Walter Draycott’s Great War Chronicle

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You are here: Home / Archives for Sarah McLennan

Wednesday 5 January 1916 – fair

January 5, 2016 by Sarah McLennan

Feeling very weak but slightly better. Capt Barclay went to trenches at Ploegsteert on Saturday David Young & Walter Dunham go on 7 days leave to England. They take films for me.


*Ploegsteert – A village in Belgium where fierce fighting took place during the First World War. Winston Churchill fought as a commanding officer in this area during 1916. Today the village holds a memorial to commemorate soldiers who died in Ploegsteert but have no grave.

Filed Under: 1916, Diary Entries Tagged With: Belgium, Capt Barclay, England, Ploegsteert, Winston Churchill

Tuesday 4 January 1916 – fair

January 4, 2016 by Sarah McLennan

Battn goes north marching in full marching order. One of our boys dying thru cerebrospinal meningitis contracted at the stinking huts at La Clytte.


*Meningitis – An inflammation of the protective membranes that line the spinal cord and the brain usually due to an infection. As there were no antibiotics during the First World War and soldiers were often billeted in close quarters the disease quickly ran rampant, and could leave victims deaf, blind or with permanent brain damage.

Filed Under: 1916, Diary Entries Tagged With: cerebrospinal meningitis, La Clytte, stinking huts

Monday 3 January 1916 – fair

January 3, 2016 by Sarah McLennan

(Draycott mistakenly writes “Monday 2nd Jan.”)
High winds prevail during the day am still confined to bed thru illness felling very weak. Zeppelins pass over out billet going south.

Filed Under: 1916, Diary Entries

Sunday 2 January 1916 – fair

January 2, 2016 by Sarah McLennan

Am suffering much pain & inconvenience. Doctor comes to see me –gives pills!!!
L/c Lightbody holds a Service in evening in my barn good attendance.

Filed Under: 1916, Diary Entries

Saturday 1 January 1916 – fair

January 1, 2016 by Sarah McLennan

1st day of 1916
The Hun bombard La Clytte again doing furious damage. Our officers are down with colds including the doctor all in bed. Poor Tommy Atkins has to be up & down despite his cold.
No Celebration of the year as all estimates are out of bounds & also the village of Godewaersvelde + Hitre.
I have a bad attack of neuralgia, headache, backache & pain all over also cold in head and cough. I lay on straw in a windy barn & -Rest


*La Clytte – Brigade headquarters were located at La Clytte during the war and the area was also the location of a military cemetery for Infantry, Artillery and Engineer units. La Clytte is a World War One Cemetery to this day where 1082 allied soldiers are buried, including 238 bodies that could not be identified.

Filed Under: 1916, Diary Entries Tagged With: La Clytte, village of Godewaersvelde + Hitre, World War One Cemetery

Friday 31 December 1915

December 31, 2015 by Sarah McLennan

The Battalion moves to Fletre again. I go to hospital for wound to be dressed and follow up later on. Call at several cafés en route and have coffee. Also take short cuts across fields. Arrive at billet at 12:30 (noon).
Am feeling very unwell after march. Bad cold on chest. Carried pack (80 lbs) for 12 kilometers. Lie in bed until 11 am next day.

Filed Under: 1915, Diary Entries Tagged With: Flêtre, hospital

Thursday 30 December 1915

December 30, 2015 by Sarah McLennan

The Artillery are quiet. I go to hospital to have my wound dressed then on to [Ville? Kruis]. Germans did quite a lot of damage and many houses are destroyed.
We are now in 7th Brigade 3rd Division. General Mercer in Command.

Filed Under: 1915, Diary Entries Tagged With: brigade, division, General Mercer

Wednesday 29 December 1915 – fine

December 29, 2015 by Sarah McLennan

https://monova.ca/greatwarchronicles/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Wednesday_December_29_1915.mp3
Score of aeroplane flights. About 15 aeroplanes make a raid over Messine and Menen. They are heavily shelled by the Huns. I go to 5th Field Ambulance for operation on my finger. Sent there by our own Officer (Medical). I faint twice during the operation. The splinter is then taken out.
Later, I return to camp, pay to Captain Barclay 4 Francs. In afternoon go for a walk to Kemmel as I am feeling restless after the operation. Cross fields, dykes, and hedges, very muddy. Outskirts of Kemmel is [pitted] with large shell holes. Huns busy shelling us. Anywhere is safe so what’s the difference. The trenches around Kemmel are named after Vancouver and its Streets, Winnipeg and its streets.
The village is badly shelled and majority of houses and shops in ruins. Strange enough the church has only been struck once in the tower but churchyard is torn up by shells and lots of graves have been blown up. Crosses and monuments scattered. I return to camp same way.
Huns drop few shells in La Clytte killing two civilians and wounding two of our transport men seriously. I was only at La Clytte a few hours before having my wound dressed. The rats torment us at night.


* Mont Kemmel – A large hill hear near the municipality of Heuvella in West Flanders. It was an important battle site during the war held by the Allies during most of WWI but taken by the Germans in mid-1918 during the battle of Lys. However it was quickly recaptured in September of that year. The hill was extremely battered by shells during the war.

Filed Under: 1915, Diary Entries Tagged With: 5th Field Ambulance, Captain Barclay, Huns, Kemmel, Menen, Messine, mp3

Tuesday 28 December 1915 – rain and fair

December 28, 2015 by Sarah McLennan

Corporal Griggs and party of six men go to farm to arrest two men, one woman and one girl. Take them to Westoutre and hand them over to police as spies. The women are put in cell with drunken soldiers – a damned shame reflecting discredit on the persons responsible.
All quiet on front.

Filed Under: 1915, Diary Entries Tagged With: Corporal Griggs, Westoutre

Monday 27 December 1915 – rain

December 27, 2015 by Sarah McLennan

To shoemaker to repair my shoes. Takes two hours.

Filed Under: 1915, Diary Entries Tagged With: repair

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