Diary of Oberlin Herbert Gray, January to August 1918 - Part 10

1918 TUESDAY 4 JUNE
Heard that "Splinter" "Christie, one
of our old comrades was killed
last night - he was in M.G.
O & I walked over to the 12^th Bn
transport lines, last night to
see some of his old Kimpton
friends
Lieuts Werthermer ^this morng & Jacobs were
killed yesterday - both of 12^th
Bn.
Weather cloudy & cool, promising
rain.
A meeting of the literary circle.
A book evening, discussions on
several selections, next mtg
is to be on H.G Wells works.
 

JUNE WEDNESDAY 5 1918
12^th Bn changed over last night
suffering 11 casualties from shell
fire on way out.
2 of our observation baloons
brought down, in evening on our
left. Last night we saw one
brought down in flames by a Fritz
plane to our right - There 8 or 9
in sight every day.
In the evening the cricket team
played a team from a West Indian
Regt. all negroes - while
the Soccer team played a
South African team (Springboks)
Owing to the absence of our best
player with a broken arm, the
latter game was lost, We won
in the cricket -
 

1918 THURSDAY 6 JUNE
Just as I came off duty at 6 oc, a
thrilling air duel was in progress
towards the Line - the sky was cloudy aftn
a warm day, &, as usual, several of
our planes were flying about - A Fritz
had come across over our lines, very
likely to try for an observation baloon.
Our planes had intercepted the enemy,
two of ours well up in the sky, & 2
others manoevouring to bring Fritz down.
Several times they got in line & blazed
away with machine guns, & twice.
Fritz spiral dived tying to elude his
pursuers - rising again- once he
almost came to earth, finally he
started towards us, then volplaned
down, through some trees just missing
some ^12^th Bn bivouacs, & struck the earth
with a shock which damaged the
plane a good deal - The Solitary
aviator was wounded in the shoulder.
he was taken in to the 12^th HQ. Col.
Elliott x later came across to our
dressg station - We went across the
fields to see the plane - a big crowd
collected & started souvenir collecting -
The APM & guard had a job to keep
the machine intact till some RAF
men came to take charge of it.
 

JUNE FRIDAY 7 1918
The top of wings was painted red with a
black X. The tail white with X, 2
machine guns worked by a lever, S.R.
secured the leather first aid case, a
good souvenir. The 4 first aid dressings
were dated 1910, 1913 & 2 of 1915. a pair
of scissors in leather case, safety pins.
boracic gauze & triangle bandages
A warm day
 

1918 SATURDAY 8 JUNE
Quiet - few patients coming
through & these mostly walking
cases -
Played Mostyn Moore chess in
evening -
Rumous of Fritz massing on this
front; We may see more of
him shortly -
 

JUNE SUNDAY 9 1918
2nd after Trinity
After several attempts; it came
on to rain in the evening for ½ hr.
The tents were, all camouflaged
this week in case of Fritz coming
over at nights -
Heard from S.
270,000 French refugees have
passed through Paris recently.
 

1918 MONDAY 10 JUNE
Erecting 2 large hospital
tents in morning -
French have retaken Locre
the Hospice has changed hands
several times, it is wrecked
utterly (Had New Years dinner
there)
Another hut is being erected &
preparations being made for
anything that might happen.
 

JUNE TUESDAY 11 1918
S. Barnabas
In one corner of our field a strong point
has been made today. the turf neatly
cut & later relaid over the protecting
mound of earth round the trench,
[sketch-see original document]
Similar to this, the crops
around are still further
being cut up by trenches, the fresh earth
camouflaged by turf, or growing corn.
In the evening a meeting of the Literary
Circle, about 30 present - papers were
read on some, of H.G. Wells books -
The Soul of a bishop, Marriage & Mr
Britling sees it through. A lot of
interest & amusement was given -
Suggested that next week, it should
be a 'Historical" evening - rather a
wide subject.
Fritz has stared to push again, near
Loyon & Montdider; broken through
on a 5 mile sector.
 

1918 WEDNESDAY 12 JUNE
Moved large tents to far side
of paddock, so that trenches
can be dug where we evacuated
Banked earth round the tents
A raid by the - Bn (1^st Div.)
We advanced about 800 yds &
dug in, captured a number
of prisoners. About 60 or 70
casualties on our side-
 

JUNE THURSDAY 13 1918
The briar roses blossoming on
the hedges, & marguerite daisies
in the fields, the buttercups
are going off
Fritz commenced shelling Hondeghem
8 shells passed over us & fell
in the village - a fire started -
Meeting of Literary Circle – decided
to form several study classes -
 

1918
FRIDAY 14
JUNE
Fritz came over last night, &
tried to retake his lost posts.
he got behind our men, but
had to clear out, leaving a
few prisoners & a number of
casualties - our losses weren't
heavy, some were knocked
by our own grenades.
A heavy gun fires every day from
the railway hear Hazebrouck -
Extract from Sydney Mail 3/4/18.
"The attendance at the Show on
Good Friday was 109,000 -
A recruiting appeal on the ground
in which many retd soldiers
took part, resulted in one man
volunteering.
60,000 people attended the opening
of the AJC meeting on Easter
Sat.
 

