| Lieut
George E Wood Diary Enlisted as a Private
and later Commissioned
Donated by Matt Wood Transcribed by Christina Wood Proof Reading by Rob Wood Additional Comments by Al Lloyd in
italics
|
| October 1915 |
On this day,
knowing that on the morrow we would be returning to the trenches I determined to have one
good “blow out” to make use for the scarcity of “grub” that would in
all probability be when we were in the trenches I therefore went up to the little village
adjoining our bivouac with a “bunch” of other fellows. We bought some eggs from a farmer took them to the
proprietor of one of the estaminets and got her to fry them along with some potatoes
sliced which we called chips there. Besides this we had tinned fruit and right from Canada
too, bread and the farmhouse beverage in France & Belgium, coffee. The French people
by the way make the best coffee that I ever tasted. October 2nd
I wrote a
few more letters to-day and at six (6) P.M. after packing cleaning up camp and being
inspected we again started for the trenches. We went in at the same place where we were
before and relieved the 20th Battalion. Due to our last experience the relief
was much better managed this time and things “came off” fairly smoothly and
quickly. I with three others immediately went on duty in one of the bays. October 3rd Last night
Pte. Cecil Bowyer of our scout section received a gun-shot wound in the spine, while in
No-man’s land on patrol. He died in about half an hour’s time after he was
brought in. Cecil by the way enlisted in
Belleville at about the same time as I did. He
was a great friend of mine. He was only about
eighteen (18) years old. He was a good lad
and always cheerful no matter what the circumstances were.
(Pte
Bowyer 59086 was the first combat death of the 21st Battalion) October 4th To-day the
Germans bombarded us heavily and therefore kept us from getting much rest. I am on
night sentry again and make it a habit to empty about seventy-five (75) rounds in the
enemy’s direction every night. October 6th
During the
forenoon we had two more casualties from shrapnel but in the afternoon at 1 P.M the enemy
suddenly sent over a salvo of shells. One burst in the next bay to the one I was in and
wounded three of our chaps, one a Corporal Frankland (59338) that I knew very well. During this
little bit of shelling on the enemy’s part, a sergeant and three of us took shelter
in a dug out from the shrapnel as the Germans were breaking them in the air. So much steel
flying around got on the sergeants nerves so that he once was forced to go out to vomit to
the amusement of the rest of us in fact it was so amusing that we practically forgot the
shell fire. The poor sergeant blamed it to an excellent cigar that he was smoking at the
time. I did my
duty in Freedom’s cause again to-night on sentry. October 7th
There was
“some” artillery activity by both sides to-day, but not much damage done. While
standing in the bay outside my dug-out in the second line a German shell came over broke
some barbed wire in front of our second line, slid over the top of the ground and stopped
with its nose buried in the parapet a few feet directly in front of where I was standing.
Luckily it was a “dud” shell. (Failed to explode). If it had have exploded there
would have been an end to this diary. A group of
our fellows were standing by the sentry box, stationed at the junction of the
communication trench and second line. Some were cleaning rifles, ammunition etc; others
were talking, when a friend of mine John Packer (59768) accidently set off his rifle in the act of
cleaning it. The bullet wounded two chaps. One fellow got it through the fleshy part of
his thigh, while it smashed the other fellows ankle. Poor John felt so bad over it, that
he wished he were “just out of business” and for the next few days was very
regardless of shell and rifle fire. A chap named
Brown shot himself in the leg to-day. Up for court-martial. (L/Cpl HC Brown, 59106) October 8th
The
artillery of both sides was very live to-day; the enemy’s causing three casualties in
the Number 2. Company. Our own
artillery, in replying, had to fire very close to the top of our front line to hit the
German front line. One of our eighteen pounders must have been depressed too much for one
of the shrapnel shells skinned along the top of a dug out in our own front line, knocking
some of the sandbags out of place. The shell burst just before it entered the back of one
of the bays. It blew quite a hole in the parapet and every person in the neighbourhood was
