Diary of Percy Lay, 1914-1918 - Part 11

1^st A large lot of Reinforcements
joined us and also ten
of our New Officers 2^nd
Battn got orders to move
fuerther Back and we had
to stay on at school Battn
moved to Camp near Scottish lines
3^rd Finished our very interesting
School and rejoined our
Battn was sorry the School
did not last longer. 4^th
Church Parade in morning
and went into Reninghelst
in Afternoon and met Lieut
Rickards of 60^th Battn who
use to be in our Battn
5^th Parade in morning and
in afternoon we had a
football match needless
to say we won. Went into
Reninghelst again in evening
A lot of our Chaps feeling
the effects of the Gas 6^th
Bathing Parade in morning
and no parade in Afternoon
on account of the rain
7^th No Parade on account of
the rain but we played a
game of football in Afternoon
8^th Battn Orderly Officer
and we had a pretty
good evening in the Mess.
9^th Went into Reninghelst
with a few of the boys
and had a good evening
10^th Church Parade in morning
and it rained very heavily
all day. 11^th Moved out of 
Camp and Emburred a
few kilos away and 

had a long journey out to
where we were billeted for 
the two following days 12th Three of us
cleared out to the 8th lines
and had a good time
got back late that same
night 13^th Left Courbourne
and marched to Avroult.
which was a nice little
billeting place. but we
only stayed there that night
14^th Left early in the morning
and marched to Goteax 
where we were billeted for
two days, our Company
was very scattered. 15^th Had
to go out to a village
about 6 Kilo's away
to get presented with
the Military Cross Ribbon 

by General Birdwood. 16^th
Left Goteax and marched to

where we were billeted at

a place called Denres which

was a fair sized Village

17^th Spent day in fixing 

up things and found we 

were billeted in one of

the finest Villages we have

been in up to date. 18^th

Church Parade in morning

but I did not go and 

in Afternoon went for

walk around the Village.

19^th Started Parade the

first was a Bathing Parade 

at the Baths at the Cement

Factory. We were Brigade

duty Battalion. 20^th Out
on Parade in morning and

Heard we were to attend a 

Brigade Officers Class on

the following day. 21^st Staide

at the School Captain Trail

been in Charge and Captain

Wallace Adjutant. 22^nd Still 

on the old training rocket

Slope Arms and so forth

23^rd Got paid and and we all

had a pretty large evening

and we all 24^th Parade in

morning and in Afternoon

we got the train and took 

a trip to Boulogne and 

went out to 2nd A.G.H

and met Sister Turnley a 

old friend of mine. Spent

night in Boulogne. 25^th Met 

Captains Cation and Campbell 

and we had a good day
and got back to camp late

the night 26^th Parade as usual

and a lecture by Lieut Dickenson

on Field Sketching 27^th Market 

day in Desores and it was

the funniest Collection of 

Cows Calves Pigs fowls

and people that I think

I have ever seen. 28^th Very

wet and we did some

range shooting and in evening

we had a lecture on Code's

by Major Ellas. 29^th Had 

a test on Bayonet Fighting

in the morning and a lecture

in Afternoon by a Major

from the 2nd A M C.

Went into the 2nd A.G. H

to a dance that was

given by the 8th Battn

officers and spent a very
enjoyable evening. Dec 1^st
Had a Exam in morning
and we cleared into Bologne
in Afternoon and stayed
all night 2^nd Had a good 
day and heard that we 
were likely to get into a 
row for clearing off. 3^rd
Had to go up before
the C.O. and we got 
told off a bit 4^th
Had company test and
in Afternoon we had
a three mile Company 
run the eight winning
very easily. 5^th out
doing a bit of parade 
on morning and had 
the Afternoon out on
range M.G. test, 6^th
Battn went our for
a long Route March and
our Company were let
off on account of the 
Company test  7^th Had
the final test in Company 
work and we got second
the fifth getting third
8th Rained in the morning 
and in Afternoon we 
played the sixth the Final 
of Brigade football premiership
and after an exciting
game we won by a couple
of points and same
evening we went into
Bologne. 9^th Spent a 
good day went out
and had dinner with

the sisters at the 2nd A.G.H.
10th Had a full marching
order Parade as we were
to leave on the following day
11 Left Camp at Dervres at
half past eight and marched
to a place 10 miles out
and billeted for night 12
Left Camp at nine and 
marched to Winervies where
we entrained to Lindentrock
where we stayed the night
14 Left Camp at 2 oclock and
then relieved the 58^th Battn
in Support lines. B Coy
went forward to Front
line. Had Supply Party
to line sane night. 14^th Up
to line again that night
and it was a very rough
trip but things very quiet
15^th Captured two escaped
Hun's prisoners on their
way back to their lines
they very nearly got back
Escaped from Bologne.
16^th Very Cold and Had
to Supply Ration Party to 
front line. Lieut Brinsmead
got killed. Also the
Huns raided and captured
one of our Outposts.
17^th Went up the line to
have a look over the posts
as we were moving Forward
the following night

