Sergeant Jacques goes to England on leave.
Thursday and Friday, snow falls.
Monday 15 November 1915 – snow
A fall of snow occurred during the night. 3 inches deep.
Captain Griggs goes to Amiens by motor to get teeth fixed.
Am now the only barber in the Regiment for 1,000 men and Officers. Many new Officers arrive for instruction by our Regiment.
Two parades a day. I visit the interior of the Chateau. Very beautiful.
The Germans get ahead of us at Frise and blow up the mines.
They attempted to occupy the excavation but were repulsed after sharp fighting.
Sunday 14 November 1915 – rain
Busy all day, cutting hair.
Saint Fréres factory is idle for the day. Very cold.
Private Bristowe gets his commission.
Saturday 13 November 1915 rain
Rained hard all night.
Busy cutting prisoners heads of hair. We have 30.
Private Williams the other Regimental barber goes to hospital (with [ladies?] fever). Many men have contracted venereal disease from Amiens and other places.
Friday 12 November – rain
Feeling awfully bad a touch of la grippe and the oily smell of the factory wherein we are billeted. Receive two boxes one from Harry and the other from Beatrice Smith.
Busy all day.
*La Grippe – Another term for Influenza.
Thursday 11 November 1915 – rain
Busy in morning cutting hair of No. 4 Company. To dinner at a Private house. The fare consisted of minced meat (beef) chipped potatoes, coffee and milk (hot milk) and two baked apples each.
Price 1 ½ Francs.
A concert is held in evening and proves very successful but for one of the boys getting out of order and insulting one of the Officers. It took six men to “haul him out”.
Wednesday 10 November 1915
Up at 6:45 am. Up to village and purchase coffee at a house.
A large bowl for 2d (pence) and bread etc. Private Day on sentry opposite gets a bowl from the woman who goes over to give it to him in the street.
To the guard room and prisoner quarters to cut hair. We have 41 prisoners in the Guard room.
Go thro’ the sewing factory with Corporal Griggs. Many Singer sewing machines and also some English. The huge Mangles are from Dundee. The engines in the engine room are from United States (Corliss)
* Mangles – a mechanical laundry aid consisting of 2 rollers on a frame connected by cogs. They can be used to wring water from wet laundry or press/flatten textiles.
Tuesday 9 November 1915
The machinery started to revolve at 6 am so slept thro it.
At 10:30 am I meet Captain Barclay who asks me to come to Officers Quarters to cut their hair at 11:30 am. I do so. In afternoon to No. 2 Company cutting hair.
Major Gault lectures the Battalion on Esprit de Corps on the big name the Battalion has made and orders them to keep it. “Do not live on the honors of the past”.
To the factory in afternoon and evening to see the machinery and workings of textile industry.
Watch them make sacking and carpets of all shades. To the dye room and drying machine room.
After a bath in hot water I retire to a bed of skeins of hemp, at 9 pm.
*Esprit de Corps – Another term for morale
Monday 8 November 1915
The Battalion parades at 8 am and march to a field to be inspected by General Smith and also for him to say a farewell speech. Major Gault responded with a grand speech and called for 3 cheers for the General. We sever all communications with the 80th Brigade and 27th Division. We move on to Picquigny with the Band of the General Staff at our head.
Lovely Country with undulating ground and covert woods (spinneys).
Arrived at Picquigny at 10 am. The ruins of an old castle with the portcullis and main entrance in good condition. The castle stands on a prominent hill above and in the town. The walls of the city gateway are visible.
Rested outside the town for ¼ hour and proceeded to Flixecourt arriving at 1:30 pm.
Billeted at Saint Brothers Carpet, Sack, and oil sheet factory in the drying rooms. Amidst oils and dyes. Sickly and warm. After a rest a party (Wallach, Brulungie, Rowley, and self) of us went to visit the Chateau on the hill. Madame Saint gave permission to us to go around the grounds and detailed a servant to shew us around. Visited the gardens, conservatory, [Vinery?] Stable and Kennels.
Afterwards to tea and bed.
I sleep on a pile of hemp skeins and had a good sleep.
Sunday 7 November 1915
Went to Village of Saleux across the fields and railway, 5 kilometers. (Went with Private Driscoll of No. 2 Company).
Made the acquaintance of a Belgian family and had tea there (Beef steak and pomme de terre et fritte and coffee and milk). Sent a silk souvenir to Harry and Seagrave Draycots. Had a look around the village and made tracks for home at 10 pm. Saleux – a very loose town and morals bad. Very small children run to soldiers and want to lead them to brothels etc.
Arrived at Ferriere at midnight, very tired.
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