E.S. "Gordon" Lacey - Diary 3

6th Nov. to 15th

14 miles. The camp at Godford is right on the village. It is not as well situated as [Hurdcott?] and the parade ground is rotten. At first nobody was satisfied but after a while we all settled down. 15h Nov. I went out to a patch of scrub with a fatigue party making hurdles for trenches. 14th still on fatigue. 15th. Came out on fatigue again but there was nothing to do but eat & sleep. 18 today & six months ago I never dreamt that I would be sitting in an English wood on my birthday with Salmon & bread for dinner. There is great discontent here over the shortage of food. We are nearly starved. [Anyday?]

24th Nov. to Dec. 2nd

24th. Cpl. Penny came to see me, went to Pictures with him + Will. 25th Detailed for Guard, mounted and picked as best dressed. 26th Orderlie at B.O.R. 28th Went on ball minature range. Dec. 1st. Got word that Grandpa was dead.

2nd. Sunday. Went to Church & had a look at the graves & tombs & went inside & read the history of the Church & Castle. The Church was built in the 12th or 13th Century, but it seemed to have been partly destroyed and rebuilt again about 1624, which date is carved on the Porth & South wall.

Some of the graves are pretty old dated in the 17th & 18th Century and some of

Dec 3rd to 26th 1917

them are that old that the date is worn off them. All that remains of the old Castle is a mound and part of the moat. Dec 3rd. First day on big range. Dec 4th 5th & 6th on range. Dec 7th. Issued with S.B.R. & P.H. Gas helmets. 8th Last day on range. field practice. 9th Sunday, nothing doing on 7 days C.B. 10th Started a week of bombing. 11th Polling day for conscription. voted NO. 12th Went through Gas three times 13th Threw live bombs & fired Mills Grenade. 14th Fired Hales Rifle Grenades. 25th Xmas again. Some Xmas too. We had dinner in the Church Army Hut 26th Boxing Day. A lot of [Reinstoushments?] arrived in the evening. I went round to

January 1918

their lines & found Reg Kurnot, Reilly, Mahoney & several other Mosman chaps. 27th Went into isolation in 5 Camp. On Lewis Gun course 1st Jan. 1918. Had a holiday & went for a stroll in the afternoon. 10th Came out in orders as one of the 4 best at the Lewis Gun. I am supposed to get 4 days leave out of it but I dont suppose I will get it. 13th Went over to Stockton Church with Charlie Burrows It is a fine old place, built about the 12th Century. They have a list of Rectors, since 1307. There are some old tombs there dating back to the 15th Century. 24th. Started leave arrived in London 11am Went to St Pauls. Had a look

Feb.

at G.P.O., Bank of England, Royal Exchange. 25th Went to Westminster, The Tower, Had a look at The Embankment Waterloo Bridge, Westminster Bridge, Tower Bridge, Blackfriars Bridge. Law Courts. "The Old Curiousity Shop" 26th Left London to go to Yorkshire. Arrived in Brighouse 3.15pm. Had a bosker time in Yorkshire. 1st Feb. Left Brighouse 6.10a. Arrived in London 12.30p. Left London 3p. Arrived at Codford about 7p and had our passes taken by an [M.B.?] 4th Orderly Room for being 3 days A.W.L.? fine & 2nd F.P. 6th On Draft. 7th 8th & 9th Changing gear & getting ready for France. 10th Received first