Diary of Percy George Rupert Parkes, 1916-1917 - Part 4

AUGUST 1915
31 2 MONDAY
M. Capt Conran sent for during night heard
then that Capt K was missing. Awful waiting
in suspense. As day dawned we heard
that things had not gone to well up there
& a lot of casualties. At midday was
sent for to go up & take command.
Arrived up there to find Coy in support
behind line they dug last night. C Coy
holding front line.
Trenches & Sap leading up an awful
sight.
C.O. 1 3 TUESDAY
Received orders to report back to
Sausage Valley. All through the night
shelling continued on R Trench.
Very ^few wounded, these could not be
sent down to Aid Post on account of
barage. Arrived down at Valley without
casualties. Some of the men broke up

completely. At night D Coy carried rations to
21^st in the line. Receive word to take Coy up
again & relieve a Coy of 21^st
2 4 WEDNESDAY
At 2,30 this morning had a cup of tea all
round & started off. The men were done up
considerably but stuck to it. Arrived up there
& dashed across the open to get to their trenches.
believing by going along trench would

take too long & it would soon be bright
daylight as it was we could see Germans
moving about. Settled down as best we
could in what were once trenches.

1915 AUGUST
3 5 THURSDAY

Stick to it all day bursts 

of shelling in reply to our

heavy artillery fire which

is incessant all along their

trenches. Evacuated one portion

of my trench & drew to either

flank trench leveled to the

ground & could not dig it out

while it was light

4 6 FRIDAY

Shelling all day. Called to Bn HQ

this afternoon & given orders for

work by 'D Coy' in conjunction 

with attack by other Bn.

Make way back through heavy 

barage & get Coy moving.

9.15 we rush the road & begin 

to dig in casualties start early

^(4off) & increase. We work on all through

night but little headway owing

5 7 SATURDAY
to Machine Gun enfilading us

withdraw right down the road & also

a trench mortar is playing on us.

As daylight draws nearer I can see

I must withdraw as the work

cannot get finished & my casualities

are heavy. Post Machine Guns covering

6 8 SUNDAY

work & come back to the trench.

Are withdrawn from trenches this morning have

dinner & tea in Gully & move about, 1000 yds in

rear to bivouac for night.

AUGUST 1915
7 9 MONDAY

Was looking forward to a sleep last

night. About 11 oclock a shell

landed in amongst us & instantly

everyone was astir. This was kept up all

night - one about every 10 minutes.

Marched out this morning for Warloy

looking a sorry crowd & feeling it to.

At dinner-time was halted outside

village & had dinner. Called up by

Major & congratulated on receiving my

3rd star. Moved into billets in afternoon.

8 10 TUESDAY

Much better after nights rest.

Set to work & build up the

platoons with reinforcements that

were attached to me in the 

trenches. The old men in each 

platoon averaged about 10 to 12

men.

9 11 WEDNESDAY

Carry on organizing the Company

& selecting N.C.Os. It is 

practically a new Company.

now. It was just like starting 

at the bottom with new lot of

men & making them into a

Company.

Write up Diary left before going to trenches.

1915 AUGUST
10 12 THURSDAY

Marching orders. En-route we

will pass the King.

About 3 miles from Warloy we were

halted & lined up along the road

waited about 1½ hours before

his car was sighted some distance

of. As he drove slowly by we stood

to attention. Photos one sees of him

is much like him. Following him

came the Prince of Wales.

11 13 FRIDAY

Bivouaced last night in large orchard

Leave this morning for Beaut Berteaucourt

Long halts owing to Artillery passing

our track.

Passing along the people here are

beginning to get their crops in

Some use the scythe or most of them

do Only saw one reaper & binder. Women 

are doing most of the work

12 14 SATURDAY

Parade & general clean up of

equipment. Pay afternoon.

13 15 SUNDAY

Church Parade. Bath & change of

clothing (much needed) this afternoon

AUGUST 1915
14 16 MONDAY

Training to be carried out

during the week pretty solidily.

March out about a mile & 

get doing in the old way of

drill

15 17 TUESDAY

Same work as yesterday.

