To My Lad at the Front.

Silk Embroidered Card' From Your Loving Son'

Lord Kitchener

1915
Field Marshal Lord Kitchener's call to arms for the coming offensive.

July 1915

2 Friday

Reveille 5.30 parade 6.30. First march out; one cup of water allowed per man, in which he had to clean teeth, his cup etc. Great shortage. Breakfast 8am. Dinner 1.30pm. Tea 6.30pm.

3 Saturday

Reveille 5.30 Parade 6 o’clock. Worked on sinking of a well, for washing water and drinking if possible; we dug 11ft.

Memo: Lent Corp Cartwright 2/- 29/6/15, in the presence of Jordon.

4 Sunday - 5 Monday

Maple Copse.

Reveille 6 o’clock. Rested the middle of the day. Church parade 6 o’clock at night, Parade for trenches 7.30. Went by Car on a new road through. Left Cars 5 miles behind the lines, and had to carry the wounded that distance. Arrived back 3.30.

6 Tuesday

March out 6 miles with Lieut. Boyd.

7 to 10 Wednesday 8 Thursday

Hospital with rheumatism.

11 Sunday

Came out off duty for the day, I was on milk diet & eggs, extract of malt and cod liver oil, soda sal fanasitics (?). Paid 10 Francs.

12 Monday

Gate guard, David goes on duty my dug out, wet weather prevails.

13 Tuesday

Short march morning. Rest remaining part of day.

14 Wednesday

Went by Car part of distance to our new place by Hill 60, lived in dug outs side of railway.

15 Thursday

Put dugout in order. We were shelled very near all day, many of the shells passing through Les. Head Quarters 100 yards away.

16 Friday

I went with a squad collecting from the Central dressing station in the morning again in the afternoon in pouring rain. Serious cases.

17 Saturday

I had quiet time until night. I went to Central station, two of us, bring in two sick & taking them to loading station and then returned to Central station with 2 more squads bringing in 8 patients. Wounded officer gave two of us 5 Franc note to share.

18 Sunday

Breakfast time dugout fell in & buried 2 of our chaps, we dug them out & they pulled through. We was shelled all day. Shelling our dugout tea time.

19 Monday

I had to go up X ing by day light as body guard in case he should get wounded & was shelled, came back by communications trench.

20 Tuesday

All the way up again at night - finished 4 o’clock in the morning, went up Central in the afternoon, & went up Cutting again at night. Finished 3.30 Wednesday am.

21 Wednesday

Rest most of the day, went up Cutting tea time. Joe Court wounded in the arm by shrapnel; we had to attend a wounded case in cornfield under heavy fire, he was again wounded whilst being attended to, which severed his femoral artery and he died a day later. We were complimented on our work.

22 Thursday

I had two journeys with patients wounded one sick to loading station, finished at 4 o’clock, poured with rain all night. Saw Jack Forrester & Humfrey & Sid Tildesley same day.

23 Friday

Returned at night to our bivouac at Poperinge for a rest.

24 Saturday

Reveille 8 o’clock. Rest all day.

Memo: Spent our time & was in dug outs by side of Zelebeck lake.

25 Sunday

Rest.

Church parade in afternoon by Mr Pratt, first served by him for 5 weeks. David and me had a long chat with him afterwards.

26 Monday

Reveille 5.30; raining heavy.

Rest most of day.

27 Tuesday

Moved to near Poperinge Church. Put up our bivouac me and David.

28 Wednesday

Ordinary routine of work. Marked our smoke helmets - 25/6/15.

29 Thursday

Rest.

30 Friday

Gate guard for 24 hours.

31 Saturday

We had 5 hours riding in horse ambulance to Flamanting and returned; memories of 12 months today leaving home.

Memo:

22

7

___

154 = £7.14.0 - 8/-

___ = £7-6-0 - 3/- = £7.3.0 [Probably a pay calculation.]

August 1915

Wolverhampton Company Sergeant Major John Forrester Killed by a Shell
See Frank's entry in diary 16 August 1915



August 1915

1 Sunday

Church Parade morning.

Sewing buttons on my clothes.

2 Monday

Usual routine.

Washed my clothes.

3 Tuesday

Reveille 5.30.

6.30 til 7.30 digging trench for shelter from shell fire.

Returned to W’hampton 12 months today.

4 Wednesday

Line orderly.

5 Thursday

Left in the evening by waggon to our clearing hospital near Flamartinghe.

6 Friday

Erected bivouac.

On duty at night.

Brandhoek.

7 Saturday

Brandhoek.

Memo: Money due to me £7.3.0.

8 Sunday

Morning rest.

Walk to see Humfrey Fox at Staffs camp 2 miles away.

9 Monday

Day break we had a charge carrying 3 lines of trenches capturing over 100 prisoners, they passed our hospital. Busy day. Stitched dead man in blanket.

10 Tuesday

Night duty.

Rest day.

11 Wednesday

Cooks assistant.

12 Thursday

Usual routine.

13 Friday

Night duty in hospital.

14 Saturday

Line orderly.

Memo:

23 weeks.

Tuesday 3rd lent Wilson & Wood 1 Franc each.

15 Sunday

Worked all day on incinerator.

Lent Douglas 1/2 Franc.

16 Monday

Rest.

Jack shot through head.

Jack Forrester killed & Albert Welch in trenches.

Lent Ratcliff one Franc.

17,18 Tuesday

Usual routine.

19 Thursday

Returned to Poperinge.

Lent Bottwood 1/2 Franc.

20 Friday

Moved from Poperinge to Wippinhoek Farm, North Midland rest station: 200 patients.

21 Saturday

48 hours rest.

22 Sunday

Rest Boeschepe.

Church Parade on afternoon on field by Canon Hunt.

23 Monday

Usual routine.

270 sick patients.

12 months today since the commencement of the retreat of Mons.

25 Wednesday

Sent Ethel apron.

26 Thursday

Usual routine.

A Zep went over our camp at 10 o’clock at night: dropped bombs.

27 Friday

Went on duty at No 10 Clearing Hospital, convoys of wounded coming in throughout the night. Duty from 7pm til 7am next morning.

28 Saturday

Still at Boeschepe, night duty at No 10, 9 English nurses or sisters.

Large India marquees double walled.

29 Sunday

Boeschepe. Rest by day.

Service in the afternoon by Wesleyan Chaplain.

30 Monday

Laurie wounded.

Boeschepe clearing up camp, from rationing parade, inspection, new grocery ration, socks. Walk to Boeschepe at night.

31 Tuesday

Sent Laurie letter.

Rest.