King’s Royal Rifles leave our division to reinforce on another part of the firing line. We leave Eclusier for the trenches again. Put on listening post outside the trenches.
Archives for October 2015
Sunday 10 October 1915 – fair
Church parade at 4:30 pm. Voluntary, only 15 men attend.
Saturday 9 October 1915
Appeared as a prisoner before Major Gray for having my Rifle in the dug out – admonished.
Appointed Company Barber
October 9th 1915, at Eclusier Sur Somme and cutting hair all day.
Friday 8 October 1915 – fair
Had a rather interesting night firing volley and rapid fire at a German working party. They follow with heavy rifle fire. Towards morning I noticed a German making toward his trench. I fired and down he went – dead. In morn’ I went with Lance Corporal MacQueen to the Village of Frize under fire from the Huns. The Church is a deplorable wreck. Only two good walls standing. We were sniped at while picking souvenir bullets out of the plastered walls. Nearly got one each. Left the trenches for Billets at Eclusier at 8:30 pm.
Thursday 7 October 1915 – fair and cold
No. 9 Section is allotted a listening post in advance of the main fire trench. I do sniping and make two bags. Lots of rifle fire at night.
Wednesday 6 October 1915
In billets
Tuesday 5 October 1915 – dull and rain
Rifle inspection at 11:45 pm. To trenches again at 7 pm. No. 13 Platoon to go to “Whiz-Bang Corner” and 15 to a demolished village honeycombed with trenches called Frize.
*Whiz-Bang Corner – A site in the city of Lievin, nicknamed for the heavy shelling done to the town by the Germans.
*Whiz-Bang – A term used by Allied forces to describe any form of German field artillery shells. The name comes from the noise made by 77mm field guns. As the bullets were supersonic soldiers heard the whiz of the shell before the bang of the gun itself, giving almost no warning of incoming shells.
Monday 4 October 1915
A milder night last night. A few bombs came over. The Kings Royal Rifles lose rather heavily some of their men being buried in the trench. We are heavily shelled during the day. A bullet passes in front of my nose. Receive smelling salts from Beatrice of Stafford. No. 1 Company relieves us at 8:30 pm. We go back to Eclusier “The Rat Pit”. No rum ration the platoon Sergeants stole it from the Guard Room and they are now under arrest.
Sunday 3 October 1915
At 6 am we are relieved. Have breakfast and sleep till 12 noon. At 11:30 am a bomb drops in the doorway of the officers dug out and bursts. Lieutenant Belinhardt is wounded in the head and shoulder and Lieutenant Cowley in the leg. Both officers are sent out on stretchers. The Germans are mining underneath us so —? Up we go in the future. I receive parcels from M.E Draycoty of Rothley. The tops of the trenches have supports for wire netting which hangs suspended above our heads to guard against hand grenades and bombs, splinters of stones etc. A quiet night last night.
Saturday 2 October 1915
On Guard at the Billet which lasts till 6 pm when we again get orders to go back to the trenches. Detailed in sections old soldiers and young ones go together for sentry. These trenches are only 25 to 50 yards away from the Germans so one has to be careful in the day time. Passed a very miserable night. It froze hard. Awake all night and standing to our arms. We sniper and so do the Germans.