Am in very nice Billet here

of which I am glad, just feel as

though I can never regain my

dash & everything seems a burden

in the way of work. All the old

boys seem the same. In two or

three days though everything will be

alright.

16 18 WEDNESDAY

Had my best sleep that I have

had for weeks & feel much better

for it. Have practise night attack

tonight of over some trenches.

1915 AUGUST
17 19 THURSDAY

18 20  FRIDAY

19 21  SATURDAY

20 22  SUNDAY

AUGUST 1915
21 23  MONDAY

Leave "Vardencourt" for "Albert" this

morning after dumping packs & getting

into fighting Order.

Bivouac for the night at Brickfields

just outside Albert.

Met Vic Binder & had a yarn.

1^st Div have had a go over again &

got on well we hear.

Turn in for as much sleep as possible

22 24 TUESDAY

Left Brickfields hurriedly at 5 AM &

marched to Sausage Gully there halted

until lunch time. Relief then started C A D B

Coys. I just got in & Coy settled down after

an hours hard going when Barage started. It

lasted for about 2 hours & reports say it was heaviest

yet been at Posieres. It was terrific. Orders follow

that D Coy were to dig trench bef between our lines &

Bosche. Got to work as soon as it was dark &

led my men from Tramway trench where we

were out to No Man's land ready for work.

23 25 WEDNESDAY

My guides failed me & being new to the

positions had no idea of the line.

Took my runner & crawled out & after

wandering round for two hours in shell holes

& craters in No Mans land not knowing

when we would meet a Bosche patrol we

found it in the end. Filed the men out

& got them digging for their lives at 4 AM

I withdrew them & back to our trench. Rested

that day & out again tonight. This

time able to pick up the track as we knew it

1915 AUGUST
24 26 THURSDAY

(Stunt by 21^st Bn) & 22^nd Bn

Good work done last night by both parties.

Our party connecting B & A Coy by trench that had

been blown up. This trench was awful &

full of dead. It is one of the worst trenches

in the line it is a sap used by us for reliefs &

the Hun knows it. "Centre-way Avenue"

leading from my trench to front line is

also a death trap. This is continually being

shelled & when going about it one has to

dodge & duck constantly. At night it is 

dug out & in the course of a few hours shelled

in again. Coy out again tonight continuing

on job. Good work done
25 27 FRIDAY

Arrived back at Trench about 4.30 AM.

found place pretty well levelled. Had to

clear trench & dig out before any thought

of rest.

Out again tonight have to dig a forward

50 yds further out & connect up two Strong

Posts of A. & B. Coys. with a narrow trench.

This proved difficult as I said before there is

nothing whatever to guide one when many

shell craters are about & its dark.

C.O. is pleased with our good work each night

26 28 SATURDAY

^Coy stood by all day pending Orders from Brigade to

move anywhere. After dinner orders to take up

position on 24^th Bn right & on left 23^rd. Took men after

lot of manouvering about up here & down there etc.

Settled down for night ready for xxxxxx anything

that comes along. Orders came 24^th to be relieved

by 15 Bn at midnight Roumania declared ^war
27 29 SUNDAY

Waited all night for relief but came at last about 4 AM

My Coy returned to the Tramway trench. 23^rd then got

orders for relieve. Heavy rain & very hard going

AUG. & SEPT. 1915

28 30 MONDAY

Hear Capt Ken is safe & prisoner in Germany.

with wounded foot . . Good news.

Marched to Warloy.

Had a decent rest last night &

feel much refreshed

Our casualties this time were not

as heavy as last. No advancing was

done but sapping out & digging advanced

trenches towards Germans. Four nights

running I had my Coy out who did

splendid work. Our trench when at "home"

in daytime only was blown in each night

whilst away so that shows were were lucky

enough to be "out" each time.

29 31 TUESDAY

Arrive Herrisart this morning & 

Billet. Went to Amiens with Noalls

this afternoon. Heavy storm roads flooded

& places up to the body of the Car.

Amien a pretty large place fine shops

best place I have seen since arriving

in France. Magnificent Cathedral.

Arrived home 10 pm.

Passed Regt of Canadians during our 

march. Relieving us at P.

30 1 WEDNESDAY

Left "Herrisart" for "Bonneville" about 10

miles. Poured rain all the way which

made march trying.

