War Diary Part Three.

In the spring of 1917 Walter's battalion made a ten day march to Arras to reinforce the British offensive.

After the action Walter's company was relieved but Walter and others were left behind and had to find their own way back.

Early in 1918 Walter caught up with his brother George.   Walter marched beside him to his camp.

The Battle for Arass  (Imperial War Museum)

1917

Sun 14th Jan

Fritz shelled camp with long range guns - rush for old German dugouts 200 yards away where we slept for next few nights.  Several chaps from my tent (signals) were wounded on carrying party - one killed.  Fortunately I was absent having to report to Headquarters at Millencourt for duty as a tailor, (some mistake).  Long tramp with full kit but perhaps I was lucky.

Stayed at Corps headquarters that night and tramped back to Bazenten next morning.

Wed 24th Jan

Battalion came out of line.

Thur 25th Jan

Back to Albert and billeted in a corner cafe near cathedral.

Mon 29th Jan

Dermacourt.

Thur Feb 8th

Mericourt after long march.

Mon 12th Feb

Relieved French in trenches on Peronne sector.

Tich and I turned out of our cosy little cubby hole by corporal Saint who wanted it for a bomb store.   While looking for a fresh cubby for us (we following) he was struck by a shell and blown to pieces - but beyond concussion Tich and I were all right.  Very little of poor old Saint was found to bury.

Trenches in a very bad state of repair and working parties every night cutting fire steps etc.    Ground frozen hard and work was very hard.

Sat 17th Feb

Thaw set in - trenches in terrible mess.  Was lucky in leaving trenches for a signals course at Foucaucourt.  (Bon time).

Mon 5th Mar

Rejoin battalion at Proyart in signal section.

Fri 9th Mar

Marched to Warfusel - Lammoste and billeted in French huts - decent village and being lighted with gas was quite a novelty after seeing nothing stronger than a candle for months.

Had a good time.

Mon 12th Mar

Back to signals course at Mericourt - Sur - Somme,  billeted in French huts with Reay and Finlayson.

Sat 17th Mar

Fin and myself on guard.

Sun 18th Mar

Church parade in Chateau grounds, Divisional headquarters.

Thur 29th Mar

Rejoined battalion at Warfusel.

Fri 30th Mar

This day we learnt that our division (the 50th) were flying division and command on the march that day passing through Villiers Breloneux and after long days march arrived that evening at Camon-dosey, little town - dead beat and didnt go out.

Sat 31st Mar

Continued march going through Amiens and arrived at village of Bertangles.

Mon 2nd April

Continued march and arrived at Beauval, nice little town - bokoo

but luck out, no brass.

Tues 3rd April

March and arrive at village of Fortel after passing through Doullens.

Wed 4th April

Marched and arrived at village of Framecourt.  We stayed here and on Good Friday marched a few kilometres to Petit Horwain for manoeuvres attack on railway station - I did duty as sig.

Sat 7th April

Marched and arrived at Monchcaux.

Sun 5th April

Marched and arrived at Givenchy- Le-Noble and billeted in large Chateau courtyard - all racehorse stables.

Easter Monday

Stand to all day for a big stunt at Arras.

Tues 10th April

Marched and arrived at Wanquotin,  few kilos from Arras.

Wed 11th April

Continued march and were halted in centre of Arras about 10pm when it was snowing quite heavily.  After tinkering about for an hour continued march and about midnight reached old German trench called HUN LINE where we kipped in Fritz's dugouts which were best system of dugouts I had seen.  All connected and well ventilated - were in front very thick.   This position was recently captured by British.  We were all dead beat and very thankful our long march was ended.

Sat 14th April

In reserve at Telegraph Hill where there were two British disabled tanks, one named Charlie Chaplin which carried two 3 inch guns.

Dis-abled British Tank (Imperial War Museum)

Sun 15th April

Front line at Wancourt.  Large gun (probably naval) doubtful whether British or German destroyed a large part of our trench. Luckily no casualties.

Thur 19th April

Relieved but Lt (Butcher) Brown messed things with result half a dozen of us left behind from company.  We went on our own following railway through Wancourt which was being heavily shelled.  That night slept with R.A.M.C. in dugout dressing station.

