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

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 19, 1917.
51st Week. 
(353-12) Ember Day. Cambridge Michaelmas Term ends. 

As usual I lay in the blankets 
till about 10 oclock then arose 
& had a wash etc before 
dinner, after dinner Bill & 
I went out fossicking around 
lines. In the evening we  
had news of an impending 
attack by the Hun, every 
one is busy preparing a 
welcome for them, during 
the night there was a bit 
of shelling with gas shells, 
but nothing near us. 

  
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 20, 1917. 
51st Week. 
(354-11) 

Morning arrived & no 
attack by the Hun, evidently 
our tip was a bad one, late 
in the day he did raid an out 
post of the 6^th & took 6 prisoners 
our people saw them going but 
too late to rescue them although 
they did chase them. 
Bill & I went all round the 
lines & again went out & put 
in a line to an outpost 
in the dark. Today was the 
finest hoar frost I have ever 
seen, there were some very pretty 
sights everything being white.

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 21, 1917. 
51st Week. 
(355-10)  S. Thomas Ap. Ember Day. Mich. Law Sitt. end. 
LESSONS—Matins - Job xii to v 7; John xx v 19 to v 24
Evensong—Isaiah xxxv.: John xiv. to v 8. 

Last night Fritz made an effort 
to raid some of our posts but 
failed, today is again hazy 
& white with hoar frost, it 
is hanging on everything & looks  
lovely, today Fritz was again 
met wandering around in 
the haze but no fight took 
place. Bill & I did a wander 
over the lines. We were paid  
today, just a week late. 

  
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 22, 1917. 
51st Week 
(356-9)  Ember Day. 

Our 8^th day in the line, 
everyday is marked by increased 
artillery activity, the day was 
fine & clear we could see right 
into Commines & neighbouring 
villages, Commines is a fine 
place but no doubt will 
finish up like other Towns in 
the war zone. Our heads are 
living under a cloud of expectation 
& appear to expect an 
attack here any time, however 
I am not losing any 
sleep over it, if they come 
they come.

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 23, 1917. 
52nd Week. 
(357-8) 4th in Advent. LESSONS 
Matins—Isaiah xxx. to v 27; Revelation xi. 
Evensong—Isaiah xxxii or xxxiii. v 2 to v 23; Revelation xii. 

Fritz got out of bed in an angry 
mood & pelted big shells about 
for awhile, all the damage he did 
us was mix our lines up a bit. 
In the afternoon Bill & I went to 
Anzac Farm to the Cable head 
to try some lines but met with 
no success. A Hun aeroplane 
was brought down on our front 
during the afternoon. In the 
evening they threw a lot of shells 
around again & broke our 
lines up near Hqrs. 
  

MONDAY, DECEMBER 24, 1917. 
52nd Week. 
(358-7) 

Just an ordinary day, 
the ice thawed a little 
making it a bit slippery. 
Christmas eve of course, ours 
is a slight contrast to an 
Australian Xmas Eve. In 
the evening I did a phone 
shift to write some letters 
& the Artillery called me 
up to listen to a gramaphone 
playing some miles away at 
the Kite Balloon Section. 
There must have been about 
a hundred different stations 
plugged through to it.

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 25, 1917. 
52nd Week. 
(359-6) Christmas Day.  LESSONS.
Matins—Isaiah ix to v 8; Luke ii. to v 15. 
Evensong—Isaiah vii v 10 to v 17; Titus iii. v 4 to v 9 

Fritz was determined to show 
us that the day was not to be one 
of peace on earth, as early as 4A.M 
he had some of our lines smashed, 
naturally we felt no goodwill towards 
him. Harry came in to have the 
day with us, we dined scrumpsciously 
on Sausages, mashed potatoes 
green peas, turnips & plum pudding, 
not so bad considering we are in 
the line, we also managed to 
supply enough liquid refreshment 
in the shape of rum to lull the 
few drinkers of the crowd off to sleep 
in good time, the Kite Balloon 
section gave a concert over the 
line to all who chose to listen. 
  

