Diary of Percy George Rupert Parkes, 1916-1917 - Part 5
OCTOBER
1915
9 11 MONDAY
Visit the ruins of Ypres this
afternoon. Visit St Martins
Cathedral & Cloth Hall. both places
are utterly ruined, only a wall
& a half tower or so still standing
Walk towards Lille Gate & climb
a tower in large Cathedral. Fine view
out over Zillebeke Bund (Lake) One gets
some idea of a ruined town when
looking at it from a height.
10 12 TUESDAY
Intermitently shells 6" were just
passing our Billet & landing in Cloth
Hall.
Receive word about midnight that
we are to relieve 22nd Bn tomorrow
11 13 WEDNESDAY
Make preparations for 'going in' tonight.
Wish it was back for a spell. Our luck
is out this time right enough after
21st & 24th having 5 s weeks spells
Sky looks threatening but rain hangs
off while relieving. Very bright moon
prevents us going over land so resort
to saps.
Order form for new diaries - See original document.
Repeat of page 1 - see above
Order form for new diaries - See original document.
1915
OCTOBER
12 14 THURSDAY
I took over centre sector this time
on right of sector which I held
last time.
Disposition here simply manning
posts. Trenches can be improved
& Parapets very low therefore can
be observed from front & Hill 60 on
right.
My Dug Out very small unable to sit
up in it. Reminds me of Gallipoli.
13 15 FRIDAY
Plenty of men at my disposal
I set to work & revet trench
& raising parapet.
At present no movement is
allowed in Daytime, once parapets
are raised this will be allowed.
14 16 SATURDAY
It was very quiet
15 17 SUNDAY
continues quiet
OCTOBER
1915
16 18 MONDAY
My right flank rest on Sanctuary
Wood one time a famous battle
wood with the Canadians.
Conscription voting today
A large majority will not vote for
conscription & say no openly a certain
class will. The feeling is very strong
& a big surprise awaits 1 W Hughes
when the return goes in.
Personally I'm voting for it strongly
17 19 TUESDAY
Officer from 12th Durham light Inf around
this morning to look over line.
Very quiet all day. Fancy Artillery must
be relieving
Relief tonight & rain sets in. The Relieving
Regt take over with about 50 rifles.
They are just back from Somme.
Track out very bad until we get to the Duck
boards. Entrain at YPRES & back to our
station where we entrained on going up.
18 20 WEDNESDAY
After getting out of train last night & started
for our Billets the whole Battn got hopelessly lost
through very bad management. Marched past
our intended billets. Raining heavily soaked to
the skin was very trying for us all. Found empty
billets & got in there for night.
Up this morning & found out our Billets & marched
back. Turn in after taking off clothes first time
for a week. Sleep up till dawn time
Ottawa Camp is our spot.
1915
OCTOBER
19 21 THURSDAY
Comfortable little Camp but muddy
of course. Spend day in
cleaning up generally.
Marching orders out the Somme
again seems to be the general
talk of everyone in the Mess
20 22 FRIDAY
March out this morning at 8.30 very
cold it been a very heavy frost & ice
laying about
Turned out glorious day & except for
some men having soft feet, after
being in trenches for sometime, the
march was good. We arrive at Winnezeele
& find billeting arrangements "messed up' again
through no fault of billeting Officer. Find billets
for men eventually & one for the Officers (8 miles)
21 23 SATURDAY
We were exceptionally fortunate in our billet this
time. We are with the school mistress in the
house adjoining the Ecole. A fine of old dame,
her sister & a younger woman. A more homely
place I have never been in, they cannot do
enough for us. The Brigade assembles at
Steenwerck to hear lecturers on consumption
22 24 SUNDAY
On the track again this morning another
glorious day for marching arrive at Billets
at Arneke at midday (7 miles)
OCTOBER
1915
23 25 MONDAY
Arneke was quite a decent town & a
superior class of people seemed to live.
Had a dinner with C.O & 6 other officers
last night.
A long march today probably the longest
march in one day we have done (19 miles)
Starting at 7.30 AM we marched all day
arriving at Bayenghem at small village
at 6 kilos from St Omer, very tired. I marched
pretty well the whole way lending my horse to
chaps with bad feet. They stuck to it well.
24 26 TUESDAY
Raining again, rest all day as we
march to St Omer tonight to entrain.
leave Bayenghem at 7pm & arrive at
St Omer at 9pm. The trucks the men are
travelling in are anything but clean &
one truck I condemned & wouldn't allow
men to travel it having been used for
horses & not cleaned out after. Its bad
enough travelling in truck let alone when
dirty. Start on journey at 10.30pm.
25 27 WEDNESDAY
I slept most of the way sitting up. It was
very cold travelling. Our route was through
Boulogne, Etaples, arriving in Longpre
about 8.30 AM. It was still raining
when we detrained & we had about a
6 mile march in front of us to a
small village, down in a hollow as most
French villages are, called
& arrived about midday
1915
OCTOBER
26 28 THURSDAY
Spell today
We notice the difference of in the
attitude of the people down this way
to what they are further north where
they cannot do enough for us. Here
its the opposite & rather work against
us & would do anything in some cases
to get rid of us. A favourite game of some
is to grab a handful of feathers & come
with the waterwork turned on saying
the soldiers killed some fowls. It makes
one fairly boil to see this kind of thing
go on.