Road To Wancourt. (Imperial War Museum)

Fri 20th April

Not finding company we reported at transport at Arras on the way passing Butcher Brown having breakfast with R.T.A. officers.   From transport with water cart rejoined company at Telegraph Hill in dugouts.  That evening saw British ammunition column going up under heavy shell fire.

Sat 21st April

Back to Arras and billeted in caves  -  very large - lavatories and even streets, the whole place lit by electricity.    Saw Fritz plane bring down an observer balloon in flames - the occupant escaping by parachute.

Sun 22nd April

Church parade in caves (gives some idea of size)  Stood to all day.

Mon 23rd April

St George's Day rosettes issued (red and white).  Evening alarm and we rushed to reserve line.

Tues 24th April

Our Brigade made attack on Wancourt tower.  Stiff fight very heavy bombardment - Fritz used thousands of flares - many casualties in our Brigade.

Thurs 26th April

Entrained at Arras railway siding (very desolate) for Mondicourt.

1918

Sat 9th Feb

In line with A company sig station in German Pill-box.  Just after we arrived Fritz dropped shell clean on top of Pill-box which rocked about like a ship at sea.

Sat 16th Feb

Whitby camp - bokoo rum punch (hot milk rum and sugar).  Had double dose with A company and then went to my own company where I got best part of (diru?) full of QMS Jarvelund after this lot I felt a bit lively and went to postmans dugout across road for a registered letter I was expecting and which I got alright.

Wed 20th Feb

33rd division passed our camp and I was soon on lookout for Brother (George) who I found after running about a mile to the head of the column.   Walked beside him on march till he reached  camp and then dashed back and  we were to go up the line that night.

Fri 22nd Feb

Back to Whitby camp.

Sat 23rd Feb

Entrained at Ypres for Wizerous from here we marched about 12 kilos to Boisdingen where I rejoined D company.  Billeted in an old airforce camp.

Tues 26th Feb

Reveille 4.30 marched to rifle range which was being used by Australians - back to billet and then back to range in afternoon.  Stan Reay and I were sentries on road in rear of range we had to prevent anyone passing for fear of richochets.  Afternoon we had to carry danger flags back to hut on range.  By then battalion had moved off so we strolled back on our own and had tea in a YM and then back to camp at 8pm.

War Diary Part Two.

Due to unforseen circumstances my film making activities have been seriously curtailed at the moment.
To keep the blog active it seems a good time to publish more extracts from uncle Walter's war diary.

In Part two, 1917, Walter trains as a signaller and gets home on leave to England for Christmas.
There are suprisingly no entries in the diary recording his time at home.

The entries seem to suggest that Walter was becoming "battle hardened".  No longer the quiet young Norfolk lad who left "Blighty"  twelve months earlier.

Walter was quite mobile in 1917 - although the front line was fairly static the battalions were moved quite frequently to reinforce the line.

Please note the extracts from the diary were written almost one hundred years ago and may not be considered "Politically correct" by todays standards.

Sat 12th May 1917

Manoeuvres - reveille 4am.

Mon 14th May

Manoeuvres cancelled - rain.

Tues 15th May

Manoeuvres with live ammunition through a rifle bomb being fired with an ordinary cartridge.  The bomb fell short of the target and dropped among some of my company,  men who were in the supposed front line causing several casualties.  The 4th Northumberland Fusiliers also had some casualties.   The wounded coming down on limbers made it look almost like a real stunt.

Wed 16th May

Manoeuvres -  enemy 6th Northumberland Fusiliers in wood which we had to attack.

Thur 17th May

Sousastr'e.

Marched to a small village

Fri 18th May

March to small village of Ayette - badly smashed about - we bivouacked.

Vaults in cemetery so knocked about as to expose skeletons.

Sun 20th May

Reveille 3am back in line, fortunate in being put on details with Sheardown where we ran a signal station to Brigade H.Q.

In evening cycled with a message to Brigade a few miles away.

Mon 28th May

Cycled with a message in evening to CO of our battalion which were lying in cubby holes at St Leger.  By an overland road got there all right but lost my way coming back in the dark and what with falling in old trenches and getting myself and cycle mixed up with barbed wire.  I had a devil of a time and got back to Ayette about midnight.

 

Wed 23rd May

Details shifted to Moyenville.

Sun 27th May Whit Sunday

On guard - battalion out of line.

