Handwritten transcript of diaries of Apcar Leslie De Vine, 1 January 1915 - 6 October 1918, Part 19 of 26

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25/4/17 Anzac day Memorial service in the morning 
sports in the afternoon, with a concert & supper in the 
evening.  Supper not over untill 2am next morning, had 
a very merry time, all the officers being invited to the 
Sgts mess 
  
26/4/17 Easy day nothing to do, have not recovered from 
the effects of yesterday yet 
  
27/4/17 Nothing doing all day, we are having a very lazy  
life.  Paid £4 
  
28/4/17 Easy day again nothing to do 
  
29/4/17 Sunday To 14/5/17 In camp, easy times, nothing 
to do, attended no parades, am feeling full up with this 
camp life, paraded before the doctor yesterday; to be marked 
fit in order to volenteer for France leaving with the next 
draft.  Dr gave me a good overhaul & was marked fit 
then paraded before the CO & volenteered for France 
being accepted, and granted 3 days leave before embarkation 
  
14/5/17 To 17/5/17 Three days embarkation leave to 
Bristol.  Drew £9 leave money 
  
17/5/17 Returned to camp, late at night from leave 
  
18/5/17 Last day in this camp.  Am to be transfered to  
No1 Platoon tomorrow, for draft to No 4 Camp, from  
where all drafts leave for France 
  
19/5/17  Transfered to No 4 Camp for draft to France 
  
20/5/17 Sunday In camp all day, warned for inlying

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picquet at night 
  
21/5/17 Relieved of picquet duties this morning 
  
22/5/17 In camp all day, nothing doing, camp life is now 
getting very weary 
  
23/5/17 Warned for draft leaving for France in a day or  
two, equipment etc issued 
  
24/5/17 to 26/5/17 Waiting for draft to leave, we are  
definately leaving tomorrow, everything packed up and 
ready for inspection 
  
27/5/17 Sunday Draft left camp at 11.30am, 
raining very hard, the Depot band playing us to the  
station at Tidworth, left about 12 midday for Southampton 
arriving there about 2.30pm.  We hung around the 
canteens and the goods sheds in the station yard 
untill 4.15pm when we "Fell in" and embarked  
on the "France" with a draft of REs and a Bn  
of the London Regiment, left the Port at sundown 
and anchored outside the forts until darkness  
when we left for Le Havre, arriving there at 
daybreak, the boat was very much overcrowded 
  
28/5/17 Arrived at Le Havre at daybreak and  
disembarked at 8am, marched through the docks 
to the 1st ADBD Camp at Harfleur.  about 3½ miles 
outside the town.  It has rained all day making  
the camp very muddy 
  
29/5/17 Issued with rifle etc also box respirator 
had another medical inspection.  Leave granted to

181 
Le Havre during the evening 
  
30/5/17 Route march during  morning to Mentivillers no 
parades this afternoon 
  
31/5/17 All drafts have to pass through the local "Bull 
ring" a training ground before rejoining their Bn's. 
This is our first day, was detailed to conduct a draft 
easy day, did not carry a pack today 
  
1/6/17 "Bull ring" during the morning.  Relief of trenches 
all night 
  
2/6/17 Left "Bull ring" at 11am after being in the  
trenches all night.  Visited Le Havre in the afternoon 
returned to camp at 10pm 
  
3/6/17 Sunday Nothing doing all day.  Band played 
in the Camp square, many French visitors in  
camp during the afternoon, warm day, sun shining 
all day 
  
4/6/17 No "Bull ring" today, bathing parade instead,  
all tents were struck in the camp during the day 
in order to take advantage of the warm sun, & 
give the ground a good airing.  Camp generaly cleaned 
up, brilliant sunshine all day, we are getting lovely 
summer weather now 
  
5/6/17 Bull ring all day 
  
6/6/17 Bull ring all day 
  
7/6/17 Bull ring all day

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8/6/17 Detailed with 6 men to mount guard 
at the Supply Depot of the "Bull ring", very  
easy day, mounted at 7.30am 
  
9/6/17 Dismounted guard this morning, nothing 
else doing all day, weather much warmer 
  
10/6/17 Sunday  Attended no parades today.  1st Div  
Band played in the Public Gardens in the centre 
of the town during the afternoon.  In town all  
afternoon returned to camp at 10pm 
  
