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You are here: Home / Archives for Bailleul

Monday 13 March 1916 – fine

March 13, 2016 by Sarah McLennan

Work all morning cutting hair, then on pass Steenwerck to see if bro Charles is with the Notts and Derbys there. No luck, he is at Etaples on the coast.
Stay in Bailleul with Lance Corporal MacQueen and Pvt Galbraith have tea there then walk back to billets.

Filed Under: 1916, Diary Entries Tagged With: Bailleul, Corporal MacQueen, Pvt Galbraith

Saturday 11 March 1916

March 11, 2016 by Sarah McLennan

On bus in Locre to rejoin rgt. We are told rgt. Left Dranoutre for Fletre or Mont des Cats. Back to Bailleul & report to Can. camp Commandant at 11 am.
Get into motor lorrie for Meteren & then walk to billets near Mont des Cats, arrive about 1:15 PM. A great greeting by the troops who afterwards informed me I was in orders as struck off the strength of battalion active list. Should have gone to Folkestone or Shorncliffe.

Filed Under: 1916, Diary Entries Tagged With: Bailleul, folkstone, Mont des Cats, Shorncliffe

Friday 10 March 1916

March 10, 2016 by Sarah McLennan

Stayed in train from 10 PM (Thursday) till 4 am without moving. Arrived Saint Omer 7:30 & changed here for Hazebrouck arr. 8:15 am. Here we get orders to change again & take train for Bailleul at 6:29 PM, arrive Bailleul 7:30 PM. Taken by M[ilitary] Police to billets & stay night there to await orders.

Filed Under: 1916, Diary Entries Tagged With: Bailleul, Hazebrouck, Saint Omer

Monday 21 February 1916

February 21, 2016 by Sarah McLennan

Heavy frost
At 2:30 am dress for departure. Await transport in Locre. Leave Locre 4:40 AM, arrive Bailleul 5:15, leave 5:30 AM, arr. Boulogne 10:15 am, leave Boulogne 12:15, arr. Folkestone, 1:30 PM, depart. Folkestone 2 PM, arr. Victoria [station] 5 PM, leave St Pancras [station] 6, arr. Leicester 7:55 go to aunt Louise & stay night.

Filed Under: 1916, Diary Entries Tagged With: Bailleul, Boulogne, folkstone, Leicester, Locre

Sunday 23 January 1916 – Foggy & Fair

January 23, 2016 by Sarah McLennan

Foggy, all stand to arms until clear. Maxim + Machine guns keep up a heavy fire.
Last night heavy rifle & Machine gun fire. Several Hun Aeroplanes over our lines. Our artillery fire 150 shells but fail to hit them. Capt Barclay + Cpl Griggs go to Bailleul for course of Bomb throwing etc.

Cpl Neal, Pri J Forrest + Craig go to England on leave yesterday.

About 3 PM the Huns send over whiz bangs etc. They burst only a few feet away from us.
Taubes fly overhead, a battle is going on in the clouds. We are relieved by 42ed Canadians after. Heavy frost at night. Lots of strafing by us and the Huns


*Strafing – Attacking ground targets from low-flying aircraft. Strafing was first used in World War One to attack trenches and supply columns from the air. The German army was the first to introduce aircraft made specifically for strafing. They built airplanes armed with downward-facing machine guns and armor to protect against ground fire


*AEG J.I German Armoured Ground attack aircraft

“Aegj.i” by This file is lacking author information. – http://www.aviastar.org/air/germany/aeg_1.php. Licensed under Public domain via Wikimedia Commons – http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Aegj.i.jpg#mediaviewer/File:Aegj.i.jpg

Filed Under: 1916, Diary Entries Tagged With: AEG J.I German Armoured Ground attack aircraft, Bailleul, Cpl Griggs, Hun Aeroplanes, Strafing

Thursday 6 January 1916

January 6, 2016 by Sarah McLennan

https://monova.ca/greatwarchronicles/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Thursday_January_6_1916.mp3
12 months ago today we entered Trenches for 1st time. The battn goes to Bailleul for Concert etc; Am feeling very unwell yet. Very nasty wet miserable day.

Filed Under: 1916, Diary Entries Tagged With: Bailleul, mp3

Sunday 26 December 1915 – fine day

December 26, 2015 by Sarah McLennan

Walked into Bailleul for boot repairing and haircut, but nothing doing. They do not work on Sundays but will sell anything.
Sent ring to Miss Alwyn Browne as souvenir of Belgium (Ypres). Had eggs and very tough steak also some coffee for dinner.
Bought ring souvenir for Miss Alwyn Browne and forwarded it on to her. Also 2 for self, 3.50, 4.00 and 2.50 [£]. Got a lift to Belgium border on motor lorry and then to Locre. Kept fine in afternoon.

Filed Under: 1915, Diary Entries Tagged With: Bailleul, Belgium, Ypres

Monday 13 December 1915

December 13, 2015 by Sarah McLennan

https://monova.ca/greatwarchronicles/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Monday_December_13_1915.mp3
Battalion goes route marching 18 kilometres. Private Wallach and I jump on motor lorry intending to go to Bailleul but go (by mistake) to Hazebrouck instead. Purchase souvenirs and postcards (leave Hazebrouck at 3 pm for Bailleul by motor lorry. Arrive at 3:30. have tea at a pokey little place. I nearly collapse am very ill, sick headache and stomach. Walk home 15 kilometres.) Of all the pokey holes Hazebrouck [is one] for getting something to eat. We visited every shop in Hazebrouck for a dinner but could find none. Could get lots of soup, bread, accompanied with beer or coffee.
No. 4 Company are soccer champs, beat 13 Platoon.

Filed Under: 1915, Diary Entries Tagged With: Bailleul, Hazebrouck, mp3, pokey

Friday 10 December 1915 – rain and gale

December 10, 2015 by Sarah McLennan

J.C Walker (Lieutenant in [Lancashire] Fusiliers) and I walk into Godewarsvelde. Purchase postcards and have coffee. The people speak very good English but charge “very tall” for everything.
The Company march to Bailleul (16 or 18 kilometres return) for purpose of having a bath!!!!!! A waste of time and shoe leather as the men will need another bath at the end thro’ perspirating on return journey.

Filed Under: 1915, Diary Entries Tagged With: Bailleul, Godewarsvelde, Lieutenant J.C Walker

Saturday 9 January 1915 – Rain

January 9, 2015 by Sarah McLennan

https://monova.ca/greatwarchronicles/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Saturday_January_9_1915.mp3
Left the temporary hospital here at Dickebush and taken in motor wagons to Bailleul. Here, I inoculated and go through awful agony. At night I cannot sleep and my breathing comes in painful gasps.

Filed Under: 1915, Diary Entries Tagged With: Bailleul, Dickebush, mp3

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