Allsop Diary

[top left] June [top right] 6th Month 1916 58 hours train journey [centred] 26 Monday Soon after 4 am stopped at Steinbecque [sic] near Belgian border. Practically same place as Hazebrouck. Pretty village went to little batch of huts, rats about damp place, milk at farmhouse. Only about 8 miles from firing line. Guns to be heard. Now in Morbecque. 2 hrs leave, strolled up to Hasebrouck [sic] & saw inside of Cathedral, very pretty. Our train up had 45 trucks Heavy rain at night, huts wet. Guns thundering all night. [centred] 27 Tuesday

Raining when we awoke, no parade. Officers billeting in houses. Still on biscuits & bully Aust. and Tommies not very friendly.

[centred] 28 Wednesday

Route march with packs up in morning - Nothing for rest of day. Visited Hasebrouck [sic] in afternoon and went into beautiful R. C. Church out of curiosity. Leave stopped to Hasebrouck [sic]. Germans came through here before but not Morbecque.

[top left] 1916 30 & 31 Days [top right] June & July

[centred] 29 Thursday

Route march in morning over muddy roads. In orders reference to 8th Brigade breaking a window. If another instance such as this happens a court martial of the offenders is threatened. Cricket match v. N. Z. hospital. Beat them easily. Watching German shells bursting in the sky round [sic] British aeroplanes.

[centred] 30 Friday

Raining. Lecture on the gas used in warfare. Our helmet superior to Germans.

Route march round [sic] streets. Watching German Anti aircraft shells being fired above planes. Fearful bombardment by our Guns opened in the night [centred] 1 Saturday marking the British prep. for offence. Like Hell let loose. Very little sleep. Continued all day. 14 aeroplanes up. Church tower used for signalling at opening of war.

[centred] 2 Sunday - 2nd after Trinity

Church service and walk round [sic] the village. Writing letters. Big guns booming which we were told are naval guns.

[top left] July [top right] 7th Month 1916

[centred] 8 Monday

Rumours that we shortly move to about 5 miles behind Armentiers. Through gas & weeping bomb experiment near railway. Gas is in liquid form & turns into gas when in contact with Air. First mail recd in France Major Lind left. Guns still going Good news in papers. Roy & R.F.C [centred] 4 Tuesday

Heavy firing continues. On Piquet. Writing letters in spare time.

[centred] 5 Wednesday Issued with 2 Gas Helmets each & bag to carry one in. The other is to be kept in pocket we are sewing on tunic. Also issued with little bottle of Iodine and weeping goggles. Guns still to be heard. Paid. Numbers drunk

[top left] 1916 31 Days [centred] Erquinghem [top right] July

[centred] 6 Thursday

Route March. In afternoon inspection of Gas Helmets and more pay issued resulting in drunken disorder at night. Several ruined Aeroplanes being shelled in distance Recd letter re Bank Draft. [centred] 7 Friday

Raining. In morning filling water tanks of waggons [sic]. Mail received. Issued with steel helmets in afternoon. Mud everwhere, making things uncomfortable News that we leave for the front tomorrow [centred] 8 Saturday

Started out at 9 am and entered upon a heavy march of 11^1/2 miles over rough cobblestones, carring [sic] everything. 1000 out of 4000 dropped out up to midday Passed through Merville & slept in barn at Estaires. Aeroplane fight [centred] 9 Sunday - 3rd after Trinity

Estaires a busy night the morn with military movements. We marched out about 10.30 passed through Sailly. Observation balloons overhead. Aeroplanes numerous. Germans firing at them. Camped at Farm house in Erquinghem. Eggs butter & milk. Guns close to us & shells bursting 100 yds off.

[top left] July [top right] 7th Month 1916

Gas alarm last night next door but I didnt [sic] hear it. I might have been gassed a dozen times for I was too sleepy [centred] 10 Monday Woke up after a good sleep in straw in Hay shed. More faggs [sic] & milk. Helping to make milk. Nice people in the home. We move back a few miles to take the place of 4th 7 Amb. tonight. 4 new 60 pounders arrived in paddock near us last night & the noise they made was terrific. Germans located one battery well & landed a shell quite close. Not moving tonight - postponed till [sic] the morning. Bombardment opens again Stan Wilson meets his brother Ft Rompu [centre] 11 Tuesday Marched out about 9 am in small groups & are now situated in Brewery. Winders on chimney. Artillery HQ behind. Armentiers battered about. Church Spire blown away. We had previously used it for observation. B. & C. Sections in action & wounded arriving. Slept on concrete floor in loft. Heavy guns kept me awake for hours - Shells whistling overhead [centred] 12 Wednesday

Nothing to do all day. Writing - More of B & C. Sections sent to trenches Wounded coming in, some in fearful state. Tommy Artillery men telling us about the easy time their men had here before Aust Arrived. They had arrangement with Germans. Surprising the number of guns we have including 18" in parts On Piquet at night. Star shells like firewor last night.