Handwritten transcript of diaries of Apcar Leslie De Vine, 1 January 1915 - 6 October 1918, Part 12 of 26

Conflict:
First World War, 1914–18
Subject:
  • ANZAC
Status:
Finalised
Accession number:
RCDIG0000335
Difficulty:
3

Page 1 / 10

103 26/3/16 Sunday ROC untill relieved ot 1.30 pm ly B loy, several showers of rain during the day, the weather creasing up later in the ofternoon, the evenings new are getting much colder 27/3/16 Reached Matta early this morning, e cruised about outside the horlour writing for orders, ofter waiting for a few hoves we receive instructions to procled, e werout of right of the island by midday. Exceptional precautions are being token to guard agdinst any submanine attack as the danjor here is ver great, man ships hoving been sunk in this part of the Mediteranean. Machine guns & their ciews. are permanentl on guard daye night on the ships side we all necor life betts duery day a sleep with them under one heads at night. No shyps lights or liftts of an disciption are shown at night as we are continually in the danyer gone. We seep ly curallatted life boats in case of imergancy 28/3/14 Passes a few small iglands driy the dey perule on dect with full pack N 29/3/14 Parade pull merchin order, nained heonis duein day, ver wet emiserable; ran into hear staemdurin the ofternoon. We expect to acrive at Mloiscilles early tomorrow, but we arrived late at night e remain in the outer habour untill daylight before berthing 30/3/16 We occived at our birth e tied up before Mreckfast. It appears that we received orders ot Malta to Mevyon as submarines were about, just as we bove Malta we passed the Mineciopolis quite closel, todar we are told on landing that only two hows ofter joi us she was torpedoed, fortunald being enjty as she
110 was eeturning to Alexandera for more Bns of the Ad7 We disemborked at pm a marched to the railway siding where we entrain e leave for Flanders at 3.30. We leave the Bn transjort behind to follow on by road in a few days ofter loadin the Bn etore etc from the ship. We do not know oy actuall destination although we know that we are bownd for the Noeth. We acrive at brange it 11pn e hove hot rum served out, oftewards entraincy again e gettly down in our carriages for the night. We heve been trovelling through vey piety coutry in the South 31/3/16 Reached Lgons at day break passing through just as dawn was bcakng, had lrcakfast at Macon at sam, we still have no official knowledge of our destination, had ten at ses Lownes where I went to the village to b bread etc staying there for two hours hovi or ypm, expect to be in bares o the morning 1/4/16 Reached sares at dawn branchny off on to another line (leavere) arnoy at Veesailles of 6.30 am but do not stop ego on to Ourers surdise for breckfost ofter beckfast we wait for about hour befoe Meavery again. After several halts at small county stations we trvell on through the night. 2/4/14 Sunday Mp at 330 am a found cueselves outside Mazebranck, we detrain at Steenbecque we are not vey for from the Belgien lorder & can distrrelly hear the big guns firing os we are onl ebout 15 to r0 miles off the pent line & about 15 to ppres, we hear the guns continansly all day
111 We much through the town of Hagebrouck to oue willits at Stapler obeut 6 mils outside the town, we are a serice of much interest to the French, as only a vey few of our men hove yet areived in the district although the 2nd Dw have landed in France before us. We are billited in a granary about half a mile outside the village along a wett county read Bn Adges are in the village. We are all veg ried having travelled cortinousl in train for 62 hours, enythy is made very comfortable for us with glert of clean straw to deep on 3/4/16 Parade full marching order of riam e 2-4 pen, the village is placed out of bounds bore 3.30 pm, beve onl sold to treaps in the estaminets between 4e5.30 pr visited Villaze e setured to billet G 6pm, it is veryy cold tonyth, we get little +teep as we feel the change of climate rather Reenly, as we weee in Egypt ont 110r 12 daysago in the fll sun, the change now feels veg sudden 4/4/16 ull merchin adve today, ver cold so went for a raute march in the mornin, duill duery afternoon 5/4/14 Vez cold again today, ment fr a long rente morch to werm us up occuppg the meening. Did not attend pgade in ofterion chage of Tell fatyne. Time extended to village New Y.30 6/4/16 Parade today, light morchey order, route march this oftenoon, detailed for inling prequet, mounted on village square at 5.30 pr 7/4/14 Early moening parade 7.30, fr the isue of two gos
