Capt Wallis returns in evening from leave to England, full of great but empty & inapplicable ideas. Lt Wallis makes me angry at a foolish suggestion so I walk out of the office for I will not conform to his silly ideas.
Heavy shelling all day. Church service in Off mess 9:30 AM.
Tuesday 28 November 1916
Very foggy. Enemy sends over some 5’9” shells, no damage. Two days ago enemy torpedoed another hospital ship – the Braemar Castle in the Aegean Sea. Two Zepps are brought down in England.
*German Airship Raids – German’s sent 9 Zeppelins to bomb the Midland and Tyneside on November 27th and 28th 1916. Again the bombing was not very effective, killing 4 people and injuring 37. Two zeppelins were shot down by defending British Aircraft. This was the last Zeppelin raid of 1916.
Monday 27 November 1916
Hard at work on road maps for bringing up reinforcements in case of a barrage.
At 9:50 PM the 1st Div, on our right, blow up a mine. The sight was magnificent. There followed a heavy bombardment of a very severe nature, a raid follows. The enemy blow up one of our dumps (Liverpool) which is a mighty explosion. My Rgt has a scuffle also. General MacDonnel goes on leave to England.
Sunday 19 November 1916
A very busy day for myself & Fritz. General MacDonnel gets a letter from Duke of Connaught but can not decipher it so I lend him my magnifying glass and assist him.
Capt Wallis goes on a sneaked pass to England. He has words with Major Adamson PPCLI to that effect. Capt Papineau & Col Lamel, of 3rd Div, visit Brigade H.Q. The former goes up the line with “Confusion Wallis.”
Monday 12 June 1916
Nothing unusual.
Lots of work in office map drawing and taking stock.
Russians make their total captures up to 106,000 & all Austrians.
Wilson goes on pass to England. Our positions at Observatory Ridge have been taken back by 13 & 58th Battns.
Sunday 11 June 1916 – showers
Working hard on sketches & in making a check of map & sketches. Bde S. Major Macneill goes on pass to England.
Friday 4 August 1916
Exploration of Stewart trench recently captured by Capt Stewart. Discover 4 enemy dugouts 15 feet deep, trench 5 feet deep & 3 to 3 1/2’ wide.
Leave Ypres for Poperinghe to take train for England as my bro’ Harry is undergoing a delicate operation in hospital at Liverpool.
Sunday 20 February 1916
Company parade 9 am for bathing at hot baths. Get change of clothing. Hun hydro plane returning from invading England drops 6 bombs near our place. Our planes pursue but no luck. Dozens of fights take place this day. Am warned to get ready for leave to England. To pay master 5 PM and draw cheque for 18 [Pounds?] + 25 Francs.
*Hydro planes – An early form of Sea Planes, these aircraft were capable of taking off and landing on water. Both sides of the conflict used hydro planes for reconnaissance and bombing purposes. Hydro planes could also be stored on early aircraft carriers called seaplane tenders. The hydro planes were launched by lowering them onto the sea with a crane.
Wednesday 5 January 1916 – fair
Feeling very weak but slightly better. Capt Barclay went to trenches at Ploegsteert on Saturday David Young & Walter Dunham go on 7 days leave to England. They take films for me.
*Ploegsteert – A village in Belgium where fierce fighting took place during the First World War. Winston Churchill fought as a commanding officer in this area during 1916. Today the village holds a memorial to commemorate soldiers who died in Ploegsteert but have no grave.
Wednesday 15 December 1915
MacKenzie goes on leave to England
