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.
Saturday 11 March 1916
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.
Friday 10 March 1916
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.
Monday 21 February 1916
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.
Sunday 23 January 1916 – Foggy & Fair
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
Thursday 6 January 1916
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.
Sunday 26 December 1915 – fine day
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.
Monday 13 December 1915
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.
Friday 10 December 1915 – rain and gale
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.
Saturday 9 January 1915 – Rain
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.
