SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 1918.
L. from G.
Expected attack this morning but orders cancelling came last night.
our Bde are pretty well all away from the line
fine day and plenty of planes about.
I stayed on duty a good part of the night
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 1918.
Find day plenty of planes
1s and 4th Cdn. Div. and 51st and 4th Impl Div attack this morning and break the Drocourt Queant
Switch of Wotan line capturing over 7000 prisoners
many casualties which point to heavy fighting.
great rumors of a big success float about.
I am on day duty today
3rd Div Inf move up in evening
wrote to G. and Bess g.e.
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 1918.
Dull in mg. then brighter during. –
Although he is still dropping an odd H.V. in Arras, not so many as formerly. –
J. Chantler and Spiller are to go on leave on 5/9/17. –
I am 3rd on the list. –
quieter today, not so much movement as yesterday. –
I am on day duty again. –
no mail.
I have a cold (slight one)
quiet night.
no mail
Capt. Harvey sleeps in office.
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 1918.
fine day, it is beginning to get cool at night.
many planes as usual
no mail
day duty again
some big shells come over to square and s.w. part of Arras
7th and 8th Bns. go up the line again to Vis-en-Artois
the ground in front of our Corps is marshy and low lying. –
good news keeps coming in –
3rd Div in front line again
Div H.Q. moving up to Arras tonight
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 1918.
Find day again.
Forwd. H.Qrs move up today
J. Ball acts as runner
I stay in Arras –
not much doing today.
no mail, wrote to the Dukes. –
we seem to be out of the war excepting a few big shells coming from Douai direction. –
Dutton is on night duty
I sleep down in the cellar. –
J. Chantler and Spiller go on leave
many planes up.
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 1918.
V. fine day, a regular beauty. –
plenty of planes up again as usual.
V. quiet in office. –
I get the mail –
l. from G. wrote to her in g.e.
good news again. –
no shells today until 3 p.m. when and occasional one drops over –
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 1918.
Fine day. –
Fritz put about 50 shells in Arras. –
2 of our lorry drivers killed and their lorries blown up. –
quiet during day. –
l. from G.
orders came in aft. for the cook and I to go up forwd
we walked about 9 miles to beyond Vis-en-Artois to some caves, although 9000 yds from the line, he shells the caves and forces every one down
I am on duty at night.
Hdqrs to move in mg. –
Found some explosives in cave. –
Battlefield looks very bleak
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 1918.
Bolton G goes on leave
Fine mg. –
moved to new location about 1 mile, further back on ridge again where we are in view from enemy line, the powers that be don’t seem to use much judge ment in fixing sites. –
he puts one shell right in one of our huts this mg. but does not cause a casualty
a marvelous escape for the man sleeping in the bunk. –
I go on duty at 9 pm to 9 tomorrow mg.
we have a deep dug out for the men
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 1918.
Had a bad trip during night
Harrison gets knocked off his motor cycle and goes to hospital
windy and cool, on duty till 9 a.m. slept from then till one p.m.
a few shells came our way during day. –
worked about trench in afternoon fixing up.
Better meals today, at last they have procured water for us. –
on duty at 9 p.m.
v. dark and windy, rainy night, had trip to 8th Bn. at midnight. –
l. from G. –
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 1918.
wrote to G. in early mg.
slept for 3 hours and got up early and took urgent messages to 7th Bn. C.E. who are camped in trench not far from Arras Cambrai Rd and Bullecourt Dury Rd
Showery weather –
went to bed during day
played cards in evg.
another runner Smith comes on duty making our shifts 8hrs each instead of 12hrs.
I go on duty at 11 p.m.
our planes go over bombing during night and Fritz drops a few bombs at midnight not far from our camp. –
a great sight to see the searchlights work. –
clear night
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 1918.
A year ago today I went on leave to Blighty. –
leave is going pretty slowly now. –
A 42nd Bn. man working for the A.P.M. is going to Canada for 3 months furlough today. – Showery and cool
party of 8th Bn. C.E. men work on new trench round office. –
not much shelling going on.
8th C.I.B. to relieve 7th and 9th C.I.B. tonight. –
I sleep in mg. and go on duty at 11 p.m.
not very busy.
an attack on our right this evening.
we could see the barrage quite easily from our area. –
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 1918.
Dull and rainy. –
Smith works at office work so that the runner shifts are 12 hrs each again
I go on duty at 7 p.m.
L. from G. wrote to her g.e.
some shelling not far from our camp during night.
dirty, dark, rainy night.
I have plenty to do
good news from Southern front where 1st American Army attacks on a 12 mile front and captures 10,000 prisoners –
Br and Fr. advancing still
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 1918.
good news from south – 20,000 pr.
rainy night 12/13
Betty one year old today
I had a dirty trip in the mud at 2 in the mg. to 8th Bn. C.E. and went to bed at 3 am. up at 7.45 a.m. beautiful mg. for a change, many of our planes up and half a dozen E.A. in mg. –
Afternoon more cloudy –
Enemy plane came over and brought a balloon down in flames and returned safely to his lines –
our planes fly about shortly afterwards –
the balloon next to one attacked is loaded with explosives. –
the 2 men got away from balloon safely. –
played cds in aft. –
l. from G.
