Diary for George Lush Finlay, 1915-1918 - Part 5

July 29^th Push off tomorrow
to the Australians. Am
very pleased about it.
My report has gone in
and is very satisfactory.
I have been recommended for
appointment. I dont suppose
I'll get one for about six
months.
The Hun seems to be
withdrawing from this area
down south to behind the
Vesle at least - perhaps
to the Aisne.

Aug 1 July 31. Rejoined 1^st Div. and
was attached temporarily
to Q office pending move
of the Division to the Somme
area. We entrain of
the 5^th 6^th & 7^th. Saw the Bⁿ.
All very fit and full
of themselves. The Div.
has done extremely
well here.

socks from Mrs Bracey.
Wrote to her today.

Dec 27^th Wrote to Mrs Stillman

Still on the improve
Doctor won't increase
diet yet however
Wrote a note to Phil

28 Wrote to Gordon & a
note to Jim.

29^th  Recd two parcels from
Auntie one containing
tin of dates & sundries
& the other a towel
handkerchief & sundries
Gave most of the things
away to men in the
wards as they could be
of no use to me as
I will not be in the
trenches for some time
to come yet.

8 I push off to Corps
this afternoon
for two weeks.

12 Returned from Corps today
They dont seem to know
their own mind. Talk
about waste of man
power!

15 Hun attacked this morning
on a 50 mile front E & W of
Reims. Hun received a
bad knock so far

18 French attacked on a 40 Km
between Soissons & Chateau
Thurry. First days advance
about 14 Km

23 French attack has forced
the Germans to withdraw
to the N of the Marne
Captures to date 20,000
prisoners and over 400 guns
 

Dec 30 Rec^d a note from
Len S. Extremely pleased
to get it. He is a L/Cpl
& it seems rather funny
to see L/C no 1043 after
his name. Had a
note from Phil day
before yesterday which
must have crossed
mine.
Len S. address is in
case I forget.
‡
L/Cpl #1043
D Coy 31^st Bⁿ 8^th Bde
Replied to Len's note
at length. One has nothing
much else to do but
to write. The only
trouble is one gets
horribly sick of
writing the same
stuff over & over
again. Having nothing
to do is the reason

reputation of being a bit of a 
bully.
Austrians attacked the
day before yesterday but
have not made much
progress.
Things quiet up here. The
Som L1 do a raid tonight

July 1.  1500 Gas Shell around
HQrs last night. Bit of
a stink this morning

32 Another 2000 last night

6 Relieved by relief and
returned to Div. when
I was told I had to go
on to Corps to assist
the DAAG. This has
now been cancelled and
I carry on with my
Cs work.

for my writing things
of no consequence in my
diary.
Been put on fish again
I hope I behave better
this time.

Dec 31^st Nothing doing. Fish
diet. Temperature 99
about. not above.
Boarded today. Expect
to be sent to Cairo
very shortly. New way
to spend New Years day
- in bed.

Jan 1^st Allright. no news
from Len yet
the blighter.

Jan 2^nd no alteration. Expect to
be sent to Cairo shortly
Just read O'Donovan's
diary. Interesting rather

cold as icebergs. Hunt
is here fortunately and
is also in "Cs" which
is a help. Am a bit
"fed" with this barriers
job

May June 3^rd Still at Div
even though an order
for my return did come
through. I have been
working with the D.A.A.G.
for the past 12 days.
Attack between Soissons
Reims still in progress.
The Marne has been reached
by the Huns but not
crossed.

June 10^" With 61^st Bde.
doing duty as S.C. in the
absence of C.Welsh]. Will
be here for 14 days more
under a Brig who has the

about his artillery work in
France. not a bad chap
An Irishman, only 19.
Thompson & Blayney other
patients in ward.
Thompson an Englishman
Blayney an Australian
Waiting anxiously
for some mail. Although
I have received three
parcels no letters have
come to hand from Australia
Ive Lost a lot of flesh.
Legs are like chicken.
Frightful condition
If ever I wear shorts in
public again I'll have
to wear a placard
"I have had enteric"
I suppose they'll get
alright again.

again distinguished
themselves on an local attack
down south near Albert.

10^th With 84^th F. Coy. Moved
this morning. Billeted
in Ablain St Nazaire

13. With 96^th F. Coy moved from
84^th F. Coy yesterday.
Rumours of an attack
by Fritz on the flank
of this Division as soon
as wind is favorable.

