[August entries from the 1918 diary of John James Young.]
THURSDAY, AUGUST 1, 1918.
Hot day again
good weather –
Hornoy a good little town, the Canadians have never been here before
3rd Div. H.Q and C.R.E. are billeted here. –
Fine country in neighborhood noticed a new heavy guage railroad near Hornoy being built.
Market day in town bought some fruit and eggs.
went to bed late
FRIDAY, AUGUST 2, 1918.
Col Hertzberg goes up line and the light car is smashed on way back
Rained in mg up early.
3rd Div. etc. move off in lorries to DURY –
4 kilometres S. of Amiens –
we could see the Cathedral in the distance. –
new billet is good sized house and nursery garden. –
I get two combs of honey from a hive of bees. –
get stung a few times
get fitted out in new billets in aft. –
wrote to G. –
many tanks come in at night to a wood near here –
we are about 15 kilos from lines
SATURDAY, AUGUST 3, 1918
Dull wet morning
up early again and changed round office –
J. Ball is sick again. –
2 letters from G. –
turns out fine in the afternoon, many planes about coming back from the lines. –
Very busy in the office I am on duty all day. –
do not have to sleep in office as signaller stays up all night.
Soissons recaptured
SUNDAY, AUGUST 4, 1918.
Fine day, gets dull in aft. threatens rain
I have hot bath and change in aft. –
Observer from G. wrote to her in p.e. –
many tanks go up towards line at night they have been collected into a wood near us, for a day or so. –
the C.E. Bns. move up tonight –
preparations go ahead for attack.
warm weather at night (close)
French still doing well
MONDAY, AUGUST 5, 1918.
hear that we move tomorrow
[crossed out: “Bert to be married today”]
Dull in mg. and rained a good deal in aft. and eve. –
many tanks go up again at night also C.L.H.
it looks as though attack will soon be pulled off
l. from G. –
– to W. Saunders
French and Americans still advancing –
Fritz retiring on Amiens and Albert Front.
Rogers is going on leave on the 8th
TUESDAY, AUGUST 6, 1918.
Dull day –
moved in lorries in mg. to BOVES - SE. of Amiens
Rained heavily in aft making roads very muddy.
had a hard trip to and through Boves Wood which is full of troops and horses.
Great line of transports, guns, tanks, ammunition etc go up the line.
all the 4 Divisions Cdns. are represented
finished work at 11 pm
slept in outbuilding
cleared up at
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 7, 1918.
Bert to be married today –
Very busy day
rained a good part of the time, roads heavy.
cleared up in evening
many transports on the road and infantry going up –
Big guns, tanks etc going up to the front.
paid 30 francs today
wrote to G
THURSDAY, AUGUST 8, 1918.
Big attack came off this morning, bombardment started at 4.15. am.
good weather, got rather dull in aft. and looked like rain
At 10 am a party of 250 German prisoners passed through Boves and during day several more lots followed fairly young looking prisoners
Our fellows appear to have done well and made a good advance
2500 prisoners passed through Boves today
everything moving forward
l. from G.
FRIDAY, AUGUST 9, 1918.
leave allotment is to be increased
dull day
couldn’t hear any guns last night too far away in the front. –
1500 more prisoners pass down this mg. –
750 pris – 10 am
600 – 12 pm
250 – 3 pm
busy as the devil on the roads
some of H.Q. go forward
rather sorry that I cannot go up into zone of battle
this is the first time I have stayed back
SATURDAY, AUGUST 10, 1918.
Lt. R. Knowles killed last night with an aeroplane bomb
300 pris.
150 –
50 –
150 –
650 prisoners passed through Boves
Fine and warm day, not much doing in Boves today. only plenty of reinforcements going up the line
The boys appear to be going ahead well and hope to be in Roye shortly. –
2 l. from G.
cd. to G.
plenty of planes about today. –
some bombs dropped near us at 10 pm.
SUNDAY, AUGUST 11, 1918.
V. Fine and brilliant day. warm.
400 pris. pass through Boves 7.0 a.m.
more whippet tanks pass through at noon. –
wrote to G. plain env.
in the evening the 3rd Cavalry Div. return through Boves.
News seems to be still good.
Many planes up today in lots of 10s and 15s
All Hdqrs are moving away forward to Bouchoir not far from Roye
good news from French
Montdiddier recaptured
prisoners have now reached 25,000
MONDAY, AUGUST 12, 1918.
more bombs last night
[note on prisoner numbers crossed out]
plenty of air work
Another very fine and hot day roads very dusty. –
CCRC Advance move into Boves
we expect to move forward.
