Search The Archive

Search form

Collection Search
Date: July 1917
Diary

July 1

Garrison church parade in morning, had shower and bath after dinner, feeling better today

July 2

Big sports day today down at Crowborough, big Canadian mail in, played cards at night

July 3

Route march this morning, practising guard duties in afternoon, got equipment ready for guard

July 4

On guard today and warned for draft for France, failed on medical examination and put off draft because of heart, raining hard

July 5

Easy day today, just physical drill, Canadian mail today, wrote letter home

July 6

Fatigue work shovelling coal all day, waited long time to get hair cut because of line up, fine day, week end pass turned down

July 7

Nothing much to do today, got off parade route march, down to Crowborough in afternoon and evening, rode down to village in auto

July 8

Church parade this morning, wrote letters in afternoon, rained hard all day

July 9

Routine work, fair day

July 10

Draft letter today, route march this morning with packs

July 11

Route march this morning, physical drill, etc., nothing to do in evening

July 12

Fatigue work in Q.M. stores, paraded for a pass and got it but orders came for all passes to be cancelled

July 13

Working at trenches today, went to sleep at 10:00 and when I woke up no one was in site and it was 12:00

July 14

Down to Crowborough in afternoon and evening, to movie show, supper at a little restaurant

July 15

Church parade, five of us ordered a taxi and went down to Tunbridge Wells, had a pretty nice time, left at 11:00 and back to camp at 11:45

July 16

Route march with packs on, a lot of fellows dancing in hut to a mouth organ, some friend of Slee's was trying to find me and left a note

July 17

Called on Uncle Dick's cousin in Engineers home, she tried to find me last night, had nice time together

July 18

On guard today and night, raining hard all day, received a box from home with dainties, wet through

July 19

Rested up all day, slept most of day, sent wire home about box, fine day, hair cut

July 20

Fatigue work all day cleaning camp, with Tom Slee in evening, fine time, had lots of fun dancing and singing until 12:00 a.m., no sleep

July 21

Breakfast at 2:30 a.m., marched to station with packs and kits, at Seaford at 8:30, slept all afternoon, to town in evening and along sea shore, to bed early

July 22

No parade today, down by sea shore and town in afternoon, in swimming in sea, swell day, saw tide going out

July 23

In swimming in ocean today, can swim about 30 feet now, nothing to do all day, fine weather

July 24

Fatigue work in morning, route march with packs in afternoon, new pair of shoes, in swimming tonight

July 25

On guard today over ammunition dump, letter from home today

July 26

Did nothing today, was to village tonight, saw U.S. destroyers

July 27

Drill and practice on range taking machines apart, week end pass granted

July 28

Skipped parade and left on 12:20 train for London, arrived 3:30, fine sleep in a bed at Club tonight, supper at Lyons on Strand, down to Camberwell by underground

July 29

Breakfast at 9:30, down to King George Hospital, dinner at Club, Camberwell and Hyde Park after dinner, movie show, supper at Lyons, left on 8:00 train, camp at 12:10

July 30

Route march in morning, Chelsea, drill in afternoon, in town in afternoon, got pictures, rained hard all night

July 31

Route march in morning, loaned Reub 3 pounds, ten, fatigue work in afternoon, a draft picked out but I wasn't put on it, another draft left, wrote letters all morning