Walter Draycott’s Great War Chronicle
North Vancouver Museum & Archives
– 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!”
– 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)
– 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.
– frosty
Many aeroplanes fight, one of enemy planes seen to fall. Enemy shell our area heavily.
– frosty
I make out maps for arrival of Bde. 2nd Division Gen. MacDonnell.
– frost
Very busy making secret maps.
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.)
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.
Hard at work on secret maps.
3 enemy & one of ours engage. One of ours is driven off. No casualties.
Make appl. to Bde. Major for pass to Arras.
5 enemy ‘planes attack two of our Scouts and send them to earth one in flames. Observer burnt to death. Pilot has feet burned. The other crashes to earth in Neuville St. Vaast both seriously injured. Enemy possess a very fast machine. Ours are much too slow.
*A scout plane is type of surveillance aircraft used for the purpose of discovering an enemy position and directing artillery. Aerial reconnaissance was often a hazardous task because of a requirement to fly at slow speeds and at low altitudes. The task was made all the more dangerous with the arrival of additional German flying squadrons, including Manfred von Richthofen‘s highly experienced and well equipped (with the Albatros D.III) Jasta 11 (No. 11 Fighter Squadron), which led to sharp increase in Royal Flying Corps casualties.(www.wikipedia.com)
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