CSM Lou Verdon DCM
Diary


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January 1916

 

Saturday January 1st
  • Very windy all day.
  • Everything quiet.
  • Colonel started leave.
  • Received parcels and letters.
Sunday January 2nd
  • Rain! Rain! Rain!
  • Very dark.
  • Took rations up to the front line.
  • Prepared for an attack-nothing doing.
Monday January 3rd
  • Plenty of noise during the night.
  • Quiet all day.
  • Wrote letters and received some.
  • Took rations up to the trenches.
  • Very black.
Tuesday January 4th
  • Returned to Platoon.
  • Rested all day.
  • All quiet.
  • Received parcels and letters.
  • Saw old Jack.
Wednesday January 5th
  • Route march  to West Outre
  • Practiced taking trenches and attacking.
  • Quiet all day.
  • Plenty of aeroplanes in all directions.
Thursday January 6th
  • Plenty of noise.
  • No damage done.
  • Everybody on alert.
  • No need. Nothing doing.
  • Walked over and saw Jack.
  • Wrote letters.
Friday January 7th
  • Very little doing.
  • Inspection of Arms.
  • A good rest all day.
  • Wrote letters.
Saturday January 8th
  • In billets all day.
  • Quiet and nice.
  • Received lots of news.
  • Present total of casualties: 1 officer, 10 NCO’s, and 102 men.
Sunday January 9th  
  • Church parade in the morning.
  • Inspection by Colonel Rennie.
  • Left for trenches at 5PM and arrived at 7PM.
  • Relieved 20th Battalion.
Monday January 10th
  • Awful artillery duel all night.
  • One casualty in our Coy and four in the Battalion.
  • The sun shines! Glorious day, warm…
  • Artillery on the go all day.
  • Fairly quiet all night.
  • Received parcel and letters.
Tuesday January 11th
  • Morning grand.  The sun is shining and everybody is happy.
  • Rumours of leave.
  • Another casualty.
  • Artillery fairly heavy.
Wednesday January 12th
  • Extremely dark and plenty of rain.
  • Corporal shot but not dead.
  • Shells very close.
  • More casualties than usual-approximately 200 to date.
  • Rained practically all night.
  • Received letters and answered them.
Thursday January 13th
  • Very cold and rain. The sun keeps trying to shine.  Windy.
  • Artillery right and left.
  • Lots of noise.
  • Better towards night-quiet all night.
Friday January 14th
  • Fine all day.
  • Plenty of noise.  Bombarded enemy trenches.
  • Heard about French troop in Champagne-exploded a mine and took bombing trench.
  • Received letters.
Saturday January 15th
  • Delightful all day.
  • Whiz bangs plenty.
  • Left trench at 5PM and took over La Brassierie Reserve.
  • Most delightful moon light night.
Sunday January 16th
  • Church parade at 10AM-glorious day.
  • Rumours of Kaiser’s death.
  • A few more casualties.
  • Plenty of fatigue parties.
  • Acting Coy Sgt Major.
  • Saw old Jack.
  • Guns making awful noise.
  • Sgt MacDonald on leave.
Monday January 17th
  • Quite a Spring morning.
  • Artillery noisy at times.
  • Fatigue parties out.
  • Looking after La Brassierie Guard and Defenses.
  • A little rain in the afternoon.
  • Lots of aeroplanes about.
  • Machine guns on the go.
  • Wrote letters.
Tuesday January 18th
  • Dandy morning. Fine.
  • Fatigues all day. Had fatigues all night.
  • Railway nearly finished and armoured trains about.
  • Big guns brought forward.
  • Noisy on left. Quiet on right.
  • Our front fairly quiet.
  • Another casualty.  Total about 1 officer, 2 Sgts. and 123 men.
  • Wrote letters.
Wednesday January 19th
  • Stood to at 6:30 AM.
  • Inspection of Rifles.
  • Aeroplanes about in great numbers.
  • Guns roaring.
  • Lost another man. He died of pneumonia.
  • Saw old Jack.
  • Hell on right broken loose.
  • Plenty of fatigues.
  • Received parcel from Mother.
Thursday January 20th
  • Morning fine.
  • German aeroplanes about in abundance.
  • Ground still sloshy.
  • Sgt. MacDonald on leave.
  • Rumours about a rest.
  • Guns speaking a little.
  • Rain in afternoon.
  • Night beautiful.  Moon lovely and clear.
  • No noise all night.
  • Another casualty…
Friday January 21st
  • Rain and fairly quiet.
  • Fatigue parties out.
  • Company Sgt. Majors Davidson and Swaine made Sub. Lieutenants from 12th and 13th respectively.
  • Saw old Jack.
  • Wrote home.
  • Received letters and parcel.
  • Took over Redoubts from 20th Battalion.
Saturday January 22nd
  • Lovely morning. Fine.
  • Inspection by Col. Hughes.
  • Guns fairly lively.
  • Aeorplanes brought down.
  • Artillery going some.
  • Awful noise from artillery all night.
Sunday January 23rd
  • Fairly quiet all day.
  • A poor gas attack failed. All were prepared.
  • Wrote home.
  • Sgt. Smith commenced leave.
Monday January 24th
  • Morning dandy.
  • Spring seems to be here.  Sun beautiful and warm.
  • Strafing machine guns on the go.
  • Towards night heavy fire. Plenty of German shells landing near.
  • Rumours of 1st Division going to Egypt.
  • Received letters.
Tuesday January 25th
  • Delightful morning.
  • Germans nervous opening rapid machine gun and rifle fire.
  • German aeroplanes in abundance.
  • Something doing.
  • Germans smashed a gun killing 3.
  • All night long lots of noise.
  • Wrote home.
Wednesday January 26th
  • Morning fair.
  • Shells dropping other side of hedge.
  • More casualties.
  • Precautions necessary.
  • Reached billets safely.
  • Transports got through.
  • Wrote home.
  • Got no word from friends.
Thursday January 27th
  • Plenty of noise all day.
  • Rain and mist.
  • Guns noisy.
  • Food fine.
  • Received no letters.
  • Plenty of noise all night.
  • Nothing doing.
Friday January 28th
  • Morning fine.
  • Arms Inspection.
  • Plenty of noise from the guns.
  • Had Lieutenant Davidson and Sgt.M. Fee to tea.
  • Had a dandy spread finishing with cigars and champagne.
  • Night quiet.
Saturday January 29th
  • Clothing inspections.
  • Saw QM Sgt Ludlow.
  • La Clytte getting blown about a little.
  • Awful artillery fire.
  • Lost RSM Gilbert-transferred to Trench Warfare School.
  • Night fairly quiet.
Sunday January 30th
  • Church parade and inspections by Col. Hughes at 10AM
  • Sgt. MacDonald returned from leave.
  • Had a good bath.
  • Had a dandy tea-Lieutenant Davidson, SM Fee, and Sgts. attending.
  • S M Fee and I took turns on Guard though the night for smoke.
Monday January 31st
  • Inspected by General Turner and by Brig-Gen. Rennie (buttons cleaned).
  • Sun shining.
  • Received no letters for days now.
  • Wrote letters.

February 1916

 

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