27 29 FRIDAY
Motor transport (French) convoy troops
today starting at 8AM the 6th & 7th Bgdes
carried in motor waggons are taken
to within 4 miles of Albert. Passing through
Amien it took us about 6 or 7 hours to
do the journey. A large number of German
prisoners are employed on the roads.
The look of disgust on some of their faces
is very noticeable. Others inclined to sneer.
There are some fine type of men among them &
others very young.
28 30 SATURDAY
This place is overcrowded with troops
& very difficult to buy stuff anywhere.
Its only a small place & frightfully
muddy, not as x bad as in the trenches
I guess.
29 31 SUNDAY
1st Church Parade for weeks held
in Barn with a dray for the
Pulpit
NOVEMBER
1915
30 1 MONDAY
C.O has Battn parade &
afterwards devote both morning
& afternoon to drill & training
Just awaiting orders here
to move up anytime.
Company Officers occuppy 2
rooms in a house & we are very
comfortable. A piano adds to our
pleasure.
31 2 TUESDAY
Work same as yesterday.
Good place for a gallop on
our parade ground.
The other Coy Com & myself avails
ourselves of the opportunity &
revel in it as well as the horses.
1 3 WEDNESDAY
Short route march pass
numbers of Bosche prisoners
working. Passing one group
the N.C.O saluted me most
which is most uncommon.
1915
NOVEMBER
2 4 THURSDAY
Raining so suspend work.
Get the pony & ride to
Albert. The place is simply
cramed with troops.
Civilians are gradually
going back there.
Germans have been driven
too far back to shell it
much now. Ocassionally
the drop Bombs on the place.
Hun Areoplanes dropped Bombs on
Field Hospital near our parade ground.
Kill 8 Wound 40
3 5 FRIDAY
Move up to Wood the
road simply packed with
transport of all kinds. Pass
village in which Art was billeted
promptly left the column & set out
to find him. Found him well
Arrived at huts which are new
pattern, oval roofs getting to them
through mud about 1 ft deep. However
welcome they were for a nights rest.
4 6 SATURDAY
Orders to move up to Support line
behind 21st Bn. Leave at midday
via Montauban & Longueval picking
up our guide here. From now on we get to
the sea of mud. Through Flers village
that has recently been taken nothing
left but ruined mass. I relieved Coy of 31st Bn
5 7 SUNDAY
Trenches in bad state & rain is setting
in. by night trench is full off water we
are already standing in mud above our
boots.
NOVEMBER
1915
6 8 MONDAY
Our position each side of road running
from Flers to Bapumbe is very exposed
especially our trench which is called
Cheese trench & 300 yds behind front line.
We are observed from an thick wood on
our right flank from which guns
enfilade our trench. Movement
therefore in the daytime is impossible.
This is hard as cold is terrible & we
are unable to move to warm ourselves.
7 9 TUESDAY
Rations to front line are carried by
us this gives men a chance to exercise
themselves. Mud is beyond description
though as it is still raining. This
carrying work is very awkward though
A nasty ridge has to be crossed which
forms a skyline & consequently we become
under observation pretty often. Up goes his
flare then a rocket breaking in red stars.
The bosche replies with hot barage.
8 10 WEDNESDAY
Our B & C Coys relieved 21st last night
without casualties. All trenches now
are hopeless anywhere mud knee
deep & in saps too dangerous to walk
through.
Beginning to lose men through
trench feet.
7th Bdge attacked on left this morning. I
receive orders to immediately support them.
Rushing men up & find 7th have retired leaving
me in rather exposed position on my left
flank. Things are very mixed & some
mistake has been made anyway I do
my best & man 400 yds of trench with 80 men
throwing my Machine Gun
out in front.
1915
NOVEMBER
9 11 THURSDAY
Trench occuppied an awful
sight after this mornings attacked.
Dead lying everywhere casualties
heavy. Throughout day parties of my
men bring in wounded lying about.
Am withdrawn from here 5th Bdge
coming in & I take over right of
our Bdge line linking up with 1st
Div on my right. Our Artillery heavily
bombard today but their shooting
is erratic. Shells falling short some
in our own trenches.
10 12 FRIDAY
We find this position is shelled
very little & practically quiet.
The weather & work is beginning
to tell on us all. Feet are bad
after standing for days in water
& mud, our breeches are covered
with mud to our thighs.
Relief sent up tonight. We make
way back to trench at Flers - 1½
miles in rear accommodation is little
better.
11 13 SATURDAY
Here thigh boots are issued &
dry socks with whale oil for
the feet. Weather seems clearer.
Last night was first sleep I
had lasting over 3 hours since
coming up on the 4th. Today rest as
best we can under conditions
12 14 SUNDAY
We are amidst batteries by the dozen
here & anytime likely to get a
warm time from hun batteries.