11/6/17 Paraded for the rifle range this morning 
we are now available as a draft, having completed 
our 10 days intensive training at the "Bull ring" 
Warned to be ready to leave in a few days time 
  
12/6/17 No parades today, medical inspection, also 
full inspection of all Kit & equipment, we  
are leaving tomorrow for the Bn 
  
13/6/17 Short route march during the morning 
to Montivilliers, draft "fell in" at 5.30pm and  
marched to Le Havre Docks and entrained at 10pm 
train left at 2am the next morning 
  
14/6/17 Train left Le Havre at 2am arriving at Rouen 
at 8am, marched to the rest camp, where we spent 
the rest of the day.  Left rest camp at 9pm, entrained 
at 10pm leaving at Midnight for Albert (Somme) 
  
15/6/17 Arrived Amiens 9am & Albert 10.30am 
The town has completely changed in appearance, since 
the last time I saw it, it is now very clean and 

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most of the ruins & wreckage that were blocking 
the streets have been cleared away leaving plenty of 
room for traffic.  Many civilians have returned as the 
town is now out of shell fire range, setting up their 
small grocers shops & estaminets.  There are many 
YMCA & Divisional canteens scattered about & the 
whole town has a smart business appearance.  There 
are many thousand troops billited round about 
as they are now well behind the line.  The 
Madonna on the church tower is still in its old 
position leaning over the pathway.  We marched 
through the town to the rest camp.  Left the 
camp at 11.30am for Buire where I found the 
Bn resting, glad to be back again with the boys 
  
16/6/17 Parade 9am, no parade during afternoon.  We 
all had a swim in the Ancre River which flows 
past the village 
  
17/6/17 Sunday Church parade 9am, nothing doing all 
day.  Very warm day.  another afternoons swim in the Ancre 
  
18/6/17 Parade during the morning & afternoon, swimming  
after parades.  Very hot day 
  
19/6/17 Very dull with heavy thunder storms all day 
Route march during the morning only 
  
20/6/17 Hours of parades altered 6-9am & 4-6pm  Very 
dull & thundery all day, much cooler 
  
21/6/17 Route march to a rifle range, fired well today 
finishing early, rained during the morning

184 
22/6/17 Revelle 1am, marched out at 1.30 for a silent 
night march, rifle range untill 9.30.  Warned for  
guard in evening, mounted at 6pm 
  
23/6/17 On guard all day, relieved 6pm 
  
24/6/17 Sunday Spent the day in Amiens returning 
to billet at 9pm, very warm day 
  
25/6/17 Did not attend any parades today, warned 
as witness at Orderly Room for Pte Brown's B Coy 
F.G.C.M. as  NCO in charge of the guard on the 23^rd 
  
26/6/17 All day in Amiens returned to billets 9.30 
  
27/6/17 Three hours parade in morning, battle order 
scrutiny, drill etc.  Parade in afternoon full marching 
order for short route march about 1 hour, warned  
that we are leaving here tomorrow 
  
28/6/17 Left Buire & marched to Mailly - Maillet 
arriving at 10am.  Camped at "Notts Camp" just 
outside the village, rest of the day nothing doing 
The Brigade is here for about 10 days hard training 
  
29/6/17 Training in Coy attacks & Bn drill, going 
hard all day, very tired, very warm day 
  
30/6/17 Brigade review by Generals Birdwood,  
Walker, & staff.  Mr Holman. Premier of NSW also 
present who made us a speech, consisting of the usual 
official "bluff" & "kid stakes". 
  
1/7/17 Sunday  Church parade during the morning, 

185 
nothing else doing for the day, very windy & wet 
raining nearly all day.  Heavy bombardment going on 
all day, towards the line. 
  
2/7/17  Attended FGCM. of Pte Brown B Coy during 
the morning - parade this afternoon on outpost duties 
  
3/7/17 Brigade day today.  Revelle 4am, parade  
at 6am.  Brigade practised advance tactics in 
open order fighting, capturing several objectives and 
villages, returned to camp late in the afternoon after 
a long & heavy day, very warm day 
  
