Diary of Oberlin Herbert Gray, July 1917 to August 1918 - Part 3

walked round till 6 when we met our
car & came back to Etaples, had
tea at YM.CA. & then back to our
village- a splendid night- the
sky brilliant with stars & a ¾ moon
Along medium country roads, the dark
shadows of trees - farms & occasional
villages -
26/11/17 Parade at 8.30 & marched, (100 bearers)
to Etaples for hot baths - The
Sun rose over the hill, & bathed
the country in light, the air chilly,
& the sky cloudless - A good march thro
Etaples thro Frencq & up over low hills
where the view extended over rolling
country, all under cultivation. Our dog
started up a hare now & again & raced away
over the fields. - Reached the N.Z. Camp
& went thro baths - vapour, then hot
& cold showers & a clean change -
Lunched with the NZers - Marched
back at 1.30, the sky had clouded
over & the air. very chilly- it turned
to rain in the night - rolling
country - mostly cultivated, a few dark
woods, & the roads defined by trees -
29/11/17 SR - HR. JS & I went into Boulogne on
leave- Left Cormont at 10 & walked into
Frencq 3 Kilos - Had to wait till noon for
the motor lorry which leaves there every day
with [[Men?]] on leave. - About 30 1^st Div. men-
A fine day, & a good spin in, thro' the
rolling Coastal country - passed through
several villages - the road ran straight
ahead over hill & valley in some places
for several kilos - About 25 Kilos - just
an hour - Left the car near a large
Church near Le Gare - walked past the
Docks - watched the nets being drawn 

in from fishing boats - full of herrings.
Across the bridge into the town. Walked
round for a time & found a café for
lunch. Then wandered round the streets
admiring shops & watching life in general.
Plenty of English faces- of the fair sex
as well . There are 3 or 4 large hospitals
near (the 2^nd Aust Gen Hosp) also khaki
girls. The WAAC. (or "waxy" girls) The
Museum is closed till aprés la guerre,
Bought some pc's, About 4.30 tried to
catch a car for Wimereaux, it was the
wrong one so walked on, & caught, a
Red + car which landed us at the 2nd
AGH. - it is near the Coast to the
north- Darkness was falling & the lights
of the bay, lighthouses etc looked very
pretty - Reminded me of view from Sandy
Bay - The night a fine full moon, so it
was not dark - We have had some
perfect evenings - Looked up two or three
at 2nd AGH. I knew & HR met a friend
so had dinner at the Officers Mess
Just missed a train at 7 30. had to

walk - HR was rather lame from Rugby

yest. aftn, & we had no time to spare
Reached the car at 8 & it started off
Soon after, we were packed in. - Gave
several Tommies a lift along the road.
Took a wrong turning at one village
which landed us several kilos out
of our route - The driver decided to go
back instead of trying any short cuts.
Reached Frencq at 10, & back. to
our billets by 11. after an enjoyable
day a big Aust mail -15 letters -
30/11/17 Several weeks mail. Lt Col Butler
has left us - he has been apptd. Compiler
of the medical history of the War (-Aust)
& has gone Eng - 

4/12/17 Had another day at Paris Plage,
Walked into Etaples & then on to
Paris P. thro' the Tonquet Woods- a glorious
day. After lunch went along promenade
With HR & Jack Southwell - Met Oll. -
Watched the Canadian Motor Girls
having a game of hockey on the front. -
Caught a train back to Etaples after
tea, & came home in one our cars
from the Square at 8 oc -
6/12/17 Went into Boulogne with HR & JS
walked into Samer at 10 oc, about
8 kilos - went round to Hd Qrs & saw Vic.
Hall - Caught the 12.30 train & arrived
at Boulogne at 115. Had lunch at a better
café than last time 3 fr. A little country
girl looked after our wants - Walked round
the streets & bought a few things - Caught
train to Wineraux  - a scotch mist
had set in - Went right in the suburb
it is a pretty place - a tourist resort.
Visited the 2 AGH & had tea there,
left about 6 30 & came part way in
Red + Car - Caught a lorry from the
Square - a 12^th Bn - Ben Vaughan, &
George Gibson were on it. Stewart G. has
just been evacuated to Eng with trench
fever - Rain had set in & we were very
wet on arriving home at 11 o'c. after a
6 Kilo Walk
8/12/17  Sports day - fine overhead, but
very wet & slippery ground. Various
events in which C Section did well
C. Sect. won the tug of war - No records
were broken - races- jumping etc.
The obstacle race was very funny 

