Diary of George Booley, 5th Battalion, AIF, 1917, Part 7 of 19
TUESDAY, MAY 1, 1917.
18th Week.
(121-244) SS. Philip & James. LESSONS.
Matins—Isaiah lxi. ; John i. v 43.
Evensong—Zechariah iv. ; Colossians iii. to v 18.
Nothing very startling doing,
shelling about normal, one
Coy line broken. 7th Bn relieved
us we moved back to supports
in the same position as we
occupied before going into the
line. At night a few gas shells
came over. We had to dig ourselves
a shelter when we got here as
the ones we dug before had been
alloted to someone else. It was
a very clear night to be changing
over too bright in fact parties
could be seen moving about
a quarter of a mile away.
WEDNESDAY, MAY 2, 1917.
18th Week.
(122-243)
Did not arise till 11 . AM in
fact of late we have not been
up much before that time.
Went up to one of the Coys who were
out of touch & found that the Coy
Commander had told his Sigs not
to put their phone on as he wanted
a sleep & if the phone was on he
would be called to the phone.
Dug our home out & made ourselves
comfortable & have a fine dugout
now. A coy chap had the point
of his nose taken off by a piece
of shrapnel from anti aircraft
guns, he did look a character
going about patched up. Our heavies
busy & every appearance of an
attack.
THURSDAY, MAY 3, 1917.
18th Week.
(123-242)
At 0345 this morning the
Germans were doing a little bombardment
on some of our trenches when every gun on
a front of about 3 miles opened as one gun
& the 6 & 7th Bdes hopped out on the Hindenburg
line, one Bde got its 3 objectives but the
other only got 2 so the other had to come back
to the 2nd again, our aeroplanes took charge
of the air not one German plane being seen
all day, one of our planes gave a fancy flying
exhibition with shells bursting all around
him, one time he was turning round
and round like a top & still going for-
ward, another time he appeared to
be hanging by the tail & spinning
round & round, fairly heavy artillery
all day & night but no serious
attempt was made to counter-
attack, in the Bombardment some
of the German heavies put out of action.
FRIDAY, MAY 4, 1917.
18th Week.
(124-241)
With the exception of the
early morning the guns have been
fairly quiet, our planes again took
charge of the air & were not disputed
by the enemy at all. The second Div
are having a hard fight & the 1st are up to
give a hand, the 1st Bde went in & bombed
the Germans from the Hindenberg support line
& consolidated it, we were relieved by a London
Regt & we came over on to the left
sector in reserve to our 1st & 3rd Bdes
we are camped in a wrecked Village
called Vaulx it has been a fine place
our particular camp has been a School
or some public place but now there
are three walls & a few rafters left
the Village can be described as a
large debris heap. In coming from
the last place we could see our front line
& theirs being pounded by Artillery
SATURDAY, MAY 5, 1917.
18th Week.
(125-240)
In the morning a heavy bombardment
kept up for some considerable
time. In this village there is a YMCA
in a broken down place where you can get
tea, biscuits & cigarettes for nothing, if
the people at Home could see the chaps coming
in from the scrap done to the world, they get a
drink & some biscuits then a smoke & throw
themselves down anywhere & go to sleep.
A Tank was moved from this Village,
it was strange to see it moving out
from among the broken up houses &
crawling away. Some of us went down
to a Canteen to the next Village on
the Bapaume - Cambrai Road & got a
supply of goods. In the night there was
a terrific Bombardment all our heavy
guns were blazing away, the Artillery
here now is intense both sides are
putting in every gun they can.
SUNDAY, MAY 6, 1917.
19th Week.
(126-239) 4th after Easter. LESSONS.
Matins—Deuteronomy iv. to v 23 : Luke xxiii. v 26 to v 50.
Evensong—Deuteronomy iv. v 23 to v 41 or v. ;
1 Thessalonians iii.
Went down to wagon lines & rolled some
wire preparatory to going into the line, we
are now standing in wait to go into what
is termed the most bloody battle of the war.
Saw a race meeting of Tommy Artillery
with some amusing hurdle races. In
the evening the Bde Band came & played
then Church service was held in our billet
which happens to be a big buck stable that
the Bosches have spared, Holy communion
followed the service, while the communion
was taking place one end of the
billet some of the lads were having an
impromptu rag-time dance to the
music supplied by the band just
outside & about 2 or 3 hundred yds
away a few salvoes of shells were sending
brick bats in all directions & 3
miles away the big battle in progress.