Bill Ariss goes on leave.
C.R.E. goes to Rear.
Maj Gen Lipsett is leaving our Division
sorry to see him go.
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 1918.
Hear we are to be relieved shortly by 4th Div. Canadians.
Fine morning. –
2 squadrons of our planes up this mg. and some planes in aft. –
I went for a tour round both in mg. and aft. –
no mail. –
Enemy plane came over again and got the balloon loaded with Melanite. –
he was not apreciably affected with the explosion and got back safely. –
News good from both French and American front.
Busy in office. –
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 1918.
Beautiful mg. and day
E. plane brings 3 of our balloons down in mg. and 1 in aft. the latter one passed through 40 of our planes. –
I have never seen so many planes up in air at a time –
4 E balloons brought down. –
pay day 40 francs.
slept in mg. –
parade in aft.
at night many bombs were dropped not far from us, great activity in air till midnight –
One at least E. Gothas brought down in flames in our lines by airmen. –
Relief order cancelled till further notice
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 1918.
Very fine day again
visibility not go good as yesterday as ground mist.
only 2 balloons up. –
slept most of day on the top, quite warm again
beautiful moonlight till midnight then rain –
not very busy in office.
I played cards in eve
l. from G. and wrote to her in g.e. –
not much news from south
quiet on our front
the B.U. Transport Sec lost 7 horses last night bombs.
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 1918.
Fine day, very fierce storm last night, thunderstorm and lightning and plenty of rain.
I had to get up and fix things up
The Officers latrine was blown over completely. –
fine day, good drying wind.
slept in mg, and went on duty in aft till 7 p.m.
a bombardment on our right at 5 p.m. –
some shelling and bombing during night.
no mail
rained again during night.
Bob Harrison goes on leave to Paris
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 1918.
a Gotha brought down last night in flames on right
Capt. Scott to go on leave today to “Blighty”
Fine day, had a trip to 8th Bn. in mg. saw a big covey of partridges and could have had
a beautiful shot at them.
8th Bn. had 2 casts. last night and their Ford was hit slightly.
many planes up and some E.A. active. –
clouds favored them also wind. –
one of our K.B. brought down in flames.
l. from G. –
I had a trip to 7th in aft.
went to bed early. –
some shells near our camp in evening.
56th Div. to relieve 3rd Can Div [added underneath, context unclear: “20th”]
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 1918.
Fine day some wind and clouds. –
some casts. last night at “Peggy Dump”
Cpl. Osborne wounded.
I am now 1st on leave list in C.R.E. rather a poor way to get up in list.
I had a trip to “Peggy” in mg. and guided a lorry to Fontaine for 9th Bn. –
some casts. in 8th Bn. –
9th Bn. moved to Arras also 8th. –
fairly quiet on our front
good news from South
Br and Fr.
no mail
cool and windy all day
not many planes.
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 1918.
cool and windy.
saw 4 E.A. venture a long way over and quite low.
at 9.0 a.m. got everything ready in mg. for move to Arras.
HQrs moved with 2 lorries in aft. to large fine house in Arras not far from Station.
house and grounds in v. good condition. –
I slept in office after being on duty till 11 p.m.
not much doing. –
22 men of Bde. to go on leave on 27th –
Scott tells me he will get me on the next allotment
good news still coming in
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 1918.
One year ago today since my leave ended
rainy and bright at intervals
Ball and I have arranged duties of 8 hrs. each –
I go on from 3 p.m. to 11 pm.
no mail. –
wrote to G. g.e.
Quiet in Arras
not much doing
many of our planes come back via Arras. –
l. from G. in aft. –
weather changeable and windy –
hot bath and change in aft. –
J. Chantler and Spiller back from leave
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 1918.
Fine day. –
2 E.A. over Arras at great height in mg
turned dull during day and rained in aft and evg.
no mail to-day for me
Ball went sick today so that I had to stay on duty most of day. –
saw Guilbride in mg. –
Officers have big dinner at night.
good news from Palestine and Salonika
Heard that my leave may come through on the 26th
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 1918.
Fine mg. but rained in aft
6 sprs and one N.C.O. reported yesterday for signal section.
Ball still sick.
My leave made out for 26th Sep. –
sent a telegram to Gladys in aft. via C.Y.C.
procured new boots and hat in mg.
gas school parade in aft.
I and a signaller shared the work of orderly.
turned out fine in aft
bought a souvenir for G’s mother
great news from Palestine
a fine night for bombing
l. from G.
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 1918.
Slept in office last night
late going to bed. –
Sgt. Williams to go on leave 27th
Beautiful day. –
Fritz plane bombs troops at Warlus at about 10 a.m. P.P.CLI’s and 3rd M.G. Bn causing over 100 casualties
plenty of our planes go over to bomb him in daylight
do not go on duty today. –
got bath and change.
Medical inspection and pay, £11 and 40 francs
2 Fritz planes come over Arras fairly high at 6 p.m.
get my pass ready and made arrangements to go to Agnez le Duisans by box car in early mg.
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 1918.
[blank]
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 1918.
My leave commences
[end of diary entries]
[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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