Diary for George Lush Finlay, 1915-1918 - Part 16

fortunately and although
he quite a good chap.
Im quite glad to get
rid of him for Im turning
in in five minutes
and want to get to
sleep tout de suite and
not listen to Shakespearian
recitals
Besides I feel itchy
and I think Ill see if
there are any un invited
guests on my clothing
Ive escaped that pleasure
so far but one never
knows ones luck.
 

Dec 7^th In Pioneer trench
Pilgrim's way in support
to xx & D Coy's. Led the
Coy up from Bazentin
and got here all correct
without the slightest
trouble. Got into a good
German dugout and
found things much better
than when we were
in Pioneer trench.
Things very quiet today
there being a heavy mist
and consequently
no observation.
There is a underground
railway being built
at present to a
certain place and
which they say will
be finished by December
23^rd It will be a great
communication and
is the work of Australians

were an attack of some
description on up there
The Padre came up
at 8 o'clock last night
and decided to stop for
the night. He struck a
bad patch however for
at about 1230 Fritz put
four big ones very close
to our dug out. On top
of that we had this
gas and consequently
the Pardre doesnt feel
like sleeping Instead
he has been discussing
metaphysics and
quoting Shakespeare
to us for about an
hour much to the
secret annoyance of
the Colonel who is
doing his best to get
to sleep.
He has gone now
 

Dec 8^th Have had no orders
to move yet but and we
are all hoping that we
have to do our four days
in the firing line altogether
instead of having to go up
to line for two days, to
come back again for another
two and then to finish
the four days in the
firing line.
Carter has to go
up to take over C Coy
from Dwyer who has
made a mess of it in the
line. This leaves me in charge
of A Volum has come up
a "gutzer" and has to go
up to D Coy to replace
a casualty.
They have had about
10 casualties in the line
so far. Brownless has
been wounded for the third
time, this time pretty

Apr 21 0.200 2.50 am
Sitting in dugout in Bank
Road 6 30 on duty at
Bⁿ H.Q.rs after having been
awakened at 0100 by a siren
gas alarm. Gas was present
and although not strong
was sufficiently strong to
make one feel uncomfortable
and put his helmet on
It may have been from
gas shells purely or it
may be that Brth Fritz
has attacked up north
with gas and thus
we are getting the
tail of it. The guns
up north have been
very active for several
hours now and it certainly
sounds as though there
Harris address
c/o Union Bank
 
seriously.
O'Loughlin tells me that McNan
& Mansell are on their way
and was asking me about
my seniority. He dropped
a semi hint to the effect
that I might soon &
expect my promotion
It's about time I had a
bit of a rise.
We are woefully short
of officers at present
some many being on leave
and at school. We have
only 10 to carry on with
in the line.

Dec 15 The company is now
back in Division lines at
[[?night]] it arrived at 1. a.m.
this morning after a very
tiring, disheartening march
from Grease Trench
We (A Company) moved out

Fritz seems to be still
getting a bad time. The
French got 16000 prisoners
down south, and we
seem to be still pushing
We had one killed and
one wounded yesterday
and the shell that finished
the man (it blew
the top of his head off)
nearly got the Colonel
Permezel Lillis & myself
In Lagnicourt there
are a good number
of dead Bosches and
Permezel saw a cat
eating ones throat
We saw the man after
the cat had been at it
but through it was
merely decay.
 

of Pilgrims Way on the
night of the 10^th Capt Maltby
had returned from
leave and was taking
charge of A so relieving
Carter who had had
charge of C for two days
owing to Dwyer's short coming
Maltby went on to the
firing line in the afternoon
leaving me to bring the
company up. Stanley
was pulled off the transport
and attached to A
temporarily.
We got to Grease Trench
quite safely one or
two shells only coming close
to us and the relief of
C was effected without
casualty.
Our first night was
quiet and although
very cold, it was

More good news to hand
from Fritz the French
11,000 prisoners were taken
& 33 villages. More prisoners
were taken at Arras
& if we can believe
the artillery we have
the Divisions bottled up
According to Bulgaria
papers Bulgaria
has sued for peace
and Lloyd George has
said that peace would
come quicker than
most people expect
Let us hope so.

Apr 20^th We have shifted our quarters
about 1000 y further forward
into a road which is
held by 3 companies.
We are reserve battalion
and it is probable that
we will not do a turn
in the forward line
 

comparatively comfortable
as the trench was dry
As no dug out was available
except a very leaky and
wet one, Sgt Garlick Volum
& myself set to work at
about 2.30 to dig a
new one and fortunately
we were able to complete
this before the rain fell
the following night
That night was very
disagreeable, rain starting
to fall at about 6.30
and continuing through
the night with the result
that the dug outs fell in
wholesale. Consequently
men had to stand up all night
in the water which soon
covered the floor of the
trench. In the morning
it snowed and was
soon frightfully cold

and inflict severe
casualty on the enemy
He lost at least 1000
killed. A large number
of prisoners and undoubtedly
a great number wounded
so his stunt turned
out to be ours.
A great number are
still lying dotted
over the country
now all rather badly
smashed.
Walking through Lagmams
this  afternoon morning we
came across several
who had evidently been
killed when we first
took Lagnicourt a
few weeks ago for
they are pretty well
ashen and do not
afford a very pleasant
sight.
 

