Photostat copy of diaries of Benjamin Bennett Leane, 1915-1916 - Part 25

62
I chose the room because
it opens off the front verandah,
and orderlies and managers can
come straight to me without
having to tramp all through the
house. Also it is practically
all windows, and is very
bright and light.
Today marching from Albert
we found German prisoners
working at road repairing
all the way along. Our
fellows are too easy though;
they don't make them buck
in enough.
Tuesday Sept 5^th 1916 Herrison
We reached here yesterday at
noon, and I have been
going like anything ever since
we came. I tried to write
some letters last night, but no
chance in life. We move
on to Beauval at 8 am tomorrow
I must write you tomorrow.
because it is your birthday.
I went to Poperinghe today
to draw the Battalions pay. I'm
hanging on to it until we get
to the other end, though, or
else the fellows would get on
the jug and all be sick
tomorrow. We are on our
way to Ypres now.
I see that Ted's and Allan's
promotions are out now, as we
have three Lieut. Colonels in the
family.
Wednesday Sept 6^th - Beauval
Your birthday sweetheart.
I wonder what you are doing

64
today and if you are
giving yourself a day out.
Surely by next birthday
we will be together again.
I am sick and tired of
being away from you. It
is very nice to travel round
the world as we do, but
you see more than half the
pleasure of anything is
served from the fact of sharing
it with someone you love.
I visit strange countries
and see beautiful things,
but the dominating emotion
is not one of pleasure; it
is a sense of sorrow, of
regret, of something being
missing. I think instinctively
"if only Phyl were here with
me," Life loses all its zest
unless you can share its
joys - and sorrows - with
someone you love. Perhaps
someday you and I will
travel together and re-visit
the countries I have passed
through since I left home, 
and then all their charm, 
all their beauty, all their
strange wonder will be
appreciated to the full. It is
a strange paradox that,
that you should gain by
sharing. My love and
kisses to you this day of
all days, dear wife.
Beauval is a fine
little town, one of the
cleanest. We have been 

66
in. Latterly we have 
been quartered mostly in
dirty little farm / villages.
We are to stay here until
the morning of the 8^th, when
we march to Doullens and
entrain there for somewhere 
up near Ypres.
Friday 8^th Sept
I am now working to
move off to Doullens. I have
cleared all my papers
up, got my orders out
and am now ready to
move. I have quite
enjoyed my little stay
here. I have had a
large room to myself, with
a big cosy bed, writing
table, wash stand and
dressing table, and electric
light on. Haven't enjoyed
much comfort and civilisation
for a long while. That
is where this place is
better than Gallipoli. There
you were never away from
the trenches. Here you 
do your own tour of duty in
the trenches and then
go away back almost
out of sound of the guns. It
makes such a break and
gives the men a chance to
relax a bit.
Sunday Sept 10^th 1916
Poperinghe! Ypres! Lands
that have been synonymous ^(to me)
with all this war has meant
ever since Gallipoli ceased to

68
hold first place. And now
we are here at Poperinghe
and within a week or so
will be in the line at Ypres.
Whether we are to make a
forward move or not I
cannot say, but I quite
expect it. I don't think
they are putting the Australian
Army in here for nothing.
There is a fair amount
of artillery fire here, but
more like it was at Fleurbaix
- certainly nothing to compare 
with Pozieres.
We left Doullens by train
at 4.20 pm on Friday,
arriving at Proven about
midnight. We detrained
and marched here (about
8 or 9 miles) arriving at about
3 am. It was one of the
dreariest and most tiring
marches I have ever been on,
although the distance was not
very great. Everybody seemed
worn out. I know for myself
that as soon as all the
companies and details had been
fixed up, I just lay down
in my hut as I was without
even so much as taking off
my overcoat or leggings, and
went straight to sleep.
We are in Connaught
Camp, about 2 miles from the
main town of Poperinghe . It
was originally the Canadian
Camp, and is about half
hut and half tents. I have

70
a cosy little room about
14ft x 10ft all to myself. If
is neatly lined with hessian,
has two windows, a wooden
bed, writing desk and
stool, and now that I
have my pictures up it
looks quite homelike.
We expect to be here for
about a week, so will
have a chance to settle
down a bit. I am glad
of it, for it is difficult
to keep your work up to date
while continually on the
move. I have been
working hard ever since we
landed here and am
getting it well in hand,
but I feel very tired of
of it and will take the
first chance I can get of
leave to England. Just now
I am feeling badly in need
of a week's spell. Sometimes
I get so tired and fed up
that I feel like letting things
slide for a day or two
while I loaf; but apart
from a natural desire to see
the job done properly, I
also would not think of
letting Ray down in anything
- which of course would happen
if I failed to keep hold on
things - and so I keep
going. But I'll have to
take a holiday soon.
I'm afraid you'll think
I am a whining crying swine.

