Diary of Apcar Leslie De Vine, 1 January 1917 - 31 July 1918 - Part 1 of 8

Conflict:
First World War, 1914–18
Part of Quest:
Apcar Leslie De Vine Diaries
Subject:
  • ANZAC
Status:
Finalised
Accession number:
RCDIG0000333
Difficulty:

Page 1 / 10

AUSTI 3 s 7 8s 4 y 52.3 3223223 3.2.2 A2 3342 233 .2 22 0- A.E 35933 52 12 2 5 25 32 23 25 45 3. 37 89.2.2 35 22 52 88 34 ATES 33 5 i 52 5 SGAGAAEEESSSSS Sgt. 330.A. Lde Nine in con. 4½ Buttalio 4 A
165 Bey book &o 203868 Cpl 3.314 Bnorder 200 benp St 28.16 " 319 342 Redee Opl 5.12.16 LSgt 29.7.17 BO386AF B213 29// Est 23418 B 05223 A FB2 1327//18
1/7 New Yeas Day Day stated vey ily exart ot 129/0 31/12/16 te you behind us ofeve fie on to the Cerman teach lwry of a who years greeting fou a fem monule, Iest relied a mode thing frety livty for a while terily cold with hear frts ot night 2//7 Went to any atforly as usuoll at dik no- releaved yaus for 48 hourwe wert nte seppent Mes 3eb alotior were sent to Buttatian Hendgnertz at Ile where we slept for a few hames in a tunnel, seve up to the firy line with hat ferd it I am arrived back at day beck eestice all do 3/1/17 Buttatun Hodgentey stalled hearil dury maning causing man camnatityy was be antuore Hidge by selutes of Ht shill two pieee in my head & ave iay beig, the shell killed 1o and wounded 12 possed through Berode and lith augt bld andelanc clearn station where be we mountaed for bect jawe there placed on a lykt sailway for comatt
ileu station at theily seve Albert where we aded in early hoves of the next mrny 4/1117 areived at No 38CC.S beng in the mny clenb 2ais before dybrick where we were attended to can wamds Idressed staed here all do maneyed to get same stea seft hee abait 10 am in hospital train for Roren tran was very glaw taking all day to reach we wost, feel welt bod in hand o wellin very much, had to be down on a stretcher could here stand up arensed in in lor hav of next maning he prand nNo5 Genace Hespitel Waed 10 Cpp In bed all dy ter rer from 102 to 104 divin steday pulre 120, qvile a sleasure to gel a little dup in a bed piece of hell teken par land duly the da Sandery Veny the many fell t seeaefterad rese to 102 in ofternoon fulse 96 to 98 Hand gettn much oorse placed inder the XRax this afternan. Hard nomel
small pilces of shell in hecd 8 beny 100e rore to 10 pulse w0 to 108 tand getting steadel vorse a swelly vly much every yeufull. gty ben here from 1011o 102 Orite 96 to 112 Hand much wore tody a superaty vey bodl deter denid t te tonberaw gen bec of hand to remaie tennar 19717 benp fell from 102 to 99 ofter aperation went u to 103 & pulse 120. Operated an duer the later fert the oftenner, bac of I Lard asned and alant 1put o watter and a len alonees renexed, abo jent of Ifie faund to be badd marked will pelaly las tt a of it did net feel con eff o te chlarem, was Weg naiy etc while suc comntee camly general seatter of muse bet nothy secir fam in hand sy conwludle wo given an injection to cause deep e ro mancized to get a far good niht depite the fam
1/1/17 senp fallin prem g9 to 986e pulse pon e6 do 88 Hard very yefull Pedo wlat taken of she cae plageing taken and of wound whlck has very dien 1217 benn 98 ros to 988 efell to 86 bulse 88 fell little better bind still ry genfull 7berp 985e 96.8 Prese 50 e val to o Hand mch cner e not be fanfer Gundey 10 co 1 De Pute C0 Ogeess bet well, hand settting da egetting mal ges maked for exeruation Eyland teday will go nesd dgeft 15/1/17 Emberked on the peyntol ship St David a gam left clan 920 reched Senstrinyton I aim cancered out in its enter all night 16/417 Pulled ne tte wherfed gan disemarked a interceved
10S7 for Beistae where we acred c 130 h was taken in meter and to the Beconfert Wa Disterd H 7//17 to 8/3/9d tter Becufert Herlae Bestet 8/3/17 to ate 24/ it the Antidion Henler Periped Hert 25/3/17 Wake 7/4/1 secse a Loday te anetured to o1 conard Sept Perhan Deni 8/4/17 Sundey Closified B1A.3c ais gerte to No3 Alotion 17 Proll at 9. 30 exis eca at 2 pr r clesiptia 10/6/17 Examen to take a dri of men to ladford in the maniy pos expires tomarcin nigt spent the night in Selishing 1/6/17 Spent the day on Selehen visited the runs of Old Serun a few mils autude the tan dury the day returned to cerv alcent a
AUE 12/4/4 waed to toke dreft of men to Hurdett left cany y am spent the night a Talisline spent the day in Salaty eeteriate car in every 14/4/07 Week end in lang 15/4/17 Sunday In cary all day quiet day 16/4/17 Invoulatid tede FAB math to do all dy 24 hy no dus 17/4/17 Am E perfull e swolen no ctis cille 18/4/17 No wrady tody am much letter 19/4/7 warned to take smoll droft of noneer to Danlan Staed she niht in Galyberg 20/4/17 Retured to cero in ereni mirsia the 510 pr you slatin ego bd to the widh from Bulferd neart gnt to the camp 27/4/9 kydiy nothy to do
lay day 22/4/17 Tunday nothy to do 23/4/17 went to codford with a draft spert the night in Solesbury 24/4/17 Returned to conpodueing the ofternoon 5/4/17 Angaedey Memarise veriuce in the mering, Sprts in te afterin cenl sugper in evenng sugper neta until 2 am next morning lad a my once tine lay da 26/4 te do hore not recevered Jaterdg get. 24/4/17 Did onthy all dy drew $4 pey duyy the dy Eay day nirty to do 28/4/1 to 14/5/17 in carp 29/4/1 all the while we vy time attended no proces 14/5/17 to 17/5/17 an 3dg. leave to Bestal drew £9 my (11.5.17 ₤4 2 14.5. 17 18/5/17 Lert dy in ts cemp to be truspred to pletn ton for dreft to No 4 car
 

