August 7th 1915
Battn. parade at 6.45am. Walked into Poperinghe and Vlamertinghe in the evening. Poperinghe and Vlamertinghe have been shelled during the week but not much damage done.
August 7th 1916
On the road again. Arrived at our destination (Dernancourt) at about 4pm. This is about 4 Kilos from Albert.
August 6th 1915
NCO’s parade again. Rest of party returned from the trenches.
August 6th 1916
Off again. We (Lewis Gunners) going by road with the Transport a day in advance of the Battalion who come on by train tomorrow.
Saw General Joffre today. He passed by in a car as we were halted by the side of the Amiens-Doullens road. Left Amiens on the right and put up for the night at a village.
August 5th
Some of our party came back from trenches having had a pretty rough time and reported that remainder were unable to get out owing to the trenches having been blown in. Jimmy was wounded here.
August 2nd
Party of 80 men from our Company had to go into the trenches to reinforce the K.R.R’s. I was fortunate again in being left behind. Jimmy was with the party.
August 1st 1915
Church parade
August 1st 1916
On the march again. Today we got as far as Gezaincourt just outside Doullens where we hope to stay for a few days. Managed to have a pretty decent time here.
July 31st 1915
Marched right back to a fresh camping ground nearly into Poperinghe; we heard that during the night the Germans attacked Zouave wood three times but each time were repulsed with very heavy losses.
July 31st 1916
On the move again. Heat got the better of me, had to fall out; arrived and found the Battalion same night.
July 30th 1915
Arrived back in a fresh camp about 4am; had some tea and stew and just laid down as we were to sleep on the grass; in about half an hour we were woke up again with the news that the Germans had broken through the line we had just left and we were to get ready to go back at a moments notice. The order to move came before we could get rations issued so it was a case of taking what you could get; I got a small piece of bread and cheese. I don’t think any of us really thought that w
July 25-29th 1915
Nothing very much happened during this time except shelling and trench mortars and bombing duels; this is where we first made the acquaintance of ‘aerial torpedoes’ (so called) and saw a German aeroplane brought down by one of our own. Here too we had a rather starling experience; Wainsborough and I were sitting in the trench one night talking when a ‘Very Light’ Star shell fell into the trench between us and gave us rather a scare. We were relieved by our 8th Battn.
July 2
July 24th
We were called up to take over the fire trenches and relieve 6th Company who had suffered rather heavily the day before. Our platoon occupied the support line along the Ypres-Menin road. The fire trenches here in one place are within about five yards of each other; the Germans tried an attack here but were repulsed by our bombers who did some good work specially Pte. Norbury and Cpl. Brown. Some of the bombers were buried by bursting trench mortars.
July 23rd
What a journey we had coming up; marched part of the way then came along in the springless transport wagons over one of the roughest roads imaginable, raining the whole way; it was anything but a joy ride; more like slow torture. We are in reserve here our platoon in a redoubt and the remainder of the Company in Zouave wood just opposite to the Chateau of Hooge – or what remains of it; a mine has quite recently exploded here forming a huge crater about 150 ft wide and about 40 ft dee
July 22nd
Had a competition in the morning between platoons; sort of a forced march over a measured distance. No 4. Platoon won. Left for trenches again in the evening.
July 21st 1915
Usual parades in the morning; nothing doing after dinner; walked into Abeele with Holland again in the evening.
July 21st 1916
Battalion relieved again by the 8th R.B. I am left in with three guns with the 8th. Battalion has gone to Duisans.
July 20th
Drill in the morning. Company sports in the afternoon; these caused a good deal of amusement. Walked into Abeele with Holland in the evening.
July 17th
Route march through Abeele, Boeschepe and Godewaersvelde took about five hours; rained in torrents soon after starting out and we got soaked to the skin. 6pm on Company guard for twenty-four hours.
Sadly my father - son of Arthur Munt died on the 13th July 2006 at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital. Dad had moved into residential care in 2003 and had been suffering from Parkinson's and Diabetes. He had a stroke 6 weeks ago and had been in hospital since the end of May. He died peacefully in his sleep.
He spent 6 years in the RN 1940-46 serving as a Leading Signalman on MTB's and Flower Class Corvettes including a spell in the Azores. After the War he left Shell and was ordained
July 15th 1915
Battalion route march. Fatigue party of 75 men for digging again tonight. Still on the sick list so escaped digging again.
July 15th 1916
Took over line again from 8th R.B. Our Company in support in Trench 40.
July 14th
Company route march; fatigue party of fifty men for digging at night. I was not on this; it rained in torrents and the poor beggars came in soaked to the skin. I reported sick this morning and was excused duty.
