Volume 1
(inside front cover)
This book is the property of
Pte. M. Williams 14678
A Company
11th Batt,
‘The Welsh’ Regt.
If found kindly return.
September 3rd 1915
In army 1 year. Preparing kit for departure.
4th
Entrained at 2.15, arrived Southampton Docks 4.30pm. Saw Aquatenia as red cross boat leave for Dardanelles. Went aboard Princess Victoria at 6pm. Bob and 1 slept on deck, left port 8pm.
5th
Arrived at Harve 4.30am, disembarked 8am. Marched 2 miles to rest camp (canvas).
6th Monday
Marched to railway station 2 miles away and entrained in cattle trucks (36 men in each)at 2.30pm. Traveled until 4.30am
7th
Arrived at Longneau, detrained and marched 9 miles through Amiens to Bertangle, billeted in barn in yard of fine old chateau. Fine orchard, plenty fruit, water scarce, mostly unfit to drink.
8th
Route march, very hot, killing weather, went 13 miles, arrived back whacked, went into village in evening, had grenadine and French cigarettes, both rotten. Dead broke. Saw German biplane shelled by Allies guns. He got away.
9th
Bayonet fighting and relieving trenched practices.
10th
Started on 14 mile march to Corbie on Somme, bivouacked in field, very tired. Saw old French positions and fine old church.
11th
Left at 2pm, passed through Corbie. Frenchies gave us fruit and cigarettes, some excitement, bivouacked in wood after dark, place well sheltered evidently been used a lot.
12th
Very hot, no water, bathed in very deep pool. Divine service in afternoon, Cof E man absolutely rotten. Water at last. Battalion moved off 7pm, strict silence, saw Germans star shells, lit up miles of country. Chance of us being shelled, but got through. Road very bad, several men get hurt in dark, arrived at Suzanne 10pm, billeted in barn, more like fowl house.
13th Monday
More aircraft shelled, nothing doing, very hot, artillery busy, shells dropping near in afternoon. N.C.Os go to trenches, bored stiff. Bob and I sleep in open, blankets wet.
14th Tuesday
Bob and I have good feed of eggs and bacon. Hints for the trenches by Cap. Jones and a bit of doubling. Artillery start bombarding about 12 noon. Paraded at 6.30 and marched to trenches. Spent first night in fire trench. Rather tame, but had one or two shocks, especially from our 4.7
15th Wednesday
In trench with Devons, fine chaps, dug latrines in morning for 1 hour, on sentry in trench, watch artillery bombarding enemy trenches with shrapnel in afternoon. On duty all night. Big scrap somewhere on our left. Hear French have advanced.
16th
Trench work all morning, very unlucky, more shelling in afternoon, one or two come over. Stand to at 7 o’clock and leave trenches, march to billets, very tired.
17th Friday
Had fine sleep, cleaned up rifle and mess tin. Paraded at 6 and marched off for trench digging behind line under fire all the time, get back about 1.30.
18th Saturday
Morning, cleaned rifle, went bathing in chateau lake, very nice, raided orchard, pears lovely. Marched off at 6.30 ,through Bray and bivouacked in wood on Corbie Road.
19th Sunday
Fatigue in morning, letters from home and W.S. photograph, delighted. Wrote home. 6.30 marched back through Bray to bivouac 1 mile east. Very cold at night.
20th Monday
Aeroplane guard from 5 to 7, several shelled but bad shooting by anti-aircraft. 8o’clock, fell in and marched up to trenches at Chuignes taken over from French. Some shells come over, more aerial shelling. Very quiet in trenches, no food, quiet at night, fright from whizz bang, very cold.
21st
Saw aeroplanes fight. The German was the largest biplane in world but British got above and drove enemy down with machine guns. British plane shelled, machine guns, rifle fire. Great sport? No grub. Quiet .Big attack on left in evening rapid rifle and machine gun fire. Our artillery gave them Hell and they make feeble reply with whiz bangs and shrapnel. Quiet again
22nd Wednesday
Quiet all day. Food rotten, worked on parapet at night.
23rd Thursday
Quiet all day, on right plateau at night, very wet, plenty of ammo.
24th
Still wet, little grub, plenty of mud, artillery busy all day, relieved of trenches by Lanc. Fus. at 4pm, march 12 miles to billets, very comfortable.
25th Sat.
Slept 12 hours, good feed of bacon. Village called Vauvillers. Good rest all day, very wet.
26th Sunday
Church parade in morning in field, very quiet all day, nice rest. Shelling next village with shrapnel. Champagne in evening.
27th
Aircraft guard in morning. Bull pins chap to railings. Route march in afternoon and lecture from Saunders.
28th Tues.