112 helmets per man, afterwards the Bn marched to Ebblinghem for a lecture on the use of the sas helmet, after lecture we all pass through a ceverl trench, filled with the deadliest gos now in use weary our new helmets to give them a thorough test e to give confidence in their use, the prooved to be very effective, we do not fee the effect of the gos in the least, afterwards we possed through a second trench filled with a speciall lachimatay gas, now used by the ferman causing the eyes to smart vey much e so couse tears, being thus temprally blinded it would be pacticall injorsible to use a sifle. We foss through this second trench without the protection of our helmet in order to experience its effects a recognise its smell which is ver like pineoples Atthough it made our eyes smarl vey much it is harmeless to the lungs, we will now be able to recognise it when we meet it in the line, it is usuall thrown over in shells e liberall used dirin benlordments being well mixed with the HE shelling. Great preporations are being made to face the danger of a josattack, as they frequently occur on the French pent, in Egyft &on folliolli we did not expecience this form of warfure, but here it is a real danger. It is now a ceime to be found without you jos helmet, which must always be carried when leaving billets no matter for how long. After this demonitration we morch back to billetz, no farade in ofternoon. Weare now jaid in Francs received teda 460- £2.3.0. Aswe hove no conteers yet we had a good time exending it in the village, the villiagers had never seen so much mony before e did good business
113 8/4/16 No prade this meening lepl in chare of billet gaved all day. A contant guard is being kest all day a night to give worning in case of gas being used in the prent line e to give the alarm to the villagies, we are not man miles frm the line egus drifting with a stead wind would quicks reach us 9/4/16 Sunday Bid not attend church parade themanry the oftenson was quielf sjest in a little village holp wa between Hyles a bossel. Orders received today to be packed up con the march by 7.30 tomorrow morning as we ore leaving for other billets nearer the priny line sjent the evenin vey quaetl in little estamined on aquist county read amulst beautiful county scency; the dinMarve 10/4/1 Rlevelle 5 am, facted up eon the road by 7.30, a march of 10 miles is before us, we pass through Hazsbrouck to Meteron where we are billited, finished the march vey foot wre hovey corried a heary pack, taught me a lesson pack must be much litter in piture, ofter a rest visited the old French town of Buillenl, this is a very quaint old town about 1 mile from the Belgian barder e has been considerobl knocked about G lemboumet torin at one time been in Gaman hands, now it is less than 10 miles from the prent line, there are very many csitians left who are still corring on their busings there we also man children clent, no one here seems to tike the worve serrousl as the are all attending to their shops etc & the children gain to school. The town ts full of English troops who are doin a considerable amount of stopper, in purt the whole buemess of the town seens to be catitiry for the wants of the soldiers, who are withen veg eary visiting distance being billeted in the small villazes round alout. A hevry benbardment can
114 be heard all day from the pent line being new much nearer to the line we hear this new continonely We are billited outside Meteren in the nlage of Onterstene, there will probabl be onl one more willet nearor the line before me actuall take over a sector We are all anxions to bee the pent line on this setors, which we are told ts quite different to the trenches of Golifolli 11/4/14 Two parades today gam e1.30 pm, rained a little ohering ofternoon meking reads rey slippeyy visited Meteren in the exening, a vey quist nown 12/4/14 Rained all day, rente march gain in the rain, roads vey muddy agreasy, no pocade this ofternoon raining vey hord. A second blanket being issued to us this ofternoon. Our transjert seation which me left benind when landiy et Moiscelles joived up with the Bntoday 13/4/14 Rained nearG all day, parades prtjoned on account of the wet e mudd stote of the road, right parade 8.80-9.30 14/4/16 Tarade this morning. Warned that Gen Walker who is in comand of the Pivision will review us tomorrow, we are dismissed early to prepare a chan up for the review. Perace ajuin at 12.45 for a 6 mile march with full pack, during murch we were cautt in a rain esnow storm, the roads are in a reg heary stote been very muddy edippery the weather remains terriby cold, return to billets ot 4pm
115 15/4/16 No review for us today. A log being detailed for duty, detailed for inlying prequet, mounted full murchin order at gain, a remain in billets for the rest of the day, being ready for instant use if required thei oftenion we were marched down to the Divisional boths where ofter enjoying a good bath we get a change of shirt, socks, vest, a under pants, leaving our dity ines in excharge, feeling quite frish e clean again 18/4/16 Sunday Did not attend church porade, left in charge of littles, during ofternon visited Baillenl with Sgt Fanner we visited the cothedral emany churches, which are veyold spent some time visiting the oldest ports of the town which are quite historical Returned to billets ot 8/30 p 17/4/16 Full Bn parade today for an inspection by General Walker, it has been raining all the moening, and we were wet through, the parade ground which was in a field seon get very muddy, and to make matters vorse, the Genorl did not trn up, which iritated the men ver consideably and of caurse eveyled gave full vent to their feelings. Before the pacade was dismissed it was announced by Major Mackay who is now in command of the Bn, that we will much to other biltets 7 miles nearer to the line tomorrow, and the day after would move even closer up, thei bringing us right up in the foreward area, from there we will go direct into the line. Parade this ofternoon 1.30 with full pack force 5 mile route morch, we have been getting of lote plent of route marching, e now feel very fit, as we may be called upon at any time to undertake a long e prredmarch, at a moments notice. Returned to billets at 4.30 Pevelle 6.30 am, everything packed up ready to meore 18/4/16
