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

THURSDAY, MARCH 22, 1917. 
12th Week. 
(81-284)  

Snow on ground in the morning 
& a very bleak wind blowing 
sleety showers through the day.  
Morning & afternoon parades, the 
runners started Signalling & I had 
them as a class. Received a parcel 
from Sister Mc. Nulty containing 
eatables & clothes. Reported here 
that a relation of the Kaisers was 
brought down near Bapaume seriously 
wounded. 
  
FRIDAY, MARCH 23, 1917. 
12th Week. 
(82-283) 

Another cold windy day morning 
parade & afternoon & did a good 
deal of nothing just tried to keep  
warm.

SATURDAY, MARCH 24, 1917. 
12th Week. 
(83-282)

Cold as usual but we managed 
to get some shelter from the wind 
in holes alongside the Road & almost 
the first person to come along was the 
Div General. The summer time was 
adopted the clock being put on 1 hour 
that is 11 PM. became midnight, the 
Band played a few selections in the 
evening & Tom & I went to Henencourt 
to Army Corp Head Quarters 
the Chateaux is rather a fine old 
place & is owned at present by the 
Countess de Henen who lives in America 
at present, the grounds are splendid 
having a fine little forest traversed 
by paths in all directions, each 
window of the Chateaux looks straight 
down one of these paths. 
  
SUNDAY, MARCH 25, 1917. 
13th Week. 
(84-281) 5th in Lent. Annunciation B.V. Mary. Lady Day. 
LESSONS-Matins-Exodus iii . or Genesis iii to v 16 ; Luke i. v 46 
Evensong-Exodus v. or vi. to v 14. or Isaiah lii. v 7 
to v 13. ; 1 Corinthians xv. to v 35. 
  
Church parade in the morning 3 Bns present 
roughly 3000 men, the parades are a farce 
I never heard one word the Padre said 
as we were away at the back all the fellows 
around where I was were amusing them 
selves watching our aeroplanes diving 
& looping the loop, then after the parade 
we were taken for a march for about 
two hours bringing forth much bad language,  
the Boys think that when they 
are back here & doing 5 hours a day drill 
all the week that after Church parade they 
should have the day off. A Football match 
in the afternoon 5th & 6th, 6th won by 2 goals 
after a very good game. I stood at the School 
room door for awhile in the evening listening  
to a Voluntary Service

MONDAY, MARCH 26, 1917. 
13th Week. 
(85-280) 

Wet miserable day, we went 
out in the morning but came in 
after about an hour & did the rest 
of the parades inside. Got news of 
the Bapaume Town Hall being blown 
up with a mine left by the Germans 
after several days of occupation by 
us. 
  
TUESDAY, MARCH 27, 1917. 
13th Week. 
(86-279) Cambridge Lent Term Ends. 

Sleety showers again today morning 
and afternoon parades, my part this 
last few days has been just to look 
on & watch others work, it makes 
the day seem longer now not working.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 28, 1917. 
13th Week. 
(87-278) 

The afternoon parade was a  
Bn in attack on the Amiens -  
Albert Road, I dont know if any 
of the others knew where they were 
I am sure I did'nt as for taking 
the Road well there would not 
have needed many Bosches to 
stop it, I think the whole thing  
was for new Officers. 
  
THURSDAY, MARCH 29, 1917. 
13th Week. 
(88-277) 

Bathing day the details  
went down after dinner I got a 
good change of clothes & feel some 
thing like again, no parade in 
the afternoon a night manouvre 
being on the books , a very nasty 
showery day, we all hid behind 
some Hay stacks in the morning, 
still news of the Bosche going 
back but not nearly as rapidly 
now. The night manouvre was 
put off owing to inclement weather 
received a letter from Harry today 
& by the sound of things he must  
be up with Second ANZAC

FRIDAY, MARCH 30, 1917. 
13th Week. 
(89-276) 

Morning parade outside & owning 
to the wet the afternoon spent  
in doors, Gordon Campbell came 
back from Hospital. I went for 
a walk to Ribemont Canteen 
in the evening & bought a few 
articles, while we are out I 
put on the streak of fat as I 
spend a lot in extra food; such 
things as Custard made from Condensed  
milk & Custard made from Condensed 
milk & custard powder, 
Porridge, fruit, sausages (tinned) 
Cakes Biscuits & Coffee & milk 
are the usual I get a great 
name as an eater amongst 
the Lads. Anniversary of our 
lan arriving in Marseilles.  
  
