Diary of Apcar Leslie De Vine, 1 January 1917 - 31 July 1918 - Part 4 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

reoved off thaugh I pre which is much were damzed the whan I sam it thy tinelest you the blath Hall a Cothedrel we in a much wre condition farned th the vallnot the Menn Gote caned in sone hgh geand jost admite cover the canal ncl deoly fivy up duouts ste 41077. Sim shiny altaly much werme went for a stred dury the afteroor though the ling of yuurs, term oin a much naise stote than lost feur eng bonbed at nitt nodamige 1/1/17 Waved for Bn ard sst oll day order accided prmy to moe up the Weshalk sidg lyt comp at sent 130 me cauved at Kidge 430 y w shelled a little white ronnng up few usualtis 2//17 banged in doy out on we than red didy beey shelly all de had to leave i digant the atein the fut lon fee coselles in leg tet of Segell here shills fy clant abso alot of as 3/11 On ytherk rulyeadg beag belly at tural fer walts See 6/17 On Neshack redge intill t g wten left with Metank for the prent tine went out on fattol of 10 p 12on 2060 & refu to necenarte the graund wot 000
we can take andrane fated toree nyt we best avt olat 1000 te 1100 Jo heat of ou outerty thrank 3woods eo low swany courty was frequetly laged up to om hip in rey rost mnd a vater couni eifte a 15n e Honl was fired on gevery ptet but could not docate them out for dlart 2 tanes Galnband to an line all eyse bed a ly mp of him to nom us ap was tarely cold. 5/11/17 good deal of burg shelly duig hedy ple g go was pred over by came up to the livne due the ofteror went out on fatrel with iertlank at 1030 puticlled though Bury Wood, Kina to A Cape could not fin any enery fatree Groan very sweng returne thay ouroatfor at 2 c o fatyal 6147 londy. Ledg t not goen fatue tto might haded any to Bely heary shally rear alldg cre stall fell it out a verdic Mr Hank &a Balworke itle think was blown to u fe shell while be cored to the Begide drong staten 7/1/17 lorday all day no yetrel to nibt bear selly all ou are shells to do lleing te dyy no8 3/1777 Much cerial cecting themeiny
eer acrial fight oerbin we were retured of the Brnat f fou did not espect to get reluved untill clerksers is the oren we came luck to sore ta beow thack bidge just below an r prtia before gavg tebr Heary stelliy raind ane wren all the the way gos shells /4 the whele by an duate ly gead t fetyas ean gron the men duck levd uclldy bea shell et as seme enle hges alom diny the nete l 10/4/7 Reved head des muce teo thiak abut selly len to beg the 1st Reyae were 1/47 Sun Ireluved tody e we returned yaB of the Laves Turdes left our trenches at 5 am a marched to you through the Menn goote continued on fort seperinghe t tancon lang near Onderdawn. Maneyed to get bath duey the afteroor. the firt wish for 10 day fand 704 L 2.11.4 12/1717 Jn Vanian lany all day must probobly machy off tonerran get a cenglate charge of woledeth today
A0ST 13/1/17 Left comp gam a morsed 3 mile to Berthen arrein obeut 2 p 14/11/17 Left Berthen ot 9ain at marched 15 mits to Janpeene were billetea in the same billety we were in the last tive i were here 15/2717 Left Zonpeere ot gan marched 10 miles to Wordaegues 16/11117 Left Wardresques ot gam emarched 12 mils to perilly. wheguin 17/11/17 Rested here all day 18/1/17 Sanday Left Bemilly Margan gam and meithed 12 mills to Blegumn 19/1/17 Left Blegun ct gam marched the rast stae of any yovng theagh Samer to a soll villere 22 kile the other side marched 14 nite tody furall stepy at finger. we hae nached 75 to f0 mils ever leavy the verg line have not felt ay ill effects of the werch feet of geod enti the least sere 294/12 Bilntee heralog fute hre23 Olde vee together fert the dy in
a ganed clear upa tel All sertge etc Rud yo ₤2.114 21/11/17 Eoy da eert ite isteod of weds Vhilia Samor its evering 22/11/17 No peoder tody viitia Benlogne on yers back in ltte 9.30 pr 23/1/17 Vy sort poreds todg com fos eon time all ths week tranny stort again next week Dilali a ba adr st you the week ectured life Gildmator 25/1/17 Sunley pacd not attend herch peade Ord get lod 5 potes lekter tody Tule Bottelia 2 Ceynol marles of Bn. 3. fellegcli man 4. A Cy. grap 5 A leg. NCO 26/1/17 to 6/12/17 beg onse 6/12/17 to 14/12/17 Leave to Dary peymet mede day thee dotes £2:11:4 30.11.17 470 5.12.17 Leove 440 162.8 517:4 y. 12 17 Pary 160 111217 6. 0 2. 4 0 13.12.17 2. 4. 0 60 botal 79 0 ₤ 28. 19.4
