Diary transcript of Reginald Harriman Heywood, 1917 -1918 - Part 6

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find we are moving down to an area between Abbeville and

Dieppe.  7 or 8 days on the road.

The move is to be more or less of an experiment, the

whole Div. moving by road, artillery and all.

At last some letters from home. I hear that Tom

Tucker's paternal relative has become a P.C. and has apparently

jumped Tuck's beat on Princes Bridge.

They still seem to be keen on sending me parcels from

home - but I've pointed out that with the uncertainty of

their ever reaching me I'd be satisfied if they sent me a

parcel every Xmas.

Went to Pierrotts - our old friend Dinks

Paterson was in great form.

16.11.17. Much worry and many frantic memos the D.A.D.V.S.

who came over in person causing much unnecessary fuss and

annoyance. He needn't worry. I'll do my best and if that

don't suit he can send me home, but it is some job for V.Os,

this moving business. The trouble is to leave animals that

fall by the way somewhere where they can be cared for in a

way and get word to Jimmie whose job it is to collect them.

Naturally all the units cannot travel along the one road,

which complicates matters. Each unit must halt in a different

village which further complicates the job. No matter the

war's won - we have the political bigwigs word on that. The

Germans are beat and they know they're beat. We know they're

beat and they know we know they're beat, but the trouble is 

this thus ly - they don't want us to know that they know that

we know that they themselves know they're beat. Simple as a 

spider's webb. 

17.11.17. Fruges and the first stage of our journey fini. The

units moved off very punctually and it was 8.58 a.m. when

the 16th Battn. band struck up and off they went.

The journey is divided in 7 stages, the brigades

moving daily into the area occupied previously by the brigade

ahead. The 13th are ahead of us and the artillery a day

behind.

The four battns. A.S.C. , Field Amb:, Pioneers, Field

Engineers, Machine Gun Coy: making up the Bde: with etceteras

such as Y.M.C.A. Signallers Hqrs. &c. cover a lot of ground

and occupy numerous villages so each unit goes its own route

and the whole covers a 5 or 6 mile spread; but they all

keep/

51

keep in touch with B. Hqrs and of course with D. Hqrs.

Fruges is quite large place and of course dirty- my

billet smells of celery and mice.

Poor old Canada" (Town Major Lisbourg) was quite down

in the mouth when we pulled out.

He owns up to a decided attachment to the 4th A.I.S.

The town Major of Fruges is worth while coming a long

way to see tho'. He 's about 6.4" X 5". Wears a tunic that you

could use for a pair of curtains, patent spat affairs, a nose

only rivelled in length by the peak on the cap and a monocle.

I heard one of our worthies remark "Gor blime" and what's what

I thought.

He siddles up to you like a bamboo and refers to you as

"fellow" - once. His name is Lord Knuckle-duster or something

like that but he's more the build of a feather duster and

produces an effect of sedate disrespect or profound wonder that

he doesn't bubble up and bust with his own importance according

to whether you like or dislike Tommies.

18.11.17. Why will they make their beds so short. You have to lie

in a sort of glorified spiral and even so always back your toes

against the end - the beds always have ends of course.

Another fine day - what luck - fancy 2 fine days. Of

course its cloudy, foggy and cold, but that's nothing.

The country is still very interesting and to-day we

reached Lebiez-Royon and put up in a fine old chateau. The

village nestles in a hollow and is clustered round a little

stream which runs round the chateau which is prettily situated

amongst hedges and big trees. The old Count is a sporty old

bird and goes in for glass-houses and all that sort of thing.

Talking about birds, Alec. Fraser told the T.M. at

Fruges that whatever he did he was to be sure tell his M.P.

not to touch our fellows and that if any of them started a

rough house to send for our own picket and there would be no

trouble. The monocled one replied Rightho! or words to that

effect and added "I've been warned about that before - extraordinary

people, extraordinary people what".

It's a fact tho' our boys won't have any interference

from the British. An old Brig.Gen. ordered some gunners who

had just come out of the line to clear out of an estaminet, and

when/

52

when they showed a decided lack of enthusiasm over his order

he pulled out his revolver and brandished it about, but all the

satisfaction he got was "buzz off old boy while your luck's in".