NOVEMBER
1915
13 15 MONDAY
Received our Sept 24th mail
last night most of morning spent
in writing. Afternoon we get
what I expected. Heavy stuff
9" after Batteries. The aftermath
was pretty lively fragments of
metal flying in all directions
keeping us under cover. Unfortunately
two or three got into our trench
& the result disastrous. One shell got
7 men. This was keep up all the afternoon
Hun planes especially busy spotting.
14 16 TUESDAY
A rude awakening this morning
that may have ended with serious effects
if I had not spent a restless night. About
5 am shelling began but all seemed "Duds"
After half dozen of these came I sort of
smelt a rat & jumped up poking my
head outside. This was enough they were
pouring Gas shells over. I woke up men
as I ran along trench to put on Gas helmets.
Some of us who got a good sniff & two were
slightly sick after. 2000 shells must have
been sent over during the morning.
15 17 WEDNESDAY
Artillery fire just misses our
line by about 20 yds. Regularly
at 5.30 the Bosche open up a heavy
barage & off & on during the night
as he sees movement. I get instruction
to car cut through a new line on
rather risky rise in view of enemy
Take 50 men out leaving from line trench
as soon as dark. Mark out trench & get
work started. Snipers as I thought very
troublesome.
1915
NOVEMBER
16 18 THURSDAY
Snow on the ground early this
morning just enough to cover the
ground white. Finer today but
towards evening snow thawed
& it was frightfully cold standing
in the mud.
Finished our job on trench
last night putting in good
work considering the state
of men. Effects of recent Gas Shells has
made casualties of 1 Officer & few men.
17 19 FRIDAY
Quieter today only occasional
Gas shell sent over
call to trenches in snipors ^front line
line tonight again. Rather sudden
& surprising I thought my Coy anyway
would not go up, but there it is &
away we go. 50 oRanks total my Company
A Coy with me under Capt Beith.
How weak we are arriving at line which
is only 300 yds in front some men fell down exausted
I myself completely blown out.
18 20 SATURDAY
The line I have taken over is same
as I had when I rushed up to support 7th Bdge
The last few days have made trenches
slightly better but still are very
bad. last night it rained again.
If men can only sick it for two days longer
I think we will be relieved.
19 21 SUNDAY
Tommy cookers a small spirit stove
have been issued to each man this
gives at least a drink of hot tea each day
NOVEMBER
1915
20 22 MONDAY
Much same conditions have as
many men as can get in resting.
Relief tomorrow night by 1st
British Division. Get surprise this
afternoon. C.O sends up word that
I have been selected to attend
4th Army Infantry School for a 5 weeks
course & to report at once to Flexicourt
Get a move on right away as I must
get to Fricourt Wood tonight. Pick up
a 22nd Officer & start off. 3 hours walking
on roads with mud boot deep brought us to
the Wood about done.
21 23 TUESDAY
Report to 7th Bdge HQ after spending
night under plenty of blankets with
our transport at Memetz Wood.
Pick up all Officers of our Div there
& set off for Ribemont where we entrain.
Arrive at Albert where we had lunch
& sent a couple of cables home.
Pass through Beure our billets on our
way to the line. Arrive at destination
about 1.30pm & had bonzer hot meal best
for days & days.
22 24 WEDNESDAY
Go over to the station at 5 am
wait for over an hour for our train
to arrive. The train gets to Longpre at
10.30am 15 miles run. Change at Longpre
& find we are 6 miles from Flexicourt
& must wait until 8.30 tonight for a
train. I ring up the School who save
situation by sending over at Bus.
It has therefore taken us nearly two
days to travel 30 miles.
1915
NOVEMBER
23 25 THURSDAY
Address & inspection by Commandant
Colonel
I am in No 6 Syndicate with Capt
Unsworth of the Warwickshire Regt
as instructor
Afternoon devoted to witnessing drill
by Staff Sgt Majors which was very firm
to the finest detail.
Evening lecture by Maj Cambell
on Bayonet Fighting.
24 26 FRIDAY
Watch platoon at extended Order
Drill them carry out same practice.
Afternoon Bay fighting & Physical Drill
Evening lectures Commandant.
A lot of time is spent on Ceremonial
parade which most of these Army
Schools are very particular on.
A lot of fancy stuff on parade
which seems awfully exaggerated
but very fine for discipline
25 27 SATURDAY
Raining all morning knock
off at midday for half holiday or
week end.
26 28 SUNDAY
Yesterday afternoon & today enjoy
thorough rest.
NOV. & DEC.
1915
27 29 MONDAY
We are all getting to know
one another in the Mess. With
one or two exceptions the Officers
are a very decent lot.
28 30 TUESDAY
29 1 WEDNESDAY
Our Syndicate lost Soccer
match (final) 1 Goal to Nil
Staff give excellent concert
1915
DECEMBER
30 2 THURSDAY
Drill Competition 2ndwith 7.7.marks
winners 78
Rapid Wiring
Bayonet Course
1 3 FRIDAY
2 4 SATURDAY
3 5 SUNDAY
CMAThis transcription item is now locked to you for editing. To release the lock either Save your changes or Cancel.
This lock will be automatically released after 60 minutes of inactivity.