Photostat copy of diaries of Benjamin Bennett Leane, 1915-1916 - Part 18

             126

in shelter of their crowded

horse boxes. We quickly

entrained and got our baggage

loaded onto the waiting

motor lorries, and them made

some tea and had breakfast.

Very shortly after the Brigadier,

Brigade Major & Staff Captain

came along to direct us to

our billets, and ^at about

half past eight the battalion

marched off. I stayed behind

to see to the clearing of

the station and the ground

we had occupied and then

followed on to catch up

the battalion. I had not

gone far when the Brigadier

came along in his motor car

and picked me up. He took

 

me all round the district to

point the various headquarters

and then back to meet the

battalion. By about half

past eleven, the whole battalion

was disposed of in various

farm houses and barns, and

we went along to our

H.Q. billet. We found

everything beautifully clean,

but there was barely room 

for the whole of Headqrs-

7 officers and nearly 100 men, 

so we went along to another

farmhouse which had

room for 2 officers and about

40 men. This Ray decided

to take for himself and me

and the headqrs signallers

and office staff, leaving

                           128

the remainder at the other farm.

So here we are, and very

comfortable we are too. We

share a fair sized room as

a bed room, and have the

sole use of the "best room"

of the house (including furniture)

as our dining and sitting

room. In addition to this 

our two batmen have the use

of the kitchen for cooking etc.

The men are fixed up in 

a roomy loft over the stables,

with lots of clean, warm

straw, and are quite happy.

Ever since we came it has

been raining almost without

ceasing, although it is summer

and the fields and roads

are inches deep with mud

 

and slush. My gumboots

which I have carried about

ever since Lemnos, and have 

not used for six months,

are not now working over

time and I can assure you

I thoroughly appreciate them.

I am afraid I am like

the children and deliberately

walk through water

and wet grass just to enjoy

to the full my immunity from

wet feet. The name of

this village is Merris, and it

is about three miles from

the station. The four

companies are all situated

within a radius of about

a mile, while Brigade

Headqrs is about two miles

                            130

away, at a place called

[[intersteene?]]. We are

within about seven or eight

miles of the trenches from

Ypres to Armentieres, and can

hear the booming of cannon

and the rattle of machine guns

all day and through the 

night. At night, too, we

can see the star shells bursting.

There has been very heavy

artillery fighting at Ypres ever

since we came, where

the Canadians are having

such a terribly strenuous

time. The Australians are

nearer Ypres Armentieres, and

although they have had

several minor engagements, raids

etc., the Germans have as

 

yet made no big push there

as they have at Ypres and

Verdun.

 

The first day we were

here Ted came over in his

motor. He looks very well

and very fit. Yesterday

Allan and Major Brennan

came over also. They too,

look as though trench life

has not injured them any.

Ted and Allan have

only just returned from a 

9 days trip to Scotland and

Doc Brennan goes on leave

on Saturday. Allan's battalion

has just come out of the 

trenches into reserve.

 

Ted brought the very glorious 

news that Ray has been

                      132

awarded the D.S.O. This was

the first we had heard of

it and Ray seemed rather

inclined to question its genuineness

but yesterday he got a very

nice letter from Genl. Birdwood

congratulating him on the well-

deserved honour, and today

General Cox also wrote him.

I am as pleased as the 

proverbial dog. If ever a

man won his honors Ray has

done so. I hope he may

live long to win and enjoy

many more.

 

Our horses have not yet

arrived, but should be 

along shortly, and we

will then be able to have

a look round the neighbouring

 

towns and villages. The boys

get on very well with the

villagers, who rather like the

Australians. I heard our

landlady talking to Perry

yesterday. She said, "English

Officer no bon (good); plenty swank. Australian officer

plenty tres bon; he no

swank; he talk to the

men." Their English is

about on a par with our

French. Ray is very amusing

with his efforts. He could

not speak a word of French

when we landed at Marseilles,

but coming up in the train

the Doc and I taught him a

few we knew, and these

he works off whenever he gets

                        134

a chance, together with other

he picks up from day to

day. His accent is not quite

perfect, but what he lacks

in accent he makes up for

in gestures. He does not

always use the right word

in the right place, but that

is a mere detail. The other

morning we were taking our

morning tea in bed, and I

asked him if he would like

a cigarette. He replied

"Oui, s'il vous plait beaucoup."

 

Well Kiddie, this is rather

a long entry so I'll finish

off till tomorrow.

 

Saturday June 17^th 1916

The last two days have 

been very sunny & bright,

 

and the country has put on quite

a new appearance. Yesterday

we went for a route march

to Caestre, a little township

about four miles from here.

The men enjoyed it very

much, I think. They are

very happy here.

 

Father Fahey, the R.C.

Padre of the old 11^th Bn

came over to see Ray today

& brought him some D.S.O

ribbon, so now he has both

colors up. Father Fahey

is still with the 11^th Bn,

who are now in the

trenches. He was describing

to us how the German

Artillery works (our own is

taking a leaf out of their book

                    136

I believe). The mass their

artillery behind their lines at

a certain point, and then

select a particular sector

of the line to wipe out.

