← Previous

Tuesday, July 4, 1916

Page 3
Next →

Tuesday JULY 4. Reveille 5.30. See the first real signs of war in the balloon, aeroplanes & coast guns. Shaving at 9.30 P.M. when O.C. Gordon issues orders to prepare to leave camp in fifteen minutes for overseas, turns out to be only a change of camp. we march full pack & kit to St. Martins Plain camp 1½ miles, silent march, no talking or smoking. turn into kip at 11.05 PM in a tent with boarded floor. Feet washing parade at 3PM.

Wed JULY 5. March back to Dibgate camp for breakfast. Pay parade at 2.15 PM off at 3 P.M. Thursday JULY 6. We change tents & loose our board floor in the shuffle. ground very wet.

Friday JULY 7. Get ready for inspection by A.D.M.S. heavy rain until 2 P.M, so inspection postponed. drill in PM. Go to Folkestone in the evening with Bill. Sat JULY 8. Pay parade (£2.0.0). Go to Folkestone with Will at 3PM. Make my confession, bed 9.30PM. Sunday JULY 9. Go to H.C. at 8AM in Folkestone. Muster parade at 10:30AM. Very warm. aeroplane over camp, feared to be a Boch, so we have to take cover. Rumours of us to go to Bramshott to take our

Where was he?
The war at this time

The Somme grinds on

The Battle of the Somme continues with further attacks costing 25,000 more British casualties in the first two weeks. Newspapers carry casualty lists that fill entire pages. The original objectives remain out of reach. The 'New Army' (Kitchener's volunteers who answered the call in 1914) is being bled white. These battalions of friends and neighbours, the 'Pals' battalions, are suffering catastrophic losses. Entire communities are being devastated.