Mon 28th May Whit Monday

March to Monchy (not to Monchy - le - Preax) where we had to build bivvies for ourselves.

Tich and I found a lot of old corrugated iron and made a bivvy and later we made an extension to accommodate Murchi.  I was on fatigue in evening filling in old trenches to make roadway for our field kitchens.  While at Monchy we had a very heavy hailstorm - largest hailstones I have ever seen.

British Army field kitchen

Wed 30th May

Manoeuvres where (Butcher) Brown very much amused Tich and myself by getting very excited over finding an old German telephone position fixed at the top of a high tree in a wood.  It was a well concealed position and was reached by steps that were cut in the tree.

Thurs 31st May

Reported sick with bad legs and was sent to hospital at place called Goury - had good time here.

Tues 5th June

Discharged hospital and had to walk right back to Monchy.  It was evening when got to Souastri.   Here we met a Northumberland Fusilier padre who gave us some cash and we went and got some tea at Y.M.  Concert party that evening "Blue Diamond" (Durhams) so we stayed and then continued our journey to Monchy.  Feeling whacked we crawled under a stack for the night.

Wed 6th June

About 9am we reported to battalion - companies out on manoeuvres.

Fri 8th June

Our company proceeded to Mercatil for duty on ammunition dump.  Where we worked in two shifts day and night loading up lorries with shells as required.  We were complimented on the amount of work we did.   Good time at Y.M. when off duty.

Wed 20th June

Whole of our division under canvas near Boyelles.

Sun 24th June

In the line - signal station - Murchi and I came right back to Mercatil for a reel of wire and stayed in Y.M. before going back.

Thurs 28th June

At Hinen in blanket bivvies - I was with Murchi and Tich and Daver were in the next bivvy.

Wind up at midnight as Fritz was dropping gas shells in next camp.

Mon 2nd July

In line - signal and gas guard.

Tues 10th July

Under canvas at Neuville Vitasse.

Sun 15th July

Working party at Wancourt.

Wed 18th July

In line.

Fri 27th July

Out of line and in old trenches at Neauville Vitasse.

Wed Aug 1st

In line.

Sat Aug 4th

Canvas camp at Neauville Vitasse.

Sun Aug 5th

Five days C.B. for washing in a shell hole.    (Confined to barracks)

(Punishment) Pulling horse drawn roller over cricket pitch and digging large pit to bury refuse.

Sun 12th Aug

On pass to Arras with Murchi.  Had photos taken by Frenchman who lived in a cellar near cathedral ruins.

Mon 13th Aug

Battalion in line - details.

Tues 14th Aug

Played cricket in morning and afternoon went to Arras.

Wed 15th Aug

Signals course at Boyelles - division signal school.

Fri 24th Aug

Y.M. at Boisleax-au-Mont,  pictures of Battle of Arras.   That evening saw the first Yankee troops - engineers.

Wed 29th Aug

On guard at school.

Mon 10th Sept

Sent to divisional sig stn at Wancourt for instruction.

Wed 12th Sept

Station moved nearer line to a small ruined village called Guinappe.  Station fixed at a wayside shrine where we were shelled by heavies and so we went farther back in the village.

Mon 17th Sept

Back to divisional school by motor lorry.

Sun 7th Oct

Rain all day.

Mon 8th Oct

Rain all day.

Tues 15th Oct

Guard - in afternoon the whole school started on the march for Achut-le-Petit.  The camp we should have taken over was occupied so that night we put up in a large barn which had been used for a theatre.   About 2am shifted into camp.

Wed 16th Oct

Entrained from Miriamont and arrived at Cassel where we marched to divisional details at a place called Bollezelle, very large camp here and signal school was lodged in a large marquee.

Wed 24th Oct

Rough weather - marquee blown down at about 2am.  Had to walk about till daylight when it was a scramble claiming kit.

Sat 1st Dec

Left Bollezelle for Eperleques Chateau - were billeted in Nissen huts in the grounds.

While here on the 13th and 14th was granted leave.  Marching to the railroad at Walton and entrained for Boulogne and after a splendid fortnight left home at 10-30pm on Boxing night.

Wed 26th Dec Boxing night

Thorpe 10.30pm  with  Jack Mace his wife and Albert Jex who were all going to London.

