Heavy bombardment on our right. Absolutely fierce. Many aeroplanes are up. Several fighters. General MacDonell praises me for the maps I’ve made & general work in connection with draughting office.
We hand over to 5th Bde. 2nd Div.
Tuesday 13 February 1917
Cpl. Harper & I watch from Ouvrage Chassery.
42nd Battn. (2 Company) make a raid into enemy trenches, get two prisoners. Others who were in dugouts & refused to come out were bombed by Stokes trench mortars. Enemy retaliated with a heavy bombardment. 16 killed of [Bosches].
[Our losses.]
4th Div. make a raid @ 4 am. Result 40 prisoners & one officer.
To see Lt. Gleam in La Targette at 9 pm.
*Ouvrage is the French term for a large fort.
**42nd Battalion of the Royal Highlanders of Canada
Monday 12 February 1917
– thaw
A day of [re…]
The General thru’ the kindness of Capt. Wallis turns my application for special leave down. Mrs. B. Smith sent General a Registered letter explaining & pleading, but apparently of no use. Capt. W. is the Rizzio of my fate. Major Widd goes to Hosp. with fever.
*Mrs. B. Smith is Draycott’s cousin in England. Draycott speculates in his memoir that no special leaves were being granted because “the Grand Push was getting near!”
Sunday 11 February 1917
– frosty
No Church.
Enemy shells us a little. One of our Farman ‘planes gives an exhibition of fancy stunts over enemy’s lines, fires at his troops in trenches & then makes off.
Enemy opens up a vivid and heavy bombardment & then come over to us. They are stopped by our machine gun fire & artillery. They have heavy losses.
*Although Draycott refers to “our” Farman ‘planes, Canada did not have its own air force until the final months of the war, but 22,812 Canadians served with the British flying services and another 13,160 served as aircrew. (www.museedelaguerre.ca/cwm/exhibitions/guerre/fliers-e.aspx)
Saturday 10 February 1917
– frosty
I go to Aubigny, Ecoivre & Mount St. Eloy on bike. Purchase shoes. Weather lovely. I make a day of it. To the paymaster & discover I’m receiving pay for my stripes go to get pay book signed by Adjutant of “Pats” Lt. Drummond Hay.
*Adjutant ~ a military officer who acts as an administrative assistant to a senior officer.
Friday 9 February 1917
– frosty
Many aeroplanes fight, one of enemy planes seen to fall. Enemy shell our area heavily.
Thursday 8 February 1917
– frosty
I make out maps for arrival of Bde. 2nd Division Gen. MacDonnell.
Wednesday 7 February 1917
– frost
Very busy making secret maps.
Tuesday 6 February 1917
Applied for pass (to Arras) to Eng. Capt. Wallis asks me to turn it down. No sir. Let the General do that!
*Draycott had received “a doleful letter from my cousin giving urgent reasons for a short leave to England”. (Pawn No. 883, Being the adventures of a Pawn of War in The Affair of 1914-18, Draycott, W.)
Monday 5 February 1917
15 of our planes go over enemy lines. Bomb dropping. Enemy appears in afternoon but our anti aircraft drive him off & our machines observe in safety.
Weather very cold.
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