Diary of John Hardie, 1918 - Part 1

 

February 1^st 1918

Left Warminster on the first. Like

leaving home everyone were so kind.

Landed at Havre 2^nd everything

passed off all right.

Left the Base on the 4^th and

arrived at the Reinforcement camp

at Castre on the 6^th

Rejoined the Battalion at

Armentieres on the 9^th

Went into the line on the 25^th of

February at La Bassiville.

Everything marvellously quiet

Were withdrawn to dead horse

corner on the 3^rd of March and

now on a carrying party to the

front line. Can see the spires

of Lille in the distance from

the line.

Ours boys raided Fritezes

trenches late on the night of

the third. Very successful.

 

 

Again on the 4^th was a complete

failure, many lives lost

March the 5^th things getting

rater lively.

6^th shelled the cookhouse 

and blew up an old shell

dump -

7^th Shelled all day things

rather unpleasant. relieved

late at night.

8^th Leaving camp for Desvres

for a spell away from the line

arrived at Dervres late at night

and marched to billets at

Cremarest a distance of five miles

Had no food for twenty four 

hours. Quite a distance from

the line and near to Boulonge

everything very pretty

Battalion Headquarters 

at Bellebrine two miles away
March 21^st nine Oclock at night

just received word to be ready to

march out at any moment.

Germans attacking on the Western

front.

Friday 22^nd been standing to

since early this morning

going sometime tonight

marched out just as the sun

was going down and entrained

at two Oclock in the morning

many miles from starting point
[*Nollington*]

Detrained at Abeele nine o'\clock

in the morning of the 23^rd

Left Abeele early next morning

for an unknown destination

The whole division moving by

motor lorries. Passed through

Watteau, Abeele, Steenvoorde,

Hazebrouck and left lorries

at Wallen Cappel, marched

 

on through Sercus and camped

on the outskirts of Lynde

Weather very hot

Left Lynde at two Oclock on the

morning of the 26^th of March

passed through Morebacque

and entrained at Steenbecque.

Detrained again at Doullens at

midday and marched along the

Arras road. Billeted late that

night at a village called

Pas-de-Actois. All the civilian

population in full flight

from the advancing Huns

Left there on the morning of the

27th at 4 Oclock in Lorries

for some place near Albert.

Went into the trenches there

[*✓*] but left again at midnight,

and marched on to Corbie

where we arrived about
dinner time on the 28 of March
Fritz shelling the town
It is about one of the prettiest
town I have seen in France
March 28^th (Good friday) moved out again
to a village several miles away.
Shelled out of our billets on the
morning of the 30^th
OUr Battalion counter attacked
at three Oclock on the 30^th of March
Were absolutely cut to pieces

Reinforcements arrived after dark
and we pushed home the attack
Were releived early in the
morning and marched back

to a Village four miles away 30^th
It rained very heavily during the battle.
1^st April shelled out of our billets
several men wounded. (Cachy)

 

Reorganised and marched into

Villers-Bretonneux on the night of

the 2^nd of April.

Wounded on Guard at dusk on

the 3^rd and was taken down to

Amiens by ambulance after

midnight.

Operated early on the morning of

the 4^th at the C.C.S.  just

outside Amiens and afterwards

removed to Abbeville by car

where we landed about noon

Feeling very sick.

Operation only partially 

successful, another one needed

shortly, expecting it tonight

many of the lads that came

in with me went away to Blighty

tonight. I'm too sick to go

5^th April feeling a bit better

going to Blightly tonight or in the

morning. Hear there has been a big

battle round Brittoneux and seven

thousand wounded are comming down

Left for England at two Oclock 

on the morning of the 6^th (improving)

Got to Boulouge about midday

and went on board the Pietre-De

Conock. Landed at Dover late

that night and was put on board

the train. Was taken off at Brighton

and were admitted to Kitchener

Hospital.

Was seriously ill for about fourteen

days, but had a most enjoyable

time during the rest of my stay

there and made many friends.

Left there for Harefield Park

the Australian Hospital on 

the 21^st of May. Very much

disgusted with the new place

Treatment very bad.

 

Boarded and marked C.2.

Sent down to Weymouth

on the 31^st of May.

Find I have been sent to a 

camp.

1^st Jn. Examined next morning at

Wentham camp and sent away

to Littlemoor where I was admitted

to the camp Hospital.

Would not doing at all well

7^th June  Went before General Ryan

for final board and got C.2

again.

15 July boat sunk off Devonport

at a quarter to five only a few lost

went down singing Australia -

will be there.

