Handwritten transcript of diaries of Apcar Leslie De Vine, 1 January 1915 - 6 October 1918, Part 24 of 26

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24/4/18 In camp all day. Plenty of excitement during the
night. Three bombing raids were attempted on the camp
only damaging a few huts on the outskirts of the camp
causing a few casualties. After the raids a big gun
opened on us, securing several hits & causing more
casualties and a general scatter

25/4/18 Anzac Day Very quiet, absolutely nothing doing
no sports, not even a drink. everything by now being
drunk dry in the village

26/4/18 Bombardment opened on the camp at 3 am
not much damage done, woke the whole camp up
otherwise no inconvenience caused, everybody seemed to
be quite unconcerned so we turned over & went
to sleep again, despite the shelling, no casualties. Mounted
BO Sgt at 4 pm. Visited camp baths & got a change
of underclothes as well as a bath

27/4/18 B0 Sgt all day, dismounting 4 pm. Very quiet
day, a few shells; no bombing today

28/4/18 Sunday Very quiet day in camp, only a little
shelling just one now & again. We are under orders
to relieve the 12 Bn in the reserve lines in front
of Meteren. Left Barre Sidings at 7.30 pm reaching
our trenches at 10 pm, not much shelling as we were
relieving. Very heavy bombardment on our left
towards Kemmel, several farm buildings are
burning in front of us, including a whole village

29/4/18 Day opened with a bombardment of HE, not
much damage done. Bombardment on the left very
intense, we remain under cover in our trench
 

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all day. At night the platoon was detailed for the
building of dug outs etc for the Brigade behind the
line, night very dark but quiet

30/4/18 Very quiet day, hardly any shelling, day
opened very showery & wet, but later on cleared up
On digging fatigue at Brigade Hdqrs at midnight

1/5/18 On fatigue. Left Brigade Hdqrs for our trenches
at 3 am, arriving in time for breakfast at 3.30 am
rest of the day very quiet on our sector, on the left
they are bombarding very heavily

2/5/18 All the Coy on digging fatigue in front of our
reserve lines, very dark night, left for fatigue
12.30 am back by 3 am for breakfast, during fatigue
a few shells fell near us, but did no damage. A
very quiet day. Fatique again in evening left 8.15 pm
for digging & sandbag fatigue at Brigade Hdqrs

3/5/18 Returned from Brigade fatigue 12.30 am, rest
of day quiet. Warned that we are leaving for the
support line tonight. Left at 10.15 pm & relieved 
B Coy of the 3^rd Btn. Our B. C & D Coys are
in the line. This position is rather quiet if
you keep underground during daylight, which is
necessary as all this sector is under direct
observation. We are now directly in front of
Meteren

4/5/18 Fairly quiet day, at night all the platoon on
engineers carrying fatigue, carying barbed wire etc
to C Coys outpost, several shells fall near us while
returning at 3 am, this shelling caught a farm on fire
 

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just as our party was passing it, the light from
the fire caused us to be observed, and we were
compelled to take cover in a ditch full of water
untill the shelling ceased, as we were quite close
to the German outposts they warmed things up
for us by their constant machine gun fire, this
caused us man casualties in the party, was not
touched myself, only got wet through lying in the
ditch. later discovered we were only about 150 yds from
their outposts lying on the main road, across which
we were erecting barbed wire

5/5/18 Sunday Heavy shelling during the afternoon all
around us but nothing hit. Carrying party at night
to C Coys outpost. Very quiet night

6/5/18 Quiet day very little shelling. Detailed with 10
men for a wiring party in front of B Coys outpost
started wiring I am

7/5/18 Rained heavily during the early hours of the
morning, while wiring in part of B Coys post. arriving
back very wet at daybreak, continued to rain all
the morning, all shelters etc & clothes wet through
Heavy gun fire all day on our left. Bn Hdqrs which
is situated behind our trench shelled during the afternoon
scoring two direct hits, with several killed & wounded
Hope to be relieved by Thursday night

8/5/18 Wiring in front of the outposts across the
Meteren main road all night, returning just before day
light, hardly a shell fell near us all day. Out wiring
again tonight
 

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9/5/18 Returned to trench just before daybreak after
wiring all night, remainder of day exceptionally
quiet, it seems now that their advance has come
to an end & spent its force. Everything packed up &
ready to be relieved tonight