Orderly and quartermasters fatigue in morning and afternoon. Paraded at 9pm ?? and marched behind firing line, stands rotten, mud knee deep,
29th
Arrived back about 5.30 tired, had breakfast and slept till 1.30, cleaned up in afternoon.
30th Thursday
Company paraded to go to trenches at 2.45am.Bob ill, took him to hospital in next village, went into trenches 10am, grave in trench wall. On listening post at night. Nervy job, quiet.
1st October Friday
Quiet all day, listening post at night, very cold.
2nd
Quiet, got a few shrapnel over, no damage, in night saw aeroplane being shelled, 3 searchlights.
3rd Sunday
5 letters, quiet, some shelling, warmer.
4th Monday
Jacobs No.4 shot in head. Shelled heavily in afternoon, blew in part of trench.
5th
Quiet, wet
6th
Orderly, fine, sleep
7th
Relieved from trenches by 7th S.W.B.. Fatigue for R.E. in 8th S.W.B. trenches. Saw Piggy Wiggins killed and buried.6pm marched to billets in Fromerville. Good.
8th
Marched 4 miles to Harbonnieres for bath.
9th
Physical and inspection in morning. Short route march in afternoon. Billy Coutts accidentally killed by machine gun. Concert in barn, good. Charlie Chaplin.
10th Sunday
Trench digging. Billy Coutts buried, very nice.
11th
Marched about 7 miles to Cappy, billets dirty, looks pretty passable town. Bottle of champagne, changed to better billet, good kip.
12th
N.C.O.s go to trenches, quiet all day, killing time.
13th
Gas helmet inspection. Cap. Jones gives hints for trenches, tries to scare us. Paraded 5.30 and marched to trenches, relieved 3rd Kings Royal Rifles, bombed as we were entering trenches, made a hell of a row, nervy job. Post all night in a communication trench with Germans at other end 15 yards away. Could hear them coughing, talking and closing bolts after firing.
14th
Fairly quiet, some shelling, no cooked food and water scarce.
15th
Bombarded with trench mortars and some shrapnel, the latter very close when proceeding to lookout post. Quiet night, Mathews, C.Coy., Dogfield St killed.
16th
Quiet. Capt. Saunders shot in head, all right for Blighty. Grand weather. Relieved by 4th K.R.R.s at 9pm and marched 7 miles to Proyart, fair billets.
17th Sunday
Had good sleep and clean up, killed time all day, wrote Tommy.
18th
Inspection by Colonel, new great coat. Cleaning up. Grenadine in Café de la Musique and concert in recreation room.
19th
Battalion in charge of Ist K.S.L.I. officers and n.c.o, physical and bayonet fighting and assault. Arms inspection by armourer. Lemonade and citron in Café duProgress. Dirty hovel.
20th
Orderly, coffee in cottage, had 8 glasses and fancy this had something to do with following dates. Went to bed in evening with shivering fit.
21st
Unable to stand, helped around to doctor and sent to Proyart hospital.
22nd to 24th
Sent in motor ambulance to hospital outside Corbie, eat nothing and slept practically all the time, feeling rotten. Order comes on 24th for all 22nd div men to return to units, rotten journey back but feeling better now I am here.
25th
Visited doctor, got day off. Mended clothing and equipment.
26th
Pack equipment for moving off. Feeling better. Moved off at 6and marched to Longneau and entrained.
27th
Traveling all night, slept well, stopped at Montereau for coffee and rum. Good journey.
28th
Getting warmer, gave souvenirs to red cross nurse at 16 range. Lovely scenery. Arrived Marseilles 4.30 detrained at dockside and marched 4 miles to billet in large building on racecourse.
29th Friday
Bought apples, looked around exhibition grounds and cleaned rifle. Hung about all day, 5pm went into city, grand time.
30th
Paraded at 7 and marched to docks. Went aboard White Star Megantic at 10am (the boat Dr Crippen was brought from America on), next berth two French boats of German prisoners, big men.
31st Sunday
Bunkering, hung about boat all day.
1st November
Left dock at 7a.m. Germans very interested, lovely morning, sailing ship (full sail), 2 battleships.
2nd
Rifle, bayonet and equipment inspection by Cap. Jones and letter from Col. Parkinson read, in afternoon, boat drill, 4.30 torpedo attack alarm.
3rd
On “fire picket”, soft job, getting rough, many seasick.
4th
Land sighted, very hot (Tripoli), flying fish, porpoises, larks around ship, sweltering, dead calm.
5th
Ship almost swings about, ordered to boat stations, submarine astern, we see wash, leave it behind, pass hospital ship, course continually altered.
6th Saturday
On guard, company bath on fo’castle, sea phospherent, weird effect, sleep on deck.
7th Sunday
4am, entered Grecian Archipelago, see French transports with destroyer escorts, entered the Aegean Sea about 2pm.
