Diary of George Booley, 5th Battalion, AIF, 1917, Part 12 of 19
FRIDAY, AUGUST 3, 1917.
31st Week.
(215-150)
Wet all day again in the
morning we went for a
march of about 7 miles
but had the Bde Band
as well as our own to
help us, it is good marching
with a band & having no
packs to carry. In the afternoon
did 2 1/2 hours buzzer
& trying to send messages
verbally on phone with gas
helmets on, our parade
hours are now 6 hours
a day, I thought the other
arrangements too good
to last.
SATURDAY, AUGUST 4, 1917.
31st Week.
216-149,
Morning parade, afternoon
off, it was another
miserable day but as there
was a few thunder showers
there should soon be some
clearance in the weather
it is a shame that our
offensive should be held up
for the few weeks of good
weather we are likely to get.
In the afternoon Generals
Birdwood & Walker were
round having a look at
things in general, Birdy
pokes into the most unexpected
places, you are more
likely to find him at the
cook house than the Officers
Mess.
SUNDAY, AUGUST 5, 1917.
32nd Week.
(217-148) 9th after Trinity. LESSONS.
Matins — 1 Kings x. to v 25 ; Romans v.
Evensong — 1 Kings xi. to v 15 or xi. v 26; Matthew xix v 3 to v 27.
Church parade in morning
also C.O inspection but
that was all for the day, in
the afternoon I went for a
ride to try & find some news
of Harry, I got as far as Strazelle
& met two Officers of
the 4th Light Horse & they
directed me to where he
is camped so I came back
then as it was too late
to go & see him then.
MONDAY, AUGUST 6, 1917.
32nd Week.
(218 - 147) Bank Holiday.
Parade morning & afternoon.
Some Tommies came into
the Village to billet. About
the best day for some
time now but still very
hazy.
TUESDAY, AUGUST 7, 1917.
32nd Week.
(219-146)
I went for a bike ride
to see Harry, through Caestre
Strazelle Merris Doulieu to
near Steenwerck about 15 or 16
miles & found him, he looks
well & just as happy as
ever, I got back to camp
about 9.30 to be told that
we were moving in the
morning to within a few
kilos of where I had just
been.
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 8, 1917.
32nd Week.
(220-145)
Moved through Hazebrouk,
Vieux Berquin to some
farmhouses near Douliex by
the route taken it must
have been 15 or 16 miles, needless
to say everyone was
satisfied to get here, I went
to Bde with a message in
the evening & got caught in
a heavy thunder storm.
THURSDAY, AUGUST 9, 1917.
32nd Week.
(221-144)
No parades, we were
allowed to cool off after our
march, in the early hours
of the morning there was a
great hum from aeroplanes
& anti aircraft guns they
were buzzing around for
about an hour occasion
ally dropping a bomb.
Harry came down to see
me, he is out of traffic
duty.
FRIDAY, AUGUST 10, 1917.
32nd Week.
(222-143)
Before daylight much Hun
aerial activity & anti aircraft guns
firing. Morning & afternoon
parades but they were not very
strenuous, in the evening we
went for a walk to Estaires, the
Huns were firing big H.E. shrapnel,
not far off & the women & kiddies
were afraid it would turn
their way, I really think they
were after an observation balloon
Sig Officer returned to duty.
SATURDAY, AUGUST 11, 1917.
32nd Week.
(223-142) Half Quarter Day.
Orderly Corporal today so not
on parade, we were paid in
the morning or afternoon
SUNDAY, AUGUST 12, 1917.
33rd Week.
(224-141) 10th after Trinity LESSONS.
Matins — 1 Kings xii. ; Romans x.
Evensong — 1 Kings xiii or xvii. ; Matthew xxii v 41 to xxiii. v 13.
Church parade.
I made up my mind to go & see
Harry at Steenwerk in the afternoon
but all the bikes were out
so I put in the afternoon playing
Draughts & about 5 OClock
the Adjutant sent for me to go &
see him, he gave the good
news that I had to pack up
by 7 Oclock & be about a mile
away to take charge of a party
from our Bn for a rest camp
we got to Doulieu & met motor
wagons which took us to
Hazebrouk where we camped
for the night.
MONDAY, AUGUST 13, 1917.
33rd Week.
