The General passes up the trench at 10:30 after a severe bombardment. The Huns again bombard in afternoon doing consid. dam. to dugouts + trenches. In fixing up a trench we dig up a dead German with belt + bayonet on. Hair off skull
Cold, damp, then frosty night
Friday 14 January 1916 – Fair, Rain at night
To Hd. Qrt in morning & shaved Sgt MacCord. Heavy shelling on both sides. To no 2 Coy in the trenches. We (PP’s) using Rifle grenades. Huns retaliate by using same + shells of High Explosives. Am lucky again a shell bursts in Communication trench just as I am going through. Splinters & fragments fly all around. Our Lyddite shells blow up sections of German trench & a Hun is seen in the air with it. The firing line is a series of dug outs & fairly comfortable save for the mud.
* Lyddite shells- British explosive shells filled with the compound lyddite. Invented in 1896, they were the first ever British High Explosive shell. Lyddite is a picric acid that is allowed to solidify so that it is easily detonated. After the shell hit its target the Lyddite explodes, sending fragments of the shell and shrapnel in all directions.
Saturday 25 December 1915 – Christmas Day
The Germans were silent all night, also our gunmen. Rains heavy all morning. Private David Young, Private Walter Durham and myself assay a march into Ypres. We start at 11:20 over a very muddy and hard cobble stone road. Arrived at Dickebusch at 12:20 noon got “dinner” after a deal of trouble – two eggs and some chopped potatoes. No coffee nor tea. The Military Authorities have banned the sale – suspicious of rum etc being in it – until 6 pm. Left Dickebusch at 1 pm for Ypres. Awful road to travel on. Five kilometers from Dickebusch to Ypres. Large shell holes cover the fields on either side, trees cut down by shells etc. Pass several sentries. Cross bridge over the canal or moat. Everywhere is ruin and desolation. Not a house habitable. We pass the Railway Station on our left and ramparts on right and enter street covered with brick and masonry. Arrive at Cloth Hall and Cathedral. We go inside to inspect. Only two minarets standing. We pass over the market square [and enter] Convent of St Maria in ruins. After, to Church of St Jacques. Pass pile of debris whereon is a cross with words “Under this debris lie the bodies of 6 men of the K.O.Y.L.I (King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry)”. Near Church of St Jacques is grave to two “unknown friends”. Pass up Rue de Beurre and see Church of St Nicholas with roof completely off. Was bombed April 22. Visit another Convent and yet another. There were 20 Convents in Ypres before the war. Plenty of troops have had more than they can carry of wine and beer and are [rolling] a good bit. On way back we met several parties going to the trenches, carrying Christmas parcels and looking rather moody and thoughtful about their present and past Christmas.
Corporal Lightbody held Service in [hut] with gamblers on opposite side.
Thursday 23 December 1915
Battalion goes digging in morning and night by half companies. The Huns do very little shelling. The rain still comes down heavily. Lance Corporal Alec MacQueen and I walk to Dickebusch. To see grave of Lance Corporal W J Huston of Princess Patricias Canadian Light Infantry. Died of wounds last January. Also Sergeant Mansbridge. Both graves are grass covered with a cross on top and one at the head. The inscription is of zinc with letters embossed. The grave of Captain Newton is ready for another corpse as his body has been removed. There is a hole 15 feet in diameter in the church wall caused by shell of Germans. Ypres is deserted except for Burgo-master.
*Burgo-master – The leader of the town i.e. the Mayor.
Sunday 19 December 1915 – fine
The Regiment leaves Flêtre at 9 am for La Clytte. Very heavy cannonading during the night and morning between Ypres and Armentieres. Lieutenant Harry Bristowe goes down to the base – sick. Leave billet alone to Mont des Cats. At an inn there the proprietor says she smelled gas which the Germans had been using. It had come into her house. Same incident at Berthen and Westouter thro’ which villages I passed. I arrive at La Clytte; what a hole!!
Mud up to thighs; awful stuff.
The Regiment encamps under canvas tents. A hellish bombardment goes on all around our front. We are next to a battery of 8 inch naval guns. A grand fight at night.
[Out] between Berthen and Westouter. I saw 3 separate fights between aeroplanes, Germans and ours. Our fellows downed them every time.
Artillery pounded away at night and morning.
Germans used gas which I had a taste of but it suddenly turned with the wind and fixed them instead of us. The Cheshire Regiment capture 3 kilometers of trenches and capture 700 Huns. Wallach gets Orderly job.
*Chlorine-Phosgene combined gas attack – December 19th 1915 was the first time the Germans used combined chlorine-phosgene gas as a weapon. 88 tons of gas was released at Wieltje near Ypres causing 1069 casualties and 69 deaths. Allied troops had gas masks available at this time which helped decrease the death toll.
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.
Tuesday 28 September 1915
I’m on sentry at 12 to 1 pm. Lots of sniping. It rains during the afternoon and all night. About 6 pm the Germans give us a shower of bombs and we reply with our trench mortars. ‘Tis raining hard. A regular battle is raging. We are wet and covered all over in wet slimy mud. Rifle choked. The engagement dies down. I am on sentry with Private Dermot at 2:54 am. Snipers very busy and accurate. I go along ammunition trench about a mile long – alone – to report message to Headquarters.
*Ross Rifle – The Ross Rifle was a bolt-action rifle produced in Canada and used by Canadian troops during WWI. Before the war the Ross Rifle was highly successful in target shooting. However it was poorly suited for trench warfare as it was easily jammed by mud and dirt. Many Canadian troops preferred the Lee Enfield rifle that was becoming standard across the British Empire, often taking the rifles from British casualties. In July of 1916 the replacement of all Ross rifles with Lee Enfields was ordered, though some snipers continued to use the Ross rifle due to its exceptional accuracy at long ranges.
Thursday 23 September 1915 – fine
Sleeping out. We hear the Germans[sic] have taken Vilna in Russia. Try fishing in River Somme. No luck.
Saturday 11 September 1915
On a Battalion Parade to hear and see the Degradation of Corporal…
To Nieppe with Corporal Griggs and made many purchases. Germans and allies bombard heavily.
Tuesday 17 August 1915 – showers
Germans bombard Whitehaven and Coast of Northumberland.
Attend Muster Parade at 9 am. Send Cap badge and collar badge to Mrs (Rev’d) A.T Stone of Barrow on Soar.
