Diaries of William Edward Peach 1915-1918 - Part 8

67
1917 
Sunday, 1st April
Brigade Church Parade. Brigadier present. Had afternoon
to ourselves. Got a letter from Mum.
Monday 2nd
Left Buire (full marching order) for Albert. On way to

1st Australian Division School. Arrived at Albert about
10 a.m. Not going any further till following day, so had
good look around the town. Heavy fall of snow.
Tuesday 3rd
Snow still lying about and cold wind blowing. Left
Albert about 11 a.m. in buses. Travelled via Amiens and
Picquigay to Flixecourt. Got settled down into billets
and then went for a stroll into LaChaussee.
Wednesday 4th
First day of school. Back onto squad drill, physical
jerks etc. Fairly easy day's work.
Thursday 5th
Getting settled down to routine of school. Discipline
very strict. Boots to be cleaned daily, face to be
shaven every morning etc. Concert in 4th Division hall
at night. Very good show. Miss Dulcima Moore and other
Red Cross ladies entertaining. Big lot of French people
present.
Friday 6th
Good Friday. Drill as usual. Dry bread and figs for
tea. Bully for dinner. Concert in school hall at night.
Saturday 7th
Morning parade. Only football match in afternoon. NCOs
against officers. NCOs won. Got paid at night. Stayed
in and wrote letters.

68
1917
Sunday 8th April
Easter Sunday. Perfect day. Church parade in lecture
hall. General inspection by Colonel Smith. Left for
Amiens straight after church. Got a ride in in Tommy
motor transport train. Had a good look all around
Amiens. Went all through the Cathedral. Took a run out
to several of the tram terminuses. Had a hard job to get
a decent feed. Had two dinners, one on top of other but
still hungry. Came back to Picquigny by train about 7
p.m. Had a good feed at Le Chaussee on way home. Turned
into bed early.
Monday 9th
Snow, hail and rain at intervals all day long. Out
drilling in it as usual. Got letters from Mum, Oll,
Vera, Daisy, Jean, Grandpa, Charlotte, Flo.
Tuesday 10th
Snowing hard when we got up. Snow and hail at intervals
all day. Outside drilling in it all.
Wednesday 11th
Another unpleasant day. Driven in from afternoon parade
by bit of a blizzard (a mixture of snow, hail and ice).
Very heavy fall of snow in evening. Settled to fair
depth.
Thursday 12th
Rather easy day's work. Very cold winds and slight
showers of rain. Went to concert at night in 4th Div.
Hall "Farewell to La Chausee" concert by 4th Div. School.
Friday 13th
Nice fine day. Did a little firing at rifle range. Very
good concert by 1st Division School at night. Had
lecture by officer of R.F.C. in evening.

69
1917
Saturday 14th April
Another nice day. Finished work at dinner time. Soccer
match in afternoon between Officers and N.C.Os. Victory
for Officers. Got a couple of letters, 1 from Jean and 1 
from Auntie Nellie in which was enclosed a returned
letter dated 30.4.1916.
Sunday 15th
Church parade in morning. Wet day. Had pass for Amiens
but stayed in and wrote letters. Went for promenade
along river bank in evening.
Monday 16th
Got letters from Jean 2 (1 written 29.5.1916), Oll, Daisy
(with photo of self enclosed), Mum and Auntie Maggie.
Ordinary parades as usual.
Tuesday 17th
Rotten day. Got driven in from parade ground by blizzard
of hail. Went for a trial run for 2 mile race. Got
blown out before I had gone 300 yards.
Wednesday 18th
Too wet to go out on parade ground so spent time at
machine guns etc. inside hall. Writing up notes at
night.
Thursday 19th
Had a few shots at 50 yards rifle range. Shooting fairly
well. Out drilling squad in afternoon before Colonel
Smith. Went into Picquigny at night. Had hair cut by
Froggy barber.
Friday 20th
On road reconnaisence work. Making sketch of road using
prismatic compass. Lovely day. Things lively at night
in billet.