They start on both flanks and

in the rear and pour in

a perfect hurricane of shells.

This xxxxxxx makes a sort

of horseshoe "∩" and

effectively prevents anyone

inside from getting out, and

also prevents reinforcements

from coming up to repel

the infantry attack later on.

Then they get to work on

all the space inside the

"∩" and absolutely paste it.

Of course nothing can live

in the rain of high explosives

 

unless it might be a few lucky

ones who have been able to

get into a particularly strong

dugout. Sounds cheerful

doesn't it?

 

Ray and I are

going up to the first line

next week sometime to

make an inspection of the

trenches. It's to be hoped

that they don't decide to 

blot out the particular 

sector we happen to be in.

What say you? The guns

never seem to cease; All

day and all night you

hear them, only at some

times more than others.

They commenced a particularly

violent cannonading at about

                     138

10pm last night. The explosions

followed each other so rapidly

that it was just one continuous 

roar, and the ground

was trembling and the windows

rattling just as though it

was a very severe earth

tremor. It was still going

just as strongly when I

went to sleep about 11.30pm.

That was over in the Armentieres

direction - Ypres seems a

bit more quiet lately.

Their (and our) ^anti-aeroplane

guns are wonderful, too.

It is nothing to see five or

six planes up at once.

They fly at tremendous

heights, but high as they

may go the little white

 

smoke balls follow them, not

one by one as at Gallipoli,

but in scores. And the shooting

on both sides is good, too.

Today, four are reported

to have been brought down.

I saw one of them myself

-whether our own or a German

I cannot say, for he was

at too great a distance for

his distinguishing marks to be

seen. He was flying at

a great height - little

more than a black speck-

when he was hit. He's begun

to drop quickly, them

appeared to steady for awhile,

then dropped and steadied

again, then he seemed

to lose control and dashed

                   140

down like a falling star. It

makes you sick to think of.

 

Our leave to England

has commenced. At the

rate it is being granted it

will take about 4 years for

everyone in the battalion to

get it. I am sending

Perry, my batman, for

seven days on Monday.

He has a wife in Cornwall,

and I promised him when

we were in Egypt that he

should have leave as soon

as possible. So he is very

jubilant. I don't suppose

I will be able to get

across before Christmas, even

if I do then. Kiddie, 

what about coming over?

 

you could be here by Xmas!

I had two letters from Aunt

Agnes this week, and she

says if this war doesn't end

pretty soon they will send

for you. I wish they would.

Perry has been cooking

for Ray and I since we

have been in billets, and

by jove he is a good cook.

Cornish pasties, beefsteak &

kidney puddings, plum

puddings, roasts, anything

you like, and most excellently

cooked. I don't know

what we'll do without him.

The C.O's batman will try

his hand on us, so I hope

he knows something about

the game too. Well chicken

                      142

its eleven o'clock by the

clock, so I must go to bed.

Really and truly it is only 

ten o'clock, but the day

light saving bill has come

into force and the clocks

have all been put on an 

hour. Which means that

we actually go to bed at

ten instead of eleven, and 

get up at five instead of 

six. Of course, at this

time of year it is bright

as day up to 10pm

and daylight again about

3am. No good for spooney

couples, is it. The girls

here are not the sort you

want to spoon with -

unfortunately. We left all

 

the dainty, pretty little French

girls behind at the towns

we passed through in the

train, and the girls up here

are of the stolid, heavy,

Flemish f variety. I haven't

yet seen one that I would

like to kiss. And I was

expecting so much from France!!

It's a delusion and a snare.

Eh bien, ma cherie Phyllis, bon

soir, et dormez bien.

 

Tuesday June 20^th 1916

Tomorrow Ray and I go up

to the Trenches for a couple

days, so tonight I am very

busy squaring up all my

work and papers etc. It is

now after midnight and my

pay returns are not yet

               144

completed, so I won't write much

here. Only, you know,

you never know, do you?

Major Imlay and the Doc

went up Sunday and were

back last night, and

they had a rather exciting

time of it. Two shells burst

near them, killing two

of the party and wounding two

others. Major Imlay and the

Doc were knocked over by

the concussion, but were

uninjured. So you see,

the Huns are not too friendly

towards visitors, are they?

Thursday June 22^nd 1916

Safely back. We had a

very interesting time. Left

Outersteene in a motor bus (one

of the old London buses) at 7.30am.

 

It took about two hours to reach

Armentieres, where we reported

to N.Z. Headqrs. They sent for

guides to take us to one of the

NZ. Battalions (2nd Canterbury) whose

headqrs was situated about

two miles away. The route was

a fairly safe one along the

canal bank. In one or two

places we had to go in pairs

as we were under enemy observation

and they always reckon parties

of three or more a good enough

target for a shell. However,

we reached the Bn Headqrs without

casualty. They were situated

in a beautiful - or what was

at one time a beautiful old

chateau, the Chateau Rose.

Two or three shells had been in