Item 06: John D. Wilson diary, 17 May-19 September 1917 - Page 179
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[Page 179]
I have been shoeing all day with Ryan helping me. A wet canteen has been opened by our Battalion this evening on the side of the street in a lean too erected by the Pioneers.
The Germans have advanced past Riga & the Russians are retreating. Lord Rhonda has made an appeal to the Farmers of England. Sacrifices must be made in the gravest crisis of our history. Compulsion is the only alternative to compliance. If farmers continue to hold up their cattle the Government will intervene, supplies will be requisitioned, & competitive buying stopped.
Saturday Sept. 8. 1917. (1132)
It was very foggy this morning but it turned out a fine day when the fog cleared away. We shod a Brigade mule this morning, a wild one & we had to put it in the crush, also 1 pair of shoes (Front) on one of our own mules.
It is a half holiday this evening, & I stayed in & don wrote some letters.
[2 lines of shorthand]
This morning our blankets were called in & sent away for fumigation, & in the evening we received other blankets in place of them. This caused lots of dissatisfaction as many of the blankets were almost worn out. I was lucky & got a fairly good one.
I went over to a French farm house opposite the blacksmiths shop & handed in a piece of paper on which was written "Voulez-vous me vendre du lait" s'il vous plait" which means "Will you sell me some milk please" It worked like a charm & I got the milk at once. half a franc for a