Walter Draycott’s Great War Chronicle

North Vancouver Museum & Archives

logo-monova
  • HOME
  • ABOUT
    • Timelines
      • Graphic Timeline 1914
      • Graphic Timeline 1915
      • Graphic Timeline 1916
    • The War Years
      • Sore feet and Sore Hearts: Walter Draycott’s 1914
      • Your King and Country Needs You? Walter Draycott’s 1915
      • Narrowly Escaping Extinction: Walter Draycott’s 1916
      • Running the Gauntlet: Walter Draycott’s 1917
      • Finally Home: Walter Draycott’s 1918
    • Life of Walter Draycott
  • DIARIES
    • 1914 Entries
    • 1915 Entries
    • 1916 Entries
    • 1917 Entries
    • 1918 Entries
  • MAPS & DRAWINGS
  • ALBUMS
    • Diary Entries
      • Diary Entries 1914
      • Diary Entries 1915
      • Diary Entries 1916
      • Diary Entries 1917
      • Diary Entries 1918
    • Walter Draycott’s World in 1914
    • Walter Draycott’s World in 1915
    • Walter Draycott’s World in 1916
    • Walter Draycott’s World in 1917
    • Faces of Draycott
    • North Vancouver in Uniform
  • COMMENTS
  • ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
  • Featured
You are here: Home / Archives for Huns

Friday 7 January 1916

January 7, 2016 by Sarah McLennan

Left Thieushouck at 11am for Godewaersvelde. Here I had boots re-paired by a Veteran of 1870 who showed me his medal. Left Godewaersvelde for Eglise at 12 noon. One Kilometer outside Eglise I got into a motor lorry & travelled the 5 Kilometres into Poperinghe arr 2 PM. The town which I entered by way of Cassel Street or Rue de Cassel was bombarded last week & the evidence of such can be seen.
Market square is deserted by carts of any kind. The Huns centered their attack on this square. Bought souvenirs had dinner (2 eggs & chipped potatoes with Coffee) + departed. Walked by same route back to Thieushouck. In billets at 5:30 PM. The weather was very stormy a howling wind blowing on into Poperinghe. There were no Canadians at La Hewplace


* Godewaersvelde – A village nearing the Belgian border half way in-between Poperinghe and Hazebrouck. Today it is the sight of a military cemetery whose first burials were later in the war, around 1917.
*Franco-Prussian War – Also known as the war of 1870, this was a conflict between the French Empire and the North German confederation, led by the Kingdom of Prussia. The outcome of German success was the collapse of the French Empire and the German annexation of Alsace-Lorraine. The conflict was also successful in uniting the German states under Prussian King Wilhelm I. The political ramifications and changes in power balances after the Franco-Prussian War helped in part to cause the First World War.

Filed Under: 1916, Diary Entries Tagged With: Eglise, Franco- Prussian War, Godewaersvelde, Huns, La Hewplace, Poperinghe, Thieushouck

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

Thursday 23 December 1915

December 23, 2015 by Sarah McLennan

https://monova.ca/greatwarchronicles/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Thursday_December_23_1915.mp3
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.

Filed Under: 1915, Diary Entries Tagged With: canadian light infantry, Germans, Huns, Lance Corporal Alec MacQueen, Lance Corporal W J Huston, mp3, Ypres

Friday 15 October 1915

October 15, 2015 by Sarah McLennan

The Huns open the morning with more “Putty Kegs” and two trench sappers are wounded.

A report states Private Moyle has died of his wounds.

Hodgson is buried alongside of Lance Corporal G.B Johnstone.
Our artillery play on German trenches with high explosive and shrapnel, whilst the Company leaves the fire trench for the support trench.

We are relieved by No 1 Company and go to Eclusier where we stay the night.


*Trench Sappers – Military/combat engineers, comes from the phrase saper, French “to dig” or “to trench”

Filed Under: 1915, Diary Entries Tagged With: “Putty Kegs”, Eclusier, Hodgson, Huns, Lance Corporal G.B Johnstone, No. 1 Company, Private Moyle, shrapnel, trench sappers

Friday 8 October 1915 – fair

October 8, 2015 by Sarah McLennan

Had a rather interesting night firing volley and rapid fire at a German working party. They follow with heavy rifle fire. Towards morning I noticed a German making toward his trench. I fired and down he went – dead. In morn’ I went with Lance Corporal MacQueen to the Village of Frize under fire from the Huns. The Church is a deplorable wreck. Only two good walls standing. We were sniped at while picking souvenir bullets out of the plastered walls. Nearly got one each. Left the trenches for Billets at Eclusier at 8:30 pm.

Filed Under: 1915, Diary Entries Tagged With: Eclusier, Huns, Lance Corporal MacQueen, Village of frize

Wednesday 29 September 1915 – rain

September 29, 2015 by Sarah McLennan

https://monova.ca/greatwarchronicles/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Wednesday_September_29_1915.mp3
A cold wet and miserable morning. And still raining. Our rifles are clogged up with mud. Get to work to make an improvised shelter. We have been in the open trench two days two nights no shelter. At 9 am the Germans shell us with heavy guns. The Huns commence again with trench mortars and we reply. Some note paper comes to me when rations arrive from Headquarters. Welcome. I’ve none. We are on Bully Beef and biscuits. I make some cocoa by putting some fat in a can with a piece of rag, then light it placing the canteen over it. Our hard biscuits are covered with mud, therefore – gritty. Rats!!! Lots of them. The fellows are wallowing in mud and have not the heart to amend difficulties. 3 pm the Huns are still busy shelling and bombing us. The King’s Royal Rifles have lost heavily. Commences to rain heavily at 5 pm and kept up all night. We “stand to” in full marching kit from 5 to 7 pm. Orders come up for us to be relieved at 8 pm but the relief does not appear till 9:30 pm. Commence march thro’ narrow trenches wet, muddy and slippery and raining hard. We are soaked to the skin. We go down the road slipping and sliding all over the place. A more weary tired and miserable lot of men could not be found. We pass thro’ “Eclusier” to Cappy where we stay in billets for the night. A ration of 2 oz of rum is given to the men and we retire to rest at 12:30 midnight.

Filed Under: 1915, Diary Entries Tagged With: billets, Cappy, Eclusier, headquarters, Huns, improvised shelter, Kings Royal Rifles, miserable, trench mortars

Thursday 9 September 1915 – fine

September 9, 2015 by Sarah McLennan

Went for digging parade to Bois Grenier from 8 am till 2 pm. 5 miles to travel there and 5 back. Went to Armentiéres in evening. Little shelling by Huns but more by us. Visited some friends of a friend of ours at Place Victor-Hugo.

Filed Under: 1915, Diary Entries Tagged With: Armentieres, Bois Grenier, Huns, Place Victor-Hugo

  • « Previous Page
  • 1
  • 2
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
April 2026
M T W T F S S
 12345
6789101112
13141516171819
20212223242526
27282930  
« Nov    

Archives

Funders

cityNorthVan2 districtNV YoungCanadaWorks

READ TODAY'S

DIARY ENTRY

VIEW

This site is best viewed with the most recent version of all major web browsers.

Privacy Policy

To view our Privacy Policy, click here.

Search This Website

Search "mp3" to find all voiced diary entries

Support this project

DONATE TODAY

Contact Us

MONOVA: Museum and Archives
of North Vancouver
3203 Institute Rd.,
North Vancouver, BC V7K 3E5
Tel. 604-990-3700, ext. 8016.
www.monova.ca
archives@monova.ca

© Copyright 2026 - Draycott's Great War Chronicle · All Rights Reserved ·