Primary tabs
Transcription
[Page 85]
Erquinghem & Armentieres
7/6/16
All available men on fatigue and they got away early. No officers out. Went down to Ordnance at Bac St. Maur but could get nothing there – they appear to be quite strangled by red tape and everything has to come on indent from Calais. Some languid [indecipherable] of sergeants there I should dearly love to have in my company just to discipline them.
Fort Rompu is a pleasant [indecipherable] but shows no sign of being a fort. Great green trees border the road and there is a wealth of foliage.
The 7th Bde. Trench raid last night was evidently a success as some German prisoners (some wounded went past here under guard early. We relieve them soon. A man in "D" Co got 5 years penal servitude for insubordination.
A man named Porter "B" Co while apparently quite normal in other respects has of late developed a craze that he is fighting against God and does not want to kill Germans. He says Jesus is on their side and he therefore refuses to go out on fatigue or to fight. He is being sent for a Court Martial.
Went down to the Cinema Hall Erquinghem at 4 pm for a lecture by Colonel Blamey but he had left for England and Colonel Brand, the New Brigadier, carried on. Went direct from there with Curnow into Armrntieres calling in to see Mademoiselle at the paper shop and there saw a book of art studies that would cause a riot in the old fashioned city of Melbourne.
Did some shopping and went into the church – the stained glass mostly dated 1901 being very restful to the eye. Great work has been lavished on the altars of this fine place. Some shell damage.
To Au Boeuf for dinner, the old lady dishing up hors d'ouver omelette and fillet of beef with "petit cakes" biere and fruit. The latter lovely peaches at 1 fr each grown at Bailleul. Plenty of beer flowing being the night after pay.