More tanks going up today.
road through Boves is comparatively quiet
Do some washing in the creek
Pick runner beans for our mess
No bombs dropped near us tonight.
Weather is still favoring us.
cd to G
TUESDAY, AUGUST 13, 1918.
V. fine and hot.
50 more prisoners
on duty in mg.
cycled up to Le Quesnel in aft. to report to C.R.E.
Advanced H.Q. in big chateau.
All 3rd Div. H.Q. there. –
Very hot and dusty on road hard trip –
saw many disabled tanks and one aeroplane and plenty dead horses. –
Gen Rawlinson at H.Q. today. –
many German dumps scattered along the road
he shells us in the eve with H.V. –
I sleep in deep cave big enough to hold 1000 men
entrance bricked up well fashioned with iron spiral staircase
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 14, 1918.
V. fine again, barrage on this morning. –
expecting an attack by our fellows –
I am on duty 7 to 12 morn.
wrote to G g.e. and also on duty 10 pm to 7 am
THURSDAY, AUGUST 15, 1918.
[entry begins part way down the diary page for August 14]
15/8/18
Spent the aft. looking over the country at signs of the recent battle
saw an indecisive air fight in aft. –
the machines go at an enormous pace
saw 33 of our fast scouts in the air at one time
The 4 Divisional Generals and Gen Currie had a conference at the chateau this aft.
lovely day again.
saw a good exhibition of searchlight work last night in which 10 lights caught
an E.A. and A.A. fired, could not tell result. –
bath this mg and change in German made bath near chateau.
We are to be relieved by 1st Can Div tonight.
on duty in aft.
slept in deep cave
l. from G
FRIDAY, AUGUST 16, 1918.
Another fine day
cleaned up in mg.
moved in lorry to Beaucourt in mg into house with cellar –
dusty on roads quite a bombardment this mg. –
fixed up windows on new office, slept in office overnight.
l. to G. p.e.
– from Mrs A.
saw Bill Hodgkins (M.M.P.)
I looked round in aft in some of woods where the battle was fought.
many dead cavalry horses about
SATURDAY, AUGUST 17, 1918.
Fine day. Looked as though weather would change –
took a walk further out from camp.
interesting sights.
on duty from 12 noon to 10 p.m. –
slept in cellar under office on stretcher
The Candns beat Fritz in a counter attack in which they left 250 prisoners in our hands –
no mail –
not very busy in office
German prisoners are cleaning up round Div H.Qrs.
SUNDAY, AUGUST 18, 1918.
Find day again, on duty in mg. –
C.R.E. inspects Amiens defence line. –
cooler to day –
L/Cpl. Bolton leaves C.R.E. Hodges on a/c of row with C.R.E.
no mail to day
sent cd. to G.
quiet on the front today.
we picked some apples this morning for cooking purposes.
Capt Creasor is now down at rear H.Qrs. –
many bombs dropped during night 18/19th about a mile away.
MONDAY, AUGUST 19, 1918.
Fine day – fairly cool
saw 45 of our planes go over to Fritz in mg.
wrote to G. in g.e.
orders to pack up at noon and proceed to Boves.
I rode on my wheel, road dusty
still a good deal of traffic on the road but not so much as last week. –
Found the boys all well at Rear H.Q. –
packed a lorry but did not go away
stayed overnight
TUESDAY, AUGUST 20, 1918.
up at 6.0 a.m. and rode a horse nearly to Amiens to a place called Camon
met up with P.B.T Sec. with whom our transport sec. is going. –
Saw a large no of captured German Guns.
walked to Amiens in aft. fine city. –
not allowed to cross the canal to get into city proper –
had a fine swim in eve in a backwater of the Somme, fine and warm water.
Hitched up at 8 p.m. and passed through northern outskirts of Amiens to Montrelet in a N.W. direction
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 21, 1918.
Macdonald of the C.R.E. sub staff goes on leave to Blighty.
Fine night last night, full moon and misty.
reached Montrelet at 4.30 a.m. and got to bed by 6. am.
slept under an apple tree
v. fine and v. hot day. –
started out again at 5 p.m. and passed through Doullens at night, very warm night
reached Bouret sur Canche at 1. a.m. and tied up there till morning.
THURSDAY, AUGUST 22, 1918.
