September 1916

September 1916

1 SEP FRIDAY

Still in. Usual routine. Nothing much doing. 1 or two shrapnel otherwise nothing doing. Quiet night.

2 SEP SATURDAY

Same place. Usual routine. Working party, physical drill on the yard. Came in from working party. Gas alarm. Nothing doing though.

3 Sun-11th after Trinity

Awaiting relief. Relieved A & S.H. Marched to camp /////// Bailleul Lost 30 Fs and Janes photo. Had to rely on G.H.R. Nothing doing.

4 Mon

Wet morning off again 8 miles route march. Arr field 12 o’clock. Cleaning up afternoon. Had a walk at night for a feed.

5 Tues- First Quarter, 4.27 a.m.

Early rising fell in for working party. March to Bailleul station. Help to load ////// transport. Railway journey to Wizernes. Unloaded for about 8.

6 Wed

Arrived at Mentque about 2 a.m. Not much of a place. Very little to get. Had a walk to the village. Only small place.

7 Th

Still in Mentque. In a large Chateau. Cleaning up etc. Not much of a place. Nothing to do.

8 Fri

Same place. General inspection. Transferred to A Coy. Capt Downing 8/6.

9 Sat

Got paid in Mentque, 10 Francs. Nothing much doing.

10 Sun-12th after Trinity

Left Mentque route march to station long ride to Longpre. Long march to /// on a bus.

11 Mon- Full Moon, 8.31 p.m.

One day in M.A.B. Inspection etc. Properly messed about no rest.

12 Tues

Off again to Millencourt. Arrived properly tired out and fed up.

13 Wed

In Millencourt. Usual routine Gyms, Coy drill. Bags of troops and Artillery going up.

14 Th

Another day in Millencourt. On the usual thing. Plenty artillery preparation. Watched bombardment from hill top.

15 SEP FRIDAY

We were under orders to move up as the advance started. Eventually moved up to the vicinity of High Wood, attached to the 47th London Division. Arrived tired out and fed up and we had to make our own bivouacs. Today there has been quite a battle going on, shelling, bombing, tanks the lot, must try to get some sleep, who knows what we may have to do tomorrow.

The new, heavy armoured cars (TANKS), were used in the advance, for the first time ever today.

16 SEP SATURDAY

We were roused early this morning, fed and moved off to the trenches, in reserve for carrying parties.

Tonight we have been carrying bombs up to the front line, the battle is still raging, and we have had quite a rough time of it.

17 SEP SUNDAY

We are still in the trenches, resting during the day and on carrying parties by night. I have really got the wind up. its very hairy moving about the front line carrying bombs and we are taking some casualties.

18 SEP MONDAY

Much the same as the previous two days, there’s a lot of selling going on and we have moved up to support more closely the front line.

19 SEP TUESDAY

Out on bombing skirmishes, we were doing quite well and were forcing the enemy well back but we were eventually stopped and forced back a short way ourselves before being relived by a Brigade of the 1st Division. We eagerly moved out and made our way back to the bivouac field, for a rest in our tents. ‘B’ company are not back with us as I write, they were not with us when we went bombing earlier, and must still be in.

20 SEP WEDNESDAY

‘B’ company came in this morning in a right state, properly cut up, they had had trouble coming out.

We have been put on cleaning up and have been parading this afternoon. I am properly sickened, we have just been in the thick of it for four days and instead of a rest, we get drills.

21 SEP THURSDAY

Still in the tents, still doing physical drills and parades. I am very fed up and I’ve had no mail for ages.

22 SEP FRIDAY

Still here, still fed up and now out of fettle.

23 SEP SATURDAY

We are back in the support trenches and I an still fed up. There is a new bombardment on to our right.

24 SEP SUNDAY

Still in the support trenches, to the right of the Bapame road (about three kilometers further north than we were at the beginning of August), between Martinpuich and Courcelette.

25 SEP MONDAY

Today I saw our tanks in action, its not often that the action can be seen from the support trenches. Our Division the 23rd had the aid of two tanks for their advance on the western end of Twenty Sixth Avenue. Watching from the support trench, we saw the tanks set of from Gun Pit Road, followed closely by our old friends the 10th Northumberland Fusiliers. One tank didn’t get very far before ditching and as the other one came over the crest, the Germans started to shell it. This barrage on the tank and the attacking Northumberlands caused the action to be halted and the10th had to fall back. A bombing raid on Twenty Sixth Avenue from the trench to the west of Martinpuich Mill also failed. The 10th Northumberland Fusiliers were badly cut up and took an awful lot of casualties, they were carrying their wounded out, as they moved passed us, going down.

I have kept myself occupy tonight, to help take my mind of the terrible things I’ve seen today, its been very quiet in the trench, I think that everyone is doing the same sort of thing as me.

26 SEP TUESDAY

Got relieved but had a very hard time coming out, there was shelling going on and a couple of shrapnel shells burst above us. The Captain and the Sergeant Major were wounded so I had to take over command and lead us out. Garbutt was also wounded along with young Hepworth, who we had to carry out as far as the first field hospital. The rest of us got back uninjured but shattered and all I wanted to do was get my head down but first I had to report in.

By the time I got back, the lads had eaten and were settled into their tents but there was a brew on, and they had brought me some stew back from the field kitchen. The stew, which could only be described as, filling, was washed down with a wonderful, hot, mug of tea, before eventually getting settled in myself. Hoping to get some news from home tomorrow.

Said a pray tonight for our wounded, and also for the lads of the 10th Northumberland Fusiliers.

27 SEP WEDNESDAY

Back in tents back doing parades, all in all this is a fairly rotten place. There is nowhere to get anything and the field kitchen is not much cop.

We been informed that Garbutt has been taken away to hospital and that tragically, young Hepworth had dyed from his wounds. The good news though is that the Captain and the Sergeant Major are not badly injured.

Still no news from home and now its started raining.

28 SEP THURSDAY

I see that its the Jewish new year today, its now the year 5677, that must mean that Jesus was born in 4761?

Nothing much doing, usual drill plus an arms inspection. Had a short walk but there is nowhere to go.

29 SEP FRIDAY

Same routine as yesterday, then out on working parties in the wind and very heavy rain

30 SEP SATURDAY

Repetition of previous day but the working parties are getting more and more dangerous, the company took a few casualties today. The only good thing is, its stopped raining.