4/7/17 Short parade in morning.  Brigade night 
manouvres tonight.  I was sent on in advance to 
find the Bn assembly trench also Coy & platoon 
sectors late in the evening & waited for the Bn 
all night.  The trench which has been located 
to us, is one of the old front line trenches and is 
still littered with old bombs, rifles, amunition etc. 
The dugouts & many shell holes near by are still 
full of the dead defenders, these have been lying about 
now for over 12 months, it apparently is no ones job to 
even cover them up.  The whole country despite its 
much battered appearance, shell holes, barbed wire 
etc is thickly overgrown with weeds, long grass & 
wild flowers although the surface has been terribly 
knocked about by HE Shells, thus effectively covering up 
the dead men who are lying about in all directions 
The firing line has now been pushed up several miles 
leaving all this debris behind over which the grass 
is now growing abundantly 
  
5/7/17  The Bn marched up at 3am, and took

186 
up their position on the Brigade front.  The 
advance commenced at 5am, objective gained at 
7am, returned to camp at 9.30am, no other 
parades rest of the day.  We are leaving tomorrow 
  
6/7/17 Bn marched back to their old billets 
in Buire during the morning, no parades rest of the day 
  
7/7/17 Parade for 3 hours in the morning, nothing else 
during the day.  Visited the Div baths in afternoon 
where we got a good hot bath & a complete change 
of clothes in exchange for our dirty ones 
  
8/7/17 Sunday Rained heavily all day, no church 
parade, warned for ROC mounting with guard 
in the evening. 
  
9/7/17 ROC all day, easy day, rained heavily all 
the morning 
  
10/7/17 Bn parade in morning to the rifle range,  
afternoon parade 2-4pm.  Afterwards Bn attended 
a demonstration in the use of liquid fire 
  
11/7/17 Parade only in the morning, ceremonial drill 
in afternoon Bn sports & games 
  
12/7/17 Reviewed by King George.  The 1st Div lined 
the Albert-Amiens Rd, along which the King 
passed with Gen Birdwood & his staff.  The men 
were in a very bad temper as we have been waiting 
since early morning, the King not passing untill  
midday, he received no reception, the men were 
quite silent as a protest for their long wait for no

187 
apparent purpose.  Returned to camp 1pm, we are 
leaving here tomorrow 
  
13/7/17 Left Buire 7.30am arriving at Bray by 
midday, no parades rest of day 
  
14/7/17 Parade in morning, practiced outpost work 
Swimming parade in the Somme at Bray during the 
afternoon, very hot day, heavy thunderstorm at night 
  
15/7/17 Sunday Church parade during morning, easy day 
  
16/7/17 Parades in morning & afternoon.  Coy in attack 
and outpost duties 
  
17/7/17 Rained heavily during morning, parades as usuall 
on outpost duties 
  
18/7/17 Heavy rain during the morning.  Bn marched 
to the rifle range, put up a good score 
  
19/7/17 Parade full marching order for long route 
march returned 3.30pm 
  
20/7/17 Morning parade, drill, no parade for the men in  
the afternoon, all Officers & Sgts under orders to 
reconoitre the ground for the Divisional "Stunt" 
on Monday when the Div is to have a field day 
  
21/7/17 Parade today full marching order.  5 miles 
route march in the afternoon, rained heavily during the  
march 
  
22/7/17 Sunday  Church parade in morning.  hot day

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23/7/17 Brg divisional field day, finished by 2pm after 
which we enjoyed a swim in the Somme, a very hot 
day, we are leaving here tomorrow, everything is packed 
up ready tonight 
  
24/7/17 Left Bray for Buire-sur-Somme arriving at 
11am.  In the afternoon swimming parade, mounted guard 
at 5.45 this evening 
  
25/7/17 Bn Qr Guard all day, we are under orders to 
leave here any day for the N of France or a Belgian sector 
  
26/7/17 Full Bn parade with packs & blankets 
ready for a moove, nothing doing rest of the day, we 
will be leaving early tomorrow morning 
  
27/7/71  Revelle 4am.  Bn "fell in" ready to moove 
off at 6am, we are definitely leaving for the north 
We entrain at Edgehill siding, between Albert & Buire,  
in the train all day, detrained at Bavinchove near 
Cassel & marched to billets at Zuytpeene arriving 
at 9pm after a long weary day of travelling 
  
28/7/17 No parades today, days rest for all 
  
29/7/17 Sunday Church parade at Bn Hdqrs.  A heay 
thunderstorm started half way through the service 
cutting things short.  we just got away when it started 
everybody wet through.  Visited Cassel during day 
spending the afternoon in the old town returning to billets 
late at night 
  
30/7/17 Marched 6 miles, full marching order.  Afternoon  
parade in billets