they had to cross a stream etc. - a gas
mask race which Monty Long won unopposed 

- a good 100 yds race Darcy Dixon
won. & some good cock fights. The 12^th Bn
band came over & discoursed Sweet music.
In the evening our Concert party gave us
a concert, they Songs etc, & a farcical sketch.
They gave a performance to the 12^th Bn
last night after a football match which
we won easily.  to-morrow, they are [*G*]
giving one to the French Civilians.
Some of the jokes were very personal -
9/12/17 A treat to the School Children
& presents & sweets - they seemed to enjoy
it - A little Service in the evening
Arthur Simpson gave a talk, &
12/12/17  Have been painting finger posts
for Dressing Stations etc. up the Line,
also stencilling up billeting accomodation
on all houses & farms etc round.
13/12/17 Thurs. Orders have come through
to move - Yest. We heard that we leave
Cormont to day- Reveille at 6. breakfast
6.30 parade at 7 15 & started off - a
misty day- Followed the 12^th Bn -
We went 3 kilos out of our course- Had
several stops & an hour for dinner
arrived at Bicquort at 2 15. after a
tiring march of 22 Kilos - Picked
up Greer Furmage at one place, he had
fainted while marching - Got in a
good billet, a nice clean farm-
Enjoyed some warm milk - & got
some bread for to morrow. The Fch 

are not supposed to sell it -
14/12/17 Started off at 8 30 - full pack &
one blanket - an 18 kilo. march struck
on to the Boulogne St Omer road & retraced
our steps past several villages to Halte
D'Ouve - A scotch mist very damp -
Passed the 12^th Bn. at lunch on the
roadside - A good billet - a bath in
a hut near the river - the railway
runs past here - We have to turn out
early 3.15 breakfast 3 45, leave x.415
to-morrow.
15/12/17  The bugle rang out at 315 & we were soon
out, porridge & bacon for breakfast - paraded
in the village street at 415 & started off, going
W.E. The night was dark but the sky brilliant
with stars. the dark shadows of trees along the
roadside, & trees & farms silhouetted against
the sky- Glowworms threw out their thin
light an the roadway - 2 or 3 halts - other
troops of the first Division also marching.
The stars began to pale, the light grew
towards the East & soon after 7 the
sun rose above the hill - We halted
near Wizernes, & other troops 12^th Bn
collected near. Had chat to Ben Vaughan
After waiting in the cold wind for an hour
or so we moved of & entrained, Met Harry
May from W.A. in the 11^th Bn. The day was
cloudless & cool, a perfect winter's day -
Came through past Hazebruck & Bailleul
to a small station inside the Belgian
Border- A march of 6 or7 Kilos brought
us to Locre, a small village - Nissan
huts for accomodation of several 1000
men in the vicinity - Took up our
quarters in the outbuildings of a
nunnery - It is being used as the 

D.R.S & run by the 14^th F. Amb. from
whom we take over -
16/12/17 ½ of C Section sent off to take over
Sc. hosp.. remainder of C Sent off later
except 3 of us - I am on A & D office -
The 1^st & 3^rd F.Amb. are in Line. We are
running the ADR.S. - Our transport
arrived in the aftn. - Received a
parcel from A & E. A slight fall of
snow - the first this winter -
Shells falling on Bailleul during day.
20/12/17 Heavy white frost - the country is white
every little twig & blade of grass
thick with hoar frost. Yest. a heavy white mist
to day the sun has broken through. C Section
are back with us - We are running the hosp
here - May have to go up the Line later on
24/17/ The weather continues misty, altho
one day has been clear, the frost has
begun to thaw in the day time.
freezing again at night. Yest. Sam
& I walked to Dranoutre (South) then
SW to Bailleul, a town. Visited
a large aerodrome, & watched several
aeroplanes come to rest on their
return home from the days work.
As the evening fell closed in, coloured
lights were sent up. white red
& green to show position of the ground.
Went round to the Aust. Aerodrome
one plane. had just alighted,
with a slight damage to one
wing stay- The pilot & observer
stepped out, clad in their flight