18th   Relieved B Coy in Front

line and Had a splendid

relief but on Patrol the

same night .  19th  Very quiet

and we took over a post

that the seventh Battn Held

also Had to keep patrolling our

front.  25th  Foggy all day

and about ten oclock a Hun got lost and wandered

into our lines they got

a lot of useful information

out of him.  21st  Very Foggy

and it kept up all day

A large party of Germans

came over at Midday and

captured a Outpost of

sixth Battn.  Went out and Bombed the Hun

out of one of his posts.

22nd  Got relieved by D Coy

and Had a good relief the

Enemy Machine Guns very 

active thought that he must

of got word of our relief

from the men he captured of

ours and went back into

secure trenches.  23rd  Had a 

good night rest and a 

clean up and Had to Supply

working Party to the line

wiring and building Strong Posts

24th  Had a very Quiet day

All the Coy up on [[Fatigue]]

that night and Had work

to say that we were going

to Keep up Christmas when 

we got out.  25th  Christmas

Day but it was only

that in name to us as
we were all up on work 

in Front line that night

26th  Moved up nearer the

line and same night we 

had to Supply Fatigue Parties

to the outpost line.  27th

Coy up on working and

also one party had to

do some wiring.  28th

One platoon of Company

under Lieuts' Blackman 

and [Pickle] had to go up

and garrison Wall Farm

and 30 men under Lieut

Murdoch had to go up

and occupy a new

Post as they expected

a raid.  This information

they got from a prisoner

we captured a few days before.

29th  The raid did not

come off but they had

to occupy same posts in

case he came over that 

night.  30th  Our Battn got

relieved by the 2nd Battn

and we moved back to

[Irish] House about two

miles behind the line

31st  Had to Supply party 

of two Officers and 60

men to go up and 

work on [Corp] line of

[[coire]] I was one to fall

to the Joke.  1st Jan 1918

Had to supply same party 

to line and the boys

grumbled a bit about

having to work on

New Years Day.  

2nd Took another party up

the line on wiring and

it was bitterly Cold General

 Birdwood and Walker up

having a look round

3rd Went into Kemmel and

had a good time at

the Club and had tea

with a Scotty.  Lieut on

top of Mt Kemmel the

Highest point in Belgum

4th Up line and that 

evening we went to a

Show in Kemmel which

was very good.  5th

Spent a very quiet day 

and got a message to

say that the Div [[Comander]]

desired a Interview

with me at [[Dunotre]]

and he offered me a job

that was a honour to

be offered to any Officer

but at the same time

it was a highly dangerous

and secret job.  6th

Got a message from

division to say I had

to report to division

that night so that I

could have another interview

with the General next day

Had a dark ride over

to divy. Headquaters

7th  Met the General

and he sent me on

to Army Corps in

his Motor to go throught

another test and then

drive me back to Battn 

8th  Snowed very Heavily

all day and it was

bitterly Cold.  Loyd Georges'

peace proposals came out

9th  Had a very pleasant evening

at the Club.  Five of our

Officers rejoined our Battn

10the  Out on Fatigue duty

and it snowed very heavily

all day.  11th  Got word

from the Colonel that my

second Star was coming through

and in evening we went

to see the[ [Kookaburra's]]

12th  Received word that  [[we has been struck out]]

I had to report to Division

the following day with

all my Kit.  13th   Said

Goodbye to the old Battn

very sorry to leave it 

after having had such a good

run with it also left

behind some of the best pals

a Chap ever had.  Stayed

night in [[Ballacul]].  14th

Entrained at eight for

Calais where we caught the

boat that left a three

in Afternoon and arrived

at Folkestone about half past

six and got into London

at nine and put up

at Ivanhoe Hotel Bloombury

St.  15th Had a good bath

and clean up and reported

to [[Horsefury]] Rd where we

got instructions to report

to the Tower of London.

For Special Instructions

Went there and reported and