Diary of George Booley, 5th Battalion, AIF, 1917, Part 11 of 19

SATURDAY, JULY 14, 1917. 
28th Week. 
(195-170)  

Morning parade today, these 
parade are a kind of a nightmare
to me now, we have too  
many NCO' & the Sig Officer does  
not meet with approval, I feel 
very miserable each time we 
go out & the Lads are also very  
dissatisfied with the turn  
of events. In the afternoon we 
went out & had some practice
with Rifle grenades, both  
dummy and live Bombs, it is interesting
work especially as  
there are no Huns to throw 
others back. 
  

SUNDAY, JULY 15, 1917. 
29th Week. 
(196-169) 6th after Trinity. S Swithun. LESSONS. 
Matins—2 Samuel i. ; Acts xviii. v 24 to xix. v 21. 
Evensong—2 Samuel xii. to v 24 or xviii ; Matthew vii v 7. 

Owing to bad weather Church  
parade was held in a hut, 
no route march for a wonder  
so the troops had a holiday. 
In the evening I went to  
a church service in YMCA 
just over the road from us 
there was a piano there & the 
singing was good.

MONDAY, JULY 16, 1917. 
29th Week. 
(197-168) 

Morning parade the same 
as usual 8 to 11 then in 
the afternoon some of us went 
went out about 1½ miles for 
some distant work, it was 
not as successful as it might 
have been owing to bad 
weather. 
  

TUESDAY, JULY 17, 1917. 
29th Week. 
(198-167) 

Parades of 3 hours each morning
& evening, these parades 
are getting sickening & the 
3 hours drag out like 6 personally
I would prefer to be in  
the line, the trouble is now 
we have been out of the line 
too long & discipline of every 
ridiculous kind is creeping 
in & the effect on many is 
most noticable, mores so amongst
the older men (men of long 
service) & in most cases men  
who are the best class in the  
line, their idea is that they 
get credit for being men in 
the line & here they are treated
like school Boys.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 18, 1917. 
29th Week 
(199-166) 

Route march marching order 
in the morning through Bray 
in the afternooon we had a 
rag time parade in the hut 
owing to inclement weather. 
In the night there was a Bde 
concert arranged by the YMCA 
it was a good turn out. 
  

THURSDAY, JULY 19, 1917. 
29th Week. 
(200-165) 

Another march marching 
order through Meaulte, but 
as we could not get Bde in 
the morning I put up a 
good stall & hastened forth 
on the line, my only trouble 
was that we would get there 
before I could get my breakfast
down, however when I 
returned they had started on 
their march, the afternoon we 
filled in in the hut, in the 
evening I went for a stroll 
around to a Church Army 
hut in which there was a 
concert it was a good affair 
H

FRIDAY, JULY 20, 1917. 
29th Week. 
(201-164) 

Morning 3 hours parade, I had 
another class of 4 recruits out 
they got going pretty well, in  
the afternoon we went out 
on what they called Bn in 
attack, I laughed that much I 
thought I would get myself 
into trouble, our strength was 
1 Off. 2 Sgt. 2 Cpls 2 L/Cpls 5 Signallers, 
the C.O. ordered that two were to be 
sent to each Coy (they each have 
about a dozen of their own) after 
doing this we had the Off. 2 Sgts. 2 Cpls 
1 L/cpl as Bn H.Q. to work with 
about 50 men out in the Field 
there were flags everywhere but 
no one to read them if Stan had 
been there he would have said "God forgive
them they know not what they do." 
  

SATURDAY, JULY 21, 1917. 
29th Week. 
(202-163) 

Another full marching order 
route march through 
Bray, Suzzane & back 
through Bray the distance  
was about 10 miles quite 
far enough when it is only 
for practice. Suzzane has 
been a lovely place about two 
thirds of it is taken up by 
the finest old Chateau I have 
seen but now the whole place 
is a wreck, the Town is built 
on the side of a hill surrounded 
by fine big trees & overlooks 
the Valley of the Somme, now 
there are few Civilians in 
the place we only saw about 
four in it & in pre-war days 
would have about 1000 population 
H2

SUNDAY, JULY 22, 1917. 
30th Week. 
(203-162)  7th after Trinity.       LESSONS. 
Matins—1 Chronicles xxi. ; Acts  xxii. v 23 to xxiii. v 12. 
Evensong—1 Chronicles xxii. or xxviii. to v 21 ; Matthew xi. 

Again went to Amiens this
time a new route travelling from 
Bray-sur-Somme to Pozieres 
on a narrow gauge then by a 
main line to Amiens, it was a 
fine little trip & I enjoyed it 
very much most of the way the 
line runs about 2 miles behind
the line (old) & of course until 
July 1^st 1916 was always under 
shell fire. We followed much 
the same routine as other 
days in there, went to the Cathedral
Mass, then had a hot 
bath, dinner, then a feed of 
fruit, some pictures, a walk 
around the Prom, tea & then 
homeward via Albert. 
  

MONDAY, JULY 23, 1917. 
30th Week. 
(204-161) 

All bustle & rush this 
morning marching orders 
for I was despatched  
on a Bike to recconnoitre 
a road through the outskirts 
of Albert as it is forbidden to 
go through the main thorough 
fares, I found the road & 
had things well in hand 
& was waiting for the Bn 
to make its appearance when 
one of the chaps came along on 
a bike & told me to return as 
it was only a practice stunt 
of the C.O^o not even the Adjutant 
knowing it was so, Gen Walker 
paid a surprise visit to inspect 
the transport & found them 
packed up result something doing

TUESDAY, JULY 24, 1917. 
30th Week. 
(205-160) 

In the morning had a lecture
on the Field dressing 
which took about 2 minutes. 
In the afternoon 5 PM. moved 
to Meaulte not a very long 
way but quite far enough  
to do in one stretch with 
full marching order on 
including blankets. after  
tea the chaps were to be 
seen in hundreds along  
the banks of the Ancre 
swimming. This is the  
first time we have been 
billeted here although we 
have passed through it 
more times than any other 
Village in France, it is very 
quiet now compared with 12 months ago 
  

WEDNESDAY, JULY 25, 1917. 
30th Week. 
(206-159)  S. James, Ap.      LESSONS. 
Matins—2 Kings i. to v 16 ; Luke ix. v 51 to v 57. 
Evensong—Jeremiah xxvi v 8 to v 16 ; Matthew xiii. to v 24. 