dress. They had fired about
150 rounds - partly for practice.
One - Fritz machine had come near
but sheered off. The fog extended
to 500 ft up & they had great
difficulty in alighting, - not knowing
where they were; Returned &
had cocoa & biscuits at YMCA, &
stayed to a Christmas carol
service (at Dranoutre) The 1^st
Fd Amb is stationed there -
We expect to carry on here, for
some weeks - The nuns continue
to live in part of the buildings,
a lot young girls are at school,
here, we see them going, to [[Matims?]]
etc. There is a large theatre, now
used for wards - the concert party
intend holding a Concert on New
Years Day. The lofts of the stables
& other buildings are used as
billets - It is said that when
the Germans held this part, during
the early days of the war, the Crown
Prince, falling sick was nursed
by the nuns here. Later he
promised that the place should
not be damaged in any way 

by bomb or shell fire, on condition
that its walls should not harbour
any armed troops. This has been
strictly observed, & the place has been
used only as a hospital - It was
erected by a German. -
One evening recently, with O. I walked
over to a hill to the No.E. the
slopes were covered with frost in places
several inches thick - the firs, &
bare branches with their coating
of snow made the place look very
Alpine, the moon shone brightly
down, casting long shadows on
the white ground, &. the frost crystals
scintillated like diamonds.
Some of the slops were very steep,
we had hard work to keep our
footing, higher up the ground was
pitted with shell holes, & saps &
trenches & dugouts abounded - Right
at the top we came out on a
fairly open space, most of the trees
had been felled - A monument
of some kind with iron grille doors
stood on the highest point, rather
knocked about by shell fire, &
with trenches almost undermining
it. On a clear day one 

would be able to see for many
miles from this hill. - near
here there is, in a valley, a
miniature of Messines Ridge, with
trenches, farms, entanglements etc.
for the instruction of officers before
the Messines stunt. -
25/12/17 Christmas Day - The YMCA
presented everbody in the A.I.F., (at the
cost of ₤15,000) a pocket wallet with
paper & envelopes. The patients had a
good dinner to day - poultry & plum
pudding etc. - We are going to have
a dinner on New Years day - all the
old members of unit, in nearby units are
invited- Ol has 8 days leave to Paris
& left this evening with Fenton, took the
train from Bailleul, he has planned out to see
all the places of interest near Paris & will
stay at the Hotel Moderne, a large hotel
used by the Army & Navy Club. I went
down to the YMCA at Dranoutre for a couple
of hours in the evening
27/12/17 Received sudden Orders from RdQrs
for 5 stretcher squads to go up to the 

main dressing station beyond Kemmel.
Most of C Section went up - We got our
things together & handed in our packs
& were ready to move off in an hours
time - Capt Tymmins came up with us
On Christmas Day ^evg Snow commenced
to fall, & the follg morning the whole
country was white with a 4" mantle
of snow - It looked very pretty & [*H*]
was not so cold as the frost. The roads
were soon trampled hard & very slippery
Capt T. went on his back once, as well
as several others. We left Locre about
3. & marched up past Mt Kemmel,
the village of Kemmel lying at the
foot with a fine Chateau surrounded
by an ice covered lake in a hollow
near.. About 5 kilos brought us to
the M.D.S. a little collection of
sandbagged huts & dugouts near the
road to Wytschaete & Messines.
The front is still some miles ahead
the country round is desolated.
blackened woods & torn ground. 

