Diary of George Booley, 5th Battalion, AIF, 1917, Part 8 of 19
SATURDAY, MAY 19, 1917.
20th Week.
(139-226)
Parade in the morning, the Prde
Sig Officer came along & was greatly pleased
with our recruits & would not believe they
were only 3 days at it. Ern Cubbins & I went
to Bapaume in the afternoon & saw the
sights, first the Church of Saint Nicholas of
16th Century structure now a heap of stone,
the explosions having blown the Crypts up &
revealing hundreds of human skulls, some think they
are from the Massacre of the Huegonots of 1740. In
the main part of the Town is the pedestal of a
monument (removed by Bosches) erected in
1871 to commemorate the defence of Bapaume
against the Germans by Gen FAIDHERBE in 1870.
One end of the Town still has some fortifications
left, they face directly opposite THILLOY. & overlook
the Country for some miles, we looked at
our last position before Bapaume from the
Germans side & he had much the
better of it
SUNDAY, MAY 20, 1917.
21st Week.
(140-225) Sunday after Ascension Day. LESSONS.
Matins-Deuteronomy xxx., ; John vi. v 41.
Evensong-Deuteronomy xxxiv. or Joshua i. ; 2 Timothy iii
church parade in the morning followed
by a full marching past parade to fill in time
then after much ceremony lasting an hour
we were allowed back in again to strike
tents which were left down until tea;
We packed our Panniers in view of a move
also received two new electric daylight Sig
lamp they look something good. There
has been heavy Artillery fire all day
in fact all last night, by the sound of
things there is a heavy fight in progress
just on the left, on our front of
late there has not been much doing
just a good deal of Artillery.
MONDAY, MAY 21, 1917.
21st Week.
(141-224)
Started at 7 oclock passing through Bapaume
Warlencourt, Le Sars, Pozieres & Orvilles-La-
Boiselle to some huts near Albert arriving
about midday, it was an interesting trip
as we could see all the Country we have
fought over for months & this time see it from
the other side. We had a clean up shave
etc & two of us went over to Pozieres
again & did some more filling up to
Bills grave it looks nice now the
oats I sowed have grown & it was nice &
green. Among a lot of returned men
came two Officers one of them Lieut Gilmour
was my platoon Commander, he
lost the sight of one eye returned to Aust
& is back here again, the other had
an eye knocked out at Ypres & now
has a glass xx eye in, they are both
splendid officers.
TUESDAY, MAY 22, 1917.
21st Week.
(142-223)
Moved through Albert, Mellencourt
Henencourt to some huts near the
latter place the camp is surrounded
almost by a lovely wood of fine big
trees which we are now just in full
leaf, there is lovely grass everywhere
& it is a real pleasure to
be here, everything is as quiet too,
the camp in in the ground of the
Henencourt Chateau. It rained
most of the way over but only a
drizzle:
WEDNESDAY, MAY 23, 1917.
21st Week.
(143-222)
Training started straight
away parades from 8.30 to 11.30 and
2 till 4 in the afternoon, I
had my class as usual but
after the two days march & then
being within a mile of Estaminet
for the first time for some weeks
some of the class had been quenching
their thirst so they were not
as good as they might have been.
Ernie Cubbins & I took out two new
lamps to try them, they are for
daylight use & are rather good.
THURSDAY, MAY 24, 1917.
21st Week.
(144-221) Empire Day.
Morning parade
only today, the afternoons in the
future are to be filled in with
recreation a scheme having
been drawn up to put each Coy
against the other then the best
to meet the best Coy of the other
Bns of the Bde the winners to meet
the winners of each of the other
Bdes. The class in better form
today & are doing well. In the evening
with another chap I went
to Warloy to get some Canteen
stores, tinned fruit biscuits
etc, our own Canteen people
are very slow about getting things
about the only times they get
us stores is when are are near
some other big Canteens.
Rega. No. / 289 Certificate of Posting of a Registered Postal Packet
A Postal Packet addressed as under, upon which a Fee of Two Pence has been paid, in addition
to the Postage{of_____s_______d.}has been registered and posted here this day;-
Miss E. E. Scott
High St
Victoria
Australia
Accepting Officer's Signature
(or initials)
Extracts from Regulations for
Registration of Inland Postal Packets
(For full Regulations see Post Office Guide.)