116 off by gai, marched out of billets at 1oam in a downpour of rain, the roads are very muddg, which make the march very heary going. We marched to Sailly which being us about ymiles wehind the frent line, it is vey cold and raining all day, the closer we get to the pring live the more muddy becomes the roads, which now are in a pietty lad state. We are billited in anold flower mill just outside the village. Atthough weare so close to the line there are very man ciriang including women e children still in the village. We are told that this sictor of the line is exceptionally quiet, the township being very seldom shelled. Gjent the evening in the village, there is nothing to do except to sit e deink in the estaminets all the evening, we are now well away from all civilisation comfort, which are only to be found new in the back areas, we move further up tomoron 19/4/14 Revelle 3 am, more off at 3.30 e march 3 miles nearer to the line, all our morements now must be made under cever of dockness, as the roads now are under direct observation from their ceptive baloons. The roads now are terribly muddy and full of shell holes, the farms e houses heree been very much knocked about by shell fire, many being in conjlite ruin. Reached our new billets at Flenbaix bz 7.30. During the day I wandered round the village which is ver much knocked about in places, parts of it being an obsolute wreck. This is the prst town we have seen so completey wrecked under a modeen bembordment all this is quite new to us, there were no villares like this on fulifolli. Much to our surprise there are still man civitiong here doin business amongst the theops, there are also OR1
117 several estaminets, and many women about but vey few children. Parts of the village are out of bounds to the civilians as it has been placed in a cendition of defence, with boibed wire 10 ft up the side of the houses with the walls loopeholed ready for defence in case of a breck through by the fermans. The alaem sounded at 8pm, we marched to our clarm pst in the year of the firing line, which weare to hold in case of an attack, He are all pretty treed ofter our two days marching. slept will 20/4/14 Roads much dryer today, the sun has been shining for a few hours. Detailed today with 6 men for ryhours guard at Winters wight fost which is about 3/4 of a mile along the Fleubaix dd, we meant at 10 am tomoeraw rete of today nothing to do 2/4/14 Mounted guard at Winters cright lost at 10 am, everythey very quiet, some arcoplare artivit all day, several shells hove fallen on the road neae our villity e some damage done by HE shells to billets near us, no one hurt. Weare new getting our first taste of Geeman lary distance benboedment of villets itc, very quiet day on our pent bast visited by the Dr e Maj Mackay during the day. all amunition, rembs, e reserve of food ite found to be correct on the post. Very miscrable evening a night, raining all making thins very wit e muddy, no alaims the time neither were we called out durin the night to man the post 22/4/14 Roads very muddy awin to heary rain that feel all night. No pacades deri day. Whe wececalled out for peactice e muched to our alaim jort at sam, raining all day, roads now in sherlly condition. Paid 604- £2.3.0
118 23/4/14 Sunday Quiet day on the whole, muchaccoplane activit over our lines, notheng special daiy today 24/4/14 Artitleg bembardment during the day, with much arealane actuity. Colled cut ot gp a digging fatigue, to drain some trerches at the rear opour biltets, which is a strong post to be usedony incose of need, or if the billet is shelled when we will occupy them as shetter trenches untill the Combardment is over, we work untill 230 the next morning. all autside werk new must be done under cover of darkness 25/4/14 Angac Dar. Very quist day. A dice y cake was given to each man from Ogimental Funds as an extra ration to commemorate the day, this caused much incligration eamusement amongst the men. A bit of excitement this oftenoon the willet we are now occupying is onl a thetched barn, the roof of which cought fire from the cook house I blazed up pretty peely. Organzed an inpremptu fice bryade and quietl get pre under controte before it got too stren, a hold, as the 20of was made of strew thins locked rather uly for a time, if Frily had noticed the blage he would most certainly hove dropfed a few shells into it just for luck- everything was Ok inclost 1/ four. In the evening all the dd logs with us who had landed at Anfue lost year met at A Cogs Adges e had a joll time, totol casnatties 60 bottles of champayne. Capt Bown Sgt Tannor Cpl Coldwater. Pts J Mills. PNogan. GWilliamson, Syt Romsez. CLel.S. D lewven a myself were present also may other friends all vey happy e full at q pm

