Diary of George Booley, 5th Battalion, AIF, 1918, Part 5

March -1918 
22 Friday 20 Wednesday - Sun rises 6.1, sets 6.13. 

Raining until about  
3 oclock when it cleared  
from then on the Artillery  
got very busy, we had  
a shell a bit close to  
our camp. Towards 
evening shelling became 
very hot &  
continued so all  
night.
 

March - 1918 
23 Saturday - Sun rises 5.59, sets 6.15 

Guns very quiet all day 
only an occasional  
burst of Artillery. 
We played cricket 
again in the afternoon. 
In the evening some  
little excitement in 
expectation of being  
called out for something  
unusual. 
Aircraft was quiet all 
day, all energy appears 
to be in on the big 
scrap down South &  
things point to us  
being there ere long.  
The shelling of Towns 
behind the lines continues.  
4th moved away  
Paris shelled, French enter 
Battle total Huns advance 10 miles

MARCH - 1918 
24 Sunday-Palm Sunday 
Mg. - Ex. ix.  Mat. xxvi 
Evg. - Ex. x or Ex. xi. Luke xix. 28, or 
Luke xx. 9-21 

Last night passed very 
quietly, about the quietest 
night for some time. 
Church parade was cancelled.  
Some of our 
Bde relieved 14^th Bde. 
Jim Mac came down 
to see me again. 
Had a game of cricket 
in afternoon. 
Had winter clothing 
also second Blanket. 
German total advance  
15 miles.
 

MARCH - 1918 
25 Monday - Sun rises 5.54, sets 6.18. 
Annunciation.  Lady Day 

After losing our second  
Blanket it turned cold 
last night. 
We moved to Parret camp 
in evening. 
News coming from the  
South is not bad now 
& we appear to be putting  
up a good show. 
Huns reach the Ancre 
& cross Somme & claim 
45 000 prisoners & 
600 Guns.

MARCH - 1918 
26 Tuesday - Sun rises 5.52, sets 6.20 

A very quiet day, our  
front getting very tame. 
A lot of night bombing  
going on. 
Germans checked West 
of Roye & Noyan & enter  
Albert.
 

MARCH - 1918. 
27 Wednesday - Sun rises 5.50, sets 6.22 
3h 33 m After. 

Parades commence again 
times from 10 to 12 & 2 to 3. 
In the evening we had 
a practice stand to. 
Weather pretty cold. 
It was funny in the stand 
too, in one of the Coys one 
chap rushing to get dressed 
(prompted by the Sgt Maj) 
he got up to go out & discovered 
that he had his 
boots & socks etc on & 
had forgotten his pants. 
British regain Villages on 
Somme & left fall back 
2 ½ miles, line within 
14 ½ miles of Amiens 
Huns take Montdidier 
at Town 19 miles S.E of AMIENS

MARCH - 1918 
28 Thursday - Sun  rises 5.47, sets 6.23. 

10 Div Huns attack at Arras. 
Parade in morning we 
went for a march through 
Kemmel to some distance 
beyond & back again by 
another route, I could 
not help noticing the 
quietness & absence of 
troops around that  
area. News from the 
South much better than 
for some days. It was 
rumoured today that we 
were asked for to hit back 
at the Hun in the counter 
attack, many of our fellows 
think we are the only 
pebble on the beach 
or must to circulate these 
tales. British lines hold from 
Arras to Somme & French 
hold Hun at Mondidier.

MARCH - 1918. 
29 Friday - Sun rises 5.45, sets 6.25. 
Good Friday. 

Being Good Friday we had 
a Church parade instead 
of the ordinary parade, 
in the afternoon did nothing,  
this is about 
the third day that has 
been wet & cold. 
Recieved our second 
blanket back again 
for which we were very 
thankful. 
News of 4^th Aust Div 
doing good work down 
South. 
All prisoners released 
from Corps Compound. 
Heavy fighting S of Somme on 
a line 10 ½ miles from Amiens. 
French counter SE of Montdidier

MARCH - 1918. 
30 Saturday - Sun rises 5.43, sets 6.27. 

Parades in morning & 
afternoon, the afternoon 
one being cut short 
owing to bad weather. 
The Hun appear to be 
held fairly well now, 
News of 3^rd Div attacking 
at Moilencourt & 
retaking ground.

