Item 06: Frank H. Molony diary, 25 March 1918-7 August 1918 - Page 47

[Page 47]

April 15, 16
58.
wounded today: Capt. Symons detached from us temporarily to the 1st Batt.

The first mail in today for about a week, for self two T.L.S., but barren numbers. No announcement of Alec Waugh's "Resentment and O.P. [Other Poems]" yet nor of Masefield's two books.

59.
We have today taken on strength, two cows, two pigs, and a family of cats.

For tea tonight – tongues (from 1 C.C.S. abandoned) boiled chicken, leeks and milk and Café au lait, in stock, Muscat and Champagne.

Still outward mail is closed.

April 16
59. a.m.
Darkes of the Transport blew in to Dressing Room about midnight – silk hated and arrayed from an evening in Strazeele. Full of Champagne, and Rabelaisian tellings of drinking and shells, eating and groutings.

"We had eleven fowls between eight of us, an' we had to have the B. for tea too!"
"A man ought to get up to strength in horses with these Tommies here – like rabbits aren't they!"
"An' we were picked up as stragglers! A Tommy picquet bailed us up coming back – an' we with a pig between us!"
"Was he dead?"
"Yes, we shot him – a howzer rifle we grouted, and cut his head off with a razor! But I was telling you, the picquet halted us –
"Alt! where are you men going to!"
"Get ---!"
"Come on! all stragglers are to report here!"
"Go an' get ---!"

So tomorrow our bacon or ham will be home grown.

The night quiet: a black night of mist drizzle: every while the eighteen pounders by us open out. Hazebruck is being shelled by the Boche.

Reading "Notre Dame", but so far prefer "Les Miserables".

60.
Two 2nd Batt. chaps through, and a yarning with them over Leon Chandon 1892. Their confidence in an early ending amazing almost, yet half our Inf. seem the same way. Am I a most perverted pessimist? An ending in three months! Yet if only the Tommies were well led! Or is this optimism a resurrecting of last years when we were closely following the Boche retreat to Cambrai!