Thur 27th Dec

Liverpool Street Station 3.30am - stayed in waiting room till about 5am.  Then went and had a bit of breakfast in cafe just outside station.  After breakfast we got in a van, kind of laundry van which took us over London Bridge to the railway station where Jack and I left Violet and Albert who had to catch trains.  Jack and I went to his billet in Shepherds Bush where we had breakfast.   Jack couldn't get day off so I knocked about on my own till noon when I took my kit to Victoria station - and then went back and had dinner with Jack.  Had a look round town in afternoon and met Jack at night on the underground at Victoria station.  At night went to Oxford theatre and saw "The Better Ole".   Afterwards having supper at Lyons cafe,then 11.30pm.   Left Jack at 12.30am outside Victoria Station and went to Y.M.C.A. hostel nearby where I had ordered a bed for the night.

Fri 28th Dec

Caught boat train from Victoria Station it was snowing heavily when reached Boulogne - stayed at rest camp that night at Boulogne and met men of 4th Northumberland Fusiliers.

Sat 29th Dec

Left Boulogne - made meal of cake I brought from home.  6pm that night arrived at St Omer where we slipped out of station and had an hour or two in town - billiards and a drink or two.

9pm arrived at Walton reported to area commandant who put us up for night and told us our division was near Ypres.

Sun 30th Dec

Drawed rations from RTO and had breakfast at esterminet at Walton. 

Troops at an Estaminet (Bistro)

  Marched to signal school 8 kilometres stopping half way at an esterminet we knew and finished other cake and also had a few drinks - 4pm arrived at school.

Mon 31st Dec

Left school to rejoin battalion and detrained at Paperinge - air raid on.

Tues 1st Jan

Rejoined battalion at Potize - camp - tents, just through Ypres.

Wed 2nd Jan

Working party digging trench up line - went up by light railway.

Thur 3rd Jan

Battalion back to Paperinge by bus.

London buses used for troop movements

Sat 5th Jan 1918

Cap Off - 7 days No 1 for outstaying leave - in the mush in cellar beneath Battalion HQ.  All prisoners daily working parties up line. 

 

 

Uncle Walter's War Diary.

From a film making angle Uncle Walter's life and times would make a wonderful documentary but sadly the funding and resources required for such a production are not currently available.  

After careful consideration I felt the next best thing would be to publish extracts from uncle Walter's war diary through the Big Sky blog.  This year, as the nation commemorates the beginning of the First World War it seems an ideal time.  
In this small way I can acknowledge and honour uncle Walter and his young comrades who served in the trenches of the "Great War".

Walter Parker

Very few diaries from the first world war were written by private soldiers as it was strictly forbidden.  Because of this there are only a handful of accounts written by enlisted men.   Walter made notes on scraps of paper and made his diary entries secretly whenever the opportunity presented itself.  For this very reason the diary gives a fascinating insight into the lot of the "PBI" (poor bloody infantry). 

Uncle Walter was the first of thirteen children born to Walter Snr and Georgiana Jane on 20th February 1893.  Walter was apprenticed to the Norwich shoe trade as a "clicker" - a reserved occupation which prevented Walter from enlisting.   He made many attempts to join up before he was successful. He took the "Kings Shilling" soon after his twenty third birthday.

Please note the extracts from the diary were written almost one hundred years ago and may not be considered "Politically correct" by todays standards.

Mon 17th April 1916.

Joined up at Britannia Barracks.  Tich with me, evening march to drill hall and billeted at home.    Drill daily at Eaton Park.

Tues 2nd May

Bury St Edmunds, billeted with a Swaffham chap named Askew at Furlonges.   One weekend leave.

Tues 5th June

Left Bury. Train all night and at daybreak next morning arrived in Harrogate.

Marched about four miles to Pillinghall Camp- under canvas - hard training but good time on whole.  Frequent visits to Harrogate very nice place.

Tues 29th Aug

Left Harrogate 10pm good send off by local folk and early next morning arrived Shornecliffe.

Wed 30th Aug

Embarked Folkestone at midday and arrived Boulogne 2pm.  Marched to St Martins Camp just out of Boulogne - pretty stiff hill to climb.  "Frenchies" (Women and kids) hawking en-route (cheese and  spearmint).  

