Diary of Percy Lay, 1914-1918 - Part 9

June 23^rd We were out on a 

Brigade Stunt, and came back
to Camp for dinner and was
out doing Advance Guard Work
in Afternoon 24^th Church Parade
in morning and had the
Afternoon off. 25^th Out doing
Coy in Attack and also
platoons taking Strong Post's
26^th Did not go out that
day as there was a big
Stunt on that night as we
had to go out at half past
Eleven. 27.^th Out all night
and had a fairly good
time although the trip
was a bit wet underfoot.
and got back to Camp at.
nine and had the rest of
day off. 28^th Left Mailly at
half past six and marched to
Bresle.(via) Warloy and Baizieux
and arrived at Bresle and had rest of
day off. 29^th Lecture in morning
by Archbishop Ward and working
and mending.parade.in Afternoon.
30^.th Battn Parade.in morning
and we did Company drill afterwards
Parade hours being from 0700 in morning
till 1000.and from 1800.till 2000
in afternoon. Had recreation Parade
in evening. July.1^st. Church Parade

in morning and we had a
few heavy thundershowers during
the day. 2^nd. out to Div Gas
School to go through the Gas
after which we marched to
Rebemont for swimming Parade.
and also played a Cricket match there

July 3^rd Went for a seven mile 

route march in morning out

around Flanvilliers and Baiziaise

and had Kit inspection in afternoon

4^th On Battn Ord Sgt and rest 

of Battn went out on a Aeroplane

Contact Stunt. Heavy thunder

Showers during the night.

5^th Battn went for route march

in morning and in afternoon

one and two Platoons played

three and four football. three

and four platoon winning.

6^th Went over to Brigade 

ground at Herencourt - and

had a swimming parade in

afternoon. 7^th Out doing

Battn drill in morning and

had half holiday in afternoon

Heavy thunderstorm same night

8^th Five out of each company had

to go out to Pozier to be present

at the Unveiling of the first

Division Memorial by Sir

William Birdwood it was a

splendid turnout but the 

march was to long - about

eighteen mile. 9^th Did not go

out on parade in morning

and out on Recreational training 

in afternoon 10^th Went for

Route March out to Flanvilliers

and back in morning and

in afternoon we played the

fifth Football - and they beat

us. 11^th Out on Battn drill

in morning and out playing

games in Afternoon.

12^th Had to go out to 

the Amiens Road and were

formed up each side. And 

the King accompanied by

Sir General Birdwood drove

slowly past in his Car.

And we gave him three Cheers

as he passed. 13^th Battn Parade

in morning and in afternoon

we had a Scabby Inspection

and got paid in evening.

14^th Out doing Battn Parade in

morning and we cleaned up out

parade ground and we had rather

a large evening as it was our last

night in the Mess. 15^th Had Reveille

at four and then cleaned up 

out Camp and left Camp at Six

and had a pretty stiff march

to our New Camp near Bray.

16^th Started Parade in morning

and doing six Hours work.

and we did Model Platoon work.

17^th Out doing same parade as 

the day before and it was

pretty monotous the hours being

very long. 18^th Went for six

Hours Mile Route march in

full marching order in 

morning and had a Kit 

inspection in Afternoon.

19^th On duty as Battn duty Sgt.

and the rest of Battn out on

Advance Guard Work. 20^th Went

for a ten mile route march

and then the Battn had their

clothes and Blankets put through

the fumigators. 21^st Went for a 

route march out around Suzanne

and then back through Bray

and in afternoon the Padre

and fruit Temple and another

Sgt and myself went out to see

if we could get some fish and

we got some Bombs and had a 

great afternoon we got close on

a hundred fish all told. and 

some very fair sized ones amongst

them. 22^nd Had Church Parade

in morning and it turned out

a lovely day. Jack Graham

came along to see us in Afternoon

23^rd Went for a Route March 

in morning and had a General

clean up of Camp in Afternoon

Held a Battn Concert in Evening

24^th Had a marching out 

Parade in morning - and in

Afternoon. I had to go over to

Bonfray Fram to get the

Croise De Guerre Medal presented

to me by Sir William Birdwood.

and in evening we shifted down

to Meaulk 25^th Had a route

March in morning and it was

very severe as just at the

finish a few of our lads dropped

with Exhaustion. 26^th Up at

three in morning. Out doing

a little Platoon drill in morning

and in Afternoon. a lot of

our Officers and Sgts went to

Lieut. Schache Funeral at Averley.

He was Killed with a bomb

that a couple of them were

taking notes about. 27^th

Up at three oclock and we

moved out at six and

marched to Averley where we

entrained for the North and

we had a good trip up to

where we disentrained at Caeske.

and then we had about a 

five Mile march to the place

where we were billeted at.

Our Battn was scattered about

a good bit. 28^th Did not

get out to early as we

had arrived rather late the

night before. Had orders that

all the places around had

been placed out of bounds

to us. 29^th Church Parade

in morning and we had

a heavy thunderstorm in Afternoon

30^th Parade under Coy arrangements

in morning and we were doing

Model Platoon work in Afternoon.

31^st Out for Route March in 

morning and doing Platoon

work in Afternoon And we 

played No one and two football

and gave them a beating. August 1^st

Started to rain during the night

and all the day and we had

our parade in the Billets 2^nd

Raining steadily all the morning

Parade in Billets and we started 

out on a route march in afternoon

but had to come back

on account of the rain. Two

days before Fritz shelled

Hazebrouck and set fire 

to and burned down the

Woollen Mills and all the

Civilians started to clear out

of the town. He was using 

a fiveteen inch gun. Aug 3^rd

Went for Route March in morning

and had a lecture in Billet in

afternoon that evening we

went into Hondengem and had a

good time.