Getting back to trenches again. The Artillery

from the Germans was still very heavy &

we got very little peace. Our own kept

pounding away & goodness only knows

how the Hun get an on. Things on the

whole were more ^cleared the saps, pleasant but it was

awful in places & can't be described

1915 SEPTEMBER

31 2 THURSDAY

General Birdwood again inspects the

Brigade & decorates several with

M.M. M.C & D.C.M's. Maj Smith M.C. & about half

dozen "D Coy" boys.

Afternoon write up my diary that

has been left since going into trenches.

1 3 FRIDAY

Company Training morning & 

afternoon.

Confirmation of Captaincy dates

back 12-8-16

2 4 SATURDAY

Company training this morning

Route march afternoon.

F.G.C.M. Keath, Nugent & Holingsworth.

More orders for tomorrow.

3 5 SUNDAY

Leave at 8AM for Gezaincourt about 6

miles march & just outside Doulliens.

Rest two places very hard to find Officers Billets

SEPTEMBER 1915
4 6 MONDAY

Stand by today ready for entraining

orders.

Finish F.G.C.M.

5 7 TUESDAY

Leave Gezaincourt at midday for

Doullens to entrain. Doullens pretty

large town & shops seem better class

than further South. Entrain at 4.30 &

via Grouches, Bouquemaison, Frevent,

St Pol, Camblain Chatelain, & detrain at

Hazelbrouck at middnight. A march then

of 10 miles brought us through Poperinghe to

our Billet Huts at "Toronto". Last part of our

tramp through deep mud.

6 8 WEDNESDAY

Sleep in till midday. We are in 

Belgium just behind Ypres. We 

stay here until we take over the

line.

1915 SEPTEMBER
7 9 THURSDAY

General clean up & try & get rid of

some mud we have collected

during the last few days.

This finish drill & training commences.

This portion of the line is noted for

Gas so every precaution is being taken.

The country up this way seems more at

home than Posiesers. More hop growing

here & general farming than crops

that we saw so much off South.

8 10 FRIDAY

Drill & training with games.

Rode into Poperinghe last night for

dinner. Many places bear the Dutch

names of South Africa. The population

is a mixture of French, Belgium &

Dutch. The town itself is very poor &

marks of sometime bombardment are

still showing.

9 11 SATURDAY

Glorious weather & we are enjoying

the mild spell very much.

Half holiday this afternoon when

Football & games are indulged in.

Large mail from home.

10 12 SUNDAY

Church Parade with General Birdwood present

SEPTEMBER 1915
11 13 MONDAY

12 14 TUESDAY

Make ready for leaving & go to the

trenches. Coy Commanders rode up

tonight through YPRES leaving horses

there & walk to Trenches about 1½ miles

from YPRES Look over our sectors & 

get back about 3 AM. Ypres is a large

City simply ruined. A large wall circles

round it on on side with a moat on

the outside. We got out through the wall

at LILLEGATE.

13 15 WEDNESDAY

Entrain for 7 mile journey to YPRES 

& billet there in cl cellars of ruined

houses & Hospital

1915 SEPTEMBER
14 16 THURSDAY

Entrain for 10 mile journey to YPRES

Keep down all day pretty well

The City is a mass of ruins which

cannot be pictured. The beautiful

Cloth Hall & churches simply smashed

to atoms. One church is left pretty

intact inside but all the Statues

have the heads smashed off them.

Leave tonight for trenches & take over

15 17 FRIDAY

Trenches in bad state & old. 'D Coy'

in supports at H.W.H & platoon at L.F.

Most remarkable line. German command

our position from high ground therefore

they look right into us. Not a movement

in daytime. Very quiet along front

evidently Huns artillery is scarce

this way. Remarkable how this

Sector has changed it, a few weeks back

was the hottest in the line.

16 18 SATURDAY

Working parties work at night raising

Duck Boards & draining. Gas

attack by Div on our left tonight &

a Raid by them. Evidently going

to wake the Hun up along the line

again after him being quite for awhile.