10/5/18 Relieved 12.30 am by the 15th Bn of the
3r Yorkshire Reg (The Leeds Palls) after the relief
we march via Croix Rouge to Caestre, where
we find motor busses waiting for us about ½ mile
outside the village. We were all given a drink
of cocoa by the Y.M.C.A. The busses dropped us at
Wallon Cappel from where we marched about 3 kilometres
to a camp of tents near Sercus, we slept in camp for
the rest of the day, during evening visited the village
All estaminets are now open untill 9 pm

11/5/18 Parade for inspection at 9.30 am, rest of the
day free

12/5/18 Sunday Brigade church parade at 10 am, during
the service it commenced to rain heavily, so we came
home early. rest of the day fine

13/5/18 Very wet all day, the camp is a huge mud
area. B0 Sgt. mounted with the guard, raining very
heavily all night

14/5/18 Sun shining today. Camp drying up, dismounted
B0 Sgt 4pm, very quiet day

15/5/18 Parade 9-12am, Sports in afternoon 2-4pm
sun shining all day, very hot, visited by aeroplanes at
night, several bombs were dropped in Sercus, fortunately
 

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nothing fell in the camp, we are only a short distance
from the village

16/5/18. Very warm day, in the morning Coy visited
the rifle range, during afternoon 1st Brigade sports
were held, lasting remainder of the day

17/5/18 A Brigade field day, during the morning
the Brigade carried out an attack, in the afternoon
we all visited the baths for a wash up & change

18/5/18 Parade today, battle order, with W O sheet
& blanket, marched off 9.30 am towards the line
arriving at billets at 12.30 just outside Hazebrouck
Very hot day on the march, we relieved the 11^th Bn

19/5/18 Sunday Very hot day today, inspection in
battle order 10 am, we are under orders to leave here
at 7.30 pm. Marched to Barre Railway Sidings being
billeted in some of the deserted cottages just outside
the village, at night a guide took us to our strong
post, which we ale to hold in case of an attack

20/5/18 Weather still hot, we are compelled to remain
under cover all day, being under direct observation
from baloons, at night we are used for fatigues. This
evening we are a working party for the engineers
at Strazeele railway siding, building a support line
The railing station & yard about here are very badly
bombed & constantly being shelled, the line being
badly torn up in several places. We had a quiet
time & were not interfeared with, returning to
our billets in the early hours of the morning
 

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21/5/18 Returned to billets from yesterdays fatigue
at 1am "stood too" 4-6 am & 8-10pm. the day
is again vey warm, we are now experiencing good
summer weather. At night on fatigue again to
Strazeele siding, at 11pm a heavy bombardment
commenced, several large shells fell on the railway
track, blowing up the rails in several places, there
were fortunately no casualties amongst our working
party, many gas shells were also thrown over

22/5/18 Returned to billets 1 am, hot day with a slight
breeze in the evening, there has been a heat wave
lately, the heat being quite exceptionall for this time
of the year. Fatigues as usuall tonight

23/5/18 Returned to billets 1 am, today has suddenly turned
very cold, with a high wind, fatigues at night digging
support trenches, while on the job 600 gas shells were
thrown over by our trench mortars

24/5/18 Very cold, rained all day, the weather now is
begining to break up, the ground is getting very heavy
now for walking over as all the fields around here are
plowed. Engineers fatigues tonight, the trenches are
very muddy

25/5/18 Morning very quiet, during the afternoon there was
a gas bombardment in which all the officers & many men
of B Coy were gassed, the gas did not reach us in A coy
Engineers fatigues at night, building dug-outs, a few gas
shells fell near us without doing any harm

26/5/18 Sunday Gas shells falling near us all the morning, &
at intervalls during the day, However we are on the
 

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 "Gas allert" and have no casualties. Engineers fatigues
building dugouts at night

27/5/18 Brilliant sun shine all day, the weather
now is clearing up. Relieved at 9.30 pm by a Coy of the
11 Bn & marched to trenches outside Barre, where
we are living in dugouts, the old camp at the
Railway Sidings being too dangerous having been hit
several times by bombs & shell fire causing many
casualties

28/5/18 Nothing doing today, sun shining all day, the
weather being much warmer now

29/5/18 Parade 9. 30 rifle inspection, dismissed 10 am, no
further parades for the rest of the day. The whole Coy
being on fatigue tonight, digging trenches etc behind
the front line, left for fatigue at 8.30 pm.