14/12/17 Left. Ours. Graedectard ot 720 treveled all t Aolaye avng thee at 5.30 an 15/12/17 Acrd Govlegre 5.30 left for colars 9 15 charged fir Hadandchedgan for laiste then we accived at 630 pr 16/17/17 Sundey In com all day y cld. 7/12/1 snawed dury the right erily cold 18/12/17 In canp all day, snoined dueing the day, very cold warrin to peeed tB Conorrow 19/12/17 Left canp in mater lorie ot gan joosed thruugh I lite Eailent in t Kemmel when we muched to Lindenkock camp where the Br were compert land 430 £120 20/12/17 Heory frost Giy an te ground the mornig wi very cutty ekeen woned f O furd with 15 men maunted at 2 pm by cold nyht with herr part 2/2/17 teaf fat all day, reluaed gaod of 1r am sex of by lefts rese lug at 130 pr. was detailed to sener behiee train write the eoidy fort 22/2/7 Stated trany fr the
train cersists of shd doubting nal exccises. deteiled a AMS for the fat 23/12/17 Sudy warly day all dy rn7 beany e unell beaf fill of vew day nitt 25/12/7 Chatreda Ho theng dedy gond covered wirk ew 17 sanls cased fe dince ay sait of ptilay made anse recem c b de day crem fall duyy the nill 6/2/7 Brang as wick ay foll now dy the Mer 7/2/17 brainy as usuall run to aien Haylie 28/12/17 beaing as usuall run to Mien Haylie 29/2/17 Beany as usuall 112/17 Sunday. No trannig todey fall of snaw dury day 31/2/17 Under orders to move up to the line left hut it 3 p a arruted at Mirden Villes Seyeritzs wnere we caned behind On Hdgrs
1918 1/1/18 New Jeas Sy Very quiet day houd on artilly dury day. stead venbadnat all day or our ot Sasendale Rrgs we arl naw in the Mesne secter Pend 430 ₤ 1.2. 0 2/2/18 everythy guet toce ment out on fatror at nytt to see the county comars land full of peven shell holes pezing d hard alt day tereilf, cold at night wthe samted fill loses fed no peritie 11 Ed nt go eot cuptr myot 118 Desriha to lave a said a firen outforty, everythy read we neft aur autfort at 8 pr e starticl of arn we men lend ofter gavg about roogds we heard tht e cells from our outor stat Frity was raidin so we waited on him returns. We teck our jositias up on peger drawn a waited a long there can he did not yors ank war returned to an cntrost to fin out what lad bopered, affarests a few former poed our a get belina then is in ba to such the court at t oncr of the fert, tt coold
105 fince anked we were ant all nt the dmest here got any alcry a swken raid that ray through our lines & WiManly vent out on gatrol at nyht other dony syead e porty PWManly Samdoy sateal at night. terely 141 cold. Pr. Bencli 1/1/18 setral at night Mawiz clde and we wudd twrell ea e wit theough N.M Wellaty 8/718 Did not go on ptrel tonghl. hear full of man dang de white suit issued o the pitre ag cold e fregry hard 4/188 Trezing hard oll dy, dury of the eveny it legen to tham drevsed in while for the jated. If te time we seached the outfor meal all the orew bad with ter aof to were while so gated ve en alt fatonst 10//18 Ramer day the de rguter treell mly due not fetter teryth 18 Natrel pau lea tabedekerss. olsolly no moon
405 or staes to becen 12/418 vy mud dy randies oll aend to adun to ther ig in the een egatin to a went usto a lang pt dire betwen wo r03 get stanglh Sencet3 20 Soby Subjot elldo stny get ot ort the dt nigt at noand hany She idd was utose feet pit bad bee storety se sten 1471/18 On autfort oll day, heis fall of sam durg eary meniy tel cold relieved at 6.30 y con a went to suppets 15/1/16 In strey pente at superts all dyg extered of the 5th Con in the every a marched thrugh an occan of must eta of ra to seat fan. it hes been orering hearing all dos the ground is in cn anfull state wter we arried it selt fain she doyeat were full of witer bed to get us all nytt in the witee 16/1/18 baten to Fmscence beth at Henriel e get a change of