109 
26/3/16 Sunday ROC untill relieved ot 1.30 pm by B
Coy, several showers of rain during the day, the weather
clearing up later in the afternoon, the evenings now
are getting much colder 

27/3/16 Reached Malta early this morning, & cruised about
outside the harbour waiting for orders, after waiting for a
few hours we receive instructions to proceed, & were out
of sight of the island by midday. Exceptional precautions
are being taken to guard against any submarine attack
as the danger here is very great, many ships having been
sunk in this part of the Mediteranean. Machine guns
& their crews. are permanently on guard day & night on the
ships side. we all wear life belts during day & sleep with
them under our heads at night. No ships lights or
lights of any description are shown at night as we are
continually in the danger zone. We sleep by our allotted
life boats in case of imergancy 

28/3/16 Passed a few small islands during the day. parade
on deck with full pack

29/3/16 Parade full marching order, rained heavily during
day, very wet & miserable, ran into heay storm during
the afternoon. We expect to arrive at Marseilles early
tomorrow, but we arrived late at night & remain in the
outer harbour untill daylight before berthing 

30/3/16 We arrived at our berth & tied up before
breakfast. It appears that we received orders at Malta
to hurry on as submarines were about, just as we leave
Malta we passed the "Mineaopolis" quite closely, today
we are told on landing that only two hours after passing
us she was torpedoed, fortunately being empty as she

 

110
was returning to Alexandria for more Bns of the AIF
We disembarked at 2pm & marched to the railway
siding where we entrain & leave for Flanders
at 3.30. We leave the Bn transport behind to
follow on by road in a few days after loading the
Bn stores etc from the ship. We do not know our
actuall destination although we know that we are
bound for the North. We arrive at Orange it 11pm
& have hot rum served out, afterwards entraining
again & settling down in our carriages for the
night. We have been travelling through very pretty
country in the South 

31/3/16 Reached Lyons at day break passing through
just as dawn was breaking, had breakfast at Macon
at 8am, we still have no official knowledge of our
destination, had tea at Les Lounes where I went
to the villiage to buy bread etc staying there for
two hours leaving at 7pm, expect to be in Paris by
the morning 

1/4/16 Reached Paris at dawn branching off on to another
line (Le Nord) arriving at Versailles at 6.30 am but
do not stop & go on to Auvers sur Oise for breakfast
after breakfast we wait for about 1 hour before
leaving again. After several halts at small county
stations we travell on through the night. 