8th
Passed through minefield escorted by French destroyer and entered Salonica about 9am, battleships and Red Cross boats in harbour. Greeks alongside sell figs etc. Shirts for figs, cigs etc through porthole. Go ashore in lighter about 2.30. Rotten town, mud, stinks and trousers. Marched out 10 miles and bivouacked on roadside. No grub since dinner.
9th
Move across country about 1 mile to divisional bivouac, have to fall out feeling ill. Grub and water very scarce. Build shelters out of reeds and groundsheets.
10th
Company and battalion inspection, rotten, also water fatigue 2 miles away. Fatigue in afternoon for batt. rations.
11th
Flooded out at 1.30am and had to turn out. Skirmishing in morning. Moved bivouac to higher ground.
12th
Water fatigue all day, very cold, feeling better.
13th
Feeling rotten again, get L.D, sleep all afternoon, feel a bit better.
14th Sunday
Feeling better. Church parade (St. Paul 3 weeks at Salonica), tents arrive in afternoon and we erect.
15th
Re-erect tents, in afternoon practice new form of attack.
16th
Go down to river for clothes washing. On water fatigue from 2 till 10pm.
17th
Practised divisional attack. Wrote W.S. in evening.
18th
Outpost scheme? all day.
19th
March in afternoon. Food rotten, biscuits only.
20th
Struck camp and marched about 5 miles towards Salonika, erected tents in darkness.
21st
Armed church parade, wrote home. New uniform.
22nd
Route march, wash packs and valises, louse.
23rd
Battalion attack scheme.
24th
Brigade attach scheme, almost all night, bitterly cold, Biscuits only.
25th
Arrived in camp at 7am, breakfast and struck camp and moved about a mile. Letters and parcel from home. W.S. and 2 aunts.
26th Friday
No scheme owing to rain, equipment inspection and trench drainage. Icy wind.
27th
No parade, blizzard, kit inspection, slack all day.
28th Sunday
Church parade in a blizzard, route march, pay and bread, chocolate etc.
29th
Scheme, killing time for most part, killing time for most part, on return fatigue digging trenches for bayonet coverage.
30th
Battalion exercise, everyone fed up, grub scarce.
1st December
A & B coys act as advance guard for 14 mile brigade route march.
2nd
Battalion drill and in attack formation, bayonet drill.
3rd
Battalion in attack formation. 5.30 pm mounted guard.
4th
Nice weather for guard.
5th Sunday
Church parade, football match (Rugby) in afternoon between A & B coys.
6th
On guard at Ordnance base in outskirts of Salonica. Conversation with educated French soldier (Turco from Tunis). Servian deserters working in Ordnance yard at 5 Pks? per day.
7th
Relief (Cheshires) late, got back to camp at 2.30.
8th
Line orderly, soft job.
9th
Fatigue in morning. C.O. inspection in afternoon.
10th
Inspection by Brig. Gen. Martin, very pleased, also C.O.
11th
Water fatigue all day, we visit dealers, Kingsly does the candle trick and we beard John Greek.
12th Sunday
On the march up country we pass many hideless and half dead ponies, bivouac in donga.
13th
Road making, we bury a donkey, high.
14th
Road making again, we pass through village, very odorous, other divisions coming up..
15th
Moved further up country and bivouacked on hill top, after ½ hours rest road making.
16th
Road making on mountain top, amongst the clouds, we got wet to the skin and finish by wading a torrent about 2ft deep, camp and blankets wet.
17th
Slept well (considering), out road making again.
18th
Started on trenches in which British will make their stand, wrote home.
19th
Worked on mule track.
20th
Worked half day on trenches, had alarm at night followed by a drenching, wet to skin.
21st
On mule track again, had first wash for over a fortnight. Frozen at night.
22ns
Mule track again.
23rd
Work on trenches, very hard stone, have to blast.
24th
Working on road, Bob ill.
25th Xmas day
Work on road from 8.30 to 11 am. Mails up, parcels, Gippo and Xmas pudding for dinner, after wash, shave, louse and write letters, bonfire concert.
26th Sunday
A and D Coys. move camp and are attached to 7th S.W.B. Work on trenches.
27th
Work in trenches, parcel.
28th
Work in trenches.
29th
Ditto, see 7 British biplanes flying towards the Bulgarian frontier.
30th
3 hostile aeroplanes come over and are shelled and come under our machine gun fire.
31st
Still on trenches.
Ist Jan 1916
Ditto, rain.
2nd Sunday
Work 9.30-12.30. Rifle, ammunition and kit inspection.
3rd
Downey 6th Leinsters shot on Dec 27th (Read out), on trenches, artillery register, (xmas?) pudding.
4th
On trenches, bitter wind.
5th
On guard, ditto.
6th
On trenches, cold, 9 aeroplanes fly over frontier.
