Handwritten transcript of diaries of Apcar Leslie De Vine, 1 January 1915 - 6 October 1918, Part 25 of 26
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22/6/18 Very dull day, with aerial activity, we now
occupy a position more directly in front of Meteren. Gas
bombardment on our front. digging trenches all night
23/6/18 Sunday Very bright day, sun shining all day
Relieved by D Coy who are here to support the 2nd Bn who
are advancing 500 yards tonight. Attached to the
2nd & 3rd are some American NCOs who are in
the front area for the first time. getting a little
outpost experience. Advance takes place at 12.30
24/6/18 After being relieved we arrived at our trenches
outside Borre midway to Pradelles. Raining in the
morning making the trench very muddy, later the sun
shone drying things up a bit. Fatigue at night
wiring in front of the support line. Left at 9pm
25/6/18 Bright sunshine today. Orders to move by
3pm further to the right across the Borre Pradelles
Rd, we are taking over B Coys position. dig dugouts
all night as there is no accomodation for us
26/6/18 Quiet day, only light artillery fire. much aerial
activity all day. Fatigue at night to the support
line, digging & widening trench
27/6/18 Bright sunshine all day. Bombing aeroplanes
visited us at 3am dropping a few bombs behind us
searching for the gun positions, no damage done, we
are relieved at 6pm by the 5th Bn. & marched to a
new camp in the farm between Hazebrouck &
Hondeghem arriving just before dark.
28/6/18 Parade 9.30am. Sports in afternoon 2.30. A Coy
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playing B Coy at football. A Coy won 10-5
29/6/18 Parades 9.30 & 2pm. Visited Hazebrouck in
the evening, the town has been under a good deal
of gunfire & being continually subjected to air raids
at night, it is now completely evacuated, only a few
civilians being left in the suburbs, the town
being very much damaged, especially around the
railway station
30/6/18 Sunday Bn Church parade at 9.30, at 2pm the
Coy paraded to the 1st Div baths where we get a good
bath & a complete change of underclothing. Visited
Hondeghem in the evening, this village has been
bombarded a good deal, a few shells falling there
during the afternoon, there are still several
civilians left including many woman & children
1/7/18 Very warm day, sun very hot. B O Sgt.
mounted with guard at 3.30pm
2/7/18 B O Sgt all day, dismounted 4pm
3/7/18 Parade 9-12am Bn sports in afternoon
with a concert in the evening & prize distribution
by Maj LLoyd
4/7/18 Parade 9-12am. No parade in afternoon
leaving tomorrow for the line, to relieve the
3rd Brigade
5/7/18 Short parade in morning, all packs dumped
at the 1st Bn transport, warned for the line at 8pm
fell in 7.30 & marched through Borre & Pradelles to
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the line. A & C Coys going right on to the outposts
We relieved A Coy of the 10th Bn. Our position is on
the left of Strazeele being further to the R of our
last outpost. Relief carried out safely, just as
the relief was complete, heavy shelling broke out
causing few casualties, intermittant shelling throughout
the night. This post appears to be a very lively one
6/7/18 Day fairly quiet, with some shelling around
the post. During the evening we got some heavy shelling
We have two American NCOs on post with us, who
are in a forward area for the first time, they
are getting practical instruction on night patrol
work etc & are watching the proceedings, with
the idea of instructing their own men later
7/7/18 Sunday Heavy shelling behind the post all
day, started at day break, no casualties to us. A
patrol left our lines at night & captured a machine
gun, so we have decided to raid the post in the
morning
8/7/18 Machine gun post raided 9am, two prisoners
taken 1 Sgt & 1 private. Rest of the day quiet, we
expect to be relieved tomorrow. Rained heavily
during the night, making the trench very sticky
& muddy, it cleared up in the early hours
of the morning
9/7/18 The day very quiet. At 11pm a heavy shelling
opened. C Coy advanced & captured 3 or 4
posts & so strengthened our position & straightened
out the line a little, meanwhile Fritz opened
a heavy counter bombardment on us, hundreds
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of shells falling near us, and not one hitting the post
During their bombardment a Fritz lost in "No mans
land" stumbled into our post and surrendered. All
trenches were taken by C Coy except one post.