MARCH - 1918 
31 Sunday - Easter Sunday. 
Mg. - Ex. xii, 1-29. Rev. i. 10-19 
Evg. - Ex. xii. 29, or Ex. xiv.  John xx.  11-19, 
or Rev. v.  

Church parade in the 
YMCA Hut in the morning 
in relays as the Hut would 
not hold the Bn. 
Went to voluntary service 
in YMCA at night.

APRIL - 1918. 
1 Monday - Sun rises 5.39, sets 6.30. 
Bank Holiday. 

Parade in morning, just 
near our parade ground 
Gen Plumer reviewed a 
Tommy Div just from the 
Somme, it was a Div that 
had borne some of the 
heaviest fighting & their 
ranks were sadly depleted. 
In the afternoon did some 
buzzer & went on a wood 
hunt.

APRIL - 1918. 
2 Tuesday - Sun rises 5.36, sets 6.31. 

In the morning had some 
Bombing practice with Mills 
Bombs. Much to our disgust 
in the afternoon we had to 
blanko our equipment, 
it breaks one heart to think 
that we are expecting any 
day to go into a big fight &  
all the Heads can exercise 
their Brain on is cleaning 
equipment, making us look 
foolish in the eyes of many. 
A bright day & the artillery 
was busier than usual. 
In the early morning the 8^th 
raided taking 7 prisoners & 
killing many, 8^th casualities 
7.

APRIL - 1918. 
3 Wednesday - Sun rises 5.34, sets 6.33. 

Parade in morning. 
Afternoon we went for a  
bath.

APRIL - 1918. 
4 Thursday - Sun rises 5.32, sets 6.35. 
1h 33m After. 

Moved through Kemmel 
to Burr Barracks again 
a march of about 3 miles, 
& managed to get up a  
good sweat.

APRIL - 1918. 
5 Friday - Sun rises 5.30, sets 6.36. 

Moved from Locre by Bus 
to Strazeele where we 
camped in a billet until 
6.PM then entrained for 
? where, only 27 of us 
in the truck so we 
were able to make ourselves 
comfortable.

APRIL - 1918. 
6 Saturday - Sun rises 5.28, sets 6.38. 

About 8.AM we arrived 
at Hangest & after breakfast 
marched through 
Flixecourt to St Ouen 
arriving about 2 PM. 
It is a fair sized Village 
with some big factories 
The C.O dissatisfied 
with billets in this 
Town moved away to 
Pernois leaving us 
here

APRIL - 1918. 
7 Sunday - Low Sunday. 
Mg.- Num. xvi. 1-36,  1 Cor. xv. 1-29. 
Evg.- Num. xvi. 36, or Num. xvii. 1-12. 
John xx. 24-30. 

Half the Bn being at 
Pernois there was no 
Church parade, so 
after getting clean had 
nothing to do but 
promenade the town 
In the evening we 
went to Church service  
in the Schoolroom.

APRIL - 1918. 
8 Monday - Sun rises 5.23, sets 6.41. 

Got a sudden call to move 
in the afternoon to 
Pernois via Berteaucourt
arriving about 6.PM. 
In the house near our 
billet most of the people 
were refugees from Towns 
& Villages near the 
line, in 1914 they 
left Albert & lived at 
Heilly, about April last 
year they went back  
to Albert with many 
others & commenced 
the rebuilding of the 
Town, now they have 
had to leave everything, 
coming away with what 
they stood up in, it 
is cruel to see them.

APRIL - 1918. 
9 Tuesday - Sun rises 5.21, sets 6.43. 

Dumped our packs & carried 
fighting order a distance of about 
16 miles through Vignacourt 
Fleselles, Bertangle to 
Cardonette, on the way 
we passed many refugees 
making away some with 
their few things on wheelbarrows  
some in carts, one 
Woman wheeling a young 
Baby in a perambulator. 
At an aerodrome saw 
one of our pilots crash to 
the ground but do not 
know if he was killed.

APRIL - 1918. 
10 Wednesday - Sun rises 5.19, sets 6.44. 

Moved through Allanville 
Querrieu to Pont Noyelles 
about 6 kilos, as we get  
forward now the Civilians 
are getting fewer, so far 
I have not seen one in 
Noyelles. We are billeted 
in a School & it is cruel  
to see the place just as the 
people left, in one room 
presumably the teachers 
there is a piano, in our 
room is a box with a 
number of books evidently 
for prizes for the children, 
almost every house is the
same.