Diary for George Lush Finlay, 1915-1918 - Part 11

Ricketson will join up
today or tomorrow
He is at present at
the reinf. camp

Nov 15 Just returned from
four days duty at
Rouen. Left Bn in billets
at Belgian Chateau
& pushed off to Poperinghe
missing the train
and having to spend
a day there Caught
the train at 9.30 the
following morning
and after a 28 hrs
train journey arrived
at Rouen. Spent
4½ very enjoyable
days there and did
a little work.
Came back via
Paris where I spent
a day and. via
Calais. at which
 

Sept 7^th More excitement.
We were told at St Vincent
that there was a derelict
somewhere on our course
about two days sail
from St Vincent. Last
night at 4p.m. we
just missed an 80 foot
mast with yards. It was
fortunately seen in
time and we were
able to dodge it. If
it had got our propellors
their might have been
trouble. There has been
certainly much more
to talk about on this
trip than on either of
the others

Sept 11^th Arrived Plymouth
today at 1pm after
a rather trying night.
Two days out from England
we had to take turns
at watching on the bridge
for soldier submarines
The skipper was rather
worried for the escort
which had been promised
did not turn up. Our
last night on water was
 - or might have been -
rather eventful. At
2.40 a.m. wc were I
was on the bridge
and a light was
seen on the starboard
bow, obviously a
signal from some
ship. Our skipper
thinking that it was
our escort answered
and received an answering
 flash but no message
We were searching the
spot but could see no
boat. The skipper went
straight ahead for
about ½ a minute then
turned sharply to port
we went ahead hell for
leather zig zagging all over
the place smoke pouring
out of the funnels & the
whole boat shaking and
quivering. After running
for 10 minutes like this
we turned in our tracks
and so brought the horizon
between ourselves & the
moon. Our tactics were
good as we had outwitteddistanced
the sub, her conning tower
being visible for a short
time some 4 or 5000 yd in
rear. At 10 past 3 I went
down and was relieved by

success, they second
the reached all their
objectives so bringing
Passchendale within
reach of the next stunt.
This will give us
the whole of the  ridge
which overlooks all
Fritz's country for about
10 miles with the
exception of the Ruberg
Spur and Moorslede
which is situated
on an untaken hill
It will also make
things pretty tight
further north
I have just received
news of the Italians
defeat and also the
rumour that they
have got their own
back by  capturing
180000. This is possible
perhaps but hardly
probable.

Frenger. Although there
was still a possibility
of her getting I decided
that the best thing to do
was to go to sleep. This
I did and fortunately
was not disturbed
We spoke to a boat
at 10 a.m. on Sunday
morning and at 2pm
& she told us then that
the subs were very thick
and at 2 p.m. were got
her S.O.S. signal which
of course we were unable
to answer.
Everybody was naturally
very relieved when the
two destroyers pulled
up alonside us at 6 a.m.
escor on the Monday, escorting
us all the way into the
Plymouth Sound
I don't think that one

turning over in the
air. Two others were
in the plane but of
course they didn't
live.
It serves Fritz right
nonetheless.

Nov 1. Out of the line again
and situated in Nisson
huts near Belgian Chateau
Had 4 days on Westhoek
Ridge in support and
2 days in the line in
front of ZONNEBEKE
Although enemy shelled
the swamp in rear
of Zonnebeke with 8" 
and gas we have
a comparatively
uneventful time.
The Canadians attacked
twice. The first time
they only had a partial
 

could find many prettier
harbours than the Sound
The thing that impresses one
most being the greenness
and the tidy, well ordered
appearance of the
fields. From the distance
the hills lining the coast
look like a rather
overdone painting.
The journey from
Plymouth to Salisbury
Plains is very pretty
especially near Plymouth
where the line crosses
the various estuaryes
several times. The
rest of the trip is
enjoy able too. everything
so very green and
tidy. What a difference
in the villages one
passes through to
the country towns in

of about 1000 men we
will be sent right
back to reorganise
& rest.
Saw a rather rotten
sight yesterday.
A Fritz plane was
brought down from
a height of about
6000 feet. He started
to fall volplane down
when he caught on
fire one wing burning
away. The plane then
dropped straight to earth
turning over & over
one of the men falling
outght of the machine
at about 3000 feet
and landing clear
of the wreckage. Naturally
he didnt live and
it was not a pleasant
sight to see him
 

Australia! Everything
is grey stone & all
the streets & roads are beautifully
level in direct contrast
to the bogs - or deserts -
of road one sees outback
in Australia.
We arrived at Salisbury
after a very well discipline
trip at about 3 a.m
& found things not
well prepared for
our arrival there
being a great deal of
overcrowding in the
particular battalion
to which we have been
alloted.
Here we met Ross Caughey
& Eric Permezel and others
Permy had been wounded
at Pozières and has
just come out of hospital
He is looking very fit

last year with the
result that we are
all shivering today
Especially since we
have only tents to
sleep in.

