More diary entries -

August 15, 1918, Thurs.

Up 6 a.m. Slept good. Sent out on early salvage detail and a working party. Later, Roger & I cooked breakfast, cleaned up, etc. in a.m. Nice day. Hiked to B.H.Q. [British HQ] in evening, then into the front line trenches, left of Kemmel [Belgium]. In full command of my platoon. Just as my last section was about to step into the trench a Boche M.G. [machine gun] bullet caught Roger Smith thru the chest. Sent him back at once. Made reports and staid up all night.

August 16, 1918, Frid.

Slept from 6:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. Visited my men & cheered 'em up a bit - are well situated. English units changed tonight - now C.S.M. (?) fine chaps (Sherwood Foresters ) [The Sherwood Foresters  - Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Regiment - was a line infantry regiment of the British Army in existence for just under 90 years, from 1881 to 1970.] Quiet day - few shells near, plenty of sniping - 2 hour patrol at night. Roger died this a.m.

August 17, 1918, Sat. Warm

After sending in my reports went to sleep and staid until 4 p.m. Some good results in sniping! Put my men all in one position - solid platoon. Mine in support for immediate cannister attack. Busy with rations & reports - awake all night. Men in good morale.

August 18, 1918, Sun.

Sent in reports, slept, arranged for reliefs - changed by being relieved by L Co. Came out - hell of a trip - to B.H.Q. - got rations & H2O - and came in again to support lines in front of Mt. Kemmel - thru Dickebusch - in fine bomb proof tambeaus (?) - well set. lots of room - a stove - desk - great! Busy all night with paper work.

August 19, 1918, Mon.

Slept from 6:30 until 2 p.m. Got up - made reports - issued some orders to my platoon. (I am still in command). Had luncheon & smoked all p.m. Jerry is giving us quite a bumping today. Went out to look over my battle position. Rec'd orders to move to front line again tomorrow. Busy on paper work all night.

August 20, 1918, Tues. Cloudy

Had heavy shelling this a.m. - all around our tambeau. Made some coffee at 6 - then slept until 2 p.m. Up, washed, made pack & had dinner. Did not go to front line. Sent out ration party and a carrying detail. Some close shelling - also gas.

August 21, 1918, Wed.

Tappey came in about 1 a.m. with news of Co. L's rotten luck and (?). Slept in a.m. Shaved in p.m. Wrote some cards - sent out ration party & Turner to front line. (He had a lively time) and went over my battle positions with the N.C.O.'s of 105th who are taking over my position. Busy all night.

August 22, 1918, Thurs.

Made preparations to leave. Packed up. Busy all day making arrangements. Relieved 10:15 - march my platoon to B.H.Q. 1st out - (?). Lewis guns - and away. Got some whiz - bang [during World War I - a small-caliber high-velocity shell.] & H.E. (?) d-d close going up to tramway - also gas. Picked our own way thru Ouderdom to Reningelst [Belgium] to Condiment Cross (?), then to Sierra Cross to Chile Farms [these must be code names for places]. In camp for night - had good feed. Washed & in a shell hole for night. Cold & damp. Left trenches.

Letter to Aunt Nell - [Undated but marked "In the trenches", so fitting for this time period]

In the trenches

Dear Aunt Nell : -

Yours of July 21 just came to my platoon H.Q. from the rear and I assure you I was pleased to get one from you after such a long wait. Yes, I am up here - and glad to say it. And it's not bad at all. Working parties, etc. are a nasty thing as they combine physical labor with a certain amount of uncertain exposure. This very morning we pulled into our trench just before the mist got thin enough for Jerry to see us and my H.Q. corporal, my message runner and I cooked breakfast. We put on our mess (?) - over a piece of sheet steel, for a stove - with water boiling for coffee, fried some bacon & nice lean ham, when the meat had fried we took it out and added some butter in the grease and fried some boiled potatoes in it. We also had our coffee completed and eventually spread an old London Daily Mail over a couple machine gun boxes and "set our table". We each had a good portion of meat & potatoes, a big cup of coffee, lots of bread & butter, a piece of cheese and milk & sugar for the coffee. At noon we had cold rice pudding, sweetened & raisins added, bread & jam & water. Tonight Roger, Terry & I cook some meat, have boiled potatoes, tea, bread & butter, and fried bread, one of my concoctions that goes very well. 

Of course we know lots about being under fire - and feel satisfied with the big comparison between what we get and what we send over to him. He's playing a losing game!

You speak of this miss - Caroline Whiting. Now if she's such a wonderful personage - why didn't you tell me more about her before and why don't you say more now? Is she a Protestant? I've a very keen ear for anything more you can say about the young lady and the possibilities of my seeing what she's like in my glorious bachelor year - apres le guerre.

No, I've not seen either Prof. Erskine or Jerry Reynolds but possibly I will "meet up" with the latter some day.

By the way, let me say that, due to the lack of an officer for my platoon, your nephew is in command of it - and - his platoon immensely enjoyed Miss Caroline's story of the "Cloud" and his insurance! Bully!

Now - please don't worry about my safety, I'll keep my head down until I "go over" and then, why if I die, I did giving Jerry hell with my bayonet, pistol, or bare fists if there's nothing else handy. I'm not afraid - neither of Jerry or death - so just keep as cheerful and good natured as I am and you'll get a lot more fun out of this living game - just "be a man." Ha!Ha!

With much love, I'll close, as always

Clyde

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