Fri 1st Sept

Entrained for base at Etaples - very stiff training, gas etc, at Bullring every day.

Wed 6th Sept

Route march to Paris Plage, pretty seaside place four miles from Etaples.

Fri 8th Sept

Posted to 5th Northumberland Fusiliers.  We entrained to join Battalion,  forty in a truck with full kit - uncomfortable.  We were run into a siding and stayed all night.

                                                                           

Northumberland Fusiliers at Thiepval 1916 (Public Domain)

 

 Sat 9th Sept

We detrained at Freshencourt near Albert - rest camp - on guard that night - loaves stolen.

Mon 11th Sept

March through Albert - first experience of shellfire - and form battalion details that night - about forty of us under tarpaulin.

Sun 17th Sept

10pm up to trenches near Marmetz wood.  Rained hard and tear shell gas all night - miserable time.

Mon 18th Sept

Rain all day.

Wed 20th Sept

Moved forward to Clarkes Trench

Thur 21st Sept

Working party at midnight digging Communication trench under shell fire.  Thinking we should return we left surplus kit at Clarkes Trench but at daybreak we were ordered forward to take enemy trench - very little opposition and that evening I went back to Clarkes trench for my kit.  Tich and Murchi went to Headquarters for some boots and were lost all night.

Sat 23rd Sept

Heavily bombarded and were relieved at 9.30pm and went back to support trench (Clarkes)

Mon 25th Sept

Billeted in Albert near cathedral and did all day working party clearing mud from roads - 1 foot deep in places.

Tues 26th Sept

Carrying small arms ammunition to front line.

Wed 27th Sept

Mametz Wood.

Thur 28th Sept

Road mending near Mamentz - used bricks etc from ruined houses in village.

Fri 29th Sept

Left Clarkes Trench at 4am for Front Line.   I kept in a cubbyhole and missed breakfast.

Sun 1st Oct

At 3pm over the top (my first experience) to capture Le Sars.  Tich and I were ammunition carriers for the Lewis gunners.  we took the position after stiff resistance and held on.  Fritz made counter attack in the night and we passed up thousands of Mills bombs to repel attack.

We sustained many casualties, these were chiefly previous to going over - in the communication trench leading to our Front line.   There were plenty of dead  Germans lying about when we reached our objective.   Sent a photo home taken off a dead German.

Mon 2nd Oct

Still in Fritz's old Front line and made ourselves at comfy in one of his old dugouts.   Rain hard all day.  During afternoon Fritz dropped a shell clean in the dugout doorway, (wind up)setting a box of flares alight.  After things cleared up a bit we began to think about getting out and found there was just enough room left for us to be pulled through the doorway one at a time.

German Dugout (Courtesey of Imperial War Museum)

Tues 3rd Oct

Still raining hard and we got rations up that night the first we had had since the Sun (1st Oct)so we had been practically between 50 to 60 hours without food which couldn't be got up to us.  Never enjoyed food so much before, although it was only biscuits and tea.

During that evening some of our fellows who were wounded in the attack on Sun were brought.  They had gone too far forward in the attack and had laid out all that time.

                                                                      

Stretcher bearers bringing back the wounded (Public Domain)

About 5pm nearly dark we started for Mametz quadrangle trench, plenty of sniping but no one hit.   Still raining hard, passed a lot of our dead on the way.

Wed 4th Oct

Marched to Albert.

Thur 5th Oct

Marched right back to Millencourt rest camp, tents where we got plenty of training.

Tich and I am put to a course of bombing.

Daily Sketch photographer at our camp. 

Tues 24th Oct

Reserve trenches about a mile through High Wood.  Slept in shell holes and as it rained all night we had quite a rotten time of it.

Wed 25th Oct

We were lucky in finding a tent but the trouble was where to pitch it as the whole place was little but a swamp - got it up at last.

Thurs 26th Oct

Working party to Front line carrying duckboards, started 5pm and got back at 2am next morning, worst working party I was ever on.

Fri 27th Oct

Just before daybreak Fritz dropped a shell not a great distance from our tent, a piece of shrapnel went clean through the top.

Court Martial read out, chap named Palmer sentenced to death. 

Rain almost everyday and the wooden roads laid by the Canadians were practically afloat.