850 sick and wounded on

board.

31^st of July. Left Upway by train

for Devonport where we embarked

for Australia.

We had a most enjoyable

trip in the train. The

country looked so pretty

and the people were most

kind to us.

Our boat, which is the mail

boat Malta, a vessel of 

about 6000 tons which

belongs to the P. & O. Coy

pulled out into the bay

that night.

At Daylight next morning

the 1^st of August we sailed 

out with a convoy of eleven

other ships and seven

destroyers.

Our boat rolls a great deal

and doesint seem to be

 

 

a very good sea boat

5^th August passed a convoy

of seven ships carrying

American troops escorted

by eleven destroyers, one

cruiser and an observation

balloon.

Weather getting very rough

boat rolling a great deal

and shipping much

water.

Night was very rough had

no sleep, couldn't lye in

bed.

Bill of Fare

Sunday [*Breakfast*]

Porridge straight

Coffee.

Bread and Butter
Dinner

Bully Beef and Potatoes

Rice and apples

Tea

Bread Butter, some cheese,

if you are able to catch it

and tea.

Monday Ditto

Tuesday      "

Wednesday  "

Thursday      "

Friday           "

Saturday      "

Colonel says we are

being too well fed

and want more discipline

August 11th weather

getting very warm.

 

 

14^th August drew into Sierre Leone

and dropped anchor at dark

Sailed out on the evening

of the 16^th

The little Nigger boys were

very amusing, we had them

diving for pennies, and

singing Australia will be there.

also many other patriotic

songs.
Some of the Nigroes are

surprising as they are

thorough [[?]] although

they are black.

I was talking to one or two

who could put [[mayra?]] of 

the white people in this bad

21^st Sliker died and was

buried at sea.

23^rd Aug another died and

was buried at 5.P.M.
August 24^th Captain Cox

died and was buried at

sea at 5. P.M.

Sea just looks like

oil.

Drew into Capetown on the

morning of the 29^th of Aug.

Went ashore that evening

and the people gave some of

us a trip over the Table

mountain in motor busses

Everyone have were so

kind to us.

We left again at noon

on the evening of the 31st.

There were several troopships 

in the harbour including

the boat carrying 400

English brides to Australia

 

 

Sept 2^nd  weather very rough

shipping many heavy seas

One came down the hatch

and flooded our deck

a lot of the deck fittings

smashed

Sept 3^rd Weather rougher, still

waves breaking over us and

much water comming down

the hatches.

Sept 4^th much the same

5^th getting much calmer

Sept 12^th passed an island

called St. Pauls at 2 PM

It is a very barren place

of bone dry construction

and is uninhabited

Every second boat that

passes I hear draws in

close to the shore to

see if any ship wrecked
persons are there

I hear also that every year

a store of rations are put 

ashore in case of being

needed by some of such.

There isnt the slightest

sign of any vegetation of

any description and deep

water just right up to the

cliffs edge.

To look at it from the

position we [[?]], or [[?]]

it would be impossible

to land as the cliffs tail

at the water's [[?]] and

sure jump hundreds of feet

high at certain number

of old craters were also visable

and the whole surface
seemed covered by small

white stones.

 

Our boat fired several

rockets but as there were

no answering signals we

shoved off and were out 

of sight in a couple of

hours.

Sept 13  Weather again rather

rough and boat rolling

badly. The old boat

rolls at the slightest

sign of a swell.

It makes everything very

awkward carrying the 

[[?]] down the line

Someone slips every morning

and comes down with a

general mix up.

Oh well such is life

on Ocean waves

Rocked in the cradle

of the deep.

Sept 23^rd, sighted Kangaroo

Island at eleven A.M.

Sighted the [[?]] island at

six P.M.

Sept 24^th Landed at Port

of Adelaide early in the morning

and had a great time

and afterwards, went into

Adelaide and had

a magnificent time.

Sept 25^th went to a [[?]]

over the hills the other

side of the city.

 

L.B. Hind & Co

136 Elizabeth Street

And Basements

oil  Harris 466 Cleveland at

Redfern

Macdonald, Hamilton & Co

Agents, Union House

247 George St

Sydney

70 Marlborough Street

Surrey Hills

"Fren"

C.R. Bansoy

5 Barlow St.

(Harness) Sydney

G.L. Cooper

15A George St West

Near Grace Bros

(Chains)

Uncle Wiseman

Bapaume House

Castlereigh & Goulbourne St.

Sydney