The Official War Historian of the Commonwealth 
Government (Dr. C. E. W. Bean), after his study of the 
collection of private war records preserved in the Australian 
War Memorial Library, wrote :- 
"The private diaries in this collection furnish some of its most 
valuable historical records, but, like all private memoirs which were 
not compiled with any historical purpose, they should not be 
regarded as first-hand evidence except where it is certain that they 
are so. The diarist is almost always sincere in his desire to record 
accurately, but he is subject to no obligation or inducement to 
indicate whether he is recording his own observations or incidents 
told him by friends or heard at third or fourth hand at the mess-table. 
Thus, in some of the diaries in this collection, scenes described with 
vivid detail, and without any warning that they are told at second 
or third hand, have been found to be completely inaccurate in 
 important details. A certain number also have been written up 
or revised long after the events, though doubtless usually from notes 
made at the time. In most cases the student must rely on his 
experience and on internal evidence to guide him in judging what is 
and what is not likely to be historically accurate." 

 

Sgt. 330.A.L. de Vine 
A. Coy. 4th Battalion 
A.I.F

 

Pay book No 203888 
Cpl 3.3.16    Bn order    200 
Temp Sgt 24.8.16     " "     319 
Reduced Cpl 5.12.16     " "     342 
L/Sgt 29.7.17 B O 386. AFB     213      29/7/17 
Sgt 23.4.18 B O 5223. AFB      213      27/4/18

 

1917 
1/1/17 New Years Day Day started 
Vry livly exactly at 12o/c 
31/12/16 the guns behind us opened 
fire on to the German trenchs 
by way of a New Years greeting 
for a few minutes, They replied 
it made things pretty livly for a 
while.  terribly cold with 
hevy frosts at night. 
  
2/1/17 Went to our outposts 
as usual at dusk was 
relieved by C  & D Coys for 48 
hours, & we went into support 
Nos 3 & 4 Platoon were sent to  
Battalion Headquarters at Flers

where we slept for a few 
hours in a tunnel, sent up 
to the firy line with hot food 
at 2 am arrived back at day 
break.  rested all day 
  
3/1/17 Battalion hdquarters shelled 
heavy during morning causing many 
casualties was hit outside Bn 
Hdgs by splintg of HE shell 
two pieces in my hand and one in my 
L fingers, the shell killed 10 and 
wounded 12, passed through 
Brigade and Fifth Aust Field 
Ambulance clearing stations where 
we were inoculated for 
lock jaw, then placed on a light railway 
for casualty

 

clearing station at Heilly near 
Albert where we arrived 
in early hours of the next morning 
  
4/1/17  Arrived at No 38 CCS 
early in the morning about 2 hours  
before daybreak where we were  
attended to, & our wounds  
dressed stayed here all day 
managed to get some sleep 
  
5/1/17  Left here about 10 am  
in hospital train for Rouen 
train was very slow, taking all 
day to reach the coast, feel 
pretty bad my hand is smelling  
very much, had to lie down  
on a stretcher could hardly

stand up.  Arrived in Rouen 
in early hours of next morning 
was placed in No. 5 General 
Hospital Ward 10 
  
6/1/17 
In bed all dy temp rose  
from 102 to 104 during the day 
pulse 120, quite a pleasure to 
get a little sleep in a bed 
piece of shell taken from hand 
durg the dy 
  
Sunday 
7/1/17 Temp this morg fell to 
100 & afterwards rose to 102 
in the afternoon pulse 96 to 98 
Hand getting much worse 
placed under the X Rays 
this afternoon.  Hand normal

 

& 3 small pieces of shell in 
head 
  
8/1/17 
Temp 100 & rose to 101 
pulse 100 to 108.  Hand getting 
steadily worse and swellg very 
much & very painfull. 
  