72
Tuesday Sept 12^th 1916
At last a letter from you kiddie,
dated July 23^rd. Also one from
mother & one from Roy Goodwin.
I must try and answer them 
at once. I've had a
rotten headache today. I think
it was caused through the
pictures. Last night we
took the battalion to the
movies for at treat. The

boys thought it was a
great joke, but everybody
enjoyed himself, and
marching home in the
moonlight they were singing
lustily. They made such
a rousing noise coming
through the town of Poperinghe 
that nearly all the
inhabitants turned out to see
them. A "tommy" we passed
called out to the signallers
who were marching just ahead
of us "where have you
been, chum, for a route
march?" And one of the
wags among the sigs answered
back "ho, dad took us
to the movies." I think the
tommy is still puzzling
it out. Another fellow
called out "who are you"
and one of ours replied "48^th"
"Where are you going" he
queried. "Home!" shouted
back one man. It is
marvellous how they call
any place where they rest
their heads for a night or so
"Home". Poor lads, I expect

74
like me, the are all
longing to see their real
"homes" again although
they are so lighthearted and
merry to all outward appearances.
They are a good lot of
fellows and were terribly
rowdy at the pictures. It
is marvellous how quickly
the memory of the frightful
ordeals they go through passes
from them. You would
never think they had
endured what they did
endure at Pozieres and at
Mouquet Farm. It is well
that it is so. General
White came over today and
I was speaking to him for
a while. He asked me how
the battalions were getting along
and if we could get completed 
again. I said we could if only
we could get reinforcements.
He asked me if I thought
we would ever be able to
get another 48^th like the old
48^th and I told him we
would do out best to make
it so. But I am afraid
it will take a lot of making
anyhow, the fellows we have
form a good nucleus.
This morning I was up 
at 6 am and went for a
ride with the C.O. Will do
so again tomorrow, D.V and
weather permitting. 

Goodnight, sweetest of wives.

I wonder will I have to post this
volume or be able to hand it over
in person before long.

 76
Thursday 14^th Sept /16
A letter from you today sweetheart
also from mother & Roy Goodwin.
I answered yours and mothers 

at once, and will reply
to Roy's soon. Today
Roy left for England;
and 10 days leave. I hope
he has a good time. He
certainly deserves a holiday.
General leave is commencing
now, so I suppose I'll
soon get a turn. I hope
so anyway. This afternoon
I rode into Poperinghe. There
is a good hairdressing saloon
and I was badly in need
of a haircut. Afterwards I
got had a hot bath, so
feel just like Saturday night.
My mare is in great condition
now. She looks a picture and
is as fresh and skittish as a
young foal. She shies at
everything and goes stone
mad when she sees a steam
roller. But she is a lovely
creature, and I would love
to buy her after the war.
You would love her, I know.
Perry keeps her looking well,
and my saddle and bridle 
have a polish that is the
envy of everyone. He's a
good chap is Perry.
But he is a great lady killer.
He has a girl in almost
every town we stay in. That's
more than I can say for
myself.

78
Saturday 16th Sept 1916
Two letters and a parcel today.
Letters from Aunt Agnes and Bae;
parcel (shortbread & choc. biscuits)
from Uncle Arthur. Today
we held our battalion sports.
The entries were many and
the competition keen, and
altogether everything went with
a good swing. It was
funny about our sports ground
though. There was a
nice even piece of land
just outside our camp, from
which the crop had been
removed so we decided
to use this. Practice teams
were soon busy on it,
and everything was going
well when one morning
we got up to find stingy
old Belgian who owns the
land very busy with a
plough, turning the ground over.
We put our heads together
and that night the plough
was missing and there was
still enough good ground
left to hold our sports on.
Tomorrow night he will
probably find his plough again.
Isn't it rotten luck.
Yesterday leave came
out for two more officers
from this battalion to go to
England for ten days, from
tomorrow 17^th. Major Imlay
and I are next for leave,
but of course the C.O.
being away we could not

80
go. Major Imlay worked
hard to take it, and I was
very tempted to do so, but
in the end I decided that I
had better not go while
Ray was away. I may
not get another chance
for a good while. I am
letting young Allan and
Clarie Fairlie go instead.
Tuesday September 19^th 1916
This finds me in a new
spot. Quebec Camp, just
outside the village of Reninghelst-
We got our orders to move
on Sunday morning, so in
the afternoon Major Imlay and
I rode over to see the new
camp. Saw Major Peck;
he is now Brigade Major 4^th Bde.
Monday morning we moved and
at 8 o'clock in pouring rain
arrived here wet through
about 10 am. However, I've
got a snug little Armstrong hut
to myself, so Perry soon got
the stove going and I was
into a dry change in no
time. Yesterday one of
the officers went down to
St Omer and I got him to
buy me a pair of trench
boots. They cost me 36/9
but they are a fine boot
and absolutely watertight.
I must speculate in a lot
of stuff for the winter. My
rain cloak is ruined (through
that last stunt at Mouquet Farm)
so I'll have to invest in a