SATURDAY, MARCH 31, 1917. 
13th Week. 
(90-275) Oxford Lent Term ends. 

Fell in an hour earlier this 
morning marched along Amiens 
Road to near Albert then did 
a Bde attack on Dernancourt 
& finished about 1 oclock, the 
afternoon was Bachshees to 
us, got aboard train 12 months 
ago to go North from Marseilles 

SUNDAY, APRIL 1, 1917. 
14th Week. 
(91-274) Palm Sunday. LESSONS. 
Matins-Exodus ix. ; Matthew xxvi. 
Evensong-Exodus x. or xi. ; Luke xix. v 28 or xx. v 9  to v 21. 

Church parade in morning but 
the Route march was put off, it 
was a Bde parade again & we heard 
nothing. Football match at Brestle 
between 2^nd & 3^rd Bdes I was going 
but it was such a miserable day 
that I did not, our Bde won after 
a splendid game. Some of us went 
to a Presbyterian Service & after 
it & the Communion which we 
looked on we stayed for the C of E 
service & had a good sing song 
the only fault being I have a  
bad throat. 
  
MONDAY, APRIL 2, 1917. 
14th Week. 
(92-273) Monday before Easter. LESSONS. 
Matins-Lamentations i. to v 15. ; John xiv. to v 15. 
Evensong-Lamentations ii. v 13 ; John xiv. v 15. 

Still wet & miserable, did about an 
hours parade in the morning & then 
came in, no parade in afternoon in  
view of some night stunt but the 
weather came to our aid again 
& the parade was called off much 
to the delight of all hands, all 
the afternoon it snowed pretty 
heavy

TUESDAY, APRIL 3, 1917. 
14th Week. 
(93-272) Tuesday before Easter. LESSONS. 
Matins-Lamentations iii. to v 34 ; John xv. to v 14 
Evensong-Lamentations iii. v 34 ; John xv. v 14. 

No parade today, the day was the 
best for some time, in the afternoon 
the Bn held sports, the running was 
very heavy going on account of the 
mud, each Coy had a team in the 
best Section & it was won by C, A 
being second, the old Coy had  
several wins, Fred Snodgrass 
won 220 & 440, Lewis won the  
100 Yds open & their team also won 
the three legged race, we got paid 
in the evening a bit ahead of the 
usual pay. 
  
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 4, 1917. 
14th Week. 
(94-271) Wed. before Easter. Hilary Law Sittings end. 
Lessons-Matins-Lamentations iv. to v 21 ; John xvi. to v 16. 
Evensong-Daniel ix. v 20 ; John xvi. v 16. 

Another no parade day in view 
of Sports (Bde) in the afternoon 
but it rained all the morning 
so the sports were off & we spent 
the day in "Sweet Idleness",   
of course on these occasions we 
dine well myself I had Custard 
& tinned apricots in large quantities  
& finished up with a 
slice of toast also a contented 
smile, at least that is what  
the crowd said

THURSDAY, APRIL 5, 1917. 
14th Week. 
(95-270) Thursday before Easter. LESSONS. 
Matins-Hosea xiii. to v 15 ; John xvii. 
Evensong-Hosea xiv. ; John xiii. v 36. 

Moved through Dernancourt, Meaulte 
Mametz to Montaubin Camp, started 
0830 arrived 1230, the roads were in  
fairly good order considering the wet 
lately, today was a lovely day the 
warmest this season & everyone was 
sweating well all the way along quite 
a new sensation. After arriving we had 
dinner then went out hunting for lines 
to Bde discovered one & after chopping 
out various lines & joining up others 
got through good. This brings us 
back into what the Boys call this 
"Rum Area" as we always get  
rum when up this far. Spring 
is certainly coming at last we 
have been looking for it for months 
  
FRIDAY, APRIL 6, 1917. 
14th Week. 
(96-269) Good Friday. Lessons. 
Matins-Genesis xxii. to v 20 ; John xviii. 
Evensong-Isaiah lii. v 13 and liii. ; 1 Peter ii. 