7th
4 hostile aeroplanes over, shelled and machine guns also chased.
8th
Lovely weather, entrenching.
9th Sunday
Trenching till 12.
10th
Trenching all day.
11th
Heavy artillery register and infantry fire field practice from trenches.
12th
Bitterly cold, mail up.
13th
Trenching, still cold.
14th
Trenching, mail up.
15th
Heavy fall of snow about ft deep, bitter.
16th Sunday
Thawing, first butter for 2 months, wonderful moonlight effect on snow.
17th
Lovely day. Bob ill.
18th
Lovely day, good louse.
19th
Orderly.
20th
Building trench all day.
21st
Same old job, cold.
22nd
Ditto
23rd Sunday
Church parade, work, in afternoon we get new underclothes and louse.
24th
With grenadiers.
25th
65th Brigade attacks trenches. A. Coy supports
26th
On dugout and bombs.
27th
Outpost, weather mild.
28th
3 hours off in morning, good clean up, a little bomb throwing in afternoon.
29th
Working shift on H.Q dugout 3pm to 9pm.
30th
Church parade, new Chap.
31st
9 till 3 shift on H.Q. job.
Ist February
Our “rest” day, wash clothes, bath, rifle, ammunition & kit inspection, physical, squad drill, bayonet fighting & musketry. We see 14 aircraft going across frontier.
2nd
9 till 3 again, thank God.
3rd
Fire field course, 8 good 2 fair, on 3 to 9 shift.
4th
9 to 3 shift on trench.
5th
Ditto, wet, parcel from home.
6th
Church parade, Cap. Mandley bids goodbye to the battalion, Good clean up in afternoon.
7th
Alarm at 4am, work 9 to 3.
8th
Rest day, sleep in dugouts at night, cold.
9th
Digging as usual.
10th
“ “ “
11th
We attack trenches held by 66th Brig. Very wet, passed through Kamara and Kamara valley.
12th
Sandbagged and drain trenches in a very wet state.
13th Sunday
Church parade and work till 1. Sports in afternoon. 1 platoon won 100 drachmas for arm drill & bayonet.
14th
9 till 3 on R.A.M.C. stables.
15th
Rest day, outpost mounted at 4.30pm.
16th
Outpost withdrawn at 7a.m, off till 12.30 then battalion encircling movement, very warm.
17th
Entrenching & bombing dugouts.
18th
Entrenching.
19th
Brigade scheme.
20th
Moved camp from Redan Hill & rejoined Batt. at Support Hill.
21st
Rest day, ??? cold.
22nd
Road making Brig. H.Q.
23rd
Batt. Scheme, C.O.
24th
Bombing. Started 7 days Ist Field (2nd day).
25th
Trenching, C.O. inspection.
26th
Route march 15 miles via Ra-manly, Dremeglava. Balza, Gibralta.
27th Sunday
Church and washing parade & work till 5pm.
28th
Rest day, very wet.
29th
Dugout. 1st field finish.
1st March
St. David’s Day sports, very wet.
2nd
Camp guard, still wet.
3rd
Mail up. News of a move, destination unknown.
4th
Route march via French lines and over Akbunar, fine view of Bulgarian frontier 40 miles away and of Salonica.
5th Sunday
Church parade, a Taube shelled right overhead.
6th
Sandbagging in 1st line. Taube shelled at great height.
7th
Sandbagging again.
8th
Strike camp & move under Akbunar while heavy artillery register, move to Wave Hill at 10pm and erect camp.
9th
Re- erect camp in rain washed out, blankets all wet.
10th
Still wet, scrape mud off floor of bivy and clean up.
11th
Move into dugout..
12th Sunday
Church parade, rest of day entirely free.
13th
Work on 3rd line trenches, many falls in bad state.
14th
On 3rd line again.
15th
Same again, terrible sandbagging by Shropshires.
16th
Same old rotten job, letters from home & Dorothy.
17th
Still at it.
18th
Brigade field day.
19th Sunday
Church parade, nice sunny day.
20th
Orderly. Outpost scheme.
21st
Trenches again.
22nd
Night attach scheme.
23rd
14 aeroplanes cross Bulgarian frontier.
24th
Soft day on 3rd line.
25th
Brigade crosses AkbunarRange and carries out attack on enemy rearguard retreating on Salonica. French firing minute lights on plain at night.
26th Sunday
Church parade, nice quiet sunny day.
27th
Big hostile air raid, heavy cannonade, bomb dropped on Deodar hill, flying very low to avoid guns.
28th
Trenches again, hot.
29th
We hear of Tommy Howells and Eade’s death.
30th
On 3rd line trenches, very hot.
31st
Orderly. Fired 15 rounds on French range on Akbunar.
1st April
Brigade advance guard & outpost scheme, mounted guard at 7p.m., wet.