Oct. 18^th  At Halifax camp
where we are in reserve
to the 5^th Div. which
is I understand
stunting tomorrow
If necessary we will
have to go forward
but I don't think it
will be necessary.
After a week we will
move up into the
line again for about
a week's tour and
do a small stunt
in conjunction with
a bigger business on
our left. Then perhaps
when the Bn consists
 

He tells some rotten
tales about the battalion
It apparently went
into the fight at Pozières
1100 strong and came
out with about 3 off &
150 men numbers of
officers have been
killed or incapacitated
Lewy has been sent
back to Australia
off his head, Leadbeater
killed, Fitzgerald
killed, Phillips out
of action for all time.
I met McCracken,
of my original unit
who tells me of several
casualties amongst
that 150 men. Sgt Tracey
who had just received
his commission had
was killed, Coates
who got his three stripes

then had to sit
down and wait for
their numbers to steadily
diminish in the hellish
fire put up by the
enemy.
Fritz is now using
the instantaneous fuses
which we have been
using, with the result
that a large proportion
of killed show in
the casualty list.
Approx 33 ¹/₃% of the
casualties were
killed.
We are now hoping
that the Bde. is going
back some distance
for a spell.
Winter has come
with the same suddeness
that summer came.
 

and who I made a
l'cpl in Egypt died
of blood poisoning & others
have been smashed
up
I saw Bob Brownless
this morning looking
very well after having
recovered from a slight
wound in the hip.
He is going back with
a draft on Saturday
next.
I understand that
we may be sent off
at any moment, the
dis orders regarding
the transferring of
officers coming direct
from the War Office.
Then instead of going
straight to the battalion
all officers are shoved
into a three weeks

But the discipline of
the men was excellent
and the way they
stuck it when Fritz
shells were falling amongst
them was wonderful.
Our fellows tell terrible
tales of how the shells
were falling right on
top of men crowded
in shell holes, and
all that could be
heard were the groans
of the men who had
been hit.
Our men had the
unpleasant task of
holding the trench
during the heaviest of
his barrage with
no chance of retaliation
When the B^de advanced
they cheered the other
battalions on and
 

Hardening school which
is a bit of a cow, staff
sergeants ordering officers
about who charged
madly about in
full marching order
The camp itself
is naturally finely
organised, & situated
on gently rising
ground & spread across
Lord knows how many
miles of country. The
discipline seems to
be very strict &
things run on good
military style
Wrote to Auntie
Received letters from Jessie,
Eric & Mary

a counter attack by
Fritz on the right
we were relieved.
Fritz had been badly
knocked about in the
attacks. It was his
intention to attack on
the 4^th October at
0600 (his time) but
fortunately our time
was is 10 mins ahead
of his with the result
that we started 10 mins
before him and so,
having taken the initiative
held it and were able
to inflict very heavy
casualties
But he put his barrage
down at 05.30 on our
old front line with
the result that he
caught the Brigade
forming up and
caused a lot of damage
 

Sept 16^th  Wrote to Rob
A few rumours flying
round to the effect that a
lot of us are to be attached
to this battalion as staff
and a lot more sent off
to join their units. I do
not mind much what
happens. I am an
Egyptian now & say
with them "Kismet"
Wrote to Len R.
"  to Len S.
"  to Gordon
 

Sep 21^st  Wrote to Muriel (N^o2)
Have just returned from
four days leave in London
had a very good time
there & spent a considerable
amount of money.
Did nothing much but
fly round in taxis
and go to theatres.

Oct 10^th  Back at camp
in Reninghelst were
we marched in from
Berthen when on our
way to the stunt of the
20^th The attack was
successful on the first
and of course and the
5^th  came another gutzer
They had to stay in the
line till night of the
7^th and of course all
men were frightfully
tired & done The CO had
got a bit of a crack
and Maltby relieved
him on the night of the
5/6^th I went up the
same night and
relieved Rigg. So
I wasn't out of it
all, altogether.
However it was very
quiet except for
 

and expensive restaurants
Met? three or four actresses
very pretty girls.
London reminds me
somewhat of Cairo in that
the streets run all over
the place making it very
difficult to find one's way
The motor traffic is immense
notwithstanding the fact
that there are 3000 taxis
less on the streets than
formerly. The streets
are all darkened of course
and overhead one can
see the beams from
the searchlights looking
for Zepps.
Went to  Salisbury
last night to see "Potash
& Perlmutter" not half 
bad.
Am going to Lark
Hill today to see Gordon