(225-140)
Marched to Hazebrouk Stn
by 8.30 & caught train for
Wimmereaux on the French
coast where we detrained
& marched to Ambleteuse
about 6 kilos the whole
of this part is a lovely
seaside resort & our
camp is right close to the
beach, it is nice & clean
also high & dry on a sand
hill, the Village is rather
scattered but very nice.
TUESDAY, AUGUST 14, 1917.
33rd Week.
(226-189)
Reveille at 6.30 breakfast &
fall in 9.30 march to the beach
for a bathing parade about
5 minutes walk, it is a
lovely beach & soon some
hundreds of men were splashing
in the Briny, much consternation
was caused by a
contingent of Madams & Madamoiselles
with baskets of fruit
& chocolate for sale they pushed
in among the crowd mostly
arrayed only in their Birthdays,
I just thought of some
of our seaside Councils & the
mixed bathing question. In
the afternoon I went to pictures
& in the evening walked along
the beach to Wimmereaux &
had a dip at 9.30 P.M.
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 15, 1917.
33rd Week.
(227-138)
No bathing owing to bad weather
I got a pass & went to Boulogne
in the afternoon but the time
was too short to go & see much
I wandered around a bit then
met two of our old chaps now
attached to No.2 General Hospital
& went round a bit with
them, it was some Fete day
in there & most of the Frenchies
were out in their best, I
came out early & put in
the rest of the evening on
the beach at Wimmereaux
There are a lot of people of
all descriptions gather there
& some mixed bathing also
a lot of khaki girls promenading.
THURSDAY, AUGUST 16, 1917.
33rd Week.
(228-137)
Duty Corps today so in
the morning we were putting
up tents with the Colonel who
is a real sport, in the after-
noon went up to No 2 General
& was invited to afternoon
tea & dinner & a quiet little
evening with the Sisters
also received an invitation
to a picnic tomorrow
FRIDAY, AUGUST 17, 1917.
33rd Week.
(229-136)
Payday, I drew 100 francs
but as some of the chaps could
not get any I acted as Mont de Piete
for them. In the afternoon I went
up to the Hospital & saw a chap
there from our Bn & then duly
turned up for the the picnic,
there were about 35 men from
all the Aust Divns & N.Z. men, &
about 20 Sisters, it was a
great sight to see us all floating
of carrying hampers & dress
cases of food, we went up to
a Chateau
SATURDAY, AUGUST 18, 1917.
33rd Week.
(230-135)
Went up to Hospital & saw
a couple of chaps from
our Bn & scored a new
pair of pants, in the
evening some YMCA Ladies
gave a nice Concert in
Camp
SUNDAY, AUGUST 19, 1917.
34th Week.
(231-134) 11th after Trinity. LESSONS.
Matins — 1 Kings xviii. : Romans xvi
Evensong — 1 Kings xix. or xxi. ; Matthew xxvi. v 31 to v 57.
In the morning Church
parade & a swim it was
great in the water big
breakers coming in, the
only thing was the cold
wind. In the afternoon
went up to the Sporting
Club to a Boxing Tournament
& saw some notable
Boxers including Driscoll
Nat Williams & Reeves.
MONDAY, AUGUST 20, 1917.
34th Week.
(232-133)
Morning we were duty
Corps & there were a lot of
small jobs to do so we missed
our swim in the afternoon
I went up to No 2 A.G.H. &
spent the evening there
until 10 PM. but was lucky
enough to catch a Bus
back to Camp.
TUESDAY, AUGUST 21, 1917.
34th Week.
(233-132)
Got a special pass
to go to Hardelot a seaside
resort down the other side
of Boulogne, it was a grand
trip & a fine place when
I got there, it is the best
beach & promenade I have
seen here & most of the
Aristocracy live there at
present the Queen of Belgium
is there, there is a skin
disease Hospital there it
looked after by Aust Sisters
with whom I had tea,
I arrived back at camp
about 9.P.M. All of these
old places are full of History,
& apart from that must be full
of life in the Season
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 22, 1917.
34th Week.
(234-131)
Had the morning dip
& it was lovely in the only thing
was there were no breakers.
In the afternoon I went up
to No 2 again & a fine Concert
party of Tommies came to
the Sisters Mess & gave a fine
Concert, there was a pianist
two Violins & a Chello with
them as well as 6 singers, they
were all talented chaps one of
the Violinists was a Graduate
of the University of Music, it
was the finest Concert I have
heard for ages, we arrived
back about midnight
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