2/4/16 Sunday Up at 3.30 am & found ourselves
outside Hazebrouck, we detrain at Steenbecque
we are not vey far from the Belgian border &
can distinctly hear the big guns firing as we are
only about 15 to 20 miles off the front line & about
15 to Ypres, we hear the guns continuously all day

 

111
We march through the town of Hazebrouck to our
billets at Staples about 6 miles outside the town, we
are a source of much interest to the French, as only
a vey few of our men have yet arrived in the
district although the 2nd Div have landed in France
before us. We are billited in a granary about
half a mile outside the village along a pretty county road
Bn Hdqrs are in the village. We are all vey tired
having travelled continuously by train for 62 hours, everything
is made very comfortable for us with plenty of clean straw
to sleep on 

3/4/16 Parade full marching order 9-12 am & 2-4 pm, the
village is placed out of bounds before 3.30 pm, beer only
sold to troops in the estaminets between 4 & 5.30 pm
Visited village & returned to billet by 6pm, it is very
cold tonight, we get little sleep as we feel the change
of climate rather keenly, as we were in Egypt only 11 or
12 days ago in the full sun, the change now feels vey
sudden 

4/4/16 Full marching order today, very cold so went
for a route march in the morning, drill during afternoon 

5/4/16 Very cold again today, went for a long route march to
warm us up occupying the morning. Did not attend parade
in afternoon charge of QM fatigue. Time extended to village
Now 8.30 

6/4/16 Parade today, light marching order, route march
this afternoon, detailed for inlying piquet, mounted on
village square at 5.30 pm 

7/4/16 Early morning parade 7.30, for the issue of two gas

 

112
helmets per man, afterwards the Bn marched to
Ebblinghem for a lecture on the use of the gas
helmet, after lecture we all pass through a covered
trench, filled with the deadliest gas now in use
wearing our new helmets to give them a thorough
test & to give confidence in their use, they
proved to be very effective, we do not feel the
effect of the gas in the least, afterwards we
passed through a second trench filled with
a speciall lachimatory gas, now used by the Germans
causing the eyes to smart very much & so cause
tears, being thus temporally blinded it would be
practically impossible to use a rifle. We pass
through this second trench without the protection
of our helmet in order to experience its effects
& recognise its smell which is very like pineaples
Although it made our eyes smart very much it is
harmeless to the lungs, we will now be able to
recognise it when we meet it in the line, it
is usually thrown over in shells & liberally used
during bombardments being well mixed with the
HE shelling. Great preparations are being made to
face the danger of a gas attack, as they frequently
occur on the French front, in Egypt & on Gallipolli
we did not experience this form of warfare, but
here it is a real danger. It is now a crime
to be found without your gas helmet, which must
always be carried when leaving billets no matter
for how long. After this demonstration we
march back to billets, no parade in afternoon.
We are now paid in Francs received today ₣60 =
£2.3.0. As we have no canteens yet we had a good
time spending it in the village, the villagers had
never seen so much money before & did good business

 

113
8/4/16 No parade this morning Cpl in charge of billet
guard all day. A constant guard is being kept all day
& night to give warning in case of gas being used in the
front line & to give the alarm to the villagers, we are
not many miles from the line & gas drifting with a
steady wind would quickly reach us 

9/4/16 Sunday Did not attend church parade this morning
the afternoon was quietly spent in a little village half
way between Staples & Cassel. Orders received today to
be packed up & on the march by 7.30 tomorrow morning
as we are leaving for other billets nearer the firing line
spent the evening vey quietly in little estaminet on a quiet
county road amidst beautiful county scenery; the du Moroc 

