March 1918

6th Wednesday
Walk out into the town of St Pol, and had a good time.

7th Thursday
Discharged from Hospital, entrained for my Unit at Béthune arriving there at 4pm.  By R.T.O. Orders I had to return to Labourse.  Private room.

8th Friday
Spent a good night and left Labourse at 10.30am for Béthune, arriving there 12 midday, rejoined my Unit at Institute St. Vaaste.

9th Saturday
Béthune.
Nothing much doing.

10th Sunday
Church Parade.

11th Monday
Dining Hall Duty.

14th Thursday
Inoculated at night.

15th Friday
No Duty, bed.

17th Sunday
Béthune.
Route March during the morning, and then Units team play 1/1 NMFA at Fouquières.  Result 3rd 3-2.

18th Monday
Dining Hall Orderly.

19th Tuesday
The town shelled during the morning.  Children, women, and a few soldiers wounded.

20th Wednesday
Same routine.
The town again shelled.

21st Thursday/23rd Saturday
Myself included in a party of 18 B Sect march to Lillers for temporary attached Duty with No. 58 C.C.S.  The place bombed at night and the Station by Hospital also one train of ammunition blown up, and fired.  Shells blown all over the town and into Hospital.  Many casualties.  Nurse killed and Matron badly wounded.  We turned out in Stretcher Squads to the scene, the bombing continued for hours.
Albert returns from leave on the 19th.
Ward Duty in the No. 2 Serious Surgical Wounds.

April 1918.

1st Monday/6th Saturday
Day Duty in No. 2 Surgical Ward.

7th Sunday
Heavy fighting continues.  Wounded coming in all the time.  We are

10th Wednesday
The Germans are still placing overpowering numbers against this front.  Heavy casualties on both sides. 

12th Friday
Lillers.
We sent all the wounded on tractors and the C.C.S. packed up to evacuate.  I had a good time for last day.  Fritz bombs here at night.

13th Saturday
We left at 2am by M.A.C. and rejoined Unit at Labourse at 3am.  Reveille 5.30am, then Unit leave the above place at 8.30am.  March to Divion a distance of 8 miles.  Billeted in old barns. 

14th Sunday
Divion.
Standing to for the line.

16th Tuesday
Heavy bombardments continue.

17th Wednesday
The Unit march away from Divion at 11.30am and arrive at Bruay at the old C.C.S.
18th Thursday
Bruay.
Still standing to for the line.

21st Sunday
Bruay.

22nd Monday
Bruay.
Admitted to hospital.

23rd Tuesday
Sick.

24th Wednesday
Ditto.

25th Thursday
The Unit march away from Bruay to Hesdigneul.  I went by Amb. waggon.  We erected camp, billeted in Bell tents.

26th Friday
Hesdigneul.
Ex. Duty.

27th Saturday
Unloading Medical Stores Waggon.

28th Sunday
Hesdigneul.
Church Parade.

29th Monday
Usual routine.

30th Tuesday
Left Hesdigneul for the line A.D.S. at Essars, our post at farm house at Le Hamel.
Gas picket.

Post Card.

Das deutfche Land

This post card written in a German hand was amongst Frank’s collection of cards.
If any one can transcribe the writing I should be pleased to know.
Contact me on
Kenwardward@gmail.com

Thursday, 4 March 2010

 

 

May 1918.

1st Wednesday
Heavy bombardments.
Busy fetching in wounded.

2nd Thursday
Ditto.

3rd Friday
The Germans occupied these places a few weeks ago, driven out by our troops.

4th Saturday
C Sect gassed at Gorre, about 70 evacs to C.C.S.

5th Sunday
Heavy artillery duels.

6th Monday
Returned by car to Hesdigneul, passing through Béthune and Fouquières.

7th Tuesday
Hesdigneul.
Day’s rest.

8th Wednesday
24 hours Guard.

9th Thursday
Hesdigneul.
Marched to Béthune at night.  Stood to at tobacco factory in readiness for Bosch attack.

10th Friday
Returned to Hesdigneul at day break, slept by day, and repeated the same stand to at Béthune by night. 

11th Saturday
Returned by day break, and usual routine.

12th Sunday
Hesdigneul.
Church parade.

13th Monday
24 hours guard.

14th Tuesday
Path making.

15th Wednesday
Went to Beuvry on waggon, shelled heavily, and had to clear out.

16th Thursday
Drawing slag from the heap Bruay.

17th Friday
24 hours guard.

18th Saturday
Guard day.

19th Sunday
Church Parade.
Cricket match and base ball with Americans.

20th Monday
Trench digging.
Draft of 37 men.

21st Tuesday
24 hours guard.
Hostile air raids at night, many machines over.  Diment killed by Bosch M.G.B. (Machine Gun Battery)

22nd Wednesday
Diment buried.
Trench digging.


24th Friday
Left Hesdigneul by M. Amb. at 1.30pm, relieved party at A.D.S. Essars on the way passing through Béthune.

25th Saturday
Stretcher bearer and Orderly in Dressing Sta.
Rather quiet day.
Watched fires burning in Béthune after heavy shelling.

27th Monday
Ditto.  Heavy shelling.

30th Thursday
Relieved at midday, and we returned by M. Amb. to Hesdigneul.

31st Friday
Hesdigneul.
Rest.
German offensive resumed.

June 1918

June 1918

2nd Sunday
Church Parade.
British driven back on the Marne.

3rd Monday
24 hours guard.

4th Tuesday
Hesdigneul.
Usual routine
Bert Mather wounded at night.  Top Post Le Hamel.
5th Wednesday
Same routine
Bert died of wounds.

16th Sunday
Church Parade.

17th Monday
Went cinema at night.

18th Tuesday
I left Hesdigneul at 1.30pm with relief party for Essars, journeyed by Motor Amb.

19th Wednesday
Essars.
Duty in Dressing Sta. and Gas Picket.

22nd Saturday
Ditto and night duty.

Mems.
Received letter from French Military Staff.

23rd Sunday
Many gas shells dropped here.

24th Monday
Returned to HQ Hesdigneul.

25th Tuesday
Day’s rest.
26th Wednesday
Usual routine.

27th Thursday
Ditto.

28th Friday
Ditto.

29th Saturday
With working party of 24, proceeding to Essars, where A.D.S. was being made during nights.  Returned at 5am on 30th.

30th Sunday
Day’s rest.
A.D.S.
Celebrated B of LD 25.