April 1916

Insignia R.A.M.C.

Greetings From Ethel to Frank

April

1st Saturday
Bath house orderly.
Heavy artillery bombardment at night.

5th Wednesday
Ecoivres.
Police duty.

6th Thursday
Left Ecoivres at 6.30pm o’clock by Car for firing lines at Neuville-Saint-Vaaste, billeted in Dressing Station which is the Cellar of ruined Brewery, in which are supports erected by Germans.

7th Friday/9th Sunday
Went up to Medical Aid post of 6th South Staffs in the morning all the way by communication trenches, the chief being Chassery, the former is deep and well made, a good deal of sniping is done, and not much more rifle fire, chiefly bombing and mining, by craters, which are continually blown up on both sides. All the villages here are blown to the ground. The French did part of same to drive out Germans September 1915. Close fighting took place, French on one side of the streets in Neuville-Saint-Vaaste bombing Germans on the other. I visited reserve lines of trenches.

10th Monday
Neuville-Saint-Vaaste.
Fetched out of bed at 2am o’clock, to go up 6th M. Aid Post for dead officer, had to bring him back by communications trenches, and it was very dark.

11th Tuesday
Clerk’s duty in Advanced Collecting Station. Wet weather.


13thThursday.
Advanced Dressing Station. Neuville-Saint-Vaaste Aux Rietz. Clerking
duty, and collecting from S. Staffs Aid post.

14th Friday
Neuville-Saint-Vaaste.
Clerking night duty.
Heavy artillery bombardments.
Wet weather.

16th Sunday
Neuville-Saint-Vaaste.
A mine blown up at 12pm o’clock by Notts & Derbys, and heavy bombardment took place immediately, both sides sending showers of shells.
Night duty. Several wounded.

17th Monday
Neuville-Saint-Vaaste.
Wet weather prevails.
Night duty.
German plane drops bombs at midnight, shook dressing station.

18th Tuesday
Neuville-Saint-Vaaste.
Night Duty Clerk. Quiet night and wet weather.

19th Wednesday
Neuville-Saint-Vaaste.
Mine blown up at night under S. Staffs, but the casualties were few. Heavy shelling of trenches from both sides. Night duty.

20th Thursday.
Left Neuville-Saint-Vaaste and returned to Head Quarters Ecoivres in party of six. Division comes out of action for short rest.

21st Friday
The Unit leave Ecoivres at 9am o’clock and march 14 miles, arriving at Bailleul-aux-Cornailles at 1 o’clock pm.
Sect billeted in barn.

22 nd Saturday.
B Sect run Hospital. Night Orderly Duty. Sleep at Hospital.

23rd Sunday
Easter Sunday.

24th Monday
Night Nursing Orderly. Hospital full of patients.

25th Tuesday
Bailleul-aux-Cornailles.
Night Duty.
Orderlies go in Bell tents. Lovely weather and beautiful country surroundings.

26th Wednesday
Night Duty.
40 patients in tents.

29th Saturday
Bailleul-aux-Cornailles.
Lovely country village, tents pitched among beautiful surroundings and lovely weather prevails. Night Duty.

30th Sunday
Night Duty.
Church Parade at which only 12 of our Unit were present, the first service I have been able to attend for months. Lovely weather and fine.
Service by Chaplain Howard.