All the same they retired quietly when ordered by their own

officer, a youth of about 18 with an M.C.

19.11.17 Had a day's spell to-day so was able to cast an eye

round some of the units. Found a couple of mokes that we will

have to leave behind.

The further we go the shorter the beds seem to get,

but I for one slept pretty soundly till Madame my hostess woke

me with a cup of coffee.

The Brig. picked us up this eve. full of his trip to

Cannes. He swears he'll never go to England again and says

the S. of France is the nearest thing to sunny Aussie that he

has found. Still indifferently fine.

20.11.17 The artillery overlapped us a bit this morning and I

watched them - miles of them - going thro' Lebiez. They look

as thou' they've had a dreadfully rough time.

Saw Cyril Seelenmeyer canter past.

At 10 a.m. we started on a 15 mile march and did pretty

well arriving at Douriez at 3 p.m. and finding ourselves

billeted in a fine old chateau again. The country is still

pretty in spite of the drizzling rain.

The chateau is an interesting old place and must have

been a beautiful home before the war. There are some fine

carvings, tapesteries and frescoes in oils.

Lunched on bully and a biscuit, but on arriving the

Brig. piloted us to a place where we got some most excellent

omelettes and strangely enough good butter, to say nothing of

fresh bread and gooseberry jam.

The Brig brought back some new gramophone records

and of course we had to boom them up to the nines. I'd like to

be able to chronicle the history of that gramophone. It's

nearest squeak was at Ypres when it was cut off from the

records which remain with the Bosch.

21.11.17 The further we go the better we seem to manage -

and to-day we are billeted in a gorgeous old place full of

Louis the umteenth furniture and other interesting things,

including sporting trophies such as boars and deer heads etc.

The erstwhile proprietor was evidently vastly of a sporting

nature/

53
nature.
Last night I had quite a long bed, must have been
reserved for English visitors as I found a Mrs Soand So's card
there - but tonight looks like a short sleep.
To-day we had a very short stage - a hop step and a
jump across the River Anthic and we were at our destination,
Ligesbourg (Chaleau) long before the dinner hour.
Bees, otherwise known as Sigs and more correctly as
Lt. Beazley, has just been in and told me of a happy little
event at Bullecourt. It appears 300 tanks made a bit of a
hole in the Fritzes and the cavalry got thro' taking many
pri^soners. Sounds good don't it? we'll get details soon.
22.11.17. I must explain that I come in for many an odd job in
this show, such as O.C. batmen, cooks, grooms, transport &c. and
to-day found myself a sort of deputy A.D.C. to the Brig. Gen.
McLagan was inspecting the Bde: at a point along the road which
all the units would have to pass and this was a good chance to
see all the animals.
Accordingly off we set - the Brig. on a bald faced
wicked eyed chestnut which always travels at the bolt. Its pretty
hard riding if you don't want to get spattered with mud, and
again I offer up thanks for a good horse. Old Dick had that
chestnut with the boiled egg eyes and the smell of oil about him
looking swivel eyed for a stable by dinner time.
The Gen. and his staff passed many wise remarks about
tails and manes but I get paid for seeing further than that and
I had to rule out one of the 4th Fld. Amb. horses - that makes
only the third that we have dropped by the way.
Then we made a break for Bingny St. Maclon, passing
thro' Crecy, Poictiers and the Crecy Foret - needless to say we
didn't see much of the places but I did get enough mud out of
my eye to see see several monuments to the soldiers who fell at
Crecy. What a battle that must have been! there must have
been 17 or 18 killed. Good job it only lasted a day.
It's good to ride thro' these districts tho'. I don't
expect the Black Prince would carry much weight now-a-days with
the Bosch, but in his own line he must have been somewhat of an
artist.
Arrived at the said Bingny we found ourselves again
billeted in a chateau, a real weight for age one this time. Must
cut/
 

54

cut plenty of ice Mr. De Bingny must. The old place is full 
of statues and beautiful oils and halls and conservatories 
and all that sort of thing. Then there are the sporting and 
war trophies on the walls. The earlier De Bingnys must have 
been a quarrelsome as well as sporting lot - as amongst the 
weapons and armour are some British helmets and guns, and 
also a Union Jack.