I. No legal liability attaches to the Postmaster-General
in respect of the issue of this Certificate.
II. Subject to the published regulations, the
Postmaster-General will give compensation up to
a limit of £400 for loss of damage of an Inland
Postal Packet on which a Registration Fee has been
aid, in accordance with the following scale:-
Fee Limit of Compensation.
2d. ... ... ... ... ... ... £5
3d. ... ... ... ... ... ... £20
1d. extra for each additional £20 up to £400.
These Fees include in each case the ordinary
registration fee of 2d.
III. No compensation will be paid in respect
a Postal Packet in which any prohibited article
a enclosed.
IV. No compensation will be paid in respect
of any Registered Postal Packet contain MONEY
unless such money be enclosed in one of the official
registered letter envelopes sold at any Post Office
and be sent by Registered Letter Post. The term
money includes coin, Bank notes, stamps, postal or
money orders, cheques, and any other security for
money whether negotiable or not. If the money be
in the shape of COIN, no compensation in excess
of £5 will be paid in the event of loss. If the
money be in the shape of Bank notes or other
securities for money, particulars sufficient to identify
such notes or securities must be furnished.
V. No compensation is payable for damage to
a Registered Postal Packet containing eggs, soft fruit,
liquids or semi-liquids, or any exceptionally fragile
article.
VI. No compensation will be paid in respect
of damage to a Postal Packet sent by Registered
Letter Post unless such packet be marked by the Sender
-"fragile-with care" when posted.
VII. The Postmaster-General does not assume
any liability as a consequence of the registration
of a Postal Packet afterwards found to have been
imperfectly packed
VIII. In no case will the Postmaster-General
hold himself responsible for consequential damages,
not will he in any case pay more than the actual
value of the article lost or the damage sustained.
IX. The decision of the Postmaster-General
upon any claim for compensation is final.
X. This scheme does not apply to any Foreign
or Colonial Postal Packet. The conditions governing
the registration and insurance of such packets are
given in the Post Office Guide.
NOTE.-An advice of the delivery of Inland
registered correspondence may be obtained by the
sender on payment of a fee of 2d. and of a Foreign
or Colonial Letter on payment of 2½d.
FRIDAY, MAY 25, 1917.
21st Week.
(145-220) Eas. Law Sittings end. Oxford Eas. Term ends.
The usual parade in the morning,
during it we sighted our new
lamp on an aeroplane & it flew
round over us, the observer leaning
right out of it waving his arms
to us. In the afternoon we got
our second dose of innoculation
thank goodness no more for 12
months, should the war last
that long. In the evening had
a go in with some of the Sgts
of the Company D. over putting
their Sigs on guard, this is a
sore point to many of them & I
was pleased to be in the position
of dictating to someone of higher
rank than myself on a point
that often concerned me in
the Company.
SATURDAY, MAY 26, 1917.
21st Week.
(146-219) Oxford Trinity Term begins.
Morning parade consisted of a
route march through Warloy to Contay
the distance being about 6 or 7 miles,
on top of the innoculation yesterday
the march was a bit hard, the
effects of the second dose was not as
bad. The afternoon filled in writing
letters & having a wash, some
more Aust mail in dated as late
as 2/4/17.
SUNDAY, MAY 27, 1917.
22nd Week.
(147-218) Whit Sunday. LESSONS.
Matins-Deuteronomy xvi. to v 18; Romans viii. to v 18.
Evensong-Isaiah xi. or Ezekiel xxxvi. v 25; Galations v.
v 16 or Acts xviii. v 24 to xix. v 21.
No Church parade today, the Bn
were bathing, marching about 3
miles for no change of clothes, how
ever I did not go as it is easier
to have a bath here without the
march. Some of the chaps went
to a 14 days rest camp down by
the Sea Side at the mouth of the
Somme, it appears to be a
decent place I would not mind
having a go at it. I stopped
in camp all day.
MONDAY, MAY 28, 1917.
22nd Week.
(148-217) Whit Mon. Bank Holiday. LESSONS.
Matins-Genesis xi. to v 10; 1 Corinthians xii. to v 14.
Evensong-Numbers xi. v 16 to v 31 : 1 Corinthians xii.
v 27 and xiii.