9/1/17 Temp rose from 101 to 102 
Pulse 96 to 112  Hand much  
worse today a supperating vry 
badly, doctor deciding to operate 
tomorrow and open back of  
hand to remove tumour. 
  
10/1/17  Temp fell from 102 to  
99 after operation went up to  
103 & pulse 120.  Operated

on durg the later part of 
the afternoon, back of L hand 
opened and about 1/2 pint of 
matter and a large abcess 
removed, also joint of 3' finger 
found to be badly smashed 
will probably lose the use 
of it, did not feel any effects 
of the chloroform, was very 
noisy etc while I was coming to 
causing general scatter of nurses 
but nothing serious, pain in 
hand vy considerable. was 
given an injection to cause 
sleep, & so managed to 
get a fairly good night 
despite the pain

 

11/1/17  Temp falling from 99 to  
98.6 & pulse from 96 
to 88.  Hand very painfull 
splint taken off today & 
the gause plugging taken out 
of wound which was very 
deep 
  
12/1/17  Temp 98 rose to 98.8 
Pulse 88  & fell to 86 
feel little better hand 
still vry painfull 
  
13/1/17  Temp 98.5 & rose to 
98.8 Pulse 82 & rose to 88. Hand much easier 
and not so painfull

14/1/17 Sunday Temp 98 all day 
Pulse 80.  Progressing  
pretty well, hand settling 
down and getting normal given 
Marked for evacuation to  
England today, will go  
next draft 
  
15/1/17  Embarked on the 
Hospital ship St David  
at 9am left about 9.30 
reached Southampton at 
8pm & anchored out in  
the river all night 
  
16/1/17  Pulled into the 
wharf at 9am &  
disembarked and entrained

 

for Bristol where we 
arrived at 1.30pm & 
was taken in motor ambulance 
to the Beaufort War  
Hospital Fishponds 
  
17/1/17  to  8/3/17 at the 
Beaufort Hospital Bristol 
  
8/3/17 to the 24/3/17 
at the Australian Hospital  
Dartford Kent 
  
25/3/17 to the 7/4/17 
Leave in London etc 
and returned to No 1 Command 
Depot Persham Downs

8/4/17 Sunday Classified 
B1A3 & was posted 
to No 3 Platoon 
  
9/4/17 Parade at 9.30 for 
service etc & at 2pm 
for the re-classification 
  
10/4/17 Informed to take a draft 
of men to Codford in the 
morning.  pass expires tomorrow night 
spent the night in Salisbury 
  
11/4/17  Spent the day in Salisbury 
visited the ruins of Old Severn 
a few miles outside the town 
during the day returned to town 
about 8pm

 

12/4/17 Informed to take 
draft of men to Hurdcott 
left camp 7am spent  
the night in Salisbury 
  
13/4/17  Spent the day in 
Salisbury returned to camp 
in evening 
  
14/4/17  Week end in Camp 
  
15/4/17 Sunday In camp all 
day quiet day 
  
16/4/17  Innoculated today TAB/2 
nothg to do all day 24 hrs 
no duty 
  
17/4/17  Arm vy painfull

& swollen no duties all day 
  
18/4/17 No parades today 
arm much better 
  
19/4/17 Informed to take 
small draft of Pioneers to 
Dinton. Stayed all night in  
Salisbury 
  
20/4/17 Returned to camp 
in evening, missed the 5.10pm 
from Salisbury & so had to 
walk from Bulford the 
nearest point to the camp 
  
21/4/17  Easy day nothg to 
do

 

22/4/17  Sunday Easy day 
nothing to do 
  
23/4/17 went to Codford with  
a draft spent the night in 
Salisbury 
  
24/4/17 Returned to camp during  
the afternoon 
  
25/4/17 Anzac day.  Memorial 
Service in the morning, sports  
in the afternoon & cereal &  
supper in evening supper not over 
until 2am next morning had a 
very merry time. 
  
26/4/17  Easy day nothing

to do.  Have not recovered from 
festivities yet 
  
27/4/17 Did nothing all day, drew  
₤4 pay during the day 
  
28/4/17 Easy day nothing to do 
  
29/4/17 to 14/5/17 in camp 
all the while very easy time 
attended no parades 
  
14/5/17 to 17/5/17 on 3 days 
leave to Bristol drew ₤9 pay 
(11.5.17 ₤4 and 14.5.17 ₤5) 
  
18.5.17 Last day in this camp to be  
transferred to No 1 platoon tomorrow 
for draft to No 4 camp

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Jacqueline KennedyJacqueline Kennedy
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