Walter Draycott’s Great War Chronicle
North Vancouver Museum & Archives
– fine
Sergt. Duguid & I go to Arras. Owing to heavy traffic it takes us a long time. Much mud. Many dead horses lying round in fields & on road side.
Could not get anything to eat in Arras as all places are closed till 8 pm. We visit all places of interest. The park is untouched & ducks are on the lakes.
Our big guns are on the move forwards. There is ammunition in plenty.
Appointed Regimental Barber together with Private Williams.
Weather very cold.
Heavy bombardment in Arras region. Private Wallach pays a visit to Estaminets for coffee. We are not able to do any washing so in consequence are lousy.
*Arras – A city in northern France very close to the front lines for most of the war. There was a series of battles fought over Arras during the war which saw the city change hands. The New Zealand Tunneling company helped use a series of medieval tunnels beneath the city to defend it from the Germans. The city was damaged so severely during the war that three quarters of it had to be rebuilt.
The Huns have a working party out and we give them a rapid fire apparently doing damage. They retaliate. At 7 am the Huns send over 15 or 20 huge trench mortar bombs about size of 4 gallon keg. They cause great havoc with our trenches and dug outs just knocking them to pieces like sand hills.
Our casualties are Lance Corporal McG* 210 Johnstone George Blanchard (of Nelson BC)
Killed (buried under the debris) with brains knocked out and neck broken and leg torn off)
Private McG, 58 Moyle – wounded
Private McG 181 Fergusson [Vs] – wounded in leg, arm, and knee.
George Blanchard Johnstone, Nelson BC.
Lance Corporal McG 62 MacQueen A.R – shock
Private McG 78 Alban W.J – shock
The dull thud from the German trench mortar could be heard and immediately I shouted “take cover”, after a short wait I would hear a hissing noise and on looking up, would see a gigantic “Salmon Can” coming thro’ the air. A few would alight on the wire netting and bounce up again.
The explosion was ear splitting and deafening and the vibration shook the trench as an earthquake. I had orders previous to the bombardment to collect the water bottles and after 4 attempts which nearly cost me my life I did go. Also I collected the Rifles, kits and other articles of value to save them from being buried. The bombardment was over by 10 am. At 3 pm we are ordered out of trench to let our artillery bombard the German trenches. At 5 pm back again. All quiet during night. Except furious bombardment by artillery near Arras.
The Germans ask for a truce to bury their dead which we killed last night. The firing was the result of my report. “German working party out in front”.
A most sanguinous bombardment is taking place on our left.
Started at or about 10 pm and kept up till dusk.
*McG = McGill University Company Reinforcement Draft
*Minenwerfer- The German mortar or “Mine Launcher” was a short range weapon used extensively by Germany during WWI. Early on the Germans realized that mortars were extremely useful for trench warfare as the projectiles could fall straight downward into the enemy’s trenches. They developed three different sizes of mortar and quickly started to mass produce them after their initial successes.
* Sanguineous – Relating to or involving bloodshed
Up early. Took tour of farm for eggs. Only got two as poultry are scarce. The Germans took them all when they came thro’ here. Mostly Flemish farmers here. Visited church. Very old, 1600 circa. On guard over orchard and kitchen garden. Caught sitting down on “sentry go”. Tried and admonished. Freed by Captain de Balinhard. Company inspected by Gen. Smith-Dorrien Commanding the Army Corps – gives speech. The 5th Canadian Battalion passes thro’ Pradelles to Arras? Have bath at Brasseries and wash clothes.
*Brasserie- A small informal French restaurant or pub.
*General Horace Smith-Dorrien – General Smith was already a distinguished soldier by¬¬ WWI, he had fought in the Zulu War, Boer War and had been posted in India. He was given command of the British Expeditionary Force II Corps by Lord Kitchener at the outbreak of WWI. Smith led the Corps during the first few years of the war including the Battle of Ypres. However during the Second Battle of Ypres after the Germans had used gas, General Smith requested a retreat. Field Marshal Sir John French, who disliked General Smith, used this event as an excuse to request to have him removed from the corps command. General Smith was later sent to East Africa to lead troops there but caught pneumonia and returned to England for the remainder of the war.
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