Diary of George Booley, 5th Battalion, AIF, 1917 - Part 1 of 19

MONDAY, JANUARY 1, 1917 
1st Week. 
(1-364) Circumcision LESSONS. 
Matins - Genesis xvii. v 9; Romans ii. v 17. 
Evensong - Deuteronomy x. v 12; Colossians ii. v 8 to v 18. 

Now a New Year is here I intend keeping 
notes from day today, this day finds me  
at Melbourne Camp, near Mametz, in the  
afternoon a party of us went up to the 
old original German front line trench 
for firewood which is rather plentiful as 
the dugouts are rather badly smashed in 
places, this is where the first Somme Offensive 
started on July 1^st, to see the way  
they were dug in it makes one wonder 
how it was done, the position was a  
remarkably strong one commanding 
much of the Country in & around  
Albert, Dernancourt, Meaulte & those  
places in the vicinity, strange to say  
with the exception of Albert, the other  
places have not been greatly damaged,  
the Tower of Albert can be easily seen 
from the Hill. 
  
TUESDAY, JANUARY 2, 1917. 
1st Week. 
(2-363) 

For first time since joining the 
Sig Section did a small fatigue the  
worst part of it is we had to clean 
up rubbish thrown about by Officers 
Batmen. Received letters from  
May, Mrs Smith, Emily Edie & Joy 
Robertson my unseen correspondent  
I wrote to her once thanking her  
for a paper received while in 
Hospital & have received papers  
& letters at intervals since. 

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 3, 1917. 
1st Week. 
(3-362) 

Uneventful, that is the  
mess orderlies go for the Breakfast  
we set up & have it then lay 
down again till about 10 oclock 
get up, have a wash, dinner, 
then go on a wood hunt up to  
the broken German Trenches, 
during the day we would have  
to do a shift on the phone. 
  
THURSDAY, JANUARY 4, 1917. 
1st Week. 
(4-361) 

Another uneventful 
day  

FRIDAY, JANUARY 5, 1917 
1st Week 
(5-360) 

The notable thing today 
was a parcel from Molly & 
Miss Francis, containing cake 
& some mince pies (fruit mince) 
they did not go far & they were 
splendid. 
  
SATURDAY, JANUARY 6, 1917. 
1st Week. 
(6-359) Epiphany. LESSONS. 
Matins - Isaiah lx. ; Luke iii. v1 5 to v 23. 
Evensong - Isaiah xlix. v 13 to v 24; John ii. to v 12. 

Nothing doing. 

SUNDAY, JANUARY 7, 1917. 
2nd Week. 
(7-358) 1st after Ephiphany. LESSONS. 
Matins - Isaiah li ; matthew iv. v 23 to v 13. 
Evensong - Isaiah lii. v1 3 & liii. or : Acts iv. to v 32. 

Moved at 11 AM to Buire arrived  
about 4 O'clock, we were accompanied 
by the drums & bugles 
& it was awful trying to march 
with them as they are all learners  
& march without packs on so 
they could not understand our 
difficulties. Another new idea was  
to put us on Guard on the Billet  
this is the first time, someone  
else drew our tea & we did not  
find it for about an hour by 
this time the stew & tea was cold 
We came Via Dernancourt, all  
day & night there was a heavy  
Bombardment somewhere 
along the front, not sorry to 
miss it 
  
MONDAY, JANUARY 8, 1917. 
2nd Week. 
(8-357) 

Cambridge Lent Term begins 
First item was a hot bath & change 
of clothes which was most acceptable, 
our billets were too far away  
from Head Quarters so were shifted  
round to the same place as H.Q. 
In the evening I walked to the 
YMCA. Hut between Buire & Dernancourt 
& found nothing to  
to buy & there were only about 
two Tommies in the tent  
which looked most desolate, 
the one in Buire was nearly as  
bad but I did get a cup of tea  
there. When I got back to the  
Billet I found a parcel waiting 
for me, the nights are too  
cold to sit down & write, so 
as soon as a fellow can he rolls 
into the blankets. 
[*B*] 

TUESDAY, JANUARY 9, 1917. 
2nd Week. 
(9-356) Fire Insurance expires. 

Walked to Merricourt about 2 miles 
to a Concert Party it was a great  
success & I thoroughly enjoyed 
myself, it was a regular Variety 
show with a number of chorouses 
an Aust Military Band was 
playing. Tonight there is a terrific 
Bombardment going on up about 
Beaumont-Hamel way & I was  
just contrasting my lot with that 
of the Lads up in the show, it just 
shows the ins & outs of a Soldiers  
life, I felt pleased & thankful I was  
where I was. One of the Lads only 
about 17 years of Age was imprisoned 
for 10 years at least sentenced to 
it for threating a N.C.O. 
  