mooved off through Ypres which is
much more damaged than when I saw
it ths time last year the Cloth
Hall & Cathedral are in a much
worse condition passed through the
walls at the Menin Gate & camped
on some hgh ground just outside
the wall covers the canal, fatigues
rest of dy fixing up dugouts etc

31/10/17 Sun shing all dy much
warmer, went for a stroll durig the
afternoon through the ruins of Ypres, town
in a much worse state than last year
camp bombed at nght no damage

1/11/17 Warned for Bn Ord Sgt all
day. orders arrived for us to move up
to Westhoek ridg left camp at
1.30 pm & arrived at Ridge about
4.30 pm. was shelled a little while
coming up few casualtis

2/11/17 Camped in dug outs on
Westhoek ridge all dy. heavy shellig
all dy had to leave our dugouts
& take shelter in the the pill boxes few
casualties in Coy. plenty of shrapnell &
heavy shells flyng about also a lot of gas

3/11/17 On Westhoek Ridge all dy. heavy shellig
at intervals few casualtis

4/11/17 Sunday On Westhoek ridge untill 4 pm. when I
left with Mr Hawk for the front line.,
went out on patrol at 10 pm 12 men 2 NCO
& 2 officers to reconoitre the ground so that

 

we can take out our patrol tomorrow
night. We went out about 1000 to 1100 yds
in front of our outposts through 3 woods
& vy low swampy county, was frequently
bogged up to our hips in vey soft mud
& water, carried rifle & 15 rounds & 1 bomb
was fired on by enemy ptrol but could
not locate them out for about 2½ hours
Got back to our line all right. had a
big nip of rum to warm us up. was
terribly cold.

5/11/17 good deal of heavy shellg durg
the day. plenty of gas was fired ovr
Coy came up to the line durig the
afternoon. went out on patrol with
Mr Hawk at 10.30 patrolled through
Bury Wood, Birma to Rhine Copse
could not find any enemy patrol.
Ground very swampy, returned through
our outpost at 2 am.

6/11/17 Easy dy tody no fatigues
did not go on patrol to night
headed over to B Coy, heavy shellg nearly
all day. one shell fell into officers dug
out & wouded Mr Hawk & Mr Balcombe
Mr Hawk was blown to pieces by another
shell while beg carried to the Brigade
dressg station

7/11/17 Easy day all day no patrol to
night. heavy shellig all round area
durig the day, no gas shells tody

8/11/17 Much aerial activity this morng

 

several aerial fights over our lines
we were relieved by the 1st Bn at
1 pm, did not expect to get relieved
untill darkness in the evenig we came
back to some trenches between
Westhoek Ridge just below our
previous position before goig up the line
Heavy shellig round our area all the
afternoon with many gas shells

