Diary of Geoffrey Arthur Nevett Mitchell, 1916-1917 - Part 1
ARMY BOOK 136.
Books.
136
41
Diagram - see original document
29.12.16. Transferred from No 2 Wing to
No 4 Wing. Left 2nd Army 10 A.M. Arrived
Bethune (1st Wing H:Q.) 12.15 PM. Left 3 P.M.
Arrived St. Pol. 6.40 2 punctures. Stayed
night. Arrived 13 Coy 2 PM
30.12.16 Left St. Pol 8 A M. Arrived 13th Coy
2 P.M. Carburetta trouble. Reported
Wing H.Q. Stayed for dinner.
Played bridge & won 10 francs. Left Wing
11 PM & went on to 14 Coy. with Faithful.
31st12.16 Dud weather, windy. Was shown
round camp, orderly room, chart room
stores, telephone exchange etc. Concert in
evening. Very amusing. Auld Lang Syne
etc. & bed.
1.1.17 Dud weather, windy. Went to Amiens
in afternoon, had dinner with
Faithful & Lovell at Café Gobert & came
home to No 13 @ Montaban.
Trod in a shell hole & went over my
knee in mud.
2nd 1.16 Dud weather, windy.
Looked round new Company.
Things are not running as smoothly as
could be wished @ present. Stores very good.
Balloon positions rotten & in open. Very
muddy. Visited by Col Boyle & Gen.
seemed quite satisfied. They suggested
cutting away bank of road to make
Balloon bed also using road for
winch.
[*dud*]
3rd.1.16 Visited Corps H.Q. Saw staff
Major R.A. but missed Gen. Went to
Q & saw Col Gibbs about material for
wind screnes he referred me to Chief
Engineer. Saw C.E. Major Colet who
seemed rather a hard nut. Finally
was promised 14 ground sheets & 18
uprights to come by rail. Signals
not in & A P.M. not in. Major Bon
Col Boyle called while I was
away. 11.30 P.M. Message came
[*dud*]
through from forward Exchange (No 3) that
No 4 had been blown in & 3 men imprisoned.
Knight & Russell & I with party proceed
there forwith & commenced work.
4.1.17 Worked till 5.30 AM & found
all 3 bodies. As all were dead did
not entirely uncover them but
returned to camp. Working party
went up @ 10 AM under Orchard &
commenced digging again. Raining.
Stooke is still in hole so will have to be
buried there. Weather improved slightly
towards evening.
[*dud*]
5.1.17. Balloons up 10 AM. View fair. Will
have to move men from Forward Exchanges
as area is continually shelled.
4 shoots done.
[*fair*]
6.1.17. No 3 Winch out of action for
2 hours owing to defect in
breaks. Had to put No 4 up
to make weather Report.
Winch Servicable.
[*dud*]
7.1.17 Have received tarpaulins &
rails are on way. Unloading
135 tubes & sending away
95 empty. Balloon up 15
make report. Weather dud.
Col Boyle visited us in afternoon.
[*Rain*]
8.1.17 Very windy. Unloading rails
& loading 95 empty tubes.
One tender broken down.
Forward exchanges amalgamated
Cold & Windy
[*Cold & Windy*]
9.1.17 It has been proposed that 3
move to 14 & 14 goes out. Went
to 14 in morning after visiting
Wing H.Q. Chose new bed
in side of bank. Will probably
be shelled out as soon as we
go in. Collecting iron rails
& tarpaulins for screen.
Very cold & windy
[*Cold & Nice day
Misty*]
10.1.17 Went to 14 to settle about
bed. Got blocked in traffic
for 1 hour. Mud on roads
a foot deep in places.
[*Misty*]
Col Boyle called 12.30 &
discussed possibility of making
screen secure. We may not
move 3 now. Shall find out
for certain this evening. Unloading
Wood. Cement, sand & tarred felt.
Dont know who wood is for but it
has come to us anyway.
Col Bynge & Waller called on
way to No 14. Pleased to see
them.
[*Cold & misty
wind 20 to 30 mph*]
11.1.17 Visited 14th H.A.G. No word
about No. 3 moving yet.
Got shelled 4.20 AM. No damage.
Russell got stone through his hut.
Just missed his head.
[*Snow and
mist. dud.*]
12.1.17 Put Balloon up to test wind.
Pulled it down again. 30 men went
to rest camps. 30 came back
Stammers came along this morning.
Got slightly shelled during
night. No damage.
[*Rain &
Wind.