16^th Reported to Div Hqrs today
Am attached to G.S.O. III
for a start. Hqrs very
pleasantly situated in
Chateau de la Shau. which
has a big wood around
it. Englishmen are
devilishe hard to get
to know. They re as

Jan 3^rd Up for the first
time today. Walked
about 3 yards with the
aid of an orderly.
Nearly fell over three
times with on the
return journey.
Horribly weak I sat
up for 2 hours in the
room. Beastly wet day.
Hope to get out on the
balcony tomorrow if
sunny.
Had an argument
about diet to night with
the Hag. According to
her none of us to have
both fish & chicken
Doctor comes in &
she appeals to him
Decision in our favour
much delight in ward
at the defeat of the
"The Hag". The blighter!

May 6^th
Moved from Team Hqrs
to 83^rd Field Coy. Will
be attached to them until
16-5-18. Am billeted
with them near Souchez
at the foot of the
Vimy Ridge. Weather
is starting to buck
up at last

8^th went over the front
system with Major Masser
Walked many miles.
Defences good in this
sector. C.Ts extremely
long & trenches system
strong & good. Shelling
extremely quiet.
Lens & Avion are
much knocked about
but nothing in comparison
with Ypres etc
Things quiet on East
of front. Australians

10 minutes later
Sequel to the previous.
Hag comes in and
announces with a leer on
her face, that only one
course to be given.
The blighter! Somebody
ought to slit her "iriazand"
5 minutes later
orderly comes in and
asks us which we will
have - fish or chicken.
Queries from everybody
"Doctors orders" he says
Learn later that the
Hag asks the senior
Sister if we are to have
two solid. Senior
sister not ^even seen the
doctor says She doesn't
think so. A dirty
trick.

All this regarding
the evacuation
was told to us
by a Red Cross Lady
who may not have
got hold of the
correct particulars
but what I have
written seems to
be quite reasonable.
The yarn about
the bombardment
may be exaggerated
although we know
that Army HQrs were
afraid of the advent of
heavy guns

Jan 4^th Heard to day a
few details of of the
evacuation of Anzac
& Suvla.  First
every sick man on
the Peninsula
was shipped off
to the hospital ships
Then men were
gradually withdrawn
from each brigade
leaving about 500
men to each, more Then
were then withdrawn
until only 150
were left holding
eight miles of trenches
These were finally
withdrawn at about
3. a.m. after moving
up & down firing
from different points
At dawn or later
I should think one of

May 3^rd With the Train at
Villers Au Bois having
moved from Mingoval
yesterday. Have been
round dumps etc
with Marchmeyer
and have seen
Vimy Ridge, Notre dame
Au Lorette & Souchez
where the French
had a stiff fight.

Germans attacked
a couple of days
ago but were severely
whacked, gaining no
ground at all at
the price of heavy
casualties.
Wonderful tribute
to the Australians
by the Times corresp.

appeared day before
yesterday.

the most terrific
bombardments ever
experienced. The Turks
had brought up a lot
of very heavy guns. &
thought they'd strafe
us particularly heavily
Apparently it took
about three days
to do it. All stores
were taken & any thing
left behind was
carefully mined
Casualties were practically
nil. The beach the
following morning
was absolutely
smashed up. They
must have put
several guns to
assist Blackey
The whole thing seems
to have been particularly
well managed.

O'Donovan's address
for the photo: -
V.J. O'Donovan Lt RFA
Liss Ard
Skibbereen
County Cork
Ireland

Jan 5^th Rec^d letter from Mick
enclosing Len's address.
it being: -
Gunner Read
11^th Batt.
4^th F.A. Bde
A.I.F.
Interin, B.D.
Rec^d note from Phil.

Alexandria seems to be
having its annual rain
all at once. It has
been raining hard for
the past two weeks.
pretty well & at present
hailstones are rattling
over on the windows
Thank Heavens I am
not in Gallipoli.
Expect to be sent to
Cairo any day now
The doctor thought that
I might get out
today.
Temperature is still
a bit jumpy going
from normal or
below in the morning
to 99 occasionally
at night. never
higher fortunately.
must not get too
uppish according

R.G. Blayney

Scharphenberg near
Locre & La Clytte
not serious of course
but makes the situation
a little anxious.
I expect this Division
will be into it shortly.
I will be out of the
war for another two
months as I go to
Division after finishing
with the C.R.E. 

to the doctor.

Jan 6:
Wrote to Gunner
Read "43^rd day
of illness."

Jan 7: Sister Hedges informs
me today that it
Blayney & myself will
be sent to Port Said
on Monday next.
Official cable not a
rumour. I wish I
could have a little
longer in order to
get some money
P.T. 50 won't go very
far.