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
further 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 Kilo's away and 

had a long journey out to
where we were billeted for 
the two ^ following days 12th Three of us
cleared out to St Omer.
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 Zoteux
where we were billeted for
two days, our Company
was very scattered. 15^th Had
to go out to a village
about six Kilo's away
to get presented with
the Military Cross Ribbon 

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

where we were billeted at

a place called Desvres 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 Stailer

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 2^nd A.G.H

and met Sister Turnley a 

old friend of mine. Spent

night in Boulogne. 25^th Met 

Captain Catron and Campbell 

and we had a good day

and got back to Camp late

that night 26^th Parade as usual

and a lecture by Lieut Dickenson

on Field Sketching 27^th Market 

day in Desvres 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 2^nd. A M C.

Went into the 2^nd A.G. H

to a dance that was

given by the 8^th 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 
in 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 tests in Company 
work and we got second
the fifth getting third
8^th 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 2^nd A.G.H.
10^th Had a full marching
order Parade as we were
to leave on the following day
11 Left Camp at Desvres at
half past eight and marched
to a place 10 miles out
and billeted for night 12
Left Camp at nine and 
marched to Wavriens where
we where billeted for 

night 13 Left Camp and 

marched to Wavriens where

we entrained to Lindenhoek
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 to Supply Party

to line same 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 Boulogne.
16^th Very Cold and Had
to Supply Ration Party to 
front line. Lieut Brimsmead
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

18^th Relieved B Coy in Front

line and Had a splendid

relief. Out on Patrol the

same night. 19^th  Very quiet

and we took over a post

that the seventh Battn. Held.

also Had to keep patrolling our

front. 20^th  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. 21^st  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.

22^nd 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

reserve trenches.23^rd Had a

good night rest and a 

clean up and Had to Supply

working Party to the line

wiring and building Strong Posts

24^th 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. 25^th Christmas

day but it was only

that in name to us as

we were all up on work 

in Front line that night

26^th Moved up nearer the

line and same night we 

had to Supply Fatigue Parties

to the outpost line. 27^th

Coy up on working and

also one party had to

do some wiring. 28^th

One platoon of Company

under Lieuts' Blackman 

and Tickle 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.

29^th The raid did not

come off but they had

to occupy same posts in

case he came over that 

night. 30^th  Our Battn got

relieved by the 2^nd Battn

and we moved back to

Irish House about two

miles behind the line xx

31^st Had to Supply party 

of two Officers and 60

men to go up and 

work on Corp. line. of

course I was one to fall

to the Joke.1^st Jan 1918

Had to supply same party 

to line and the boys

grumbled a bit about

having to work on

New Years Day..  

2^nd Took another party up

the line on wiring and

it was bitterly Cold General

Birdwood and Walker up

having a look round

3^rd 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 Belgium

4^th Up line and that 

evening we went to a

Show in Kemmel which

was very good. 5^th.

Spent a very quiet day 

and got a message to

say that the Div Comm.

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. 6^th

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. Headquarters

7^th Met the General

and he sent me on

to Army Corps in

his Motor. to go through

another test and then

drive me back to Battn.

8^th Snowed very Heavily

all day. and it was

bitterly Cold. Loyd George's

peace proposals came out

9^th  Had a very pleasant evening

at the Club. Five of our

Officers rejoined our Battn

10^th  Out on Fatigue duty

and it snowed very heavily

all day. 11^th Got word

from the Colonel that my

second 'Star' was coming through

and in evening we went

to see the Koor'oburra's.

12^th Received word that we

I had to report to Division

the following day with

all my Kit 13^th  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 Ballaeul. 14^th

Entrained at eight for

Calais where we caught the

boat that left at three

in Afternoon. and arrived

at Folkestone about half past

six and got into London

at nine and put up

at Ivanhoe Hotel. Bloomsbury

St. 15^th Had a good bath

and clean up and reported

to Horseferry Rd. where we

got instructions to report

to the Tower of London.

for Special Instructions

Went there and reported and

had to report again on
following morning 16^th
Reported at Tower at 10.
and got a list of Kit
we had to get. and also
had to pass a Medical
test. Went to Theatre.in
evening. Having best of
times.17^th Spent morning
in getting together some
of our Kit and it started
to rain very solidly. and
spoiled the day as far as
outside amusements went.
18^th Reported at Tower and
in Afternoon we went
out to 3^rd London General
and met a lot of our
boys who were very pleased
to see us.19^th Met some

of the boys in London and 

had a good time together.

also got the rest of our Kit

together. 20^th Went out in

morning to Gorden Green to

see a cousin of Lieut Maguire

who was Killed with our Battn

and in the Afternoon went out

to Putney, to spend afternoon

with some Friends and had

a very enjoyable evening

21^st Had to go to Tower to 

get special Kit and also

again at 2.45 to be inspected

by (C.I.G.S.) Sir William 

Robertson. and I was

called out and given

a Introduction to him. He

seems to be rather a 

nice Soldier.