Fri Nov 3rd

Back to High Wood in bivvies - heavy rain during night - we were washed out, so we got up - lit a fire and talked.   Nearly stifled with smoke. 

Tues 14th Nov

Up to front line and at midnight dug jumping off trench and 6.30 next morning made attack with Australians on left - objective being Buste de Watercourt.

Many casualties, including G Fearless (Sniper), both amongst Australians and ourselves.  We captured two trenches but failed to reach objective.

Shell dropped on parapet just in front of me, blowing trench in.  Shell shock (concussion) and came out of line with many wounded and some German prisoners.

I was with young Ritchie who had had a bullet through his hand.  Shelled heavily and young Ritchie got a piece of shrapnel in his neck.

The mud in parts of the communication trench was waist deep, like treacle.  Things were so bad at dressing station that stretcher bearers couldn't get along and the wounded were put on sledges which were pulled along by horses.

Reported to transport after leaving dressing station. 

 

Wed 15th Nov

Reported sick and was sent by ambulance to C.R.S (Casualty Rest Station) at Becourt, near Albert - good food and stretcher beds in large marquee. 

Sun 19th Nov

Discharged  C.R.S. report to battalion billeted in houses in Albert - learned I had been reported missing - wrote straight home.  Battalion much below strength through casualties.

Big draft arrived including Daver. 

Tues 23rd Nov

Working party at Albert gas works loading lorries with coal. 

Fritz over at midday bombing. 

Mon 27th Nov

About 10pm Fritz started shelling  -  long range gun -  put one clean through wall opposite our billet, next one knocked chimney off house next door so we retired to the cellar for the night.

German Long Range Gun (Courtesey Australian War Memorial)

Wed 29th Nov

On guard in mess by billet over officer awaiting trial for cowardice, (wanted to surrender in action).

About 11pm was taken off guard and ordered to report to signals sergeant for instruction next morning.

Fri 1st Dec

Marched back down Amiens road to village of Brisle to re-organise etc - billeted in top half of barn and mucked in with Reay and Murchi.

Sat 2nd Dec

Divisional band played in farmyard.

That evening Reay and Clayton were told off for firing party.   The whole firing party billeted in a cottage other end of village.

Sun 3rd Dec

After church parade adjutant Easton presented Military Medal ribbons to Cpl Saint and others and then read out the Court martial sentence on private Cameron, sentenced to be shot next morning.

In afternoon a party including myself were told off to level ground at back of farm where the sentence was to be carried out.   Cutting down shrubs etc so there should be no obstruction to firing party.

Mon 4th Dec

At daybreak (about 7.30) battalion were lined up at the back of farm where Cameron was to die. Could not see him but was rotten to hear him groaning and then the volley.

After execution back to billets.

Tues 19th Dec

Granted a days leave to Amiens and only hope of getting there was getting a lift on lorries going in that direction.  Challenged several times but allowed to pass on production of pass. Barrier across road at Amiens and pass examined before being allowed to enter town.

Went in cathedral front of which was protected against air raids by sandbags to a great height  - very rich in Architecture and scores of candles burning in interior.  
 

Amiens Cathederal

Many French colonials in town and what with traffic and so many civvies walking about it was very gay and was quite a novelty after seeing nothing but Khaki for so long. Seemed strange to see people in cafes with no blinds up and it looked more as if they were up the window for sale. 

Mon 25th Dec

Christmas day

Church parade in a granary at Brisle and evening a concert in same place.

Thurs 28th Dec

Marched to Becourt near Albert - stayed the night in Nissen huts.

Fri 29th Dec

Bivvies near High Wood - at night up to trenches.  I was fortunate being on details at canvas camp Bazenten.

  

 

The Soldier

If I should die, think only this of me:
That there's some corner of a foreign field
That is for ever England. There shall be
In that rich earth a richer dust concealed;
A dust whom England bore, shaped, made aware,
Gave, once, her flowers to love, her ways to roam,
A body of England's, breathing English air,
Washed by the rivers, blest by suns of home.

And think, this heart, all evil shed away,
A pulse in the eternal mind, no less
Gives somewhere back the thoughts by England given;
Her sights and sounds; dreams happy as her day;
And laughter, learnt of friends; and gentleness,
In hearts at peace, under an English heaven.

 

Rupert Brooke  1887 - 1915