27/12/17 They are expecting Fritz to
make an attack very soon, & we are
here in reserve. Fritz attacked & took
one of our Strong posts the other day.
They expect him to attack in strength.
28/12/17 Sawing & chopping wood for the
fires - the ground is snow covered
every where - dry & powdery snow which
melts only on ones boots. Few
patients passed through. After tea
went down to Locre for a few things
left behind.
29/12/17 Nearly 30 gas casualties passed
through, Fritz is putting over a lot
of gas shells - Very misty. A Fritz
machine came down very close to the
ground & disappeared again chased
by our shells- Yest. a fleet of 13 of
our machines passed overhead, flying
slowly against a very strong wind.
Several of ours & 2 or 3 of Fritz observ
baloons are always up, & now 

& then have a salvo of shrapnel fired
at them - Went up to the A.D.S.
about 1½ miles from here, near the
village of Wytschaete which is now a
mere rubbish heap with a few brick
walls sticking up.- A number of Fritz
Concrete dugouts, now utilized by us,
The ADS. is a massive concrete formation
the sides 4 ft thick & well protected
by earth - & screened by camouflage
A "Comforts Fund" coffee stall was
on the roadside near by had
to retreat to a dugout this side of
a slight ridge. Near the roadway are
several spaces not to be bivouaced on
as unexploded mines are near -
Several batteries about, a light
railway runs near the road &
branches towards Messines & Passchendale
31/12/17 Went up to 15" Corner, A 15"
Fritz shell lies near, a huge thing,
a tiny 3" shell was perched on top.
The road is being widened & 

repaired - The 1^st Bgde is taking
over today from the 2^nd, The 3^rd Bgde
is  at Messines - A number of men
of 7^th Bn have been gassed - a new gas.
partly lachrymatory - phosgene & mustard
gas - it is invisible & odorless &
the men were caught unawares. Last
night the Chateau at Kemmel was
set alight, & only the walls of brick
now remain - It was fairly modern
& had not been damaged at all -
The whole of the interior is demolished.
they say the fire started in a vacant
Wing-? This aftn General Birdwood,
Walker & Several French Commanders
& other staff officers were up the Line.
Very cold - More Snow fell- Heard
a Fritz machine humming round
overhead at night - Several Search
lights were after him & shrapnel
bursting with flashes.
1/1/18 Leave from 3 PM for all 

the 3^rd Fd. here to go down
to Locre for the Chirstmas dinner.
It was held in the main part of
the theatre at the DRS. about
250 sat down including a few
visitors, the DDMS. Col -. Bill
Pollard - & several inf officers
formerly Stretcher bearers in this
unit - A sumptuous repast
Chicken Soup - Salmon Mayonnaise
Roast Beef Roast Potatoes Green Peas
Roast Goose York Ham, Boiled Potatoes
Xmas Pudding Brandy Sauce
Peaches Custard, Rock Cakes
Beer, Lemon Squash Cocoa
Nuts Sweets Apples -
Then toasts were drunk to
The King - the C.O.
The 3^rd Aust Fd Amb. & the DDMS.
The Col & Officers, the W.O.
The Visitors Major Hall
Our Absent Friends - SS Andy Chalmers
Silent Darcy Dixon.

A Concert followed by some local
talent, & the gathering broke
up about 10.30. - H.R. stayed
behind, rheumatism - We retd
back to the MDS. & turned
in before midnight. I walked
over Mt Kemel on the way
down.
A snapshot of France.
The billet was a farm, one of those
typical French farms, with the inevitable
stagnant pool standing Smellfully
in the courtyard - Fortunately
after a bit King Frost scaled up the
aroma, & we could skate with impunity
over the frozen affluvium - Besides having
a nauseous pool, French farms usually
have a maid of all work - And she
lives up to her title - She is usually,
a buxom wench, beclogged & with
a fairly substantial hold on France
The perpetual motion Maid on "one"
farm was a shrunken sallow
faced mademoiselle who might
have seen about 22 French Summers
All day long she toiled, also 

did she spin - usually a wheelbarrow,
& even in the still, dark night, the
clatter of her clogs could be heard
in the cobbled cowsheds. - The barns
of the farm were situated in different
parts of the court yard, & Marie had
to attend to all of them.
One time she would pass, wobbling
under the weight of a gigantic pot,
laden to the brim with  sliced
mangel wurzels - Then she would
sally pig sty wards, lightly laden
with as much straw as she could
embrace - But the journey was
always the same - the drudging
domestic had always to tour round
Lake Lachrymatory - On our
arrival at the pfarm, the whole place
was enshrouded in a Scotch mist,
& the surroundings were much sodden
Maries spirits seemed quite in
keeping with the atmosphere, Then
the weather grew colder, the ground
became hard, & the fetid filth
froze over & became a skating rink
The anaemic Marie then seemed
to be of good Cheer - There was
much speculation as to the cause
of this jubilation - Had the cold
bracing air banished or gloom?
or perchance she had a beau
affaire du coeur" with some 