able to collect a few shrapnel bullets for souvenirs. At 8.30 P.M. we were (our Brigade) relieved by the 1st Brigade Canadians. After a long march up and behind our lines we arrived at some place which we did not know the name of but we learned that we were two miles from Dikkebus a Belgian town not far behind the firing line. We arrived at this place at 11 P.M. and were billeted in huts holding about (30) thirty men each. October, 9th
To-day we
learned that our huts were on the outskirts of a Belgian village called La Clytte. I was
told by a Belgian that was amongst us, that it meant (the slide.). One of our
machine gunners while out walking to-day in the village was struck by a motor cycle and
had his leg broken. Due to
recent exertions, I lay around most of the day and did some letter writing. The mail
came in to-day; the first to come to us after arriving in France. We were eagerly looking
forward to it as we always did and always will do. I was not disappointed. I received a
letter from Ida, one from her mother, one from Father and six (6) bundles of papers from
home. Note: - Ida
Caroline Marsden is my fiancée. Too much cannot be said of her, as she is a splendid
young lady in every way. There is a coincidence in a way, and that is that, my Fathers and
Mothers Christian names are George & Ida. The same is with Ida and myself. October, 10th
On this day
we had Divine services which was held by Captain Kidd our chaplain. This was our first
service in the field. I lay around
all day to-day and wrote letters, besides I received more as there was such a big mail the
day before that the Battalion Post Office Authorities were unable to distribute it all. On
this day received letters from my Aunt Minnie, Roy, Laurence, Ola Bennett, Lillian Moss
and Luella Bisbee. Note; - Ola,
Lillian, and Luella are old Cornwall High school friends of mine. October, 11th
This morning
we “fell in” in fatigue dress and were marched over to what was called a bath
house in La Clytte. It was in reality some tubs in a shed, but it was a fine hot bath and
we were able to get ourselves perfectly clean, besides we received a change of
underclothing again. When we came out of the shack we felt like new men again and could
look on the war with brighter prospects. In the early
part of the afternoon we had physical drill for about an hour and then we were excused
duty for the rest of the day most of the “fellows” went over to the village to
see what was “doing”. For my part I stayed in and wrote some more letters
Carrithers (William
Carruthers) 60108, a chap in Number 4 Company, while overstreet was struck by a motor
cycle and blinded. There is a report that he is only temporarily blinded. October, 12th
This morning we were put through some more physical exercises. The physical drill is commonly called physical torture by the Canadians in training and at the front. In the
afternoon we went on about an eight mile route march passing through the Belgian town of
Reningehelst while out. October, 13th
This morning
we had a half an hours squad drill and then were told to prepare to be ready for the
trenches on the morrow. All day
to-day there was a heavy bombardment on all along the line. We all began to wonder if any
kind of a “stunt” as nicknamed a fight was going to be pulled off. During the
afternoon we had sports, racing, jumping, playing bull-in the ring, etc. were all indulged
in while the bands added to the fun with pipe, bugle and drum. On this day,
about supper time I saw a Belgian dog team for the first time. Sometimes four or five dogs
are hitched abreast ahead of a small two-wheeled cart; again they are hitched in pairs and
sometimes you will see them hitched in file. To-day I
received a bundle of papers from home and a letter from Aunt Ella. October, 14th
We had
physical torture again this morning, but it wasn’t any torture for me as I was
absent, but was excused by the sergeant and in that way I did not have to appear before
the major at the next time that Company Office was held. We were paid
our half-monthly sum of 15 francs to-day and immediately we invested some of it in extras
in the eating line. Some fellows went and had a few drinks or got drunk; others gambled in
the hope of increasing their change but bar two or three experts in gambling, those who
indulged in this “sport” usually lost. We had
another route march this P.M. to keep us from getting our legs too stiff. In the mail
to-day I received a letter from Father and one from Clara Murphy. Note: -
Clara is a girl friend of mine who lives in our home village of Moulinette. October, 15th
At 11 A.M.