Dud*]
13.1.17
Need to go to Corps but roads
were blocked. Met Schrader
from Xavier College. xx
Working on Huts, Balloon screen
& Guard Hut.
[*Misty
Rain & Wind.
Cold.
Misty*]
14.1.17 Went to Corps H.Q. Visited R.A.
& A.P.M. HA & Counter Battery H.Q.
Col. Prichard was out. Visited Wing &
had a yarn with Stammers about
posish of R.O. Building repair shed.
Guard Hut for 3 & shelves in mens huts.
Cook House. Washing shed. & felt
roofings mens huts @ 4 also
putting in compartments for NCO's @ 4
Working on Balloon screen.
[*Frost in
morning. Mist
& snow later
cold
Misty*]
15.1.17 Working same as yesterday. Men
returned from Rest Camp as 30 men
go on leave this week. Typewriter
returned A.P.s @ Depôt Havre. Mitchell. J.
went on leave. Buchanan won Nissen
Hut & 50 duck boards. J Chap from
2AD round with Cushion about gas
tubes. Seemed surprised at state of
country. Arranged to play football
[*Frost, misty
& very
cold.
Misty*]
16.1.17.
Football off owing to hard ground
frost. Work as usual.
[*Misty*]
17.1.17 Transport inspected by officer from
G.H.Q. Satisfactory. Working on seven
huts etc. Guard Hut finished.
Repair shed finished. USS
wagons left. 2 more at
[*Snow. Very
cold.
Misty*]
18.1.17 Work as usual. Nothing
exciting. Another tender
running. 4 G.S. Wagons left.
2 more attached from Cow Cav.
Corps. Col Boyle went on leave.
[*Snow.
Misty*]
19.1.17 Working on Balloon Screen
Cookhouse for 3 etc.
[*Hard
Frost. Misty*]
20.1.17. Went to Amiens with Buchanan
Col Batsan & Wallers. 1st sheet
of Balloon screen put up.
[*Hard frost
very cold
Misty*]
21.1.17. Visited HA & Counter Batty
also 14 HAG. Made arrangements
for officers to go & stay with
Batteries. Visited Wing. No
one in.
[*Hard Frost
very cold
Misty*]
22.1.17 Rowlette gone on leave. Knight to
Amiens. 5 Lorries to help 16 to
move. Riches to 185 SB for a
few days. Unloading tubes.
[*Sho
Snowing &
not so cold*]
23.1.17 Balloons frozen to beds. No 3
badly damaged by shell fire.
Major Faithful came round.
No 14's Balloon blew away. Simpson
landed safely in Parachute. Rudders
blew out owing to frost. Dined @ 14 H.A.G.
Many hun aeroplanes over.
[*Misty in
morning
clearer later
20o of frost*]
24.1.17 Balloon frozen to bed. Wing
says not to go up. Expecting
Gen. Trenchard who didnt come
Sent Balloon F.M.12 back. loaded
96 empties. Not feeling very well.
[*20o of frost
clear in
afternoon*]
25.1.17. Started on new Balloon.
Blew her up with air & mended
several holes. Deflated & started to fill
with gas 40 tubes in before dark.
Gen Trenchard came round to
inspect. Seemed satisfied.
[*Hard frost
very cold*]
26.1.17 Finished inflating Balloon 172 tubes
used. No 4 went up for about an hour
but visibility was bad.
[*Frost*]
27.1.17 Still freezing hard & Balloons stuck
to beds. Riches cameback from 195 S.B.
& Hadley went up. Bond returned from
Hospital
[*Frost &
strong
wind*]
28.1.17 Orchard went off to Wing Rest camp.
Remarks by Gen Trenchard sent
round Companies. He can't be
well. I xxxxxx think. Had dinner
@ wing.
[*Strong
wind. Still
freezing*]
29.1.17
[*Knight sprained ankle.*]
Hadley came back from 195 S.B
as they moved out. Col Boyle
came back from leave. No. 3 4
were up for 2 hours no views.
[*Less Wind
still freezing*]
30.1.17 Put No.3 up to try balloon.
No view. Visited x 3rd Sqdn
R.F.C. & Wing in afternoon.
Talk of moving No 4 as balloons
are too close together @ pres.
Concert in evening.
31.1.17 Bad loss of gas in. No 3 owing
to defect in valve. Must get
new valve. Put in 30 tubes
Col. Boyle came round
seemed satisfied with camp.
No 3 up for 5 hours. No view.