70
1917
Saturday 21st April
Colonel giving a number of us a test in morning. Rugby
match on in afternoon between N.C.Os and Cadets.
Sunday 22nd
Jean's birthday. Wrote several letters. Lovely day.
Went for a walk along river bank. Went Ailly sur Somme
in afternoon. Church parade as usual in morning.
Monday 23rd
Guns very noisy all morning. Out among hills practicing
advance guard. Another fine day. Got letters from Mum
2, 2 photos, post card and letter from Lil, and a letter
from Ida.
Tuesday 24th
Weather still keeping A1. Looking like as if Spring
trying to put in an appearance. In the creek for a dip
after tea. Put up record for platoon at bayonet fighting
(pointing at rings). Got letters from Mabel, Roy Watson,
Ruby, Mr. Lindsay.
Wednesday 25th
Anzac Day. Shooting at rifle range in morning both with
rifles and machine guns. Finished drill for day at
11.45. Sports started at 1 p.m. Everything went off
nicely. Ran in 2 or 3 events including 2 mile cross
country race but did no good. For 2 mile race 30 started
and I got in 8th. Ran most of way bare footed. Very
solid run. Tea at 6 p.m. Went off tra bon. Roast beef,
mutton, potatoes, sauce, pickles, etc. Followed by as
much custard, jelly and fruit as we could get into us.
Concert at night. Not as good as it could have been.
Most of the lads pretty well drunk. Great doings at
Chateau at night. Nearly everyone, officers included, as
drunk as they could stick. Songs, toast, speeches, and
row a treat. Got to bed about midnight and went straight
off to sleep, notwithstanding row and chaps falling over
the top of me.

71
1917
Thursday 26th April
Feeling as stiff as a post all day. Most of the lads
suffering with sore heads and looking rather sad on it
after last night's outing. Got letters from Mum, Oll,
Auntie Maggie, Lil Smith and Mr. Sapsford.
Friday 27th
Out around the hills all morning doing a bit of map
reading. Platoon competition in afternoon. Our platoon
won the bayonet fighting and I was in team picked for
shooting and scored well (33 out of 40 rapid fire). Got
letters from Mum, Vera, Grace, Lil, Charlotte, Aunt
Nellie, Jean and Vera Robb.
Saturday 28th
Had afternoon off, but spent time writing. Went for
stroll along by river in evening. Got letters from Oll,
Lena and Glad.
Sunday 29th
No church parade. Colonel made a presentation to various
winners of sports on Anzac Day. Went into Amiens. Had
good look around town. Went through Cathedral again and
for ride to St. Pierre in tram. Weather continuing nice
and fine. Everything beginning to look nice and green.
Monday 30th
Said goodbye to Tirangour Chateau. Set off on march with
full packs up at 9 p.m. Marched via St. Vaast and
Flesselles, to Villers (about 10 miles) and spent night
there. Slept out in open (one blanket only).
Tuesday, 1st May
Started on track again at 9 a.m. Roads very bad and
weather hot. Did another 8 miles or so. Route
via Rubempre, Herissart, Toutencourt, to Narponville.
Spent night at latter. Feet not standing march too good.
Got a couple of nice bllisters to go on with. Good number
of others in same fix.

72
1917
Wednesday 2nd May
Left Harponville at 9 a.m. Passed through Varennes and
Hedauville and pulled up for night at Detail camp,
Bouzincourt (Journey about 7 or 8 miles). Very hot day.
Troops not at all sorry when march finished. Had a good
bath in water caught in canvas roof of shed.
Thursday 3rd
Lil's birthday. Settled down in camp for few days
awaiting return of division. Having easy time preparing
camp a bit for couple of hours of a morning and resting
remainder of time.
Friday 4th
Did a little work in morning and went out around the
hills in afternoon shooting hares, partridges, etc. Lads
out shooting in all directions. Had a good feed of
boiled hare for supper.
Saturday 5th
School orderly Corporal. Went for a trip into Albert in
morning with sick parade. All got cautioned about going
out shooting. Town Mayor making complaint. Someone
supposed to have got a bullet through his leg the
previous day. Weather very hot through day, very stormy
looking and cold at night.
Sunday 6th
Got old "Digly" (Major Harris) back in charge of us
again. Had full day off. Poking about writing all the
afternoon.
Monday 7th
Major unable to leave us alone in peace. Had us out over
the hills all day at drill. Took on job for a while as
School Cyclist. Went for a ride into Albert. First time
on a bike since I left Australia.

73
1917
Tuesday 8th May
Wet day. Very heavy showers all morning. Went for short
ride on bike but turned back as mud too bad. Very 
sticky.
Wednesday 9th
Vera's birthday. Had bike pinched through night so had
to knock around on foot all day. Very little doing.
Thursday 10th
Got word from Division to rejoin units soon as possible.
Left Bouzincourt about 1.30 p.m. Travelled via Ovillers
and Contalmaison to Bazent-in le Petit where we spent the
night. (Distance of march about 7-1/2 miles.).
Friday 11th
Left Bazent-in about 9 a.m. Travelled via High Wood, Le
Sars and Bapaume to camp mile or so past Bapaume. Town
of Bapaume knocked about a good deal, but country round
about camp in very good order. Place looking nice and
green. Very heavy bombardment at night. Sleeping out in
open. Met Fred and Clarrie once again.
Saturday 12th
Division expected to move up into line, but arrangements
altered. Poking about all day having a spell.
Innoculated in afternoon. Got letters from Grandpa, Fred
and Mr. Lindsay (Mr. Lindsay's letter giving news of
Willie's death). Band out giving us a few selections in
evening. Slept out again. Slight shower of rain through
night.
Sunday 13th
Band out again in afternoon giving us some music.
Mounted Guard in evening. Very heavy rain through night.