August 4^th Out for Battn Route

March and had smartening up

drill in Afternoon. August 5^th

Captain Evans and the Adj.

went to Paris on leave. Rain

very hard in Afternoon. 6^th

Coy Route March in morning and

did some bomb throwing in

Afternoon. Played one and two

Platoon's football and gave 

them a good beating. 7^th Out 

for another route march in

morning and in Afternoon

we had a grill marching

parade as we were to move

out the following day. 8^th

Reveille at five and we 

left at 6 oclock and had

a long march to where

we were billeted. Also

had dinner along the road. Our

Billets was just outside Steenwerck

Midway between there and Estaries

and it was our old billeting

area where we billeted when

we first came to France. Went

down to where the 4^th Light Horse

were camped and had a good

evening with Norman Flack and 

also met some more Ballan boys.

9^th Had no work that day and

we had a look round a few

of our old haunts. J. Alford and

Norman over to see us. 10^th Went

for a bit of a route march in

morning and got paid in Afternoon

11^th Out for Route March in morning

and did a bit of Platoon work

in Afternoon. Down to the Light

Horse again that evening and

had a good time 12^th Church Parade

in morning and that night we

went down to a place not

far from Saille 13^th Route March

in morning and platoon drill

in afternoon. Areoplanes very

busy. 14^th A bit of a bombardment

opened on our left

and we had a few hun planes

over to see us. 14^th Down to Steenwood

for bathing Parade in morning

and out on platoon work in

Afternoon. 15^th Out for Route 

March in morning and in

afternoon did a bit of

bomb practice. 16^th Route March

in full Marching order in

morning same as before in

afternoon. 17^th Route March

in morning and we had

the Brigade Staff around having a

look at us it was also 3 years since

we first joined up. 18^th went into

Sailly for Route March in morning

18^th Parade under Coy arrangements

 in morning and had a half 

holiday in Afternoon. Had Jack

Myers over to see us. 19^th Church

Parade in morning and had

the rest of the day off. They put in

a few shells at a Captive Balloon

but did no damage. 20^th Coy

Route March in morning and

Platoon work after it very 

hot during the night Fritz's

planes came over on a bombing

stunt. 21^st Battalion route march

in morning and Platoon

work in afternoon. A few lads

that got wounded in Bullicourt

returned to us.

August 22^nd Went for Route March

down to Baths in morning and

got a clean change of clothes

in afternoon did Bomb Throwing

and rifle Grenade work. 23^rd

Route March in marching order

and in afternoon we went 

down to Bomb School and

did Platoon and Coy in Attack

the last two nights Fritz's planes

were very busy over bombing.

24^th Route March in morning and

in afternoon we did the usual 

platoon training. That evening a

few of the old N.C.O's and

Officers had a dinner and we

had a splendid turnout in

all there were twenty seven

present. and things were very

merry. Coy got paid same evening

25^th Route March in morning and

we had the Afternoon off. Things seem

to be very lively on the Ypres Front.

26^th Church Parade in morning and

in Afternoon we went for a walk

down near Estaires. 26^th Route

March and the usual Platoon

training afterwards. 27^th C. and B.

Coy went out for a March past

General Plumes and a few of 

the other heads. and the rest of

Battn went down to Brigade

Baths. I went on Battn Guard.

that evening. 28^th Rained nearly

all day and we had a good 

time of Guard got relieved

that evening. 29^th Platoon drill

in morning and also again in 

afternoon and save evening we

went for a 2 hours route

march.

30^th Platoon work and N^o1 and 2

Platoon did some rifle shooting but

it was fairly wet and we did

most of our work inside the Billet.

31^st N^o 4 and 3 Platoons did rifle

shooting and it rained fairly heavily

nearly all day. Sept 1^st Went

for Battn Route March down

through Doulieux and Steenwerch

and then back to our Billets.

Holiday in Afternoon. 2^nd

Church Parade in morning and

had the rest of day off.

3^rd Doing the new Screen Formation

and also platoon went through

Range Shooting. 4^th Out doing

advance Guard work and

Fritz's planes were very busy.

5^th Battn Route March down

through Doulieux and Steenwerch

very hot all day. 6^th Short

Route March in morning and

did Advance Guard work and

also practiced fighting a 

Strong Enemy Rearguard.

7^th Went for a fiveteen mile

Route March out through Bleur

and out to Nieppe Forest where 

we had dinner and returned

to our billets by a different

route. Got praise from C.O

about the way the Battn 

did the march hardly a man

fell out and they came 

home singing. Got paid in

evening 8^th Lecture in morning

by Brigade Musketery Officer

and also a Bathing Parade

after it. 9^th Had a Brigade

Stunt or rather it was a

divisional affair out near the

Nieppe Wood but the Brigadier

was not at all satisfied with

our work. 10^th Had rather a

quiet day and did just a 

little training. Some of our

Officers went up to have a 

look over the trenches. 11^th

Route March that night we did 

a bit of a night Stunt.

12^th Out for Route March

in evening and some of

our boys went on leave.

12^th Had a very easy day 

and that night our Capt

told us a little about a

Stunt that we were likely

to be in. 13^th Left Doulieux

pretty early in morning

and had a long march 

to where we Billeted for the 

night at a place two Kilo's

from Fletche. 14^th Left at

two in Afternoon and 

went as far as Rehnenglst

where we were Camp in

some tents. 15^th Had a 

good look round and a 

few of our old lads rejoined

Lieut Goodwin returned from

6^th Division. 16^th Church

Parade in morning and in

Afternoon we went over to

see a Model of the ground

we were to Attack over.

17^th Out having our 

Attack and the Method

explained to us and that

night we praticed the 

Assembley.