But its the furniture that draws the weight. I know 
why the Clown Prince turned looter.

My bed consists of about ½ a ton of wonderfully 
grained mahogany and is the last word in French polish. It is 
let into a recess in the wall and I have to step somewhat 
gingerly thro' several miles of drawings. Safely negotiated 
this, you are confronted with the always present crucifix, 
relieved in this case by a skull and cross bones under it.

The room contains also some priceless cabinets and 
secretaires. On a beautiful little table near the bed is a 
defensive measure in the shape of a pistol which looks as tho' 
it might have been used by Charlemagne.

I see the Russians have had a couple more revolutions - 
talk about wheels within wheels - I wonder how many revolutions 
the Russians run to the minute.

What a life! Bees' furphy has come true, the prisoners 
now total 12,000 and we are 1.8 K. from Cambrai. The 
straka-d'oysters, are standing up to the collar and for dinner 
we had oysters, good as Sydney rocks and the only decent fruit 
I've seen this side of Aussie, grapes, apples and pears.

23.11.17. Back to my former position bringing up the rear as 

O.C. batmen cooks police pierrots &c. and we had to make an 
early start having 14 miles to march.

We crossed the Somme and pulled up for lunch at 
Fraulen pushing on again at 1.15 and reaching our final 
objective at Libas at 3.15 p.m.

Libas is built on a plan for which it would be hard 
to find a parallel. The main street is built in the bed of a 
creek which runs famously - the water supply is excellent and 
as far as that goes the street isn't a bad one but the two 
combined are a bad guess. Encore chateau, and a comfy room 
and bed. The British are still pushing Fritz into a new 
address at Cambrai and the more I think of it the better it 
seems. Its the first big push this year that colonial troops 
haven't/

55

haven't been in and ought to give the Britishers a big lift in 
the confidence department. Our old friends the 29th Div. have 
been sent to Italy.

24.11.17. After a short stage arrived at journey's end for a 
time - Friville. Promoted to A.D.C. to the Brig. again, I 
had a difficult role to fill - a task requiring both initiative 
and technique.

The Major Gen: decided to inspect the Bde: as they 
passed thro' Fresseneville and it was my duty to keep the Brig. 
posted, keep an eye on the horses and to cut out anything 
some distance back along the road that wouldn't pass muster 
and conduct the same thro' devious routes and byways round the 
back of the Gen. picking up their units on the far side of 
the town. We were able to get some of the cookers & polished 
up on one side and fortunately the Gen: remained on the silver 
linings side of the road.

No chateau this time but as its a 3 story house and 
very comfy there's little to complain of. Madam is a dear old 
soul - one of those you'd like to put your arms round and kiss- 
and honest I never shook hands with so much jewellery all at 
once before.

The village is rather a large one and not so nice as 
Lisbourg as re position &c. Likewise the inhabitants weren't 
exactly gushing over us.

25.11.17. Rode over to Gamaches (7½ miles) to see Bill who was 
needless to add not on view. Talk about a cold ride - the 
wind's right off the ice on the ridge between here and Beauchamps, 
Gamaches seems rather a decent place - trust Div:

Alec Fraser came in with the explanation of our cool 
reception. It took the form of a dictionary (1890) with a 
picture of an Australian in it - some Australian too - King 
Billy of Coranderek I think. They're beginning to open their 
hearts a bit but they still think the Brig: must be an 
Englishman.

26.11.17. The villagers now fall on our necks, finding that we 
are not as black as we are painted, and espy. since the Brig. 
Tovell, Fraser and I have been shopping the last couple of 
evenings/

56

evenings, going into all sorts of shops and coming home with 
the weirdest rubbish.

Lt. Johnson who used to play for North has returned to 
the Bde: and will be a welcome addition to the "Others" F.C. 
To-day we indulged in some strenuous practice for our next 
battle on Wed. next.

Poor old Alec Fraser has been evacuated - the boils and 
abscesses have got him down at last. Why they don't try a 
vaccine beats me.

