Item 03: James McCall Young diary, 6 August 1918-6 August 1919 - Page 33

You are here

Transcription

[Page 33]

Thursday Oct. 31st
A very cold morning. Went on parade, first time for three weeks. Had to go "paper lancer" during afternoon.

Friday Nov. 1st
Packed up after dinner and went forward to new wagon lines, went through St. Behain and Le Catteau. Passed a big dump of Fritz guns of all sizes. Saw a lot of civilians in Le Catteau, the town is very large and the buildings are very fine, some very badly knocked about. Camped in a gully outside Le Catteau. The night was very cold with a strong wind.

Saturday Nov. 2nd
Put in the morning making a bivvy, last night slept in a shell hole. Started raining again after breakfast. Went with watercart into Le Catteau to fill up, went through the town square past the town hall.

Sunday Nov. 3rd
Went twice with water cart, 2nd time came back a different way, went inside a large church that has been badly knocked about, pictures torn and statuary all broken. Heard the Sussex Reg. Band playing. Just got back to camp as Fritz started shelling. Rained steady all night.

Monday Nov. 4th
An enormous number of our planes went over Fritz's way during the early morning. A big stunt was opened on the Boche. A Fritz plane was brought down through trying to bring down one of our baloons. During afternoon while in the town saw a big batch of prisoners being brought in. Some of them were Austrians. Didn't get any rations as one of Fritz's timed mines blew up the railway line.

Tuesday Nov. 5th
Saw another big batch of prisoners in the town. The guns were brought back to the wagon lines. I went down to fill water cart but it didn't come, had a walk for nothing through the mud and rain. Rained all day.

Wednesday Nov. 6th
Rained all night, still raining. Had to go and fill water cart. During afternoon darned some socks. Rained heavy all day, mud everywhere.

Thursday Nov. 7th
Had to get up 6 a.m. and go and fill the water cart. 9 a.m. muster parade, all had to gargle their throats against the "Flue", rained all night.

This page has its status set to Completed and is no longer transcribable.