It thawed almost immediate
and two there was
a foot of water outside
of the dug out. I was
very tired that day
having been up all
the first night and
day and on watch
for eight hours of the
12 hrs of darkness
the second night and
I was very glad to
turn in notwithstanding
my wet muddy gum
boots. The trench
was in a terrible
straight state as
it had fallen in in
several places and
the two unoccupied
portions about 150 yds
in all instead of
being only knee deep
in mud soon became

Apr 17^th Situated at cross
roads near Morchies.
Moved up here yesterday
and relieved the 9^th Bⁿ
who were on reserve to
the 3^rd B^de.
Went forward with
the Col this morning
and saw the posts
we are holding for the
defence of Lagnicourt
It rained like the devil
yesterday evening &
this morning so the
roads and trenches are
pretty sloppy
It was a close thing
the other morning for the
Bⁿ in the line for Fritz
was at one time only
400y away from the Bⁿ HQs
but fortunately one
company was able
to beat back the attack
 

nearly thigh deep.
When on watch at
night we had to visit
the posts over the back
of the trench wending
our way between
the shell holes and
through the mud
Fritz uses a great
deal of flares and
when not used to them
one becomes gets a
bit scared when
a flare goes up but
they are soon treated
with contempt.
The third night was
a bit of a nightmare
for an hour. I was
in bed from 6.30 to
10.30 that being Stanley's
watch when I was
awakened at about 9
by a rather severe

Apr 15 Awakened this
morning by the Colonel at
the phone speaking to Bde
he received orders to be
ready to move at a moments
notice. There was "beaucoup"
strafe up north & we have
heard since that the 4^th Div.
men pushed back some
considerable xxxxxxxx distance
but have retaken all
lost ground. This is not
official.
We will be moving at
any time now forward.
Coy Commanders have gone
forward to reconnoitre the
position today so it won't
be long before we take
over.
 

bombardment which
lasted for 40 mins
and resulted in killing
two of our N.C.O.s
What caused it I
don't know and the
first strange thing
we saw where three
green German flares
which were immediately
followed by this
strafe. Our artillery
replied and had
the last word but
that 40 mins was
rather uncomfortable
The rest of the night was
calm but the next
morning we had another
strafe and this time
he got 5 of our men
and blew the trench
about considerable
in places but he

to make a break up
north and push in past
the Hindenburg down
here. We hope that it is
correct for it looks as though
we had Fritz by the short
hairs.

Apr 12^th Rode out with the Colonel
& Major selecting strong points
for line of resistance. Nothing
else doing. The 4^th Div. penetrated
the Hindenburg yesterday but
we hear that they were forced
back.
Mick's address  wrote to Mick
NZ [[?Pr?Ln brh?]]  "  "  Muril M
1 Coleman St      "  "  Muriel F
London E.6.        "  "  Phil.
 

didnt keep it up for
so long. By this time
however the men were
a bit nervy through
both the shelling and
the weather conditions
and nobody was
sorry when the last
night came and so
brought us our relief
This relief was an
hour and a half
overdue and that
hour and a half
was about the worst
time I have spent.
We got away eventually
and safely without
any shelling coming
near us until we
got near Gueduecourt
which receives a great
quantity of shells
from Fritz. Here

April 10 2^nd Bⁿ attacked yesterday
and were successful although
they suffered rather heavily
157 prisoners were taken and
posts established on the
German side of the Hermies.
The 3^rd B^de captured Boursies
& Demicourt was taken later
by the 1^st Bⁿ. This leaves one
village only on our front
between the immensely strong
Hindenburg line and ourselves
Yesterdays information was
good. The 1^st & 3^rd Armies
pushed and penetrated
to a depth of 1000y capturing
6000 prisoners. The Canadians
also captured Vimy Ride
We are still in Haplincourt
and the B^de has had
orders to hold itself
in readiness to act as
advanced guard at
a short notice. That looks
as though they expected

three shells nearly
settled us. One
landed two yards
from me and did
no damage to any
one, another three
yards away and
and third about
ten yards killing one
man. We
 I had When in the
trenches a "dud" landed
a yard from me in the
paradon. If it had
exploded there might
have been something
doing as it was one
of our own 18pr shells.
But one gets used
to these near things.
Men were frightfuly
done when we reached
our trench and
the number of bad