E.S. "Gordon" Lacey - Diary 3

Feb.

Aussie Parcel from Ethel Bennett. 12th. Left Codford at about 11.45 and got the train to Southhampton. Arrived there about 2p. Went aboard the "St George" and sailed at 4.15p. Landed at Le Havre on the 13th about 8.30a. Seven mile march to the Base. Had a couple of easy days with plenty of good tucker. 15th Marched back to Havre and got train. My first impression France was not a favourable one, but I changed my ideas when we got into northern France. We had beautiful weather, and the country was very pretty. The French railways are work I have seen so far, they are slow and the carriages are small and uncomfort able. We passed through Etaples, Bolougne, Calais, and

Feb.

landed at Caestre, about 4p on 16th Feb. We were camped about 2 kilos from the station, and we can hear the guns banging away. Fritz came over in his planes on the 16th & 17th but he got a warm time from our guns. 19th Left Caestre in lorries and joined the 35th Btn. in billets at [Kortypyp?]. Met Eddie Ryman in the Y.M.C.A. 21st Went up on working party behind the line. Working on the old "no man's land" before the Messines stunt. Heard the shells whistling & bursting for the first time. Found an old skull. 22nd Found the remains of an Australian, blown out of his grave 23rd Changed camp and went to the Catacombs. 25th 26th and 24th Working just behind the line. Got a sight of [Minnies?] going over. 28th Mess Orderly. 1st March. Changed over onto night parties. Going up

March

& Fritz got onto us with a machine gun. That was the first time I heard bullets whistling about me. They sounded very harmless as "Pinged" past. Got to the dump alright. Coming down again, he got onto us but we got through without any casualties. 2nd Up the line again with wine. Passed Fritz's gun without casualties. 3rd Put on tunnelling job 4th Tunnelling. Raid on. 5th Second Raid, got up & had a look at the Barrage. 7th Left Catacombes and went to [Kortephp?]. 8th Left Camp & got the train at Steenwerck Landed at Desvres & marched to [Henereaux?]. We are out for a spell. Nice & quiet here, and we are having good weather. Nothing of any importance until 22nd. Got orders to move suddenly. Got the train & went to Watou in

April

Belgium. 24th Got motor lorries and went out near Hazebrouck, 26th Got word that we are going on the Somme. Went in the train to Doullens & marched 16 kilos. Got to bed 1 a.am. To 27th Up again at 4a. Got in Busses and came down near Corbie. Will Marsden & I made runners. 28th Tom Reid killed 29th Good Friday still running. 30th Easter Saturday got word that the Btn. moved & left us, went to Corbie, but got no instr -uctions. 31st Waiting at B.H.2. for [?]. Left 4p. 1st gaurd Btn. in the line 9p. nothing much doing. Did post of a night. Daylight 4th Barrage opened. Fritz "straffed" for about 40 mins. then started to come over on the left. Tommies give way & B coy almost surrounded. General retirement Rough time all day. We were retiring

April

over level country. Machine gun fire very heavy. Formed a line about noon & held it till late in the afternoon Retired again. [Mcdermott?] killed. I was going back on the village when I found poor old Bill Marsden dead. Counter attack about dusk, we got back most of the ground lost in the day. 5th Btn. out of the line. 6th came to the wood, found we had pretty heavy casualties. 21 out of [no.2] 8th In cellars in village, had my first wash for 8 days. Went out salvaging & got a change of clothes & a bed. It is funny to see the troops in & out of the houses souveniring all kinds of things, beds, blankets, clothes, eatables. 10th Still in cellars at Villers-Bretoneaux. Had some Mustard Gas put over last night 11th Blown up in the yard by a shell got a bit of a shaking up. 12th Moved