A lull in the Storm for Will

In my last post about Will Sidney's War it was 30 September 1917 and Will had been granted a day's sick leave as a result of straining his side.  This could be seen to have been a be a bit of a lucky injury for Will.

Whilst Will's personal diary entry for 30 September reads ...

"30 Sun - Got excuse duty for 1 day, sprained side. Rest all day. Painful."

You can read the Battalion's official war diary entry, which was actually written in the field as events were unfolding, below ...

"About 4 am very thick mist; 4.30 am intense bombardment helped on with minewerfers & smoke bombs: 5.15 am enemy discovered in large numbers advancing against our trench especially on our right: mist still very thick: enemy used bombs and flammerwerfer. Heavy fire with rifles, Lewis machine guns and bombs was opened on them & none reached our trench: S.O.S. sent up but was not seen at Batt H.Q. owing to mist: an orderly arrived with the first news at 7.20 am. About 6 am enemy again attacked but was driven off: took 2 prisoners, 1 flammenwerfer & a machine gun: 60 or 70 dead were left in front of our trenches: the attack was repulsed entirely with the fire of the infantry: the artillery did not barrage our front: a wire fence, put up during the previous night by a pioneer battn helped greatly to impede the enemy. A short barrage was put down on our lines at 10 am: the remainder of the day was normal."

The card below was found with Will's things and is to commemorate the Division's actions at The Battle of The Menin Road earlier in the month.

As you can see, Will sent the card to Ethel, though we have no way of knowing when it would have been sent.

On 1 October Will went to see the 'Doc' and was diagnosed with a compound fracture.  He was excused duties for 2 days and moved to Meteren, where he was placed in charge of the stores for 3 days.

On 3 October Will writes that the Battalion came in and had been badly cut up.  Who knows what may have happened to Will had he not suffered his injury when he did.

Following his stint in the stores Will acted as the Orderly Corporal for the Company.  He carried out this role until the 8th, when it seems he helped run a course for a group of NCOs.

On 9 October Will was back into the fray, having been dismissed after Parade, awaiting orders to go back up the line.  The Battalion went, by motor, to Ridgewood, for 1 night, before hitting the line again on the 10th.

You can read more about Will's next foray to the front line in my next post.

The Front Line - The Menin Road - September 1917

This is quite a long post, but Will's diary entries for September are a real first-hand account of life on the front line and I didn't want to leave anything out.

In early September 2017 the Battalion was on the move again.  They left at 8.00am on 3 September, by route march, through Steenvorde, Oxelere, Bayinchove, arriving in billets at Oosthoek at 6.00pm. They'd marched all day.

From 4-11 September, whilst at Oosthoek training was carried out, which included: bombing, musketry, bayonet fighting, practice formations for the attack, flag courses and company drills.

On 12 September the Battalion was then on the move again, this time they were heading for the front line and the trenches.

"12 Wed - Rev 6.  Came off guard @ 10.30.  Parade 11.  Inspection for moving off, Moved off @ 2.30.  Landed @ Zuytpeene @ 6o'c.  Letter from Jim & Sarah.  No time to write, being on the move tomorrow."

"13 Th - Rev 6.  B 7.  Moved from Zuytpeene to Steenvorde.  13 kilos.  Pretty tired when landed.  No letters from anybody.  Heavy going.  Getting ready for moving the following day."

"14 Fri - Rev 4.30.  B 5.  Moved from Steenvorde to Dickebusch (20kilos).  Very tired, no wash or shave.  No letters from anybody.  No time to write anythink."

"15 Sat - Left Dickebusch for line @ 12o'c.  Landed in the trenches @ 6o'c.  Very hot. Went to fetch rations for HQ.  No letters from anybody.  Not time to write to anybody. Went to front line in charge of 3 men & sandbags." 

Things continued to get more intense for the Battalion and for Will in the following week. 

 "16 Sun - Helping RE under heavy fire.  Working & rations all day up to front line in charge of 13 men."

"17 Mon - Helping REs till dinnertime under heavy shell fire. Went out @ night on rations.  Fritz shelled us all the way up & back again.  No letters from anybody."

"18 Tues - Up all night & being shelled pretty often.  Went to bed @ Rail Dug O.  Up again @ 4 carrying water to the front line.  Got back @ dinner time.  Had to move back a bit.  Move to a camp for a short rest.  Letters from Ethel.  Dog tired & thinking of Ethel all time."

"19 Wed - Rev 5.30.  Parade for a bath @ 6.  Good bath.  Writ to Ethel. Rest until 9o'c night then moved up to the line for a big push.  Stayed @ Bedford House. Slept outside. Wet & cold.  Up @ 4o'c.  Moved up line.  Few casualties.

"20 Th - Spent a night on front line.  Got shelled very heavy.  Working party lost a chum, young Jones (Welsh man).  Stop in trenches all day.  Got shelled all day & night.  Still in trenches."

"21 Fri - Went on a ration party.  Lost LCpl Jewitt.  Died of wounds.  Decent chap. And also LCpl ???  Went out wiring @ night.  Rotten & cold work.  My hands all cut to pieces.  No letters from anybody.  Thinking of my own dearest wondering how she is."

"22 Sat - Got shelled pretty heavy.  Still in trenches.  No wash or shave for 3 days. Very dirty.  Got shelled very heavy during night."

The last week in September saw a small amount of respite for the Battalion whist preparing to go back into the field at the Menin Road ...

 "23 Sun - Fritz made a counter attack & gave us hell for about 1 1/2 hours.  Cold night."

"24 Mon - Gave us a barrage early morning again @ 9o'c & dinner time.  Got gassed & got relieved under a heavy bombardment 9o'c.  Went to Cafe Belle and then to Chippawa Camp.  Landed @ 2o'c next morning."

"25 Tues - Rev anytime.  B 8.  Cleaning up.  D 2o'c.  Still cleaning & no time for writing.  Inspection of rifles.  Tea 4.30.  Pay 5.  Parade for baths 6.30.  Letter from home.  None from Ethel."

"26 Wed - Rev 7.  B 8.  Parade for GOC inspection 11.30.  Recomended for the good work we did.  Papers from Ethel.  Went out with C Blake @ night."

"27 Th - Rev 7.  B 8.  P 9.  Drill order cancelled.  Get packed up for moving off. Moved to Ridge Wood for 1 night, full pack.  Very tired.  Told off with 2 men to get prepared for an advance party.  No letters."

"28 Fri - Rev 3.30.  B 4.  Parade 4.30.  Moved to Bedford House.  Arrived there @ 7o'c.  Got billets for the Coy.  Coy arrived @ 12o'c.  Slept in open, went up to the front line on a working party.  1 letter from Ethel."

"29 Sat - Rev 7.  B 8.  P 9.  Inspection rifles & gas bags.  Getting prepared for up the line.  Bomb 100 rounds, 2 sandbags.  Ready for moving off @ any minute.  Sent FP to & ...  Strained my side.  Went to see Colonel, sent to transport." 

This may have been a really lucky injury for Will.  His own diary entry for 30 September reads ...

"30 Sun - Got excuse duty for 1 day, sprained side.  Rest all day.  Painful."

You will be able to read the official Battalion war diary entry for 30 September in my next post.