10/4/16 Revelle 5 am, packed up & on the road by 7.30, a
march of 10 miles is before us, we pass through Hazebrouck
to Meteren where we are billited, finished the march
very foot sore having carried a heavy pack, taught me
a lesson pack must be much lighter in future, after a
rest visited the old French town of Bailleul, this
is a very quaint old town about 1 mile from the Belgian
border & has been considerably knocked about by bombardment
having at one time been in German hands, now it is
less than 10 miles from the front line, there are very
many civilians left who are still carrying on their business
there are also many children about, no one here seems to
take the war very seriously as they are all attending to
their shops etc & the children going to school. The
town is full of English troops who are doing a considerable
amount of shopping, in fact the whole business of the town
seems to be catering for the wants of the soldiers, who
are within very easy visiting distance being billeted in the
small villages round about. A heavy bombardment can

 

114
be heard all day from the front line being now much
nearer to the line we hear this now continuously
We are billited outside Meteren in the village of
Outerstene, there will probably be only one more billet
nearer the line before we actually take over a sector
We are all anxious to see the front line on this
sector, which we are told is quite different to the
trenches of Galipolli 

11/4/16 Two parades today 9am & 1.30 pm, rained a
little during afternoon making roads vey slippery
visited Meteren in the evening, a vey quiet town 

12/4/16 Rained all day, route march 9am in the
rain, roads vey muddy & greasy, no parade this afternoon
raining vey hard. A second blanket being issued to
us this afternoon. Our transport section which we
left behind when landing at Marseilles joined up
with the Bn today 

13/4/16 Rained nearly all day, parades postponed on
account of the wet & muddy state of the road, night
parade 8.30-9.30 

14/4/16 Parade this morning. Warned that Gen Walker
who is in command of the Division will review us
tomorrow, we are dismissed early to prepare & clean
up for the review. Parade again at 12.45 for a 6
mile march with full pack, during march we
were caught in a rain & snow storm, the roads are
in a very heavy state been very muddy & slippery
the weather remains terribly cold, return to
billets at 4pm

 

115
15/4/16 No review for us today. A Coy being detailed
for duty, detailed for inlying picquet, mounted full
marching order at 9am, & remain in billets for the
rest of the day, being ready for instant use if required
During afternoon we were marched down to the Divisional
baths where after enjoying a good bath we get a change of
shirt, socks, vest, & under pants, leaving our dirty ones
in exchange, feeling quite fresh & clean again 

16/4/16 Sunday Did not attend church parade, left in
charge of billets, during afternoon visited Bailleul with Sgt Tanner
we visited the cathedral & many churches, which are very old
spent some time visiting the oldest parts of the town
which are quite historical. Returned to billets at 8/30 pm 

17/4/16 Full Bn parade today for an inspection by General
Walker, it has been raining all the morning, and we were
wet through, the parade ground which was in a field
soon got very muddy, and to make matters worse, the General
did not turn up, which irritated the men vey considerably
and of course everybody gave full vent to their feelings. Before
the parade was dismissed it was announced by Major Mackay
who is now in command of the Bn, that we will march
to other billets 7 miles nearer to the line tomorrow, and
the day after would move even closer up, thus bringing
us right up in the foreward area, from there we will
go direct into the line. Parade this afternoon 1.30 with
full pack for a 5 mile route march, we have been getting
of late plenty of route marching, & now feel very fit, as we
may be called upon at any time to undertake a long
& forced march, at a moments notice. Returned to billets
at 4.30 

18/4/16 Revelle 6.30 am, everything packed up ready to moove

 

116
off by 9am, marched out of billets at 10am in a
downpour of rain, the roads are very muddy, which makes
the march very heavy going. We marched to Sailly which
brings us about 4 miles behind the front line, it is
vey cold and raining all day, the closer we get to the
firing line the more muddy becomes the roads, which
now are in a pretty bad state. We are billited in
an old flower mill just outside the village.
Although we are so close to the line there are very many
civilians including women & children still in the
village. We are told that this sector of the line is
exceptionally quiet, the township being very seldom
shelled. Spent the evening in the village, there is
nothing to do except to sit & drink in the estaments
all the evening, we are now well away from all
civilisation & comfort, which are only to be found
now in the back areas, we move further up tomorrow 

