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You are here: Home / Archives for Captain Barclay

Monday 10 January 1916

January 10, 2016 by Sarah McLennan

Coy goes to trench by 2 platoon, 5916, 13+14 tonight under Captain Barclay
I go to the battered town of Neuve Eglise. The Church yard is torn up by shells and several graves exhumed. Several English British Regts have men interred here. The Church a total wreck. I have some coffee at a house fortunately left untouched. They unfold their story to me of Bosch versus British in earlier days. On to Wulverghem visit the ruins of Church & convent then on to Lindhoek. Passed dressing station of Red Cross. Saw several graves of 29th Bn. which had been exhumed by German shells the day before. Sergt Major Patterson goes on leave & Pt Palmer comes back.

Filed Under: 1916, Diary Entries Tagged With: 2 platoon, batttered town of Neuve Eglise, Captain Barclay, German shells, Lindhoek, Major Patterson, Red Cross, Wulverghem

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 9 November 1915

November 9, 2015 by Sarah McLennan

https://monova.ca/greatwarchronicles/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Tuesday_November_9_1915.mp3
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

Filed Under: 1915, Diary Entries Tagged With: Battalion, Captain Barclay, Esprit de Corps, Major Gault

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