after packing falling in and a speech by Lt. Colonel Hughes our Commander we started for
the trenches, by way of Dikkebus. We had a distance of about four and a half miles (4 ½
mi.) to go. On arriving in the front line we were detailed off to different bays. Lester (Pte HG Lester 59548), Ritchie (Pte A Ritchie, 59837) and I were detailed for number 9 Bay. The trenches we were holding were the M’s and N’s and of in front of Dikkebus. There were two communication trenches to this part of the front line; the P. and O and the M and N sometimes called Bois Carre or the Chickory Lane. This time we came in by the latter. The part of the line I was stationed at was the right flank of the O’s. We were a distance of nearly two hundred yards (200 yds). From the German front line at this point, though the battalion right flank was only fifty yards (50 yds) I was on night sentry doing two hours on and four off duty.October, 16th
This time in
the trenches, we were told that we would have to cook our own meals; so the rations were
issued us raw. The way we went about it was as follows – To get wood
we had to go part of the way back the P. and O. communication trench where there was a
small wood. Under shelter of the shrubbery which was scant in places we searched the
ground for dry sticks, as wet ones or green ones were of no use for our purpose. We
couldn’t have a big fire for one thing; no smoke must be seen by the enemy for
another. When we had collected sufficient, after sometimes being seen through the
shrubbery and “potted” at by snipers, we returned to our bay. Here we dug a hole
in the side of the trench, lit our fire in it ,hung our canteen the best way possible over
it and anxiously awaited results. Sometimes the results were very poor at others they were
better; sometimes the fire wouldn’t do; then when it would sometimes we were ordered
to put it out either because it was too big or there was too much smoke appearing above
the top of the trench. At first our experiments were nil, but as time went on we had
better results. To-day we
had two casualties. I was on
sentry in the bay to-night till twelve o’clock and after that I was taken from the
bay and for the rest of the night I did duty in the listening port in No-man’s land
in front of the trenches. This Listening post was in our outer row of barbed wire and to
get to it we went through a hole leading down in under our front line and then by a narrow
trench out to a cave like hole. Around this hole and resting in the top of the ground were
cone shaped boxes to enlarge the sound of any noise in the neighbourhood. From this post
to the trench a wire was strung and by pre-arranged signals we could let them know what
was going on around the post and that section of no-man’s land. During this
twenty-four (24) hours we had two (2) casualties. October 17th
To-day we
had a very hard job to cook our own meals as the wood was very wet from recent rains. Last night
some of the chaps, while filling sand-bags uncovered the body of a Frenchman. The smell
was so abominable around that part of the trench afterwards that we had to sprinkle
chloride of lime everywhere. While I was getting ready to prepare my breakfast this morning Lester came down the trench and said that there was a party of four or five Huns out in this wire, but he thought that by now they had got back into their own front-line trench. Anyway I grabbed my rifle and making for a good loop-hole that I had previously made in the next bay up the line, I took a peek through. I had looked carefully around for a minute or so and had decided that the Huns had evidently returned to their own line when one stepped out from behind a tree that was among a few others.They were in
front of the German line at that point. He kept stooping over and doing something in their
wire. His actions gave me the impression of a person hurriedly picking up chips. After doing this picking motion two or three times
he stepped behind a tree. By this time I had my good old trusty Ross ready and aligned the
sights on a point about a foot from the side of the tree opposite to the side that the Hun
had stepped behind it from. I made up my mind
that the minute he stepped out I would blare away. I
hadn’t long to wait. I just got the glimpse of something greenish-blue stepping from
behind the tree in the half morning light in front of my sights. I immediately pulled off
and my vision was immediately obscured by the slight smoke from my rifle. Although I
didn’t see the Hun drop, Lester who was looking over the sandbags in the corner
exclaimed the two words “got him”. I immediately pulled my rifle out of the hole
and took a peek through. Sure enough lying in
the German wire was what looked like a heap of rags that lay perfectly still. Then I had a
horrible compunction come over me to think that I had brutally killed a human being. This
feeling was intensified more as Lester began to describe how the Hun had suddenly lifted
his arms to about the height of his shoulders bunched up and lurched forward into the
wire. This was the
first time I was certain of causing a casualty to the Germans although I had been
reasonably sure on several occasions that I had hit something. About noon
to-day I was taken with a miserable feeling so that at 10 P.M. I had to leave the
listening post with the chills and feeling very sick. Sgt. Ward (Sgt JT Ward,
60026) came to me with a little
rum. I refused point-blank at first but after him persuading me for some time I took about
a teaspoonful. I will never forget the firey feeling that it caused me from mouth to
stomach. It warmed me up temporarily only though, for in half an hour I was worse than
ever. The rest of the night was spent very miserably by me and I was not a bit sorry when
daylight came at last. October 18th
As I
didn’t feel any better with the coming of the light, I received the Sergeant’s
permission and went out and saw the Dr about 9 A.M. My
temperature registered 100 and on an examination the Dr. said that I had a touch of
Tonsilitis. Our headquarters was then at La Brasserie in front of Ridgewood. I hung around