Half the Bde moved forward again 
in the morning, after having a 
shave & a clean up I got on a bike 
& went to Becourt Camp to the 24^th 
Bn to see Jack Smith & found 
him, he looks splendid, Khaki 
suits him I never seen him looking  
better, I had dinner with 
him & put in some hours yarning 
I got some things at the YMCA 
Canteen & returned again, getting 
back just in time for tea, the 
day was warm but a cool breeze 
blowing & I got a good sweat up 
by the time I pushed the bike 
from Fricourt, being up hill 
nearly all the way. Handed in  
our felt hats & took on the tin ones

SATURDAY, APRIL 7, 1917. 
14th Week. 
(97-268) Easter Eve. LESSONS. 
Matins-Zechariah ix.  ; Luke xxiii. v 50 
Evensong-Hosea v. v 8 to vi v4 ; Romans vi. v 14. 

Moved through Longueval, Fleurs 
Gondicourt, Boulencourt, Villiers-au 
Flos to Haplincourt about 10 miles 
& though it was a hard march I 
enjoyed it, the three first named Villiages  
were outside our old line, Fleurs  
& Gondicourt I had not been in before 
Fleurs is much larger than I thought 
it, Gondicourt is considered to have 
been the most shelled place of any with 
the possible exception of Pozieres, we then 
crossed our old line over no mans land 
through shell torn Country to splendid 
clean Country & by the time we reached 
Boulencourt the holes were getting 
much less & we gradually got to none 
at all. I went forward & had a look at 
the Companys lines & had to go out 
later again to mend a break. 
  
SUNDAY, APRIL 8, 1917. 
15th Week. 
(98-267) Easter Day. LESSONS. 
Matins-Exodus xii. to v 29 ; Revelation i. v 10 to v 19. 
Evensong-Exodus xii. v 29 or xiv. ; John xx. v 11 to v 
19 or Revelation v. 

Did the necessary tying of lines etc 
in the morning & had a good look 
round the place, it is something much 
to see it, it is or was rather a nice Villiage 
but now with all the building material  
at hand it is hard to find accommodation  
for a Bn of men they have 
deliberately burnt or blown up 
every place in it, not one place 
is habitable, every fruit tree in 
the place has been chopped down, 
unlike some of Frances damaged or 
I should say destroyed Villiages the 
damage here has not been done by 
shells or fighting but just wilfully 
destroyed. In the afternoon went forward  
with Sig Officer, it was a 
lovely Spring day to wander over 
the new clean Country.

MONDAY, APRIL 9, 1917. 
15th Week. 
(99-266) Easter Mon. Bank Holiday. Fire ins. Expires.   
LESSONS. Matins-Exodus xv. to v 22 ; Luke xxiv. to v 13. 
Evensong-Canticles ii. v 10 ; Matthew xxviii. to v 10. 

Was up late owing to being out after 
midnight till 3 AM. on the lines, 1^st & 
3^rd Bdes advanced, some distance the chief 
place being Hermies taken, a heavy Bombardment  
going up North, I did line work 
with Bill & then Salvaged some wire (German) 
which is everywhere, late in the day we 
received news of a big attack right along 
the Front practically & in most cases 
objectives gained with many prisoners, 
in evening I went down to Barashe 
& had a look through a Cemetry with 
many German Graves, in most cases  
all the available room in the French 
Cemetry are is filled by Germans 
this appears to me to be a sacrilege. 
A Villiage in front, reported full of Germans  
& shelled heavily by our Artillery 
Received 5 letters today. 
  
TUESDAY, APRIL 10, 1917. 
15th Week. 
(100-265) Easter Tuesday. LESSONS. 
Matins-2 Kings xiii. v 14 to v 22 ; John xxi. to v 15 
Evensong-Ezekiel xxxvii. to v 15 ; John xxi. v 15. 

No line work last night wet day 
with cold blizards, rolled some 
wire in afternoon, received four 
new runners. Late in night received  
later information re the 
offensive up North, prisoners up  
to 11,000 were taken & over 100 
guns, having penetrated in to 
as far as 3 miles in places, the 
Bombardment was terrific, the 
Country taken was practically 
the hinge on which the present 
retirement was moving & Vimy 
Ridge taken by Canadians was of 
the utmost importance being such 
a Commanding position & has been 
much fought for & I think this time 
will remain ours.