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[Page 7]
Apl 11th –
5.30 am attack on Hindenburgs line – 6.30 wounded S M Compton dressed wound in shell hole – Stayed there for 1 hour & scrambled back into our first captured trench & was assisted into a deep dugout full of wounded, attended by 14th Bn AMC. Germans counter att. 10 am & owing to bomb & ammun. becoming exhausted we were compelled to surrender
Others that tried to get back were mown down like sheep by treacherous M. Guns – we were soon taken prisoners & were treated rather good – Remained in dugout all day & night, my wounds being dressed once. Lot of our wounded out in snow all night long, lots of dead lying all over the place. Had slice bread & 3 drinks coffee & was given drink kerosene once.
12th Apl
Left dugout 10 am & assisted back to Reincourt (originally intended for our 3rd objective. Remained there 1hr & then transported in a springless waggon to a F. D. Station. It was an awful journey (cruel) Leg dressed again & my left foot put in a splint – Half cup of soup & a slice Dry Bread. Remained there till 5 pm when I left in an amb-motor car & after an hours more misery arrived at another D. Stn. Had cup tea & slice Bread & a few particulars taken from my Pay Book & after an hours stay there left again in a motor amb. & arrived at Hospital well after dark – was stripped & taken to oper. theatre & operated upon, having little chloroform administered "came to" before operation was finished – excruciating pain – Put to Bed & had fair nights sleep –
13th Apr
Had wash for first time since 9th Apl – Bread Jam & Coffee for breakfast soup for Dinner – Broth for tea – had another nights good rest Treated fairly well all day – no Dressing for leg today
14th Apl
Bread & Jam for Breakfast also coffee minus sug & milk – all letters that were on me, returned this mng – also Pay Book & French money which was exchanged for "Marks" – given souvenir Albert cathedral by one German attendant – More soup – this Hospital is a big marquee tent with 18 beds in it & is fairly comfortable – fire – attendant real hard case & very decent – visited by several German off. & Sisters.
Left Hospital qt 1.30 in a motor amb. for another "Rest Stn" 15 yds from a Railway line & arrived 3.30 pm after a most cruel journey – given soup on arrival – more particulars taken by a German clerk – a real hard case – no Dressing again today – very cold, blankets lousy – no sleep tonight –
15th Apl
Bread, margorine & coffee for Breakfast (I did not partake). Few more arrivals late last night & this mng about 40 of us now including (Lt McCullum 14th Bn & myself) all of the Bgde represented here – Soup for Dinner – Leg beginning to trouble me a little – no Dressing again today – Soup Bread & coffee at 4 pm Soup 7 pm Left Rest Camp & boarded Hosp. train at midnight
16th Apl
very miserable journey, have only had about 3 hrs actual travelling since last evening – Train stops for hours at a time - - - Bread jam & coffee for Breakfast soup for Dinner – Raining
Leg feeling very sore & smells, also swoollen – Have not struck any of my brother officers yet – Bread for tea – Raining & snowing – In great pain with my leg tonight – Had morphia pill to relieve pain – no sleep –
17th April
at Valenciennes 8 am same place 24 hours ago – this is really a most disgusting journey – my leg easier – changed trains & boarded a Hosp train for Mons 10 am arriving 8 pm – no lunch – Conveyed in motor amb. – to clearing stn – at Mons & had my foot dressed at 7 pm – great pain but it is much easier now – soup for tea – struck few of 13th Bn men here room is full of 4th Bgde chap – Had shave first for 7 days –
18th Apl Spent a most miserable night – was in great pain – no sleep – Still in pain this mng – Tea minus sugar &