I have got a nice plaster from Bill and have this and 
the 12th Bdes: to look after as well as numerous odds and ends.

27.11.17. That practice yesterday! I'm not stiff, I'm petrified. 
Another Johnston returned to the fold to-day. Major C.M. 
Johnston who is B.M. and an old Melburnian and D.S.O. The 
Johnson mentioned above has been awarded an M..C. and according 
to to-day's paper this Bde: has got another V.C., Sgt. Dwyer 
of the M.G.Co.

Its hard to keep one's eye on the horses here, they 
are scattered about in barns, up lanes, alley ways, in back 
yards and all over the place.

Bert. Shoebridge, who used to play football with Fritz 
and who is my Serge. in the 12th Bde. was over to see me to-day. 
He has just returned from Paris, the village of fizz fags 
and femininity. No more London for Bert. Paris will do him.

Think I must take a run up about Xmas.

28.11.17. Quite a beautiful morning 
poking in back yards and up lanes looking for the Machine 
Gunners horses. Gen. McLagan was here to hand out complimentary 
cards by the dozen to men who in any previous war would 
have got all sorts of medals.

In the afternoon we played the Gun.Co. and after 
having the game in hand till ¾ time our famous team "did its 
block" and we were beaten. If we'd used our heads we were home 
on the beit. Percy Trotter and Co. were also beaten by the 
14th Btn.- a great surprise.

29.11.17. The weather still continues wonderfully mild, which 
would seem to be a special dispensation.

On the road round the 12th Bde. I encountered the 
redoubtable/

57

redoubtable Major (Father) Devine - he is a hard case and one 
of the most popular men in the A.I.F. He goes into the 
trenches with his tin hat &c. and his haversack of McConochie 
and is quite one of the boys. He was courtmartialled on one 
occasion for doing the above. Comes from Coburg.

Talking of encountering people, what a great lot of 
old Melburnians are her - even Bill's groom is an O.M. The 
latest one I have met is Capt. Payne T.O. of the 12th Bde. 
and the best T.O. ever.

Went to the Pierrots in the eve! their estaminet 
scene is partic: good. I wish you could see old Paddy Devlin 
tho' he's the bandmaster of the 16th and he had his band going 
in the interval. Puts a bit of ginger into it, Paddy does, 
and the sweat pours off his bald head with the Hg just 
bubbling over the 0°.

30.11.17. Thanks to a special message from Bill I had to attend 

to a V.O's conference at Gamaches - much talk but little else.

Then I had to pick up the Brig. and Co. at an ill 
defined spot on the map, some 10 miles distant. By some mischance 
I hit them about lunch time - the whole of the 4th Bde. 
being out for a route march. It enabled me to have a good 
look round the transport and did I do justice to the lunch! 
Bully hasn't tasted so good for many a day and there was cheese 
and tea and jam and all sorts of good things. Lobbed home 
about 3 p.m. so old Dick had a full day.

I can't get over how nice Bill was, the only thing I 
regret is that I didn't ask him for leave to visit Paris. 
Think I'll drop him a line.

1.12.17. Went over to the 12th Bde. and role thro' Tully, 
Allenay and St. Quentin, which is quite close to the sea.

Shoebridge is some Vet. Sergt. I haven't seen the 
12th Bde. since they were at Halifax Camp, and I questioned him 
concerning two cases of chronic catarrh that were on our 
hands then. He blandly informed me that he shoo'ed them away 
one dark and brought the battn. up to strength again with two 
mules off a Tommy line close at hand. Looks well on the 
A.F.a 2000 tho'. two cases catarrh "cured".

Played the 4th Fld. Amb. in the afternoon, but owing 
to a deplorablye deficiency of grey matter the "Others" were 
badly beaten.

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2.12.17. Sunday - but not so you'd notice and it was necessary 
to go to Fressenville in a half hearted sort of a snow storm 
to see the 4th Fld. Amb.

In the afternoon saw all the C.Os of this Bde. collected 
together. Gee! if we only had 20th Divns.