9/11/17 The whole Coy on duck
board fatgues making road to
camp from the man duck boards
heavy shells fell amongst us all dy
some casualtis, three gas alarms
durig the night

10/11/17 Rained heavily all
day mud too thick to walk
about shellig less tody

11/11/17 Sunday The 1st Brigade are
relieved today. we were relieved
by a Bn of the Lancs Fusiliers. left
our trenches at 8 am & marched to
Ypres through the Menin Gate &
continued on foot Poperinghe to Vancouver
Camp near Ouderdom. Managed to get
a bath during the aftenoon. the first
wash for 10 days Paid 70 Fr = £2.11.4

12/11/17 In Vancouver Camp all dy
must probably marchig off tomorrow
got a complete change of undrclothig
today

 

13/11/17 Left camp 9 am & marched
8 miles to Berthen arrivig
about 2 pm

14/11/17 Left Berthen at 9 am
& marched 15 miles to Zuytpeene
were billeted in the same billets
we were in the last time we
were here

15/11/17 Left Zuytpeene at 9 am &
marched 10 miles to Wardrecques

16/11/17 Left Wardrecques at 9 am
& marched 12 miles to Remilly-
Wirquin

17/11/17 Rested here all day

18/11/17 Sunday Left Remilly-

Wirquin 9 am and marched
12 miles to Blequin

19/11/17 Left Blequin at 9am &
marched the last stage of our
journy through Samer to a small
village 2½ kilos the other side
marched 14 miles tody finally stoppg
at Tingry. we have marched
75 to 80 miles sice leavig the
firg line have not felt ay ill
effects of the march. feet vy good
& not in the least sore

20/11/17 Biluted hre in a large
private house 1, 2 & 3 Platoos
are together, spent the dy in

 

a general clean up & takig
all shortges etc Paid 70 Fr= ₤ 2.11.4

21/11/17 Easy day sports etc instead
of parads. Visited Samer this
evenig

22/11/17 No parades tody visited
Boulogne on pass back in billets
by 9.30 pm

23/11/17 Vy short parade tody. am
havg easy time all this week
training startg again next week

24/11/17 Detailed as Coy orderly Sgt
for the week relieved Cpl
Goldwater

25/11/17 Sunday Did not attend
Church parade Ord Sgt. had 5 parties
taken today 1. Full Battalion 2 Original
markers of Bn. 3. Gallipoli men 4. A Coy.
group 5. A Coys NCOs

26/11/17 to 6/12/17 Coy Ord Sgt

6/12/17 to 14/12/17 Leave to
Paris
Payments made durg these dates
30.11.17                Fr 70            £ 2. 11.  4
5.12.17        Leave 440              16.  2. 8
7.12.17          Paris  160                5. 17. 4
11.12.17            "        60                 2.  4. 0
13.12.17            "  ___60_             _2._4._0_   
Total                  F_790_       £   28._19._4__

 

14/12/17 Left Paris. Gare de Nord
at 7.20 travelled all night
to Boulogne arrivg there at 5.30 am


15/12/17 Arrd Boulogne 5.30 left
for Calais 9.15. changed for
Hazebrouck & changed again for Caestre
where we arrived at 6.30 pm

16/12/17 Sunday In camp all day
vy cold.

17/12/17 Snowed durg the night
terribly cold

18/12/17 In camp all day, snowed
during the dy. very cold warned
to proceed to Bn tomorrow

19/12/17 Left camp in motor lories
at 9am passed through Fletre
Baileul etc to Kemmel when we
marched to Lindenhoek Camp where
the Bn were camped Paid F 30= £ 1.2.0

20/12/17 Heavy frost lying on the ground this
mornig. wind very cuttg & keen warned for
Bn Guard with 15 men mounted at 2 pm
vy cold night with heavy frost