Relieved at 1am the next morning by D Coy.
10/7/18 Relieved 1 am & moved into supports in
front of Strazeele. Fatigues at night as a carrying
party to D & C Coys. Rained heavy all night
11/7/18 Several showers of rain during the day, trench
very muddle and sticky. The 1st Brigade did very well
today, the 1st & 4th Bns taking nearly 200 prisoners &
raided their outposts several times in daylight
the occupants often offering no resistance, easily
surrendering to Coys, most of them being the 9th
Bavarians who are holding the front opposite to
us, they are composed of young boys & old men &
have no the slightest intention of fighting being
only too glad of the opportunity to surrender
12/7/18 Several showers of rain, the trench has now
become very muddy, we were relieved at 11pm by
the 2nd Bn & marched to billets by the railway line
on the other side of Borre.
13/7/18 After being allotted to our billets early this
morning, the Bn slept untill 12 noon. In the
afternoon parade to the Y.M.C.A. Baths at Borre
rest of the day off
14/7/18 Sunday Fatigues at Brigade all the
morning 7.30-12, rest of the day off
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15/7/18 Fatigues at Brigade advance dressing station at
Borre brewery. We are relieved at 3pm from our reserve
position by a Bn of the K.O.S.Bs and marched back
to our old camp near Hazebrouck
16/7/18 A very heavy thunderstorm broke at daybreak
with vivid lightening & heavy thunder, the camp being
swamped. Parade in morning 10.30 for half an hour only
Cricket & football in the afternoon, sports forming now
a part of our physical exercise. Detailed C O Sgt
17/7/18 Parades as usual C O Sgt
18/7/18 " " " "
19/7/18 " " " "
20/7/18 " " " "
21/7/18 Sunday Church parade 10.30. Parade 1.30 to
the Div Baths for a complete change etc, very sunny day
22/7/18 Parades as usual. C O Sgt. During the
night the camp was shelled about 8 large shells falling
falling just outside the tents, we must have been under
observation during the day. fortunately there were no
casualties as we took to the shelter trenches provided
for this emergency.
23/7/18 Usual parades. Camp shelled again during the
night, 4 fell this time in the camp fortunately without
damage or casualties, ordered into shelter trenches as
a precaution. About 6 or 8 shells were fired
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24/7/18 Parades as usual. No shelling tonight
25/7/18 " " " "
26/7/18 No parades today, raining heavily all day the
camp is very muddy
27/7/18 No parades, raining continually all day & night
the camp is now in a very muddy state.
28/7/18 Sunday Church Parade. Plenty of sunshine today
camp drying up. Warned today to proceed to the
2nd Army School of Musketry at Lumbres tomorrow
29/7/18 Left the Bn at 11am. Caught a G S Wagon
to Eblinghem where I received a new outfit from
the D.A.D.O.S. Later met the officer in charge of the
school party at Wardricques. Left at 6.30pm arriving
at Lumbres about 9pm & marched up to the school.
30/7/18 Started the school routine Parades 8.30-
12.45 & 2-4pm
31/7/18 Settling down to the school routine, all
parades are the same each day, no variation in
anything. School ends 18/8/18
18/8/18 Sunday Left 2nd Army Musketry School at
Lumbres by motor lorry which took us to Eblingheim
to the 15th Corps reception camp, remaining there all
day, leaving tomorrow
19/8/18 Left Eblingheim for Longpreē at 8.30am, where we
remained for the night in a shed on the railway
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platform no billets being provided.
20/8/18 Left Longpreē 8.30am & detrained at Pernois
where we found the 1st Div Wing Reception camp
21/8/18 Left Pernois 6.45am & marched to Vignicourt
where we entrained on a narrow gague military
railway. Detrained at Daours where I managed
to jump a lorry & joined up with the nucleous
Bn at Corbie. Corbie is vy much knocked about
& totally deserted by the civilian population.
22/8/18 Very warm today. I have to remain here
until the Bn is relieved from the line, or until
I am sent for. The town was shelled during the
night.
