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