17 19 SUNDAY

Quiet all day. Walk out & explored

the line. More than half line not

under cover & walking in open in full view

but not no sniping

SEPTEMBER 1915
18 20 MONDAY

Miserable day & raining, the

trench falls in in several places

which shows the place is rotten

Will have to revet up afresh if

it will stand the winter.

19 21 TUESDAY

Quiet during whole day. Working

parties for front line during night.

Work on our trench continued.

20 22 WEDNESDAY

Relief tomorrow night.

Place is getting very boring &

will ^be glad to get out.

Very little Artillery activity on

either side

Saw splendid piece of work by

an airman tonight He was flying

very low & Hun Anti Guns were blazing

at him. He took no notice & dived toward

Hun trenches & opened fire with

Machine Gun.

1915 SEPTEMBER
21 23 THURSDAY

Relief tonight very muddy & wet

getting out. Over boot tops & hardly

able to keep ones feet.

Billet at Hospital in Y. Cellars are

our rooms & j bunks put in them.

We are here for a week.

22 24 FRIDAY

Keep pretty low in daytime in

case of Areoplane observation.

Small parties wander about & see

the ruined city.

Fatigues Parties each night who go

up to front line & rebuild parapet &

dig communication saps.

Some places very bad & men working

up to their knees in mud. Only few Gum

Boots available

23 25 SATURDAY

Weather much better & able to

dry clothes. Usual Working Parties

tonight.

24 26 SUNDAY

Quiet & rest after nights work

SEPTEMBER 1915
25 27 MONDAY

The working during time

in reserve line. Working parties

every night & rest in day time.

26 28 TUESDAY

27 29 WEDNESDAY

1915 SEPT. & OCT.

28 30 THURSDAY

Make preparations for going into 

line again.

Am taking over part occupied

by "C Coy". Made all dispositions

on paper. The 1st time I have ever

had to do it before going &

taking over trenches.

Leave Billets at 7.15 & after good

going arrive at trenches 8.30.

Complete Relief at 9.30 pm.

29 1 FRIDAY

Line I hold very complicated.

In front of trench along Road I have

1 Platoon & 2 Machine Guns under a

Culvert in front of them again a 'Strong

Post' 2 N.C.Os & 12 men. At night have

8 posts of two men each across my

front & connecting up with Div on

my right left. My main line is held

very lightly. It is very long about 400

yds all told.

30 2 SATURDAY

Coy Hd Qt's are in large Dug Out at

X Roads. First landing at 20 feet down

another landing 30 ft below that.

It is an immense thing but very wet

& dark. Pumpers were going night &

day to keep water out of the bottom place.

1 3 SUNDAY

line very quiet, on left last night

a bomb stunt made things pretty

lively.

OCTOBER 1915

2 4 MONDAY

Doing much work in trenches

to make them dry. The Canadians

held these trenches prior to us

taking over. In front of my sector

is Hooge. Last time the Germans

attacked this front & drove Canadians

back. They were only successful in

regaining part of it. Now we are

at the bottom of a slope of

which the Germans are on the ridge 

& hold a very commanding view

3 5 TUESDAY

Still keeps very quiet. My

shift from 12 - 6 seems no time.

It takes fully an hour to visit 

the posts. At "Stand To" I slip

out along road & have look at

things at Culvert.

4 6 WEDNESDAY

Heavy bombardment in direction

of Hill 60. For an hour I watched

which just seemed one continuous

burst of H.E. & above that the flashes

of shrapnel. It last for about

two hours.

1915 OCTOBER
5 7 THURSDAY

To be relieved by 22^nd Bn tonight

G.O.C. General Legge came along

line this morning & had a look

at the work I was carrying

on with. He seemed pleased

with what was going on.

Relief tonight goes on serenely

& finished up about 9.30 which

is good going considering such

a difficult post.

6 8 FRIDAY

Sleep the sleep of the just

last night after broken scraps

during the week. Get up at

lunch time. Have a long

walk in afternoon to get some

fresh air.

C.O. goes on leave

7 9 SATURDAY

The same working Parties are

going out on night work.

Present intentions are that 22^nd

& 23^rd go back to our Billets at

Toronto & 21^st & 24^th take over line.

8 10 SUNDAY

Beautiful day & go for a walk

in morning Receive large mail 

today.