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 10, 1917. 
2nd Week. 
(10-355) 

I was so pleased with 
last nights Concert that I went  
again tonight the programme was 
not so good on account of one of the 
leading artists being absent, however 
I was well pleased with it, the  
Concert hall is an old place converted 
into a hall to seat about 2000 & run 
by the Australian Comforts Fund  
although to all appearances it  
looks as if it is a paying concern  
as many are turned away each  
night, the admission is 1/2 Franc  
in English less than 5^d. The Bombardment 
still going strong & does  
not seem to lessen at all. Owing 
to the way the chaps on Guard presented 
Arms to the Colonel the other day  
we got 1/2 hours rifle drill from 
Serg Maj. 
[*B 2*] 

THURSDAY, JANUARY 11, 1917. 
2nd Week. 
(11-354) Hilary Law Sittings begin. 

Had another Bath a change of  
clothes, no longer belonging to the  
great unwashed. Went again to the 
Concert Hall, a new programme was 
on the Vocal parts not being in the  
same class as the last but there 
was a Mesmerist on, he got chaps 
out of the Audience to perform on & 
I hav'nt laughed as much for a long  
time, he had them doing all sorts 
of things, some of them were t in 
various stages of nakedness catching 
imaginary lice others laughing 
& others barracking at a football 
match, I laughed until my 
Ribs were sore & I had a good  
1/2 Francs worth. 
  
FRIDAY, JANUARY 12, 1917. 
2nd Week. 
(12-353) 

These days we do nothing  
but or duties in keeping up 
the usual communication between 
Corps & Bde. I went again to see 
the Mesmerist, we all put in  
a Franc to one of our chaps to 
go up & get mesmerised so went 
looking forward to some fun 
but he got that many up that 
he just picked out some of the  
easiest subjects & our chap was 
left out so we did not have the  
anticipated fun but we got 
plenty out of the other fellows 
they cut some funny capers  
one fellow going round the  
audience trying to sell imaginary 
red tailed monkey. 

SATURDAY, JANUARY 13, 1917. 
2nd Week. 
(13-352) 

The day of days arrived again 
"pay day " in the evening I 
went into Healie where ANZAC 
Head Quarters is Situated, this 
villiage has a fine big chateau 
with large Ramparts & Battlements 
& has no doubt seen some great 
fights in its day, I went back 
through Rubimont to the Canteen  
had some supper & returned  
to camp. 
  
SUNDAY, JANUARY 14, 1917. 
3rd Week. 
(14-351) 2nd after Epiphany. LESSONS. 
Matins - Isaiah lv. ; Matthew viii. v 18  
Evensong - isaiah lvii. or lxi. ; Acts viii. v 26. 

Moved to Warloy through Lavieville 
& Henencourt, in the early 
morning there was a heavy 
fall of snow & it was hanging  
on to the hedges & trees & it 
looked rather nice, especially  
around Henencourt. The Bugle 
Band played again but much  
better & they are improving 
a lot, the distance was about  
5 miles. We had some straw 
issued bought by the Aust 
Comforts Fund, the Funds are 
coming into prominence of 
late & it is only now we are  
finding out the good of it 
especially the Coffee Stalls. 

MONDAY, JANUARY 15, 1917. 
3rd Week. 
(15-350) Oxford Lent Term begins 
  
A quiet day nothing doing,  
in the night there was a  
Concert but as the accommodation 
was scanty only a favoured  
few saw it & they only after waiting 
for about an hour. 
  
TUESDAY, JANUARY 16, 1917 
3rd Week. 
(16-349) 

Training started again 
near Vandencourt wood, it is 
impossible to do much but 
run about & stamp your feet 
to try & keep up the circulation. 
Gus Lexton returned from Blighty 
after his wound 1^st Pozieres. 

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 17, 1917 
3rd Week. 
(17-348) 

Snow inches deep on the  
ground we filled in the morning 
by having snowball 
fights & they were very willing 
too, the best sport was when  
all hands took to the Quarter 
Master staff, especially the 
Officer, it did our hearts good  
to get at him. I went up & 
had a yarn to Henry Smith 
in the evening. 
  
THURSDAY, JANUARY 18, 1917. 
3rd Week. 
(18-347) 

We were detailed to 
go to an aeroplane contact 
school but it fell through 
the last minute, the rest  
of the day we were busy 
dodging parade.  

FRIDAY, JANUARY 19, 1917 
3rd Week. 
(19-346) 

Bn bathed & were  
fortunate enough to all 
get new under clothes, this  
is looked on as a treat now 
days. I went for a walk 
to Baiyeux in the afternoon 
for a walk, it is too cold 
to sit in the billets & write 
letters. 
  
SATURDAY, JANUARY 20, 1917 
3rd Week. 
(20-345) 

Bde sham attack in  
morning, then had gas helmets 
tested, temperature 25 degrees 
but I suppose we will get 
it much worse than that as 
there is no frost yet.