Diary of George Booley, 5th Battalion, AIF, 1917, Part 10 of 19

SUNDAY, JUNE 24, 1917. 
26th Week. 
(175-190) 3rd aft. Trin. S.John Bap. Cam. Eas. Tm. ends. 
LESSONS—Matins—1 Samuel ii. to v 27 or Malachi iii. to v 7 
Matthew iii. 
Evensong—1 Samuel iii. or iv. to v 19 or Malachi 
iv. ; Matthew xiv. to v 13. 

No church parade, we moved  
to Englebelmer into Billets, The  
place is badly drained & much  
stagnant water is lying about. 
In the evening I went to a  
voluntary Church service held 
in the Roman Catholic Church 
of the Village, the building was 
offered by the Mayor of the place, 
it seemed strange a Protestant  
Church service in a R.C. Church   
&  it struck many as showing 
very fine spirit, it is a pretty 
church inside but a bit knocked 
about by shells. 

  
MONDAY, JUNE 25, 1917. 
26th Week. 
(176-189) 

Another attack on Auchonvillers, 
we were out from 8.30 
to 3.PM. in trying to find the  
7^th I found myself at Beaumont 
Hamel, of all the places I have  
ever seen it looks to have been  
the toughest proposition of all 
& I take off my hat to the men  
who took it, many grave yards  
are a good proof of the strength  
of the position, Scotties seem  
to have suffered a good deal, 
the place is still strewn with  
Battle wreckage & it looks a 
sorry sight. As two Sargs came 
back I expected to revert to 
L/cpl but was surprised 
tonight to go through orders  
as Corporal.

TUESDAY, JUNE 26, 1917. 
26th Week. 
(177-188) 

Nothing doing all day  
in view of a night out, I  
went to Maily & got some Sig 
gear & did a little running  
about, Bn moved out at 
11 30. P.M; it was a fine clear 
night & one noticeable thing about 
it was, it had the appearance 
of breaking day all night, some  
said it was known as the  
long twilight so I did not  
argue. 

  
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 27, 1917. 
26th Week. 
(178-187) 

The early morning found  
us stumbling about the old Battle 
field facing Serres, the ground is 
much chopped about, we kept 
at mimic warfare till 7.A.M. then 
had to march about 5 miles, all  
hands were more asleep than awake 
& within half an hour of returning  
all of them had had breakfast  
& were well asleep & stopped in  
bed most of the day making up 
for lost time.

THURSDAY, June 28, 1917. 
26th Week. 
(179-186) 

Moved through Hedauville 
Warloy to our Camp in Henencourt 
wood, it was wet & slushy 
in fact of late hardly a day has  
passed without thunder or rain  
it is reasonable weather as we  
had something the same this  
time last year at Messines.  
We had arrived here by 09 30 
so it did not take us long, 
after a shower I felt good again 
The afternoon was kit inspection 

  
FRIDAY, JUNE 29, 1917. 
26th Week. 
(180-185) S. Peter Ap. LESSONS. 
Matins—Ezekiel iii. v 4 to v 15 ; John xxi. v 15 to v 23. 
Evensong—Zechariah iii. ; Acts iv. v 8 to v 23 

A day of rest, in the afternoon 
the Bn marched to Bresle  
to a lecture, I did not go but 
put in the afternoon letter 
writing.

SATURDAY, JUNE 30, 1917. 
26th Week. 
(181-184) 
  
We went out on parade in the  
morning but were driven in  
by rain, the afternoon also 
was wet. What used to be 
our Sgt came to us as acting 
Sig Officer during the School. 

  
SUNDAY, JULY 1, 1917. 
27th Week. 
(182-183) 4th after Trinity. LESSONS. 
Matins—1 Samuel xii ; Acts. ix. v 23. 
Evensong—1 Samuel xiii. or Ruth i. ; 1 John iv. v 7. 

Church parade at which we 
could hardly hear a word, after 
the parade came the inevitable 
route march, they should either 
cut out one or the other of these 
things, if they want the chaps to 
look on the day as Sunday they  
should let them do without the  
march, everyone starts swearing 
& going off about it, they think  
that on Sunday at least they should  
get a rest, although we are out  
of the line we are having strenuous  
times of it, "but as it was in the  
beginning is now & ever shall  
be", in the evening we went 
to a voluntary Church parade.

MONDAY, JULY 2, 1917. 
 27th Week. 
(183-182) 

Parade in morning, new Sig  
Officer, then 3 Sergts, myself & a L/cpl  
to look after things, as the Officer 
has had about 6 mths in Oxford 
at School, one Sgt nearly 12 months  
in Blighty, one 3 ½ months Blighty 
the other nearly 2 months School, 
new ideas were plentiful much  
to the disgust of all hands, it is  
so ridiculous for them to come with 
their silly ideas when the present 
methods have been giving so every 
satisfaction, so much so that on  
the first day of the Sgt coming back 
we were on manouvres & the  
Adj called me out & said for me 
to take charge as usual the Sgt 
could help me. 