Beautiful day again and hot
took a walk through the village
there is a fine stream of water.
left Bouret at 1 p.m. for Frevent 2 kils away. –
fine town
had 3 letters from G.
sent cd. to her.
We are moving again tomorrow –
our billets today are in a convent and good billets they are too.
very warm night, slept out of doors
many of our planes go over at night.
We passed plenty of Imperial wounded coming down
FRIDAY, AUGUST 23, 1918.
Fine day again, misty and hazy
good news from both Br. and Fr. front. –
many planes last night
had a short parade in mg.
took a walk through Frevent
wrote to G. p.e.
went to show Imperials (whizbangs) pretty good.
we expected to move but delayed again
SATURDAY, AUGUST 24, 1918.
Fine day –
started to go to Duisans in mg at 10 a.m.
I went with transport again – reached destination at 4 p.m.
farming in full blast (harvesting)
L with photos from G.
on duty at night
beautiful moonlight night
our searchlights caught Fritz 4 times in rays
very pretty sight
Fritz shelled this district during night which was cooler than usual
SUNDAY, AUGUST 25, 1918.
V. fine day plenty of planes about as usual
on duty in mg. –
the advanced H.Q. which was to go up last night postponed till tonight when they go in front of Arras the 3 battalions are in Arras.
Turns cloudy at night and rains quite hard
wrote to G. g.e.
Observer from G
good news still coming in
MONDAY, AUGUST 26, 1918.
Rained hard during night
slept in office
2 and 3rd Can. Divisions attacked this morning and captured Monchy Le Preux and several hundreds of prisoners
Windy and getting brighter
many planes up –
we move to Arras in aft in lorry to a big house not far from Station.
A few shells come in to Arras from a long way back. –
l. from G.
on duty till 11 p.m. and then sleep in good cellar under the office.
Fine big cellar with thick walls
TUESDAY, AUGUST 27, 1918.
1st Div came in last night and attacked this mg. capturing more prisoners.
Dull mg. but planes innumerable going and coming.
The billet we are in is a very palatial residence and must have been owned by wealthy Frenchman. –
Not very busy in office today
Some HV Shells from a N.E’ly. direction come into Arras during evening. –
No mail
cd to G.
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 28, 1918.
Rained during night and some showers during aft. –
very few planes about.
I rode in lorry to Duisans in mg. to see about a lost bicycle.
saw big Naval 14" gun fired from carriage on r.rd. track
Fritz fired plenty of shells into Arras, one coming close to C.R.E.
l. from G. wrote to her P.E.
our forward H.Q. moved back to Rear H.Q. this aft. –
3rd Can Div relieved by 4th Brit. Div. – tonight.
stayed up till 11.30 p.m.
[note at bottom of page dated: “26th/28th”]
in 3rd Div attack they advanced 9000 yds on average 5000 yd front
took 1645 pris. 22 guns 200 M.G. much booty
casualties 2,400 all told
THURSDAY, AUGUST 29, 1918.
Rather dull day mg. bit brighter and cooler in aft.
7th Bde. C.I.B. came out of trenches this morning and reported great progress,
heavy enemy casualties
light casts. themselves.
wrote to Mrs Anderson
– S.R. Green
– A.D. Macfarlane
moved to another part of cellar.
Impls. take over from us. (11th Div.)
Fritz shelled Arras during both day and night H.V. shells
dark night, heavy shell fire on our left
French make a big advance
FRIDAY, AUGUST 30, 1918.
Brighter day but inclined to be cloudy.
The leaves are averaging about 3 a day for the whole E. Bde.
busy in mg. –
cd to G.
wrote to G. in aft g.e.
Some shelling of Arras today
1st Canadian Div attacked this mg. advd 2 kilometres and captd 500 pris
I make a trip to Gas School at night and bomb drops pretty close
very dark night for aeroplanes
Fritz must have some good airmen.
He shells a good deal at night with H.V. shells
busy in office.
SATURDAY, AUGUST 31, 1918.
Dull day –
a good no of planes about quiet in mg.
busy in office
much shelling of different places in Arras and a few bombs in eve
our bombing planes are very active at night
l. from G.
I stayed on duty nearly all night
[Editor’s note: The diary pages are very narrow. Sentences have generally been transcribed without line breaks, which often required some interpretation of the writer’s intent. This was done to assist readability online; if referencing diary content for other purposes, please see the scans below for line breaks as written.]
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