74

1917

Monday 14th May

On Guard all day. Got 12 letters as follows: Mum 2, 
Lil 3, Oll, Vera, Daisy, Verna, Lil Smith, Flo, Ida. Saw 
exciting fight in air. Fritz machine brought down. 

Tuesday, 15th
Having a fairly easy time. New Colonel not working us 
too hard. Fred and I out for a bit of a stroll at night.

Wednesday 16th

Nice fine day. Drilling, playing games, etc. all day. 
Football match in evening. Got a letter from Sam and 
Mary.

Thursday 17th

Out on parade in morning. Half holiday in afternoon. 
Football match between 7th and 8th Battalion.

Friday 18th

Out drilling all day. Company and half left to go rip 
toward line on fatigue. 
Saturday 19th

Morning parade only. Fred and I went into Bapaume in 
afternoon and had a good look at ruin. Place badly 
knocked about. Not a house to be seen that is not in 
ruin. Debris yards deep. Town Hall just a mass of 
bricks and rubbish Statue erected to memory of certain 
general who helped drive Huns out of Bapaume 1871 smashed 
to pieces. Cemetery left in good condition. German, 
English, French and Australian graves all side by side. 
Monument erected to soldiers who fell in war 1871 not 
touched at all, but another monument erected in line with 
it by Fritz.

Sunday 20th

Out with a fatigue party in morning so missed church 
parade. Fred and I went to service in Y.M.C.A. at night.

75

1917

Monday 21st May

Grace's birthday. On track again. Left camp about 7.30 
a,m. and marched to camp at Ovillers, via Bapaume Le Sara 
and Pozieres. Went back to Pozieres in evening and had a 
roam around old battlefield. Could not find any trace of 
Perce's grave. Spent night at Ovillers. 

Tuesday 22nd

Reveille at 4.30 a.m. Got an early start on roads. 
Raining hard. Marched via Albert, Millen Court, 
Lavieville, and Henencourt to camp in Henencourt Wood. 
Very pretty wood (Elm trees). Everything lovely and 
green.

Wednesday 23rd

Broke plate of teeth in half. On dental parade both 
morning and afternoon but dental room not ready. Met 
Arthur French. Went for a wander through Chateau garden 
and wood. Flowers all out in full bloom. Very pretty 
sight.

Thursday 24th

On dental parade again both morning and afternoon. Got 
attention at last. Got a letter from Stan and several 
papers from Jean.

Friday 25th

Took over job of Company Orderly Corporal. Summoned as a 
witness for Court Martial but not required.

Saturday 26th

Having a very easy time of it. Went for a stroll through 
the wood. Long avenues very nice way on fine days. 
Having a good chat to Budge Robb.

Sunday 27th

Company away at Church parade. Unable to go with them. 
Did a bit of letter writing in afternoon. Got my teeth 
returned O.K.

76

1917

Monday 28th May

Whole battalion out in afternoon for 3-1/2 mile cross 
country race. Very hot day so very fatiguing. "A" 
Company were the winners. Fastest time 30 minutes. I 
came in somewhere in first 20 of our Company. Time 37 
mins. Fred gone away with Lt. Dickenson to school.

Tuesday 29th

Got a letter from Sylvia. Rather dull day. Feeling a 
bit stiff after race.

Wednesday 30th

Unit on parade in afternoon to take part in Bayonet 
fighting competitions. Did well in all practices. 
Scored highest in Company at pointing at rings (got 
possible). Sixth Brigade held sports on our parade 
ground. Very successful turnout. Boxing contests at 
stadium in evening.

Thursday 31st

Best companies from various Battalions ran off 2 mile 
road races to find out which was best company in Brigade. 
(Company out of 8th Battalion were winners). Fastest 
time in our company 14 minutes. I was fairly well up on 
list doing it under 16 minutes.

Friday, 1st June

Platoon shooting competitions. Our platoon got highest 
score in A Company, but shooting very poor.

Saturday 2nd

Still continuing on with job of Orderly Corporal. 
Spending half my time lying down in shade of trees. 
Weather keeping A1, and place looking lovely.

Sunday 3rd

Doing same as usual, poking about trying to fill in time. 
Got a loan of a dummy key from one of sigs and had a bit 
of practice at the old game.