Col. McSharry is a character - they have introduced 
some new fangled rules into a boxing tourney to come off 
shortly and the Col. highly resents them. He wound up a long 
tirade by adding - "That's what happens when old women take a 
hand at running sports", and when questioned sharply by the 
Brig. amended it to "well old ladies then".

In the evening I was entertained by Lt. Johnson and 
Tweedie (Asst.Staff Capt) on their Gallipoli experiences. I 
have noted some of them elsewhere.

3.12.17. Ice on the water this morn: why ever did I leave my 
dear old Aus^sie.

Talk about a gutser - Sigs and I had just decided that 
we'd be here till the end of Jan. at least, and I had visions 
of Paris and the S. of France when in came a memo requiring all 
units to be ready to move by train at short notice - looks as 
tho' we're bound for the wire and mine and bombs again. It's too 
cruel as we've just built rifle ranges and baths and football 
grounds and all sorts of things, but as the French say - "la 
guerre" I s'pose. Looks as tho' old Byng has bitten off more 
than he can chew. I was far too sanguine on 23.11.17 wasn't I? 
Things must be pretty serious tho' when they are bringing back 
such a crippled division as this one, from such a distance.

Goodbye a quiet Xmas.

4.12.17. Put in a rough day rounding up the cripples and getting 
them over to Jimmie. Needless to say I had several on hand 
expecting to be here for some time.

I find we are bound for Peronne this time - just down 
S. of Cambrai. We always gets a ringside seat don't we? What a 
nightmare the train journey will be.

Went to the Pierrots - nothing seems to upset them and 
they were in extra fine form. There are numerous civilians 
present who seemed to enjoy the show immensely - some showed 
signs of hysterics espy. when Dinks trod on the leading ladiey's 
train and left her standing in a camisole and not much else. 
Dinks remarks as the lady hurries off -"you've left your field 
dressing miss", but the Frenchies don't get that.

one/

59

One thing about us - we come in with a reputation 
that wants mercuric biniodiding but they miss us when we go, 
Turps vouch for that - here anyway.

[ ].17. In lieu of instructions from the D.A.D.V.S. who I 
expect died of wounds I decided I'd act as entraining officer, 
for this Bde. at all events. We have had allotted to us one 
train every 4 hours for 24 hours, but I don't suppose I would 
be expected to see every train loaded.

Got a start bright and early and in spite of the well 
frozen (by now) roads and an extremely burn ankle I dodged back 
and forth to Woincourt (the entraining station).

Monsieur Turps and I have decided to go on the 10 a.m. 
train tomorrow morn.

Madame put me and my pal up giving us dinner and 
breakfast - in regal style - and packing us a hamper for the 
journey. God bless her!

[ ].17. Boarded the train which was carrying the 4th Field.Amb. 
and the final remnants of the 4th Bde. and set out at 10.30 a.m. 
A fine bright day but dreadfully cold. We had in the carriage 
with us an oil stove belonging to the A.M.C. but about all that 
came out of the blinking thing was black smoke. We made quite 
a record run for a French train and passed thro' Abbeville, 
Amiens in great style. Then we entered the war area and the 
ground evacuated by the Bosch after the Somme. The geography 
man was right, it was Somme battle. As far as the eye can see 
the country is dissected with trenches and dugouts and blasted 
and scarred with shell holes (all of which were partly filled 
with ice) There isn't a house to be seen for miles - there is 
a moth eaten looking chimney here and there but nothing else. 
Then there's the rushy barb wire - there enough to run a couple 
of barbs round the whole globe.

Then we ran into where Peronne used to be and amidst 
the general confusion around the station (6.30 p.m. and quite 
dark) I ran into Claydon with Dick for me, so I hopped it to 
our new camp. Arrived - I found Hqrs. quartered in some Nisson- 
Bow huts and my hut mates engaged in plugging holes in the floor 
and sides with paper.

After a sumptuous meal of cold pork and beans retired 
to the hut which is occupied by Lts. McDowell, Tweedie, Waring, 
Johnson, Mons, Turps and self. An excellent stove dispenses 
much warmth, but unfortunately also and continual gentle showers 
of smuts.