amorous Aussie. - For about
a week the delighted domestic
drudged on with gleeful reticence.
Then one day sounds of stifled
laughter were heard coming from
the precincts of the pool, &
Marie was observed skidding the
colossal pot like a curling stone
over the pent-up pestilence.
She carried on with the good
work silently, until she gained
terra firma - Then she glanced
our way, her sallow face lit
lip with a smile like a melon with
a slice cut out- "Tres bon, she
exclaimed - Plus facile travaille
promenade sur la glace! Bon
eh? beaucoup fatigue promenade
autour du couer - Pas bon pour moi -
It was only then that it dawned
upon us that King Frost on taking
over, had harnessed a smell
& brought smiles to a girl.
28/2/18 Near Ypres. Again in the Line
in a country scarred & ravaged by war.
Marched up from the ADS to day- across
open country - past a board with the
Sign : Overland route to, Spoil Bank 

Dammshasse. Dead Dog Farm - Pheasant
Dump St Eloi & others - Left 2 men
at the post at Spoil Bank, the lower
end of a huge long mound of earth-
evidently thrown out from what was a
large canal- It is now wrecked &
filled in in parts. - On along duck
board track - gangs putting in a light
railway - Left 10 men at Norfolk Bridge
the relay post at the huge underground [*J*]
system of dugouts in the hill on
the western bank of the Canal. Ypres
showed up a mile or two distant.
commonly known as "Eaps" (of ruins.
The bridge is over what was the Canal
Lock - followed the light railway
for over a mile to the RAP, at
Iron Bridge - It is near the ruins
of this bridge, which was blown up
by a R.E. who gained the first
V.C. in the present war. The RAP
is a big dugout about 30 ft deep -
(Cook in a little place at the entrance)
Descend a steep flight of steps, with
head bent to keep from hitting
roof. Our squad, is in one compartment -
4 details & MO. & stretcher
squad from Bn.- The rear entrance
comes out high up on bank of
canal, which is a broad sheet
of water for several hundred
yards below the Bridge - 

We can look will into Fritz' lines.
This morning they were "standing to"
from 2 AM. expecting a Fritz "hop over'
We - (our 4) got to work immediately
on clearing up the place & getting
some of the mud & water out - it is
very damp - fortunately most of
the water runs out at the rear
entrance - there is also a pump.
Fritz was shelling heavily in early
aftn - the HEs passing over our
heads & falling 200 to 800 yds further
back. I went down to Norfolk
Bridge for rations at 5 P.M. good,
better than when we were out of
line - Tea- Sugar- Milk powder.
cheese- margarine- a piece, of bacon
& raw meat - bully beef & biscuits
for emergencies - candle, pickles
& 2 or 3 spuds & onions. I found
the Light Railway blown up in
6 places since we came up in
morning - & several shells had
gone a few feet from Line- Fritz
can see it plainly - the 200 yds
near us is camouflaged at present
& it is only just being put past
the RAP. The earth embankment
is thrown up - A Fritz plane
came near us at 5 PM but had
a hot reception from MG. & anti.
& fled.- A stand to to-night
so we are on gas guard- It is
1 AM - (1/3/18) Heavy artillery fire 

towards Ypres & ^from down below comes
the rattle of rifle fire - reminds ^me of a
retreating wave over a pebbly beach.
The night is light - just past full
moon - a light frost but quite mild.
The electric light has failed - Many
of the dugouts & those at Norfolk
Lodge are supplied with elec. light-
Near the RAP. is a shattered wood, & the
ruined heap of the White Chateau stand 200
yds away- 2 companies of Inf. are in
underground dugouts there
[*K*]
9/5/18 It is May, the most beautiful
month of the year, & the Country
would be perfect if it were not
for man's works. Lately we have
seen freshly ruined houses &
villages, scarred crops - Country
reft with trenches & barbed wire
entanglements & worst of all
ruined families fleeing for their
lives with what few worldly
goods they can carry away from
the pestilence of war. We are
near Strazeele, North of