JUNE SATURDAY 15 1918
There is quite an epidemic of
influenza (or "dogs disease") amongst
the troops. Hundreds are being
evacuated to C.C.S.'s
The 12^th Bn has been diminished
considerably - fortunately it does
not last many days on most.
Orders came through to be ready
to move off at any hour - had
a special parade at 7 PM.
re-issue of emergency rations -
a prisoner captured the other
day said that troops were
massing on this front, & Sunday
morning were going to push
However nothing came of
it -
 

1918 SUNDAY 16 JUNE
3rd after Trinity
In evening went down in amb.
car to 58 CCS at Longueness beyond
Arques & near St Omer - An
enjoyable trip - took 11/2 hrs going
Turned off the Hondeghem Rd at Longue
Croix & at Wallon Cappell -
Along cobbled, paved or asphalt
roads - between avenues of
oak or plane - through peaceful country
the wheat bending in ear - barley
beans- clover & grass mixed with
buttercups - clumps of trees -
farms & small villages - At
corners estaminets, - Spires on
square towers of Churches showing
above clumps of trees - lanes
bordered by hawthorn hedges -
Ammunition dumps & stores
crossed railway lines several
times - Passed Renescure &
down a steep street into Arques
across a canal, & turned
sharp corner near an old building
stone walled with arrow slip in walls.
Occasionally we passed a chateau
standing in pretty grounds - After
leaving Arques 3 kilos behind, we
entered the grounds of an old
 

JUNE MONDAY 17 1918
Chateau standing on a rise, passed
through a dark wood, & came out
into the hospital grounds - Long huts
of galvanized iron [sketch-see original document] with
light & ventilation from the top. Every
building is well camouflaged, with
various coloured paints. - Left some
patients here & came on to 4 S.H. -
One car had broken down & we called in
at MT HQrs to send a car for it -
The moon was shining, arrived back
At camp at Midnight - A Fritz
plane was overhead then, & again
at dawn a plane dropped 4
bombs near the camp -
Les Read passed through with a
number of others - influenza.
Went down to 18 CCS with patients in
evening - a different route most of
way. The hosp is in a monastery with
pretty gardens at rear. I saw several
V.A.D nurses, & 4 ancient white haired
black capped & black robed monks who
still occupy part of buildings - Cherries
& Strawberries are ripe, the first I have
seen - Returned, the Eblinghem route,
& made every other car eat our
dust - - On the roads we -
 

1918 TUESDAY 18 JUNE
Shells falling on Hondeghem &
2 burst over our camp, &
woke us up - 6 wounded &
a number with influenza passed
through at night -
Warm, a shower in morning.
A meeting of Lit circle - papers
On Germany in 17 & 18^th centuries -
a paper on Clive & one on Edinburgh
next time will be devoted
to a debate -
Passed a number of heavy guns
9" & 12" drawn by "caterpillars"
Other heavy artillery was
stationary hear Arques.
 

JUNE WEDNESDAY 19 1918
(18 or 19)
About 6 oclock 2 flights of aeroplanes
passed over us towards Fritz'
lines - 10 minutes later our antis
started firing & above us was a
Fritz machine darting at one of our
baloons about a mile further back from
the Lines - The observer hopped out & came floating
down in his parachute while Fritz fired
a few rounds at the baloon, then, seeing
on of our planes bearing down on him
flew for another baloon, but out of
the blue came half a dozen specks
which rapidly grew & were soon
swooping round that unlucky Fritz
like a flight of sea gulls above
a fish. Fritz couldn't save him
self & finally disappeared behind
the trees, well within our lines -
In this sector our planes have
been very active lately - 28
were together one time yest.
 

1918 THURSDAY 20 JUNE
At a recent meeting of the Lit.
Circle it was decided to form
study circles for different subjects
to supply the need for some
mental food in our spare time.
Leaders have been found for a
number of subjects viz. Hist of Eng.
Hist of Aust - Hist of Western Europe
Geog- Geom - Trigonom. Arith Algebra
French- English - Greek. Latin
2 Shorthand - Pitmans & SloanDup.
Hist of Eng Lit - H. of French Lit.
Several classes have started
already, & quite a number of
members of the unit have decided
to join.
Vic Hall & OLS Holt originated the
scheme & Alf R. is Sec.
 

JUNE FRIDAY 21 1918
We advanced several hundred
yards, & occupied Fritz trenches.
several prisoners came through.
One of our chaps was hit in
the head by shrapnel, unable
to remove his steel helmet,
as part of it was penetrating
the skull. he went on
at once to the C.C.S.
 

1918 SATURDAY 22 JUNE
Fritz shelled Hondeghem
in the evening HE. -
the nearest fell about 300
yards from the tents.
Sgt. Behan leaves shortly for
the 3^rd AGH at ABbeville.
 

JUNE SUNDAY 23 1918
4th after Trinity
I have seen one of our pamphets
printed in German which are
sent over to Fritz lines by means
of small baloons - ours are blue.
Fritz sends over red ones, which
we occasionally see, one came
down near us the other day.
Went down to No 11. CCS with patients -
An interesting trip passing thro
several small villages - also Arques
& St Omer - Many Americans
about in St. O. We passed up
through winding streets, thro
the big sguare & on out
between avenues of planes,
into the country again - Along
one of the main highways to
Calais, & branching off by
a winding route we came
to Watten - The country is
slightly hilly, in places quite
English like. - Returned by way
of Renescure & Wallon Capell -
The full moon rose from behind
a dark bank of cloud, &
flooded the country in light
paling the beams from numeous