Diary of David James Stone, 1916-1917 - Part 2

Dear Mum. This is a diary
I have been keeping if you
put the pages together as they
run in months you will
have it all right. you needent
show it to any one but our
relations. hoping you and Alf
is both well and Em & joe too.
Sorry to hear of the old home,
Will be writing a long letter
tomorrow with love from Dave

September continued.
-November-
13th Continued our journey to Flers arriving there 2 P.M.
16th Still at Flers in supports German aeroplane falls
here from our anti air craft gun fire
17th Severe snows and frosts here (Flers)
19th Left Flers for front line
21st Left front line for supports about and 1 A.M.
22nd Got trench feet and leave supports
23rd Arrive at Heley hospital
24th Leave Heley by train at 12 noon for Rouen
arriving there in hospital about 11 P.M.
-December-
19th Left France on hospital Ship Pastle Carisbrook 
Castle about 4 a.m. arriving at Victoria
Royal hospital about 2 p.m.
18th Left No 3 stationary hospital Rouen and
took train to Havre, (last two to be reversed)
27th Still at V.K. hospital had an argument
-1917 January 1917-
Left 9th Left Netley V.R. hospital about 10.30 a.m.
And arrived at the Australian C. Camp Dartford 2p.m.
15th Left A.C.C. Dartford 9 a. m. for train at Dartford
and left for London 10.30. A. M. reached London 12 noon

Dece January (continued) ==
16th
staying at Waterloo Road Y.M. C. A. London
21st Still at y.M.C.A. went round London
with an English Chap -
22nd Went through the Tower of London and to
theatre that night
23rd Went out to Silvertown where the explosion occurred
25th Went out on the purpose of having a look through
the British Museum it being closed to visitors
went through another and Westminister Abbey
28th Had dinner at my friends place
30th Left London for Perham Downs Camp arriving
there same day
= February =
2nd Still at Perham Downs very cold here
12th Commenced drilling with rifle in No 2 Camp
27th On fatigue in sergeants mess Perham Downs
= March =
2nd Removed to No5 Camp Perham Downs
16th Still in No 5 Camp drilling and practicing
= April -
3rd Warned for a draft to go to France

= April (continued) =
4th Left for France at 9 p.m. in entrained at Tedworth
5th Arrived at Shore Cliff at 5 a.m. boarded boat 9 a.m.
Sailed 10 a.m. arrived at Boulonge 1 P.M.
and marched to a camp outside the town
6th Left Camp at Boulonge at 5.30. P.M. and
entrained for Etaples 6.15:p.m. arriving there 10p.m.
9th Went to bullring on bayonet fighting
practice and bomb raiding
11th Throwing live bombs at Bullring
12th Night operations at bullring
13th Rifle shooting near Camp
14th Rifle drill and extended order drill at BR
18th Went through gass at bullring
22nd Warned for draft to rejoing the Battalion
24th Left Etaples 7.30. a.m. and arrive in Albert 3.P.M.
12.30I & rejoined the Battalion
25th Left Albert about 10.30. a.m. arriving at Buire
12.30. and rejoined the Battalion there
= May =
2nd On leave in Amiens
3rd Shot in competition and won by 62 shots 

= May (continued) =
6th Sent to Worloy, to attend musketry School
12th Last day at School went on field practice
near Theipval
13th Left Worloy for Buire to join battalion
15th Left Buire for North by rail at 3 p.M.
16th Passed Caestre & Strazelle and arrived near
Veux Berquin in the Afternoon
31st Left Veux Berquin for Neave Englise
= June =
1st Went to firing line on fatigue work
7th Recalled to stretcher bearers and left
Neave Englise for the advance at Messimes
and arrived at firing line 12 noon
8th Under heavy shell file in firing line
9th Left firing line with shell concussion
and arrived at a A.N.Z.A.C. rest camp
19th Left rest camp for transports at Steenwerck
21st Left Steenwerck for Veux Berquin and
rejoined the Battalion there
30th Leave verse Berquin for vicinity of
firing line & arrived in bivowarks on Kemmel Hill
Near Neuve Englise 

= July =
8th Boxed in tournament but didn't want it so
challenged the winner for 300 francs
13th Left bivowarks for firing line near Messimes
19th Left firing line and arrived back in bivowarks
21st Left bivowarks and arrived in billets in the
vicinity of Bailuel and Steenje
= August =
8th Left billets on a route march of about 12 mls.
passing through Steenwerck and arrived
in tents on Kemel Hill wet thro with rain
13th Went to firing line with a fatigue party
{16th Went again to line on fatigue }
{15th Left Kemel Hill for dugouts in the}
{vicinity of firing line (to be reversed)}
18th Went again to firing line on fatigue
20th Left dugouts for tents Between Bailuel & Neuve Englise
22nd Left tents and arrived in tunnel in Plug Street
24th Went on fatigue to firing line
25 & 27th Went again to firing line on fatigue
31st Left tunnel for tents we had left before coming
here between Bailuel & Neuve Englise 

= September =
1st Left tents about 8. a.m. and arrived in billets
3 killo's from Castre passing through Bailuel
4th Left billets by, motor lorries for Coyecque arriving same day
7th Put in bird cage by St Johns and relieved by him qr of
an hour later
8th Battalion held sports here today
13th In rest billets at Coyecque
20th Left Coyecque by motor lorries for billets in Belgium
21st left billets for dugouts on Ypres canal at Ypres
25th Left dug outs for a hop over and gained all objectives
26th. LGot wounded and went to Canadian Clearing Station
from there went to Bouen arriving in No 11 Stationary H
27th Went under an operation and had metal removed
= October =
16th Still in hospital at Rouen Marked to go to Blighty
24th Left Rouen for England about 6 a.m. arriving at
Havre 10 a. m. Boarded the "Grantully Castle" 4 P.M.
25th Arrived in England in the afternoon after a
very rough voyage and arrived at Bristol by
rail during the night and was sent to Bishop's
Knoll Hospital.