Commencement of Diary

Frank commenced the writing of his war diaries at the beginning of 1915 and rather that reproduce every entry in the blog, we will summarise the diary along with information gleaned from Frank's letters to his sweetheart, Ethel. This first summary covers the time between 4th August 1914 and 6th March 1915.

Frank went off for training soon after the declaration of war on 4th August 1914. First the men were toughened up with physical drill and long marches. The marches took place several times a week, and averaged twelve miles, although one was twenty-two miles. There was also training on the grimmer aspects of their job, with medical lectures on wounds, as well as the practical aspects of bandaging and carrying wounded men from the battlefield, running casualty stations, provision of clean water, and so on.
On 28th February 1915 Frank’s 3rd Field Ambulance travelled overnight by train from Newport, Essex, to Southampton. After a couple of days in a transit camp they boarded an old British India Steam Navigation Company grain ship, the Chyebassa, and after a further two days waiting for a Royal Navy escort, they sailed to Le Havre in France. Frank was not to see his home and his sweetheart again for another year and three months. By then he was to see and experience the full tragedy, horror and heroism of mechanised warfare.