19/4/16 Revelle 3 am, move off at 3.30 & march 3 miles
nearer to the line, all our movements now must be
made under cover of darkness, as the roads now
are under direct observation from their captive
baloons. The roads now are terribly muddy and
full of shell holes, the farms & houses have been very
much knocked about by shell fire, many being in
complete ruin. Reached our new billets at Fleubaix
by 7.30. During the day I wandered round the village
which is vey much knocked about in places, parts
of it being an absolute wreck. This is the first town
we have seen so completely wrecked under a modern
bombardment all this is quite new to us, there were
no villages like this on Galipolli. Much to our
surprise there are still many civilians here
doing business amongst the troops, there are also

 

117
several estaminets, and many women about but very
few children. Parts of the village are out of bounds to
the civilians as it has been placed in a condition of
defence, with barbed wire 10 ft up the side of the
houses with the walls loopeholed ready for defence in
case of a break through by the Germans. The alarm
sounded at 8pm, we marched to our alarm post
in the rear of the firing line, which we are to hold
in case of an attack, We are all pretty tired after
our two days marching. slept well 

20/4/16 Roads much dryer today, the sun has been shining
for a few hours. Detailed today with 6 men for 24 hours
guard at "Winters Night Post" which is about 3/4 of a mile
along the Fleubaix Rd, we mount at 10 am tomorrow,
rest of today nothing to do 

21/4/16 Mounted guard at Winters Night Post at 10 am, everything
very quiet, some aeroplane activity all day, several shells
have fallen on the road near our billets & some damage
done by HE shells to billets near us, no one hurt. We are
now getting our first taste of German long distance
bombardment of billets etc, very quiet day on our front
Post visited by the Dr & Maj Mackay during the day. all
ammunition, bombs, & reserve of food etc found to be correct
on the post. Very miserable evening & night, raining all
the time making things very wet & muddy, no alarms
neither were we called out during the night to man
the post 

22/4/16 Roads very muddy owing to heavy rain that fell
all night. No parades during day. We were called out for
practice & marched to our alarm post at 8am, raining
all day, roads now in shocking condition. Paid 60F = £2.3.0

 

118
23/4/16 Sunday Quiet day on the whole, much aeroplane
activity over our lines, nothing special doing today 

24/4/16 Artillery bombardment during the day, with
much aeroplane activity. Called out at 9pm for a
digging fatigue, to drain some trenches at the rear
of our billets, which is a strong post to be used only
in case of need, or if the billet is shelled when
we will occupy them as shelter trenches untill
the bombardment is over, we work untill 2.30
the next morning. all outside work now must be
done under cover of darkness 

25/4/16 Anzac Day. Very quiet day. A slice of cake
was given to each man from Regimental Funds
as an extra ration to commemorate the day, this
caused much indignation & amusement amongst the
men. A bit of excitement this afternoon the billet
we are now occupying is only a thatched barn, the
roof of which caught fire from the cook house &
blazed up pretty freely. Organised an impromptu fire
brigade and quickly got fire under controll before it
got too strong a hold, as the roof was made of straw
things looked rather ugly for a time, if Fritz had
noticed the blaze he would most certainly have
dropped a few shells into it just for luck - everything
was OK in about 1/2 hour. In the evening all the old
boys with us who had landed at Anzac last year
met at A Coys Hdqrs & had a jolly time, total
casualties 60 bottles of champagne. Capt Brown
Sgt Tanner Cpl Goldwater. Pts J Mills. P Hogan.
G Williamson. Sgt Ramsey. CQMS. D Lewin &
myself were present also many other friends all very
happy & full at 9 pm

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Jacqueline KennedyJacqueline Kennedy
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