this place all day except when I went down to the front line to draw my own rations, as
they had been sent down previously by ration parties. To-day I
received two letters, one from Tom Marsden and the other from Lillian Moss. At night I
had a bed made up for me on the stone floor of the Brasserie. It had a framework of wood
with wire netting strung across the top and plenty of blankets. It was a treat. October 19th
This morning at the medical Parade my temperature was still at 100 and as I didn’t feel any better than on the previous day I was sent in an ambulance out to La Clytte where the nearest hospital to that part of the line was situated. I will remember that ride as long as I live. There were two sitting and two stretchers cases in the ambulance that I rode in. I was one of the sitting cases. The other was a chap who had been shot through the left shoulder. This chap would give a groan every time the ambulance would give a lurch and as the road we were traveling over was sometimes shelled it was none too pleasant a ride. The other chap was unconscious luckily; so he was not conscious of his hurts. We were within about two miles of La Clyte when the left rear wheel tire burst. There was some cursing by the driver and the Red Cross orderly.Then after
transferring the chap that was on the stretcher to the ambulance ahead as they wanted to
get him to hospital as soon as possible, they set to work and changed tires. They did it
in a remarkably short time but it seemed ages to me as I was miserable and chilled. When we
finally drew up outside the hospital and started to get out to go in I will never forget
the kindness of the Red Cross men. Although I was O.K. and perfectly able to carry my kit,
which I had with me, they wouldn’t allow it. One chap grabbed my kit and another
immediately started to arm me into the hospital until I assured him that I was all right
except for feeling miserable. We went into
a room that was being used as an operating room and while we were in there, there were two
operations in progress. One on a chap’s head the other on another fellows body. We were in here about twenty minutes, when our
names and numbers were taken. Then we were led off to a bunk in another room across the
hall-way from that which we left. Before I
proceed with this diary I must state what I learned from a chap that was brought into the
Brasserie shortly before I left in the ambulance. He said that he came from a certain
section of the line where they were about fifty yards from the Germans. He said that how
he received his wound was as follows – He was looking over the top at night and he
and a German had been swearing at one another and firing, he said he had just finished
with a string of oaths and had then fired at where he heard the Germans voice, when bang
and his left wrist was shattered and all that had saved his life was the presence of
several clips of ammunition which had been in his left side ammunition pouches. He held up
one clip of cartridges which had been nearly twisted out of recognition by the bullet. He
said this clip was in the pouch that was covering his heart. He said he thanked God for his mercifulness in
saving his life that time, especially as he had been swearing so before he was wounded. He
said his left arm would be useless now but he thanked God for sparing his life in order
that he might go back to his wife and two little kiddies at home. October 20th
Before I proceed any further with this writing of my diary taken from short notes that I made from day to-day while overseas, I feel that I ought to put into writing, some changes of thought and belief especially in a religious sense that have come over me at this time of these happenings in 1915 I was a so-called Christian. I was such when I finished re-writing the happenings of October 19th 1915, which was about a year ago. In my present state of thought and mind on this 17th day of December 1918 I call myself an agnostic not from any animosity to the Christian belief but due to the facts in the first place, of my wife giving birth to a baby girl on the 4th of February of this year, which started me thinking to deep thought in general and to reading books and literature, both for and against the Christian belief. I am in an unsettled state of mind, endeavoring to conscientiously convince myself one way or the other. I will not believe in any thing until I have it proven to me, which is right. Therefore I call myself an Agnostic. Which is it to be, the Christian Belief or the Atheism. That is for the future to decide and I sincerely hope the near future. I am being candid with you gentle reader, never the less in continuing this Diary I will endeavour to my utmost, to put in writing, the facts my beliefs and the way I looked on things when the following happenings occurred.On this
morning of the 20th day of October 1915 I woke up feeling in the best of
spirits and well. Before the Dr. made his regular rounds which proved to be about nine
o’clock in the morning. I decided that I would endeavour to be allowed to return to
my comrades in the trenches. I imagine from what I have seen and learned since that time
that I could hope “put it over the Dr.” and have possibly stayed away from the
trenches for several days at least. This
Doctor came in about nine. I said if it wouldn’t be possible to return to the
battalion. He seemed surprised but after taking my temperature and consulting with the Red
Cross men who acted as nurses at that station (La Clytte) he finally consented. He had no
sooner got out of the room than I jumped up dressed, got my kit, etc. and with the good
wishes of my less fortunate mates if you like, started to tramp to Dikibus, thence to La
Brasserie and from there into what was called the M & N trenches in front of Ridgewood
and a farm building Called Sniper’s Barn which our Battalion was holding at that
time. (Rob’s note here: Snipers Barn was 300
meters west of where the Bollaartbeek and the Diependaalbeek come together. Moayed Grange was the same distance north (or
north northwest) I
didn’t have the good fortune to get a lift so had to march all the way to La