21/2/17 Heavy frost all day, relieved
guard at 12 am. rest of Coy left for
reserve lines at 1.30 pm. was detailed to
remin behind & train with the raidg
party

22/12/17 Started training for the raid

 

traing consists of steady doubling
& physical exercises. detailed as
QMS for the party

23/12/17 Sndy Nothg doig all dy

24/12/17 Traing as usuall. Heavy fall
of snow durg night

25/12/17 Christmas dy. No traing
tody. ground covered with
snow. 17 fowls cooked for dinner
& 7 sacks of potatoes. Made ourselves
warm & happy for the day. Snow
fell durg the night

26/12/17 Traing as usuall. heavy
fall of snow durg the
mornig

27/12/17 Traing as usuall run to
View Keylice

28/12/17 Traing as usuall run to
View Vaylice

29/12/17 Traing as usuall

30/12/17 Sunday. No tranig tody
fall of snow durig day

31/2/17 Under orders to move up
to the line. left huts at 3 pm
& arrived at Mirden Villes Dugouts
where we camped behind Bn Hdqrs

 

1918
1/1/18 New Years Day. Very
quiet day. hardly any artilly
durg dy. steady bonbardment all
day on our L at Pasendale Ridge
we are now in the Mesines sector
Paid Fr 30 = ₤ 1.2.0

2/1/18 Everythg quiet tody. went
out on patrol at night to see the
county 'No mans land" full of frosen
shell holes. Freezing vey hard all
day. terribly cold at night. visited
evacueted "pill boxes" found no
opposition

3/1/18 Did not go out on patrol
tonight

4/1/18 Descided to have a raid on
German outposts, everythg ready we
left our outposts at 8 pm & started
off across No mans land after goig about
200 yds we heard shots & calls from
our outposts that "Fritz" was raidig
so we waited on him returnng. We
took our positions up on a frozen
drain & waited a long time but
he did not pass our way, so we
returned to our outpost to find
out what had happened, apparenly
a few Germans passed our otpost
& got behind them so we had
to search the county at the
rear of the posts, but could not

 

find anybody. we were out all
night. thy must have got away
along a sunken road that
runs through our lines. P W Manly

5/1/18 Went out on patrol at night
nothg doing. Vy cold & frosty
P W Manly

6/1/18 Sunday Patrol at night. terribly
cold. P W Bondi

7/1/18 Patrol at night. Thawing
all dy. ground vy muddy.
terribly cold & wet through P.W
Wallaby

8/1/18 Did not go on patrol
tonight. heavy fall of snow durg
dy white suits issued for the
patrol. Vy cold & freezing hard

9/1/18 Freezing hard all dy, durg
the evenig it began to thaw.
dressed in white for the patrol. by
the time we reached the outposts
nearly all the snow had melted
too risky to wear white so patrol was
cut out for tonight

10/1/18 Rained durg the dy. vycold
terribly muddy, did not patrol
tonight

11/1/18 Patrol postpone because
of the darkness. Absolutly no moon

 

or stars to be seen

12/1/18 Vy muddy dy, raiders all
warned to return to their Coys
durg the eveng. [[repalen?]] to Coy
11 pm & went on to a listng post
midway between No 2 & 3 posts
Terribly cold day durg the night
Paid F 30 = £ 1.2.0

13/1/18 Sunday Outpost all day
& listng post at night extremly
cold the water in the shell holes
began to freeze. & early in the
night it snowed heavily. The cold
was intense. feet pretty bad but
standing the strain

14/1/18 On outpost all day, heavy
fall of snow durg early morng
terribly cold. relieved at 6.30 pm by
D Coy & went to supports

15/1/18 In strong point at supports all dy
relieved by the 5th Bn in the evening
& marched through an ocean of mud
& torents of rain to Scots Farm.
it has been raing heavily all dy &
the ground is in an awfull state
when we arrived at Scolts Farm
the dugouts were full of water
had to sit up all night in the
water

16/1/18 Peter to Divisional baths
at Kemmel & got a change of

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