1.2.17. Looked for new position
Visited 3rd Sqdn. HA &
Counter Batteries. Changed valve
in morning (No 3) & tested in
afternoon.
[*View fair
in morning*]
2.2.17 Visited Counter Batteries & lunched
with them. Went to Albert & met
Jim Kininmonth. Dined with No 15
Mitchell came back from leave.
[*No view
cold*]
3.2.17. Col Boyle came round & talked
about night work. Visited 153 HB
& forward exchange. Tried 2
telephones from Balloon. Unsuccessful.
[*Cold
&
dud*]
4.2.17 Nothing of importance
[*Frost
& dull*]
5.2.17 Went to Amiens in afternoon with Haslam
Very cold driving. Met Milton & Waller.
Bomb dropped 50 yds in front of car
coming through Amiens.
[*Clear frosty
very windy*]
6.2.17 Lots of Hun planes over. Overnight
about tube dump @ Quarry. Loaded
45 empties Concert in evening 9
men returned from leave. Had a very
bad time @ Harve rest camp & were all
very glad to get back.
[*Windy
frost.*]
7.2.17 More Hun planes over. Nearly all our
Heavies & S.B's have gone out. Arranged
about new dump @ Quarry & loaded 115
empties. Concert in evening. Rowlette
came back from leave. Received chit
about doing night work. damn.
[*Cold &
windy*]
8.2.17 Balloon (3) up in morning. Wind 50MPH
@ 1000. Attended C B Conference in
afternoon & saw Col. Prichard about night
work.
[*Frost very
cold & windy*]
9.2.17 Nothing doing.
[*Frost*]
10.2.17 Nothing doing.
11.2.17 Visited Counter Batteries &
Corps HA.
[*Misty*]
12.2.17 Attended Coy Commanders.
Conference @ Wing H.Q.
Balloons up 1 shoot by No. 4.
[*Windy
cold.*]
13.2.17 Went to 5th Wing for lunch.
Called in @ 4th Wing on way home
Col Boyle & Stammers both out
[*Misty
cold*]
14.2.17 Geddes & Gen Longcroft came round
in Morning. Visited Wing in afternoon.
Both Col Boyle & Stammers were out.
Went to Albert & saw Jim Kininmonth
& Bob Ramsay. Had dinner @ No 4.
Both Balloons up. No view. Strong wind.
[*Slight Thaw
Windy*]
15th.2.17. Coy transferred from 4th Wing to 5th W.
Col. Boyle came round to say goodbye
to us all. Seemed very sorry to lose us.
Rowlette transferred to 16 Coy.
Sent lorry to 34 Sqdn for 15 men
attached there.
[*Thawing
frost.
Misty*]
16.2.17 Tender went to Amiens
with Knight. Buchanan & Orchard
balloon up. No view. Huns
put up big ammunition dump
on Peronne Avenue. It went on
exploding for 14 hours.
17.2.17 Nothing doing.
[*Dense
mist.*]
18.2.17 Russell & Haslam went on
leave. Leave cancelled. Had
to come back. Very fed up.
[*dense mist.*]
19th.2.17 S.B.A.
[*Misty*]
20.2.17 "
[*Misty*]
21.2.17.
[*Misty*]
25.2.17 Russell & Haslam went on
leave.
27.2.17. Huns start retiring N & S of
Ancre.
2.3.17. No 14 got burnt by hun
plane. Simpson badly hurt.
Got caught in Balloon rigging when
he jumped out & was badly burnt.
His 2nd descent in 3 weeks. The
other man landed safely.
3.3.17 Decided to move up. Found 2 good
Balloon beds.
4.3.17. Visited Wing. Am not moving
yet. Knight & Orchard went on
leave.
5.3.17 Snow during night.
Revolver practice [[?]] bottles.
6.3.17. Windy - Nothing doing.
No mail.
7.3.17. Very strong E Wind all
day increasing towards eveng.
Bitterly cold. Broughton & Wilkinson
came over to dinner & played
bridge. Poor old Simpson
died to-day.
8.3.17. Tender went to Amiens to bring
out piano for 7 M.C.A. Carnoy.
Snow & wind.
9.3.17 Buchanan promoted to Compander
Commander x Crane came
over to see Howard. Snow
& Wind.
26.3.17 Went through to Bapaume.
The huns have smashed up every
thing. Removed all trace of
furniture etc; cut down all fruit
trees & other trees of value & generally
destroyed the whole country.
The hun must be like a little
boy who has his toy taken from
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