30/5/18 Returned from last nights fatigue at 3.30 am, no
fatigues or parades for the rest of the day, the weather
has considerably improoved, being very warm today

31/5/18 Parade to the Div Baths 8am returned later
in the morning. Coy on fatigue at night to the support line
left 8.30 pm returng 2.30 next morning

1/6/18 Very hot day, heavy bombardment on our left, two
dumps of 6" shells being blown up, otherwise quiet day

2/6/18 Sunday Day very hot. Fatigue at night left 8.30 pm
returned 2.30 am

3/6/18 Relieved at 12.30 am by a Cy of the 8^th Bn, we
 

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marched to Sercus about 12 kilometres, arriving in camp
at 12 Midday

4/6/18 barade to the Div baths in the morning for a bath
& a clean change, rest of the day free

5/6/18 Parade 9 am. Good bye speech given by the
Brigadier (Brigadier Gen Leslie) who is leaving us for
another Division. Our new Brigadier is our present
Colonel I G Mackay who takes over the Brigade from
today. Cheers were given for Brig Leslie before he
left. Afternoon parade 3 pm. Mounted Sgt of guard with
12 men at 4 pm

6/4/18 On guard all day, day very warm, an easy guard
dismounted 4pm, Warned that we are to leave for the
forward area tomorrow

7/6/18 Revelle 6 am packed up & left camp 8 am we
marched to the same trenches we occupied on the 3^rd
outside Barre, arriving 11am, mooving further up
tomorrow, we relieved A Coy of the 10^th Bn

8/6/18 Remained in our trenches all day, left for
front line at 9 pm where we relieved A Cy of the 5^th Bn
We now occupy a position on the R of Meteron which
we can see in a hollow on our L, the town being
now very much knocked about, this part of the
line is very quiet. Several gas shells fall during
the night

9/6/18 Sunday Very quiet day, late in the evening a
bombardment opened up for a time, but nothing developed
Two showers of rain during the day, which made the
 

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trench very slippery.  "Stand too"  8.30 pm

10/6/18 Day very quiet, only a few shells falling behind us
mostly on the roads, one shower of rain during the day
the night very quiet

11/6/18 A short bombardment opened up in the early
hours of the morning, but nothing developed. During
the afternoon our heavies are bombarding Bailleul, the
shells passing over our post. Day very sunny

12/6/18 Very quiet day, good deal of aerial activity
sun very warm. Relieved at night by B Coy, we now
have to spend 4 days in the support line, acting as
fatigue & carrying posties to the line. Arriving at our
trenches just outside Strazelle, where we find
absolutely no accomodation in the trench alloted to
us, so we had to set too & build ourselves shelters

13/6/18 We slept all day, on the floor of the trench, at
night in charge of 10 men on a carrying party to the
front line. returned 2 am next morning

14/6/18 Very cold & dull today, much aerial activity
all days. Detailed for a wiring party at night in front
of the outpost line. Heavy bombardment opened on the left
Fritz retaliated on our sector, compelling us to retire on the
the outpost for cover, as we expected a raid, nothing
however developed, returned to our trench 2.15am

15/6/18 Very quiet day. A big attack is expected tonight
everything ready & all standing too, nothing developed
false alarm, no fatigue tonight
 

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16/6/18 Sunday. We are not to be relieved today as a
by attack is expected, much aerial activity all day
one of our machines without any apparent reason blew to
pieces, falling a short distance from us. At night we
relieved a platoon of C Coy who are making a raid
returning to our trench at daybreak

17/6/18 Heavy bombardment on Meteren during the
afternoon with a heavy gas attack about 4 pm at
9 pm Fritz retaliated on our sector with a heavy
bombardment for about ¼ hour. Relieved at 11 pm
by B Coy of the 3^rd Bn, & marched to our trenches
between Croix Rouge & Couste Croix where we are
to stay for a few days. We are now much closer to
Meteren & just behind the position we dug in first;
when we came from the Somme

18/6/18 Remained under cover all day as we can be
easily observed from here. Meteren again bombarded
during the afternoon.  at night we dig dugouts untill dawn

19/6/18 Vey quiet day with much aerial activity. A
German observation baloon was brought down in
front of our post. At night same fatigue digging dugouts

20/6/18 Day started with a very heavy mist, the rest
of the day being very dull, the sun hardly shining
during the day. Veer cool wind blowing, steady
rain falling all night. Coy on engineers fatigues
making dugouts, we all get very muddy & wet

21/6/18 Vey dull day, rain threatening all day, in
evening we complete one dugouts & occupy them