Out Tout de Suite this morning 
Route marching about 7 
miles with packs up, it 
would take a lot of carrying 
the pack to get me used to 
it, but the heads get a different 
view of it riding on horse-back 
& nothing more than a Sam 
Brown on, finished march 
at 11 oclock, then I dashed off 
tout de suite to the Church Army 
hut for a cup of tea. Anniversary 
of our big scrap at Pozieres. In the 
afternoon we went to [[Vivier Hill]] 
for a hot bath & the rest of the  
afternoon just wandered about 
from Army Hut to YMCA - Canteen etc.

THURSDAY, JULY 26, 1917. 
30th Week. 
(207-158) 

Standing by all day in view of 
move tonight. Moved through 
Albert to Averluy where we 
entrained & left about 9.30 
P.M. we moved in horse 
trucks in which 40 men 
are supposed to get well we 
hadn't that many & found 
space very scarce, in fact 
things got that uncomfortable
that there was  
a likely chance of a box- 
on at times the language 
became rather thick 
  

FRIDAY, JULY 27, 1917. 
30th Week. 
(208-157) 

Arrived at Caestre about 8.30 AM 
then marched about 6 Kilo's to the 
place we are billeted in Hodenghem 
It really does a fellow good to come 
to Flanders again there is no comparison
between it & Picardy, the 
whole place is more modern & certainly
has a more prosperous look about 
it, the Villages are very clean & the 
people ever so much nicer & not 
like those we have been used to for 
near a year now, down below they  
were always afraid you were going 
to beat them for somethin, we are  
in a fine billet we are on the second 
floor & beneath us is an Estaminet 
& nearby live a couple of old women 
who amuse the Lads by giving them 
the Scandal of the place

 SATURDAY, JULY 28, 1917. 
30th Week 
(209-156) 

Parade in the morning 8 till 
11, we were out by ourselves as
the Coys are too far apart. A mail 
is beginning to arrive, the first 
for nearly 6 weeks. In this Village 
there is a fine modern church, the 
churches in these places always 
make me think they are out of 
proportion with the population 
some of them both old & modern 
are certainly fine buildings, it  
is not all show with the French 
people as they are most devout 
but I am afraid their creed does 
not call for many high ideals, 
this does not mean that there 
are not good among them. 
There were some fine flying exhibitions
by some planes in the morning 
  

SUNDAY, JULY 29, 1917. 
31st Week. 
(210-155) 8th after Trinity. LESSONS. 
Matins—1 Chronicles xxix. v  9 to v 29 ; Acts. xxviii. v 17. 
Evensong—2 Chronicles i. or 1 Kings iii. ; Matthew xv. to v 21. 

Just before church parade it
came up very black, almost got
dark & poured rain for about an
hour result finish parade, no
other parades for the day. In
the evening there was a church
service in the YMCA. but
I did not know it was on
so missed it for once.
We hard tonight that a
lot of people mostly civilians
were gassed by shell gas near
Armentiers, it is a new
gas & causes total blindness
but whether it can be cured
remains to be seen, it is
devilish stuff& cannot be
detected.

MONDAY, JULY 30, 1917. 
31st Week. 
(211-154) 

Parade from 8 till 10.30 
inside owing to rain, 
afternoon parade was from 
2-30 till 3-30 in which 
our chaps went for a short  
march, I did not go, so I 
reckon I earned my 10/- 
rather easily, I received 
3 letters & answered two. 
In the evening I went for 
a walk to an aerodrome 
& watched the planes going 
up & down for a while 
  

TUESDAY, JULY 31, 1917. 
31st Week. 
(212-153)  Trinity Law Sittings end. 

Hazebrouk shelled heavy guns. 
Route march in the morning 
for 3 hours fighting order, we  
had the Bde Band also our own 
Bugle band so were well supplied 
with noise, it was a decent 
march, I would not mind one 
of them each day, all we did 
in the afternoon was talk about 
the new offensive which opened 
last night or this morning, it 
appears to be on a large scale 
& by all accounts all objectives 
have been gained, it is reported 
that they have gone in 3 miles 
in some parts so that is not  
too bad but we will find out 
more about it pretty soon as 
we are in reserve for something.

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 1, 1917. 
31st Week. 
(213-152) 

Last night for the first 
time the Huns shelled Hazebrouk  
it is about 14 miles from the 
nearest part of the line, it 
was cruel to see the old people 
leaving the Town with their 
Children a lot of them had only 
arrived from Armentiers the 
day before owing to the gas 
some came to the place we are 
billeted in. Today we did 
all our parades inside owing 
to the rain, it rained all 
day but did not make 
much difference to us as 
our billets a waterproof 
this time those we have 
had for a long time used 
to generally leak- 
  

THURSDAY, AUGUST 2, 1917. 
31st Week. 
(214-151) 

Raining all day again, 
in the morning we did some 
work inside & in the afternoon
went for an hours 
walk, to my way of thinking
a model days work, 
& quite sufficient to keep 
men fit.