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 26, 1917. 
52nd Week. 
(360-5)  S. Stephen, M. Bank Holiday. LESSONS.
Matins—Genesis iv. to v 11; Acts vi. 
Evensong—2 Chronicles xxiv. v 15 to v 23; Acts viii. to v 9. 

Today we awoke to find everything 
white with snow, it looked 
very nice, the day was very bright 
& shelling was rather brisk, 
on both sides. Bill & I had a  
trip up to Anzac Farm to fix up 
our buried Cable, the Farm is an 
excellent O.P. we could see into 
the Town of Commines, saw a 
train pull into the Town, 
later on saw some of our 
heavies bursting over that 
way & by the dust they were 
making they were hitting 
something, needless to say 
this is not a place to linger 
around once you leave the 
dugout.

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 27, 1917. 
52nd Week. 
(361-4)  S. John, Evan. LESSONS.
Matins—Exodus xxxiii. v 9;  John xiii. v 23 to v 36. 
Evensong—Isaiah vi.; Revelation i. 

Has been exceedingly quiet 
I was called over to see the 
Sig Officer & give him some idea 
how the lines run. 

  
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 28, 1917. 
52nd Week. 
(362-3) Innocents' Day.  LESSONS.
Matins—Jeremiah xxxi. to v 18; Revelation xvi. 
Evensong—Baruch iv. v 21 to v 31; Revelation xviii. 

Heavy shelling part of the day. 
Today there is much talk 
of a threatened attack of some 
kind & no chance is being 
missed of arranging a hearty 
welcome for the Bosche, I took 
3 others out to the Cable Head 
at Anzac Farm to be in close 
touch with everyone, we had 
to bale the pill box out & make 
it dry enough for us to live 
the night, we had to sit shivering  
with cold all night, the 
night was bright & in the early 
evening snow fell but towards 
morning it was as bright as 
day, very few shots were fired 
& each side appeared to be 
waiting for the other. 
N 2

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 29, 1917, 
52nd Week. 
(363-2)

Daylight came but no attack 
so we came in at daybreak 
& went to bed, just as well 
satisfied that things were 
as they were. 4^th Bn Sigs came 
in & I showed them over 
the lines.  ___ 
Continued from Dec 30^th 
big hole covered with tin, it was 
breezy & cold & to make us feel 
worse Fritz put over a few shells 
very close, we lighted up a fire 
& made things a little more 
cheerful, the take over in the 
line was good but here it was 
rotten. 

  
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 30, 1917. 
53rd Week. 
(364-1) 1st after Christmas.  LESSONS.
Matins—Isaiah xxxv.;  Revelation xx 
Evensong—Isaiah xxxviii. or xl.; Revelation xxi. to v 15 

The day was rather quiet last 
Ni evening Hap & I went out 
& manned our forward post 
again, like last night the night before it 
was very quiet, we slept 
most of the time we were not 
shivering, no attack came. 
The 4^th Sigs came in to releive 
us & we came back to a  
camp of a kind near Wyscatte 
acting as reserve, in spite of the 
fact that the papers say the ANZACS 
do not like going out of the line, to 
which everyone says - lies, we 
(the Sigs I mean) would much rather 
have remained where we were, 
we settled for the night in a

MONDAY, DECEMBER 31, 1917.
(365) 
53rd Week. 

The end of the year & still the war 
goes on, Bill & I wandered around 
after lines all the morning, Hap & 
Snow got to work on a Fritz dugout 
& got it quite habitable it is well 
down in the ground & holds 4 
comfortably, it also has the advantage 
of being away from the Head 
that is great as all of us here 
do no phone shifts & if they don't 
see us they won't find any 
work for us. The day was 
very quiet, so the year went 
out very well. Much to my disgust 
on our rounds today we saw 
one Coy turning out with full marching 
order & another having a kit 
inspection, some of these were not 
out of the line 12 hours this is downright
cruelty.

MEMORANDA