Diary of George Booley, 5th Battalion, AIF, 1917, Part 2 of 19

SUNDAY, JANUARY 21, 1917. 
4th Week.  
(21-344) 3rd after Epiphany. LESSONS. 
Matins—Isaiah 1xii. ; Matthew xii. v 22. 
Evensong—Isaiah 1xv. or 1xvi. ; Acts xiii. to v 26. 

Was on duty at church parade 
time, went for a walk in 
the afternoon & to a voluntary 
Church service in the evening 
at the School Communale 
there was a good attendance 
& the service was good.  

MONDAY, JANUARY 22, 1917. 
4th Week. 
(22-343) 

Nothing doing

TUESDAY, JANUARY 23, 1917. 
4th Week. 
(23-342) 

Moved through Millencourt 
& Henencourt to Albert, this 
place is still under long range 
gun fire. This is the coldest 
day experienced yet, we passed 
some German prisoners working 
on the road & their breath had  
turned into icicles on their 
whiskers, the place is a big 
sheet of frozen snow, & still 
the sun was shining brightly 
all day. I went to a picture 
show at night, the performance 
is often spoiled here by shells 
falling in the vicinity 

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 24, 1917. 
4th Week. 
(24-341) 

We just did our usual 
duties & pinched some coal 
& coke, another sunny day 
but no warmth.

THURSDAY, JANUARY 25, 1917. 
4th Week. 
(25-340) Conversion of St. Paul. LESSONS. 
Matins—Isaiah x1ix. to v 13 ; Galatians i. v 11. 
Evensong—Jeremiah i. to v 11. ; Acts xxvi. to v 21. 

Moved, via, La  Boisselle, Contalmaison
to High wood East 
Camp, we are again well in 
the forward area, the camp 
is of huts with waterproof roof 
not much protection from 
shells which are sure to  
come here as there are guns 
everywhere around us. 

FRIDAY, JANUARY 26, 1917. 
4th Week. 
(26-339) 

Just the usual duties 
doing, as we are under observation
in this camp & have 
to keep out of sight as much 
as possible, a grave of about 
a dozen Tommies near the 
camp is some inducement 
to do so, the Tommies around 
here call the Camp suicide 
Camp as it is shelled often 
& is condemned by them. 
The place is a sheet of frozen 
snow & ice in the shell holes. 
water freezes in a couple of 
minutes, but still the sun  
shines every day.

SATURDAY, JANUARY 27, 1917. 
4th Week. 
(27-338) 

A couple of us went 
to Albert for canteen stores 
chiefly oatmeal & condensed 
milk, we can cook porridge 
ourselves & it helps to keep a  
bit of warmth in the frame. 

SUNDAY, JANUARY 28, 1917. 
5th Week. 
(28-337) 4th after Epiphany. LESSONS. 
Matins—Job xxvii. ; Matthew xv. v 21. 
Evensong—Job. xxviii. or xxix ;  Acts xvii to v 16. 

Nothing doing, I usually 
wander around for a few 
constitutionals each of these 
days or else I would freeze. 
The Hun gives us shrapnel 
morning noon & night 
now but so far just manages
to miss everyone.

MONDAY, JANUARY 29, 1917. 
5th Week. 
(29-336) 

A traction engine got tangled 
in our lines today much 
to the detriment of the lines, 
& it is painful trying to tie 
knots in wire with the 
fingers painful with the 
cold. 

TUESDAY, JANUARY 30, 1917. 
5th Week. 
(30-335) 

A big shell hit out lines 
& took about 30 yards of 
it clean away. The thermometer
stands at zero today

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 31, 1917. 
5th Week. 
(31-334) 

Another fall of snow through 
the night & this morning 
the atmosphere is not quite 
so keen, I should say about 
20 degrees warmer. The lines  
held well today, a good 
parcel arrived from Edie. 
It is funny these times if 
you have anything in tins 
eatable, you have to melt it 
before you can eat it. 

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 1917. 
5th Week. 
(32-333) 

One of our aeroplanes came 
down near here out of control 
it turned on its back as it 
landed but the men just  
climbed out from underneath 
& commenced work on the 
engines. Nine men slightly 
wounded today by shrapnel 
I had a look through the famous 
High Wood, it still shows 
much sign of Battle, unburied 
men in places, there are 3 
tanks out of action in there 
& in one place a large concrete 
machine gun position undamaged

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 1917. 
5th Week. 
(33-332) Purification of B.V. Mary. LESSONS. 
Matins—Exodus xiii. to v 17 ; Matthew xviii. v 21 to xix. v 3. 
Evensong—Haggai ii. to v 10 ;  Acts xx. to v 17. 

Went to Contalmaison then to 
Pozieres to Bills grave & was 
pleased to see that it has 
been registered by the Graves 
Registration Union, it looks 
very desolate here (about OG1 ) 
shell  torn country in many 
cases equipment rifles etc & 
even  pieces of men still to be 
seen. 

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 1917. 
5th Week. 
(34-331) 

Went with Sig Officer to 
Bn H.Q. in line so guess 
we will soon be in there, 
I wont be sorry to leave 
Suicide Camp.

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 1917. 
6th Week. 
(35-330) Septuagesima. LESSONS. 
Matins—Genesis i. and ii. to v 4 ; Revelation xxi. to v 9. 
Evensong—Genesis ii. v 4 or Job xxxviii. ;  Revelation xxi.
v 9 to xxii. v 6. 

Got word that America has 
broken off Diplomatic relations 
with Germany. Tommy & I made 
L/cpls,  

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 1917. 
6th Week. 
(36-329) 

A heavy Bombardment 
on the right all nigh, it 
is unofficially reported that 
62 prisoners were taken & 
that the Bosches counter- 
attacked 3 times but were 
knocked back each time.

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 1917. 
6th Week. 
(37-328) 

Nothing doing, as the
papers would put is 'All 
quiet on our front." 

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 1917. 
6th Week. 
(38-327) 

Went to Bde also had a trip 
along the lines & mended a 
couple of breaks in it. The 
Bn are to hold a raid somewhere
in the near future, our 
section are asked to supply 
5 volunteers, 3 phone men & 
2 runners, as in every other 
part of the Bn there were 
more volunteers than were 
wanted, our section volunteered
to a man & to settle  
it we drew lots I was right 
out of it & was rather disappointed
as I have taken  
part in most of the big 
affairs of the Bn.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 1917. 
6th Week. 
(39-326) Half Quarter Day. 

Camp shelled by heavy 
H.E shells, I dont think 
it was really meant for us 
us never the less it was 
falling unpleasantly close & 
as the ground is frozen solid 
it used to lift in lumps 
of about a ton weight, I 
was pleased when they finished.
Tommy went on  
leave.  

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 1917. 
6th Week. 
(40-325) 

Great preparations for raid 
it should be a success 
as every one is keen & they 
are doing every thing possible 
to make it a success,  I went 
for a walk in the evening 
& saw another raiding party 
going out they looked for 
all the world like a troupe 
of Pierrots the only things 
making it real was that 
some carried ugly looking 
waddies & some carried  
stretchers. For a change  
today not one shell came 
near the camp, this is 
the only day since coming 
here. C