23/8/18 The weather has now grown very hot. We
were shelled again during the night by a very heavy
gun that is searching for one of our heavies on
the railway line
24/8/18 Very hot again today. Town heavily bombarded
during the night. No casualties to our camp
25/8/18 Sunday Still very warm all day, plenty
of swimming in the Somme. Several large convoys
of prisoners have passed through the town, during
the last three days. A very large convoy passed
through today. Very good news re our new advance
has reached us, several miles have been advanced &
many thousands prisoners taken. good progress is still
maintained.
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26/8/18 Under orders to join the Bn today. Fall
in at 11am & marched through Cerisy to Merecourt
where we found the Bn who are camped in a field
just outside the village which has been very much
knocked about, and only lately retaken from the
Germans
27/8/18 In the village all day, everything very
quiet, nothing doing
28/8/18 Very warm day. Changed our camp to a
paddock the opposite side of the village near a large
lake. Mounted BOS. 4pm
29/8/18 BO Sgt all day, very quiet, nothing doing
30/8/18 Two parades today 9.30-11.30 & 2-3 pm
31/8/18 " " " "
1/9/18 Sunday Morning church parade. During the
afternoon visited Prozart to see the 15th gun
captured by the 4th Bn 1st Brigade a few days ago
during the last advance. Before capture it had
been burst near the breach snapping in halves.
The gun had been very cleverly concealed being
dug into the earth & camouflaged in a small
wood, being completely hidden from the air, this
gun has been bombarding Amiens & is the largest
field gun taken by the A.I.F . We passed over
the old battle front, the firing line being now several
miles to the front of us. A big shell dump is still
burning with many railway carriages, smashed tanks
aeroplanes & transports etc this railway siding has
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been one of their advance depots for artillary &
engineering stores, now the whole of the immense
stock is a mess of flames or is slowly burning itself
out, the fire having started many days ago.
Returned to camp 6pm
2/9/18 Two parades today 9.30-11.30 & 2-3pm map reading
3/9/18 " " " "
4/9/18 " " swimming parade 2pm
5/9/18 Swimming parade 2pm very hot day, the
swimming in the Somme is vy enjoyable. Leaving tomorrow
6/9/18 Under orders to leave here today. Fell in full
marching order at 12 midday. Marched to Morecourt
where motor busses were waiting for us which took
us through Broz and Sousanne to Clēry where they
dropped us about 2 kilometres outside the village, we
then marched 6 kilometres to Ceronne where we occupied
billets in a brick kiln on the L side of the town which
had been only a few days ago in German hands. We
are now very close to the firing line, the country
here being lovely and green & full of vegetation so different
to the shell torn areas from which we have come
The village of Quinconce where we are billeted overlooks
the town of Peronne which has been vy much knocked
about the town has been taken & retaken 3 or 4
times during the war & bombarded each time
7/9/18 The whole of A Coy detailed as a burial party
to bury the men of the 14 Brigade 5th Division many of
whom are still lying about as they fell having been
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caught in a trap & fired on from all sides. We found
many of the 56 Bn including many of our original men
who joined the 56th, when they were formed at
Tel-el-Kebir in 1916. We buried them all in one large grave
in the county cemetery by the side of our billets.
During the afternoon the Coy were detailed for salvaging
& recovered many guns, bombs, etc & much amunition.
Detailed as Coy O Sgt, We are under orders to
move off again tomorrow nearer to the line. as
rapid progress is now being made we hope to be
at the Hindenburg Line before the end of the
month. This is the strong line of defence to which
the whole of the German Army is now concentrating
itself. The line is now several miles in front of
Peronne & is mooving up very rapidly, nearly as fast as
we can march towards it.
8/9/18 Sunday Left Quinconce 10.30am &
marched through the town of Peronne, which is
now absolutely in ruins without even a single
civilian. Many of the ruins are still burning as the
town was only captured a few days ago. This town
has been subjected to 4 different bombardments having
been captured 4 seperate times, each bombardment causing
more destruction to be added to the previous one, now
there is nothing left except heaps of ruins & smoking
debris. During the march, it rained very heavily
thus laying the dust which is very thick & causing
clouds to rise while on the march. It rained all
day, giving us a good wetting through. We camped
at night outside the village & to the L of Courcelles in
a position lately evacuated by the Germans, which they
burnt before evacuating , his old huts were still
hot & smoldering when we arrived, everything that
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