The final entries for my grandfather's diary.

MAY 1916

Monday 1st

Grand inspection by Major General at Houlin. Very hot and tiring march. Afternoon off and watch footer match in evening. Have decent evening and supper, but working party after until 2.30am at Ablain St. Nazaire. Very tired.

Tuesday 2nd

Up at 10 and parade early to march to Gouy Servins. Billeted in room in chateau. Some rain, but turns out fine. Nothing much doing. Watch footer and have happy evening.

Wednesday 3rd

Go to Grand Servins to school of instruction. Rifle drill most of morning. Fine lecture on bayonet by Major Lamphills. Lecture by Major Batteson on attack, etc. Very interesting and instructive. Usual evening out. Hear John Cass has been killed—a fine chap. (Cannot identify this man)

Thursday 4th

Grand Servins school. Platoon and Coy. drill all the morning. Afternoon off and make the most of it by writing a few letters. Watch footer and have usual merry evening and fine concert.

Friday 5th

School at Grand Servins. Platoon and Coy. drill. Very warm and glad when evening comes. Cool walk and then the usual evening. Charles becomes rather argumentative with A Coy. and theatricals.

Saturday 6th

Up at 7.30 and go to Grand Servins to school. Get through to extended order drill. Go to demonstrations of trench repair, etc., in afternoon. Referee footer match between Bombers and A Coy. Good game A win 3-1. Riotous evening—grand cricket match in billet.

Sunday 7th

Have day off and spend it indoors owing to rain. Watch footer match in evening and get riotous at night and fall foul of officer. We get severely ticked off . George very merry, so have to keep him in his place.

Monday 8th

Up late and move to Villers au Bois at midday. Rather colder but have ripping walk through woods in afternoon with Charles and Teddy. Go to Mont-St. Eloi. Fine old abbey, much battered. Get back at 4pm and go to trenches at 8pm. Long walk. Mine goes up on right. Take over 11pm and go on rations-hunt parties.

Tuesday 9th

Stand to at 2.45am. Cold and sleep until 9am. Good breakfast and spend day reading Ian Hay, Knight on Wheels. Fine book. Charles comes to tea. Two mines go up about 7.45pm. Much shelling and George gets wounded in doing heroics. Ration party back at 11pm. Wet night and dark.

Wednesday 10th

Stand to at 2.30am. Much nicer morning. Have breakfast at 5.30 and turn in. Charles comes to tea and we have strawberries and cream. Good. Bombing attack on left and much shelling. Go on rations at 9.30pm. Back at 11pm, but don’t turn in. Reminiscent!

Thursday 11th

Stand to at 2.30. Sleep until 9am and have breakfast. Write letters and have dinner at one.

Friday 12th

Much shelling. Usual day in trenches and nothing much doing.

Saturday 13th

Relief day. Glad to get out for a bit.

Sunday 14th

To Estrée Cauchy. Went to Gouy-Servins on course. Spent day wandering round. Fine bed in tent. Rather good evening.

Monday 15th

Room with instructor at Brigade school. Enjoyable night.

Tuesday 16th

Hear Prit. has returned to Estrée Cauchy. Usual day and raucous evening with Swift.

Wednesday 17th

Go to Fresnicourt for a bath. Good and about time. Charles joins us. Drill in afternoon. Go to Estrée Cauchy and play footer for Coy. and beat bombers. What happened that evening? Mandalay amongst the fields. “We’re in.”

Thursday 18th

Up early and spend day drilling. Go to Cauchy in evening. Play cricket and celebrate Lindley’s birthday. Some night. “Halt you men!” “We’re in” at 4am.

Friday 19th

Feeling awfully tired but get up late as we rejoin today. Strike camp but don’t rejoin. Sleep in hut.

Saturday 20th

March to Villers au Bois and see Battalion go to trenches. Nothing much doing, but have nice walk in woods.

Sunday 21st

Up about eight. No work today. Heavy shelling on our front 3am and continuing. Germans attack on right and break through. A Coy. fall back. Some missing. Young and Taylor killed, also Butler. Shelling throughout night. (See note 1)

Monday 22nd

Reserve of guns and men arrive promptly. Rumours of counter-attack. Nothing doing. Heavy shelling and much movement of troops. Germans look like getting it in the neck.

Tuesday 23rd

Hear counter is to be today. Heavy shelling and attack at eight. Criminal blunder. Poor old 67th! Rumours of relief. Doesn’t come.

Wednesday 24th

Fairly quiet day spent in reorganising of lines. Lomas is killed, also Sidney Hill. 18th come out. (See note 2)

Thursday 25th

Relief today by about 4am. Glad to return to Cauchy and march to Bours en Artois. Billet in a castle. Nice little place.

Friday 26th

Nothing doing but many rumours of Etaples. Hope they are true. Go to Pernes in afternoon. Fine little tea in nice shop. Prit’s’ “Parisienne”.

Saturday 27th

Move to Pernes expected. Nothing doing. Play cricket in afternoon.

Sunday 28th

Church parade and congratulations speech by C.O.

[There are no further entries.]

NOTES:

Note 1

Capt Harold Charles Norman Taylor, , 1/20th London Reg (Blackheath & Woolwich). KiA 21.5.16. Aged 23 he was the son of Sir Frederick Taylor, 1st Bart., M.D., F.R.C.P., and Lady Taylor, of Wimpole St., Cavendish Square, London. B.A. (Cantab). He is buried in CABARET-ROUGE BRITISH CEMETERY, SOUCHEZ, grave III. E. 5.

Capt Leslie Alexander Young, 1/20th London Reg (Blackheath & Woolwich). KiA 21.5.16. He is buried in CABARET-ROUGE BRITISH CEMETERY, SOUCHEZ, grave III. D. 21.

1180 CSM Frederick Charles Butler, C Company, 1/20th London Reg (Blackheath & Woolwich). KiA 21.5.16. Aged 24 he was the only son of Ada Mary Butler, of "Oakleigh", Guildford Rd., Bagshot, Surrey, and the late Frederick Nicholas Butler. His body was never found and his name is inscribed on the Arras Memorial, Bay 9 or 10.

27 other men of the 1/20th London Reg (Blackheath & Woolwich) were killed in action on the 21st May 1916.

Note 2

2963 Sgt Sidney Ernest Hill, 1/20th London Reg (Blackheath & Woolwich). KiA 24.5.16. His body was never found and his name is inscribed on the Arras Memorial, Bay 9 or 10.

2nd Lt George Archibald Colin Lomas DCM, 1/20th London Reg (Blackheath & Woolwich). KiA 22.5.16. He was the son of the Rev. Charles and Kate E. Lomas, of 149, Dornley Rd., Gravesend, Kent. Born at Hurstbourne, Tarrant, Hants. He is buried in CABARET-ROUGE BRITISH CEMETERY, SOUCHEZ, grave III. E. 6.

NOTE: No part of this document to be re-printed or published in any form without specific written permission of W A M MacCormick © W A M MacCormick 2006