Diary of George Booley, 5th Battalion, AIF, 1918, Part 6

APRIL - 1918 
11 Thursday - Sun rises 5.16, sets 6.46. 
4h 34m Morn. 

Handed in packs in 
a hurry our time for  
action has evidently  
arrived, later received  
word that we would  
not move till early  
morning so we cast 
round & found beds 
in some deserted houses 
with blankets & all. 
This Town was 5th  
Army Headquarters 
before the push but  
they got out quick. 
50 of our Bde casualities 
in Amiens while  
entraining at night 
  

APRIL - 1918 
12 Friday - Sun rises 5.14, sets 6.48. 

Reveille 3.30 moved at 5 to 
Amiens, the Hun was shelling  
& Bombing there, as we went  
through he was shelling, the  
town shows much signs  
of shelling, the people have  
nearly all gone & those  
that hav'nt are packing 
taking just what they  
can move, shops are full 
of goods estaminets with 
full supply of liquor, so 
far the Cathedral has  
not been damaged, it 
is said a dud shell  
hit it doing no damage 
Many places especially  
St Pol show signs of bombs 
or shells passed on the 
way up at one place Bombs 
dropped near train.

APRIL - 1918. 
13 Saturday - Sun rises 5.12, sets 6.50. 

Arrived at Hondighem 
just before daylight, had 
a drink of tea & marched 
through Hazebrouk to a  
farmyard where packs 
were dropped the Bn 
moving straight to the 
line, just a few minutes 
before moving I was told 
I was to stay out with  
four others. In the  
evening the Hun attacked
the Irish Guards 
& drove them back to 
the 8th where they 
stopped him. later a 
patrol of the 8th killed 
about 50 took 15 prisoners 
& 5 MG.s.  We were  
issued with 2 Blankets 
so had a good sleep.  


APRIL - 1918. 
14 Sunday- 2nd after Easter. 
Mg.-Num. xx. 1-14. Luke xii. 1-35. 
Evg.- Num.xx.14 to xxi.10, or Num. xxi.10. 
Gal. iv. 21 to v. 13. 

In the morning the artillery 
became very heavy at least 
for this class of warfare, 
later we heard the Hun 
had attacked continuously 
all day on our Divs
front but did not succeed 
in more than taking 
two posts of the 8^th which 
they retook immediately 
I went up to the Bn 
HQ. with some things 
for the Boys & found  
them well buried in 
straw in fact only their  
heads showing up. 
The weather remains 
cold & dull. Much 
artillery came in.

APRIL - 1918 
15 Monday - Sun rises 5.7, sets 6.53. 

After daylight the artillery 
quietened & the day 
was quiet, some of the 
farms on the Hun side 
are being burned for what  
reason we do not know. 
This morning a ration 
limber brought an old 
Frenchman down from 
the line 92 years of age. 
Cub & I went to Hondeghem 
in search of some canteen 
stores but got little. 
Church of Neurf Berquin 
bombarded being a nest 
of MG.s
  
APRIL - 1918. 
16 Tuesday - Sun rises 5.5, sets 6.54. 

The Hun has been shelling 
around the back area 
a fair amount all day with 
light stuff & shrapnel. 
I went up to the Bn 
this evening every is 
well. About 6 PM a heavy  
bombardment opened 
up we understand the 
French are hopping out. 
Some Aust mail arriving. 
Reported Street fighting 
in Bailleul.

APRIL - 1918 
17 Wednesday - Sun rises 5.3, sets 6.56.

Heavy Bombardment out 
towards Bailleul in morning. 
The Hun shelled us 
pretty heavily with 11 inch 
armour piercing shells 
we had several close calls 
one about 15 yards from 
us, he hit the 2^nd F.A. 
killing two & wounding  
3. We moved away to  
another farm house, the 
people appeared rather 
hostile, we had to use  
much strategy to get 
a camp in the Barn. 


APRIL - 1918 
18 Thursday - Sun rises 5.1, sets 6.57. 
4h 8m Morn. 

A quiet day for us, a 
very miserable day, sleet 
& cold wind. I went up 
to the Bn again tonight 
& found everyone 
well.

APRIL - 1918. 
19 Friday - Sun rises 4.59, sets 6.59. 

