Note: these two months are hard to read in places due to faded pencil but I've done my best to transcribe them. Fairly uneventful but hope people enjoy. 

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With love to Wil from Eveline

To whom I dedicate this diary

W Markham, 84^th Battery RFA BEF

Received this diary whilst out at Rest at Proven, Belgium Jan 8^th 1918.

 

 

JANUARY

 

 

 

January 1^st

January 2^nd

January 3^rd

January 4^th: Left at 9.am for Proven for our Billets

January 5^th: Cleaning down the guns all day. Received a letter from Home and Eveline.

January 6^th: Cleaning down again. (Unclear) wagon. Very cold.

 January 7^th: Sent my photo to Eveline. Cleaning gun. Very cold weather.

 January 8^th: Received this Diary. Snowing very early morning. Went to (unclear) for a bath. Received parcel from Eveline, bless her. Blowing blizzard at night. 

 January 9^th: Gun inspection at 3PM. Can (write?) owing to snowing hard. Refused the Strafe (?) began talking about Peace. Much excitement. Went to Proven cinema. 

 January 10^th: Thinking weather warmer. Gun Park inspection at 3PM. Passed it. 

 January 11^th: Rained. Received letter from Pal and Evie. Answered some. Went to Proven cinema. Sent 3 cards to Evie. 

 January 12^th: Rained in the morning. Letter from Home & E Baker

 January 13^th: Washed a GS (?) wagon down. Cleaned gun. Received letter E and answered some

 January 14^th: Snowing early. Tested air in buffer of gun. Walked down to 670 ll (unclear) Played DAC at football lost 2.1 went to Proven cinema (unclear) by hand.

 January 15^th: Rained in night. Blowing hard. Practising for Brigade Sports replacing “broken” gun wheel & hole, quickest time wins

 January 16^th: Received (something) rained all day had a rest and did nothing all day. Went to Proven cinema. Wrote to E.

 January 17^th: Raining again, did nothing till 3PM Battery (unclear) grooming. I hate the (unclear- maybe job) makes no difference. Received letter from E. 

 January 18^th: Fine morning for a change. Cleaned the gun. Rusting in parts. Practise for (the same word that might be shots) 2.30PM. Wrote to E. 

 January 19^th: Received parcel from home. Tested sights on gun. (unclear) Sgt. 2 ½ minutes left adjusted sight 2 ½ minutes got wheel changed in 1 minute 1 (unclear) (unclear) brigade shots (unclear)

 January 20^th: Raining slightly cleaning gun in the morning. Sports at 2pm Battery lost tug of war felt ill at night went to bed had 3 (unclear) wrote to Evie

 January 21st: Went to see to Doctor feeling better after dinner received a small photo from Evie did nothing all day. Going back in action on 29^th or 2^nd

 January 22^nd: Won the casuality race at Brigade Sports Praised by O.S (?) for our smartness

 January 23^rd: Easy time cleaned the gun went to Proven cinema

 January 24^th: Cleaned gun easy day stayed in at night

 January 25^th: Weather raining but the fire warm all day. Received letter from Evie.

January 26th: Nothing to do only clean gun (unclear) as usual

 January 27^th: Wrote to Evie. Nothing doing all day easy time.

 January 28^th: Fine weather like spring. 3 men for leave, roll on mine

 January 29^th: Rumours of moving into action. Wrote Evie, bless her. Cleaned the gun went to cinema

 January 30^th: Ordered to pack up and get gun ready for action. Boring (unclear) all day. Letter from old pal W Hattersley

 January 31^st: Nice morning cleaned the gun and wrote to Evie. Ready for action. Move on (land?) Feb 3 chaps gone on leave. Letter from Evie

 

 

FEBRUARY

 

 

February 1^st: Packing up all day going to Woesten via Proven. Nice day. 

 February 2^nd: Dep. 9:30 on the move to Woeston. Arrived Woeston at 3:30pm. Unpacking etc

 February 3^rd: Washing wagons and cleaning guns down all day

 February 4^th: Still cleaning down. No letter from Evie very worried

 February 5^th: No mail for me again wonder what’s matter. Sandbagging this afternoon 

 February 6^th: Wrote Evie no mail again

 February 7^th: Still no mail answered

 February 8^th: Gun to go to Ordnance tomorrow. Loose rivets (?) in under carriage. (Unclear) gear stiff. R(something) leaks at (unknown) valve.

 February 9^th: Went to Ordnance workshop with gun arriv. 10:30 am starting dissembling gun finished work at 6pm wrote Evie

 February 10^th: Revelling under carriage until 12:30pm. Half holiday. Walked five miles to gallery wagon line for Evie’s letter. Wrote Evie & Elsie. Rode on lorry back.

 February 11^th: Work commenced at 7.30 am dinner 12.30 trouble with our ?????? finished reveling carriage ??? off 5.30 

 February 12^th: Finishing gun off recuperation half night after much work wrote to Evie & home

 February 13^th: Still doing nothing 

 February 14^th: Came away from (unknown place) to wagon line

 February 15^th: Washing down, reloading gun

 February 16^th: Going in action tonight. Set off at 5pm (unclear) in action in the open at (unknown place name)

February 17^th: Making gun platform and getting ammunition up to gun all day. Fine day. 

 February 18^th: Shelling for strafe at 10-58 am using smoke gas H.E and shrapnel. All came of OK

 February 19^th: Walking for (unclear)

 February 20^th: Came out of action to wagon line with guns 2 letters from Evie (?) one from Home

 February 21^st: Cleaning gun down etc wrote Evie

 February 22^nd: Cleaning down and generally doing nothing received letter E

 February 23^rd: Same as yesterday

 February 24^th: Received parcel from Evie fiddling about again round the gun wrote to E.R.S.

 February 25^th: Same old program nothing doing

 February 26^th: Went in action at night for Strafe on (unclear)

February 27^th: Shelling at night (busted/bursted) shrapnel over with no damage done

 February 28^th: Came down from gun line. Received letter from Evie from Louth

 

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