  
TUESDAY, JULY 3, 1917. 
27th Week. 
(184-181) 

Bill Pink & I went to Amiens  
for another day out, we put 
in a good day, & on this occasion 
found a good Cafe for a  
feed, we paid it two visits &  
several to the YMCA for tea,  
had a good hot bath, hair  
cut & then had my photo 
taken, we eventually arrived 
back in camp at 2230. 
The Bn went through gas 
with their respirators on 
to try them.

WEDNESDAY , JULY 4, 1917. 
27th Week. 
(185-180) 

Reveille  0500, we marched 
about 4 mile out to do some 
aeroplane contact works 
the plane failed to appear 
so we all came back again 
In the evening 5^th played the  
8^th Bn football & had a substantial 
win, our team is playing 
well at present & would I 
think beat any team in  
the A.I.F. 

  
THURSDAY, JULY 5, 1917. 
27th Week. 
(186-179) 

Morning parade from 7 till 
10 A.M, just the usual training  
there are many new ideas coming 
in with the new NCOs &  
Officer much to the disgust of the  
Lads who are more war weary 
than these fellows just returning 
from a good spell, & it hurts 
them a bit to be bounced & 
fooled about. In the afternoon 
marched about 4 miles to see 
a FLAMENWERFER display  
it is a weird thing but I am  
pleased I have seen it, as it 
has set my mind at rest, there  
is nothing very terrible about 
it with a bit of luck & if it 
catches a fellow properly he would  
go out at once.

FRIDAY, JULY 6, 1917 
27th Week. 
(187-178) 

Morning parade but as the Coy 
Sigs went with Bn we had  
a small parade on our own. 
In the afternoon our Bn played 
the 7^th cricket & on the  
first innings they won by  
about 20 runs, the evening 
there was boxing at the  
stadium & some of us played 
cricket, we had a scaby 
parade. 
  

SATURDAY, JULY 7, 1917. 
 27th Week. 
(188-177) Oxford Trinity Term ends. 

Morning parade the usual 
thing. 7 till 10, no parade in  
the afternoon, our team played  
the 6^th football & beat them  
badly, they have beaten every  
team in the Bde now & also 
the Div. Cyclists & I think on 
present form would beat any 
Bn team of the forces, our  
H.Q. Sigs cricket team played  
the Coy Sigs & gave them a bit 
of a trouncing, they put up a 
good game, no evening parade.

SUNDAY, JULY 8, 1917. 
28th Week. 
(189-176)  5th after Trinity. LESSONS. 
Matins—1 Samuel xv. to v 24   Acts xiv. 
Evensong—1 Samuel xvi. or xvii. ; Matthew iii. 

Today there is a memorial service 
at Pozieres only about 30  
went from each Bn but they 
evidently forgot the Sigs so I did 
not get up to it, I would very  
much liked to have gone, it was  
raining nearly all day, & we had  
no church parade for a wonder. 
the memorial service was a  
great event, moving pictures  
were taken of it, they unveiled 
a monument in memory of 
1^st Division killed in the  
fighting in & around Pozieres 
  

MONDAY, JULY 9, 1917. 
28th Week. 
(190-175) Fire insurance expires. 
  
Morning parade 8 to 11 but  
rain broke it up, the afternoon 
we played cricket & the 
Corps all played football for 
two hours, these parades are 
known as Recreational 
parades or as the Boys say 
a new way of spelling work 
but a little more pleasant.

TUESDAY, JULY 10, 1917. 
28th Week. 
(191-174) 

A big day today in the morning 
we marched though Warloy, 
Vardencourt & Contay & then returned 
the same way, in the  
afternoon we played the Band 
cricket & beat them. At night 
[[Brestle?]] to the Cinema Hall 
to a concert arranged by 
the YM.C.A for us. 
  

WEDNESDAY, JULY 11, 1917. 
28th Week. 
(192-173) 

Morning parade as usual, 
again played the Band cricket 
& beat them again rather 
badly.

THURSDAY, JULY 12, 1917. 
28th Week. 
(193-172) 

Some stir caused in the  
morning getting ready to watch  
the King go bye to do this we had  
to march about 3 miles with 
marching order on, after much 
spitting, polishing, swearing  
& sweating we arrived at the  
chosen spot, waited there about 
an hour then he came along &  
after all our exertions he went past 
almost without us seeing him. 
The joke of it was when we were  
told what was on, the Officer 
said "after the pilot car comes  
the Kings, when it comes along  
take off your hats & cheer" the  
idea of cheers made to order 
struck me as being very 
funny. 
  

FRIDAY, JULY 13, 1917. 
28th Week. 
(194-171) 

Moved 6-30 AM. through 
Henencourt, Lavieville, Buire 
Dernancourt, Meaulte to some 
huts near Bray-sur-Somme 
The distance being about 11 
miles, the day was warm, & a  
good many cracked up on the  
march, personally I never finished 
better. After dinner I went  
down & had a look at Bray, it  
is situated somewhat similar 
to Albert, just behind the line  
& of course the Bosche paid 
special attention to it, now 
instead of a quaint old Town 
it is a bad wreck but not 
as bad as Albert, the Church  
of Bray still stands.