Nothing doing in the  
morning, in the afternoon 
we got word to 
move, we duly moved  
round Hazebrouk to a  
place near Caestre, we 
commenced to dig ourselves 
in at one place 
then started off again, 
got lost & finally settled 
down in huts alongside 
the Railway & in a position 
not to be envied. 
All night long there was 
either guns firing, planes 
over, shells landing, 
& some Officers in the 
next hut making a  
row all night long. 
Bn moved to behind Fletre, 


APRIL - 1918. 
20 Saturday - Sun rises 4.57, sets 7.1. 

For us a quiet day & our 
Artillery was very busy. 
During the night the  
Hun shelled us pretty well 
but only managed to get 
one dud into the Huts.

APRIL - 1918. 
21 Sunday - 3rd after Easter. 
Mg.- Num .xxii. Luke xvi. 
Evg. - Num. xxiii. or Num xxiv. 
Eph. iv. 25 to v. 22. 

A good few shells flying 
round in a house about 
100 yds from the Camp
there were 6 casualities, 
& two in our Camp. 
A draft of new Reinforcements 
for the 8^th were 
coming along for the  
line & ran into some  
straff, quite a welcome  
to their Bn. 


APRIL - 1918. 
22 Monday - Sun rises 4.53, sets 7.5. 

Changed over with the  
1^st Bde Nucleus in the evening 
& I must say the change  
was a most welcome one to 
us as the camp we left we  
looked on as a death trap, 
the billet we took over had 
a shell in it in the afternoon. 
A number of reinforcements 
came, it must have 
been a rare round up as  
one man was one who 
has not been with the  
Bn since 25^th Ap. 1915. 
The Bn went into the  
line near Meteren.

APRIL - 1918. 
23 Tuesday - Sun rises 4.51, sets 7.6. 
St. George. 

Slept till near dinner 
time & after dinner I  
went for a walk for Canteen 
stores but was unsuccessful. 
The night was clear  
& the Bosche aeroplanes 
were over in swarms 
dropping bombs everywhere. 


APRIL - 1918. 
24 Wednesday - Sun rises 4.49, sets 7.7. 
A fairly quiet day being  
very dull, in the evening 
two very heavy bombardments 
came on but just 
what front they were on 
I could not tell but judging 
by the angry way  
the Bosche was throwing  
the metal about he did 
not get the best of things.

APRIL - 1918. 
25 Thursday - Sun rises 4.47, sets 7.9. 
St. Mark, Evangelist. 

Artillery fairly lively during  
the day, someone took about 
500 yds of our wire from one  
line & I went & made it 
good in the evening. 
The night was very quiet 
in fact I never heard a  
shell all night.
 

APRIL - 1918. 
26 Friday - Sun rises 4.45, sets 7.11. 
8h 5m Morn. 

Nothing exciting doing today 
the shelling was fairly 
heavy on to Hazebrouk. 
I went for a walk in the  
evening to break the  
monotony. A very quiet 
night, for days it has 
been dull & hazy & the  
nights the same stopping 
all night bombing 
which was promising  
to become lively.

APRIL - 1918 
27 Saturday - Sun rises 4.43, sets 7.13. 

Just an ordinary  
day, dull & hazy, 
shells flying in all  
directions but Hazebrouk 
continues to become 
a heap of brick dust.

 
APRIL - 1918. 
28 Sunday - 4th after Easter. 
Mg.- Deut, iv. 1-23. Luke xx. 1-27. 
Evg.- Deut. iv. 23-41, or Deut. v. Col. i. 1-21 

Artillery very active, we 
were going out to recconoitre 
some posts in our defence 
scheme but the Officer 
changed his mind, we 
stood talking for about 
20 minutes when the  
Hun suddenly opened up 
a sharp bombardment 
around the place we should  
have been in. In the  
afternoon went to QMS 
then to Hondeghem &  
came back Via Wagon 
lines through Hazebrouk. 
Artillery was very heavy 
all night. The commencement 
of a new Aust Mail 
in I got 2 dated 21^st & 22^nd  
March

APRIL - 1918 
29 Monday - Sun rises 4.38, sets 7.16. 

Again heavy artillery 
in the morning. 
After dinner went and 
salvaged some wire. 
The Bn came out to  
supports close to a farm 
house near Pradelles. 
Harry came down to  
see me as he came  
out early. 

APRIL - 1918. 
30 Tuesday - Sun rises 4.36, sets 7.18. 

It is becoming customary  
to stay in bed till about  
11 oclock, we have breakfast 
& lay down again. 
After dinner I went up   
to the Bn, later I went 
to the QM for mail but  
got a big disappointment, 
most of the others have 
received a full mail.