MONDAY, MAY 7, 1917.
19th Week.
(127-238)
The fight still going as strong as
ever some of our Div Bombed them out
of 1000 yds of o G.1. to the left & 300 yds of
o.G.2. also to the left linking up with
the Gordons who took part of Bullecourt
the Gordons were immensely pleased
to be on our Flank as I think I can
safely say never before have our Div
put up such dashing work, the fighting
being to their liking man to man,
many prisoners came down, many were
taken that did not. Our Bn went in
tonight & in a recent Div order 33/1/3%
of Sigs were to be left out in reserve
also good NCOs likely to make Officers
as a foundation to the Bn if they
should get cut up, I am on the reserve.
A heavy bombardment in the evening
I am a bit disappointed seeing the Boys
going in & me staying out here.
TUESDAY, MAY 8, 1917.
19th Week.
(128-237)
It rained all night & all the
morning clearing up in the afternoon.
A comparatively quiet night & most of the
day about 9.30 PM a pretty thick bombardment
opened by the Bosches our guns soon
got going the guns & shell burst past lighting
the place up, they were out on a counter
attack all ready for their Barrage to lift
when our Artillery anticipating their
move by their flares opened & broke them
up without a man reaching our trenches.
Captain Griffiths was killed, he left Aust
with the 1st Div, on leaving the Peninsula was
Coy Sgt Maj, received a commission in Egypt
& by good toil became Capt, he was classed
as one of the best in the Bn at least the Bn
ever had & was a Gentleman, he did good
work at Thilloy of March 2nd for which he
received the M.C.
WEDNESDAY, MAY 9, 1917.
19th Week.
(129-236) Half Quarter Day.
Artillery very intense, I went down
to see the 57th Bn & on the way got
amongst a few German shells, there
was a great scatter of men especially
from a Hospital in the vicinity, men
on crutches & in pyjamas one of the
latter was leading the field, two Bosche
Prisoners were just passing & it was
a sight to see them leg it along the
Road. Bn relieved in line by 57th
The reserve men came through Beugnatre
& Flavreuil to a camp near
the Arras - Bapaume road, as the
tents were occupied we camped
out in the open, being a very
mild night it was enjoyable
instead of a hardship, we only
carry one blanket now.
THURSDAY, MAY 10, 1917.
19th Week.
(130-235)
Moved into tents in the morning.
the Bn arrived having had a feed
& sleep at Vaulx before coming down,
General Birdwood met them coming
in complimenting them on their
work, Aust Mail in, I received 5
letters needless to say they were most
welcome. Everyone out having a bath
in the few shell holes. In the evening
a pretty heavy bombardment was
put up but do not know what
was doing, so you see although we
are practically right on the spot
we dont know what is doing. It
rained a bit in the evening but
soon stopped again, Capt Griffiths
buried in the Biefvillers cemetry.
FRIDAY, MAY 11, 1917.
19th Week.
(131-234)
Everyone having a general clean
up in the morning, the usual C.Os
inspection, one of the Band accidently
wounded with a Bomb getting
into the fire he was rather dangerously
wounded. I went for a walk in
the evening to Bapaume, it is a
cruel sight to see such a fine old Town
in such a state, imagine one of Australias
best up country Towns with
not a house left standing, to make
it worse the roads are as good as ever
& the Railway has been rebuilt, the
Town Hall is just a heap of brick, the
Bodies of men killed in explosions are still
underneath. I looked through the
Cemetry, there are many German
graves there also a few Australians
The Germans erected a Monument there.
SATURDAY, MAY 12, 1917.
19th Week.
(132-233)
About daylight a very heavy bombardment
took place lasting about 3 hours
it was just a roll of guns, evidently
an attack on our front by us. Went
for wash in the afternoon, but did
not get a change of clothes, it would
have shocked people at Home to see all
the chaps scrutinising their shirts &
underpants sitting amongst the ruins
of the Village, it was a chat on a large
scale. The Bde Band played very
nicely at the 8th Bn Headquarters.