Brasserie in full kit a distance of between seven and eight miles. I felt kind of
“shaky” at first due to the after effects of the fever and subsequent sweating
which I had had to undergo after a couple of miles, I began to feel my “pins” so
to speak and the going was much better from then on. I arrived at
La Brasserie in time to forage around and obtain a fairly good dinner for a soldier on
Active Service. After my
dinner I marched the remaining mile and a half or thereabouts into the lines and reported
myself as returned from hospital and ready for duty to Major Elmitt
O.C. of my company at that time. From him I reported to my platoon sergeant
“Ward” and was put down for night sentry duty by him, which meant two hours on
duty on the fire step and four off, continuous throughout the night. When the
mail was distributed in the morning I received a letter from Mrs. Bigelow my cousin in
London. Sgt.(?) Denis (Pte JA
St Dennis 59909 ) of the Bugle band was killed this morning
presumably from a shell, I did not find out for certain. (He was shot in the head by a sniper) October 21st Shortly after breakfast I was detailed with a number of other men to go back to La Brasserie and bring up the rations for the Company. This we did with out mishap. After dinner we received orders to prepare to move into reserve. We moved back to the reserve trenches in the Bois Carré about four o’clock without any mishap or casualties. We had good trenches then and movement even in daylight could be carried out with a minimum of risk in spite of the fact that the Bosche were on higher ground that we were and therefore had the advantage in observation, through quite likely to suffer more from artillery fire than we would. Again before
I proceed with this Diary I will have to interrupt the general trend of the happenings in
France by stating that I have returned to the Christian Belief in full (??? ) of it’s
magnitude and power, in other words I believe with understanding my consciousness has been
revived of an overpowering weight that atheism would never have lifted. I have accepted
God as my Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ as his son the only (??????) of sinners. Before proceeding with my Diary. I
must further add that the person largely instrumental to my returning to the only belief
that satisfies, was an Evangelist by the name of Honeywell. He is considered as Billie
Sunday’s right hand man. This conversion took place about a month ago in Bridge
Street Methodist Church Belleville Ontario. Rev. Dr. C. J. Scott is Pastor Dr. Baker of
Albert ??? to have a great deal to do with the religious life of his church. The above
was written on the evening of Mar 13th 1919.
(he
was in Kingston Ontario in March of 1919) October 22nd
This day, I
was detailed along with some other members to fill sandbags just off the old P & O
communication trench. All trenches by the way are lettered or have familiar names in order
than they may be located on maps without mistake. Also they serve as a guide to any person
wanting to got to a certain trench or section of trench, just the same as streets having
different names in a city and houses being numbered. Off all
trenches there are lanes dug in order that a person may fill sandbags, dig latrines or
deposit refuse by day without being observed by the enemy unless by aerial observation. As
a protection against the latter these places singular to a cull de sac are dug behind
hedges out of sight of the enemy trenches and in many cases besides the hedge affording
protection they are partially covered with boughs from trees if available, dead grass,
weeds etc. On this day
in particular we were about one –third of the way down the P & O about half way
from the beginning of the then off to the road that crossed it and passed an old red tiled
Belgian barn known as sniper’s barn. After a good half days work we returned to our
dug outs in the reserve of Bois Carré by the way Bois Carré is French for Wood Carrier.
The term dug-out would naturally lead a person to believe that these places were hollowed
out entirely underground. I must say that the greater number of dug-outs that I had
experience with up to the time we went to the( ?????)
were entirely on the top of the ground or only partially dug in They were
made almost entirely of filled sandbags for the walls scantling or steel rails with wire
netting galvanized corrugated iron for short iron along with filled sandbags and loose
earth thrown on the top. That evening after supper when our rations and mail came up I received letters from Mother with one from Tom enclosed as well one from Tom Bell with one from Ruby enclosed and a letter from my old High School mate Ola Bennett. A couple bundles of papers were also forwarded from home. It used to amuse us a great deal to see how the papers from the home-land would depict some of the battles and incidents that we had and were participating in. The Papers generally gave a very vague and often incorrect account of happenings that had taken place. My throat
was very sore on this evening and I wondered if I was going to be listed for hospital
shortly again. I had an absolute dread of hospitals and sincerely hoped and prayed that I
wouldn’t have to be returned again. October 23rd
This morning
I was on the same job that I was doing yesterday, that is filling sandbags in the P &
O. During the afternoon I was off duty. I
heard that No 12 Company who were doing duty in the front line had four casualties. Who
the poor lads were I didn’t hear. This evening we were called out to dig a new
support trench behind the front line of the Battalion that was on our right. This was a job that several of us objected to in
that we were doing the work that some other unit should do. This same thing happened a
good many times to our battalion on several instances we were sent on (????) that other
units should have done and often on very short notice simply because we had the name of
being a “crack” Battalion, doing our work quickly, quietly and efficiently. Webmaster’s note: The remainder of the diary has been lost |