We are starting to get in form for
a Sig competition 24 men teams the
winners of our Bde to try against that of
the other Bdes of our Division, as I only
have another NCO to help me I am busy
24 men for a competition take some
raising. 3 of our chaps returned from
Blighty from leave. A & D Coy had a road
race just under 2 miles it was funny
to see a Coy of men most of them clad in
pants & boots only starting off, old
men young men fat & slim alike
but they all put up a good performance
one Coy started 183
& over 160 finished in the given
time the winners finished in
12½ & 12¾ minutes respectively.
TUESDAY, MAY 29, 1917.
22nd Week.
(149-216) Whit Tuesday. LESSONS.
Matins-Joel ii. v 21 ; 1 Thessalonians v. v 12 to v 24.
Evensong-Micah iv. to v 8 ; 1 John iv. to v 14.
Hard at work getting our teams
going tomorrow we get down to it
in earnest having picked our
teams. .Bde sent up an NCO to supervise
our work, & as he said more
than half of us know more than him.
A chap in A Coy who dislikes water
was carried over to the wash
troughs & given a phenyle wash
all his clothes burned it was
funny to see one of the chaps
carrying him back to the hut
without a stitch of clothes on
they provided him with a new
clean set of clothes so he did
alright. Tonights Coy road races
resulted in C beating B. times
12 min 40 & 12 min 25.
WEDNESDAY, MAY 30, 1917.
22nd Week.
(150-215) Ember Day.
Morning parade as usual in
the afternoon Sigs played stretcher
bearers cricket, S.Bo winning by
6 runs after an exciting game.
Sixth Bde had sports near us
there were a number of chaps dressed
in Womens clothes & they were very
amusing. In the evening they
had a boxing competition, there
were sme good bouts & some
splendid fighters in them the
finals to come off on Sunday, an
aeroplane going up from an aero
drome near by passed just over
our heads the observer leaning
almost right out of the machine
watching the fight, then they
turned & came back for another
look.
THURSDAY, MAY 31, 1917.
22nd Week.
151-214)
Morning parade as usual,
a Sylabus of training for Sigs came
from Bde timed from 9 AM to 6PM
but I cannot see if being observed
at present we are too busy to take
notice of it. Headquarters details played
the Stretcher Bearers cricket, HQ winning
by 2 runs. The final for the Bde 2
mile event was run tonight
our Coy got beaten by the 8th, we
beat the other Battalions so did
not do so bad especially as the
other Bns prepared Coys for it putting
men from other Coys in with
them.
FRIDAY, JUNE 1, 1917.
22nd Week.
(152-213) Ember Day.
Morning parade, but could
not get much practice owing to
having to take the learning
class. In the afternoon we had
some practice for awhile but
I slept most of the afternoon.
Nothing else of importance.
SATURDAY, JUNE 2, 1917.
22nd Week.
(153-212) Ember Day.
No parade on account of
Bn bathing, we did not go
as there was no change of
clothes to be had. Our 4 miles
relay race put off for awhile.
Bn played 2 3rd Cricket.
the 2 3rd won by 9 runs.
Sunday June 8th (cont)
much parleying we got a feed.
Being Sunday some of the shops
were closed, but it put a fellow
in mind of Aust to see people
out in their best promenading
the streets especially along a
fine walk of trees along a road
which goes in a circular
direction around the edge of
the Town dividing town from
[[Suburb?]]. An Officer wanted us
to arrest a chap coming back
SUNDAY, JUNE 3, 1917.
23rd Week.
(154-211) Trinity Sunday. LESSONS.
Matins-Isaiah vi. to v 11 ; Revelation i. to v 9.
Evensong-Genesis xviii. or i. & ii. to v 4 ;
Ephesians iv. to v 17 or Matthew iii.
Went to Amiens on leave on arrival
went straight to the Cathedral it is a
splendid building, as a safeguard against
aeroplanes attacks it is sandbagged
most of the way round & many of the
inside parts are sandbagged also, we
just arrived in time to see mass celebrated,
it was fine to hear the organ
& choir. Amiens is a fine town, out
of reach of the German guns, although
it is sometimes bombed by aeroplanes.
The Germans occupied it for about 11
hours at the begining of the war, it
was about the limit of their advance.
It was funny to see us trying to order
a dinner in a restaraunt, the
menu was in French, after
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