A thing happened in the Bn today that
knocks the Patriotism out of men, they
have done wonders in the line of late &
today our COs inspection the lines were
deemed dirty in one Coy & they had the poor
beggars out drilling with packs on, a few
cigarette butts of matches is often called dirty
SUNDAY, MAY 13, 1917.
20th Week.
(133-232) Rogation Sunday. LESSONS.
Matins—Deuteronomy vi. ; John iii. v 22.
Evensong—Deuteronomy ix. or x. : 1 Timothy i. v 18 & ii.
The night & early morning notable for the
quietness of the Artillery hardly a gun
could be heard. Church parade I was
in charge of the Section, Major Dextor was
the minister, it is over 12 months since
he last preached to us. Happy & Bill went
on leave, Sgt went to a School. I filled
a good part of the day letter writing
In the evening I went to a voluntary
Church service at 8th Bn
it was rather a quiet one, I was
the only one there from our Bn
we were watching an aeroplane
fight in between Hymns, it
is not often they sneak over
this far as our planes are very
watchful. Thunder showers
in the night.
MONDAY, MAY 14, 1917.
20th Week.
(134-231) Rogation Day.
Today we started training again
we had about 15 new men again
to get into shape, at present we
only have 6 old Sigs, I was on the
instructing job again, it tries
the patience at times but I am
given credit for having some. In
the afternoon a Bosche plane appeared
very high up, a few shots were fired at it
& it came fluttering down for all the
world as if it was hit, it rolled over &
over amids great cheers from the crowd
as our planes have been doing these kind
of tricks lately we were doubtful of him
when a few hundred feet from the ground
he righted himself & flew off. General Birdwood
rode up on parade today & asked if
the Lads had got rid of the little insects
yet, as he rode off said "Good morning Corporal" to
me.
TUESDAY, MAY 15, 1917.
20th Week.
(135-230) Rogation Day.
Heavy Bombardment all
night getting violent, about daylight.
Training going in earnest now the
Routine of the day is Reveille 6 AM. Breakfast
6.30. parade 8.30 till 11.30. afternoon parade
2 till 4, lights out 9.30; I had the after
noon parade on my own having between
40 & 50 men on parade 14 of them recruits
so the two N.C.Os here are busy, myself &
Ernie Cubbins. We were innoculated in
the afternoon against Typhoid, Enteric
etc. Towards evening everyone began
to get down to it, & those moving
about hold their left arm in a funny
attitude & the language is superb
if by any chance someone bumps
them. A parcel arrived for one of our
chaps on leave leaving us to eat it all
which we managed pretty well.
WEDNESDAY, MAY 16, 1917.
20th Week.
(136-229) Rogation Day.
Nearly everyone this
morning look very sorry, for all the
world as if they had been to a spree
the night before & I felt much like it
the inocculation has upset
nearly all of those that were done.
No parade owing to the sore arms
& bad heads, all I did all day was
to make out a requisition for
shortages, the rest of the day I
slept, towards night it the
feverish feeling worked off a bit.
It rained nearly all day pretty
heavily for here usually it drizzles.
The guns have been more quiet
this last two day, just opening up
a bit in the evening, it appears
that the Huns have moved back
[*F*]
a bit since our chaps beat them
for the last line.
THURSDAY, MAY 17, 1917.
20th Week.
(137-228) Ascension Day. LESSONS.
Matins—Daniel vii. v 9 to v 15. Luke xxiv. v 44 ;
Evensong—2 Kings ii to v 16 ; Hebrews iv.
Parades from 8.30 till 11.30 & 2 till 4
still on with the recruits, but
as the effects of the innoculation
has not worn off yet they & I are a
bit dopy, but they are coming on
well all of them are triers & that
helps a lot. Today a chap fresh
from the line told us that xxx one
sunken road they took had about
2000 dead Germans in it, so our
Artillery must have been very
severe on them. News to hand of
a new Italian Offensive & they are
having a bit of a success.
FRIDAY, MAY 18, 1917.
20th Week.
(138-227)
We fell in at parade time in
the morning & no Officer put in
an appearance, then someone said
"they heard he had gone to Amiens"
so I was left to look after things
myself, it did not make much
difference as we carried on just
as usual, the class doing well,
parade in afternoon. The Officer
had gone to Amiens to buy up
clothes & knick - knacks for the
Officers
[*F 2*]
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