hon Mr
Justice Dodd at 26 Fitzwilliam Square &
dined with him & daughter. Made
very welcome.
TUESDAY 6th 
Made an honorary member of
St Stephens Green Club. Shown over Bank
of Ireland (old Parliament House) & Bank of
Ulster. Went over Guinness' great
Brewery. Spent latter half afternoon at
the club. Dined with the Judge.
Inspected damage by riots in Sackville
WEDNESDAY 7th.
Lt Col Clarke took me in Car to Monkstown
& other places. Visited Trinity College
& Dollymount. Dinner party
for my honor at Mr Justice Dodd's. 

NOVEMBER, 1917.
THURSDAY 8th.
Left Dublin 9 am, arrived Belfast
11.45 am Put up at Linen Hall Hotel
opp new City Hall.
Called on Sir Charles Brett. Lunched
with his son at Ulster Unionist Club.
Went over Gallagher's Tobacco Works &
the big York St Linen Mills.
Bought doz serviettes.
FRIDAY 9th.
Went through Harland & Wolf's
big Shipbuilding Yards. Left by
S.S. TIGER at 9.30 pm for Glasgow.
Rough in channel. I slept
well
SATURDAY 10th.
Visited "Dickson's Blazes" & had
dinner & tea at Brown's, Newlands.
Spent pleasant evening. I sang
The Bellringer. 
Arrived Glasgow 9.30 am
& put up at Waverley Hotel in
Sauchiehall St 

NOVEMBER, 1917.
SUNDAY 11th 
Attended Glasgow Cathedral
had tea at Brown's & went to church
with them.
MONDAY 12th 
Went to Prestwick. Lunched & had
tea & supper at Biggart Memorial
Home. Inspected Kids who paraded
& sang. Saw some sorry sights; poor
mites suffering for sins of the
parents.
Slept at Mrs Smith's.
Pott's fiancee, Miss Kelly - O.K
TUESDAY 13th.
[*X*] Miss Kelly & I visit AYR & the
Banks of Doon; Burns Monument
& Gardens. Brig o' Doon, Allowny
Kirk, Tam o’ Shanter pub, Burns cottage.

Went to Kilmarnock, called on
Mr Brown, drafted statement of a/cs &
Stayed night J. BORLAND'S.
[*X*]
WEDNESDAY 14th 
A.P. Brown & I signed dup
Statements. Had tea & supper at the
Manson's. Met Mrs. & Miss Smellie.
Left for Sheffield at 10 pm 

NOVEMBER, 1917.
THURSDAY 15th 
Arrived Sheffield 4 am. Could
not get bed. Got chair at King's Head.
Visited Hemming's tool steel works,
Vicker's munition works
Hadfield’s   --          --
Left Sheffield 7.15 pm & reached
London - St Pancras 11 p.m.
Rejoined Mrs Bage.
FRIDAY 16th.
Called at Horseferry Road.
Met Lt Baxter & took him lunch at
Piccadilly Off Club. Met Col Sutton, Col
Nicholson, Major Ginger Byrne & ors.
Bought miniature of V.D
SATURDAY 17th.
Posted lace & 6 Serviettes to Nell.
Lodged Scotch Statements in Q. N. Bank
Met Mrs & Miss Bage & lunched at the
Chanticleer Cafe in Soho.
I took the Bages to see operette
"Arlette’ at Shaftesbury Theatre. A
very good show. 

NOVEMBER, 1917.
SUNDAY 18th.
Visited Wandsworth Hospital.
MONDAY 19th.
WROTE NELL 72 Got letters
NELL 106, Geoff 63,
Nellie & note Nell, brother Doug, Elsie,
Wharf St girls. Called on Arthur Mee. 
Did shopping at Harrods & visited
South Kensington Museum & Brompton
oratory. Lunched at Chanticleer Dafe
Frith St Soho. Dined at home.
TUESDAY 20th.
Called on Arthur Mee.
113 Cheapside - Reeves . Colormen)
Barbe & Co Germyn St
Met Mills & Col Nicholson for lunch at 138
Piccadilly. Coffee with Mrs Primrose at The
Empire Club, Dover St  Reception at Overseas
Officers Club Pall Mall. Met Countess Gleichen &
Mrs Hanbury Tracey.
Dined at The Gables, Surbiton.
Mills took Serviettes & books for Kiddies
WEDNESDAY 21st.
Posted Kelly's presents home & books
to Sister Kelly. Lunched at Cheapside -
Went through the Temple, Inns of
Court & Lincoln's Inn Fields.
Mrs Bage, Capt Hodgson & I attended
opera Carminetta
Mrs Reid & Miss Moore dined at Bage's
Afternoon tea at Lyceum (Ladies) Club. 

NOVEMBER, 1917.
THURSDAY 22nd.
Shopping - called at Sparrow & Co Mr B
at lunch. Called on James Allan at
Y.M.C.A. Met Phylis Boret.
Posted modelling wax to Doug
Shopping at Harrod's.
FRIDAY 23rd 
Presented Silver ink pot to Mrs Bage.
Left Charing X at 1.50. Mrs Boret & daught
saw me off. Met Col Aytoun at
Folkestone. Arrived Boulogne
abt 5 pm. Put up at Folkestone
Hotel.
SATURDAY 24th 
Left Boulogne at 10 a.m. Lunched
at Calais. Dined at Bailleul.
Arrived at Fairy Farm Locre
about 9.30 pm.
Good Quarters.
Got LETTERS . Nell 107, & note also
Doug; W.E. Irving, Mrs Vidgen. Photo
Forster's birds
Got 3 parcels & 1 for Booth.