A fleet of Taube Aeroplanes come over lines to scout. Our guns shell them
Archives for 2016
Monday 24 January 1916 – Fair & Frosty
Heavy bombardment all day. Capt Cornish + I watch Hun sniper destroy a periscope. Heavy artillery fire from own Whiz Bangs.
Enemy send over Trench bombs + Rifle grenades. We are relieved by 42nd Canadian, + 49th by RCR
We go back to Stink Farm [sic] where the Huns had shelled a few days previous.
Sunday 23 January 1916 – Foggy & Fair
Foggy, all stand to arms until clear. Maxim + Machine guns keep up a heavy fire.
Last night heavy rifle & Machine gun fire. Several Hun Aeroplanes over our lines. Our artillery fire 150 shells but fail to hit them. Capt Barclay + Cpl Griggs go to Bailleul for course of Bomb throwing etc.
Cpl Neal, Pri J Forrest + Craig go to England on leave yesterday.
About 3 PM the Huns send over whiz bangs etc. They burst only a few feet away from us.
Taubes fly overhead, a battle is going on in the clouds. We are relieved by 42ed Canadians after. Heavy frost at night. Lots of strafing by us and the Huns
*Strafing – Attacking ground targets from low-flying aircraft. Strafing was first used in World War One to attack trenches and supply columns from the air. The German army was the first to introduce aircraft made specifically for strafing. They built airplanes armed with downward-facing machine guns and armor to protect against ground fire
*AEG J.I German Armoured Ground attack aircraft
“Aegj.i” by This file is lacking author information. – http://www.aviastar.org/air/germany/aeg_1.php. Licensed under Public domain via Wikimedia Commons – http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Aegj.i.jpg#mediaviewer/File:Aegj.i.jpg
Saturday 22 January 1916 – Fair & Rain
The General passes up the trench at 10:30 after a severe bombardment. The Huns again bombard in afternoon doing consid. dam. to dugouts + trenches. In fixing up a trench we dig up a dead German with belt + bayonet on. Hair off skull
Cold, damp, then frosty night
Friday 21 January 1916 – Rain
Heavy shelling on our left + Right at 4:30 PM. We send over some trench Mortars, the Huns retaliate + send showers of all sorts. Am 20 feet away when they burst they seem to lift up the place where I am in + shake it. Am outside bombers quarters, the objective of the Huns. The concussion is awful + creates headache. A large lump of debris hits me in back. At about 7 PM Private J. Kelly is killed & the following injured by explosion of bomb accidentally. Private O’Keefe (working party) MacCormick, [Poppy?] + Hanlin.
Thursday 20 January 1916 – fine
Blankets rolled in bundle of ten and preparation made to go into trenches tonight. Left Dranoutre 4:45 PM for trenches arr. 6:30. Take over D3 + D4. Night passed quiet except for sniping
Sergt Landells is wounded in leg by bullet discharged by a 42nd Battn Canadian whilst in trenches. General Macdonnell visits trenches.
Wednesday 19 January 1916
No entry
Tuesday 18 January 1916
No entry
Monday 17 January 1916 – Cold & Fair
In tents. Go to bath house + have bath. Some get clean change of underwear.
Mail arrives in great quantity Aunt Louise + Wagstaffe send parcels.
Sunday 16 January 1916
To headquarters at 8 am then on to the trenches. Sniped all the way by Hun snipers. Cutting hair up till 2 PM in the front line trenches. To RE farm about to enter when Huns open fire with Shells. Drop into nearest hole & see the damage done. They burst only 100 yards from me + I take — [photo] of them. Get to farm without mishap. On return, get usual sniping arrive 4 Co at 5 PM. Company moves to Dranoutre for 4 days rest. Arr. Dranoutre at 7: 45 PM. David Yound & Walter Dunham arr: back from leave
*Dranoutre – A city in Belgium close to the French border that was occupied by Allied troops from the beginning of the war. It was taken by the Germans in April of 1918 but was quickly recaptured in August of that same year. It is now the site of 458 Commonwealth graves as well as one German war grave.
