May 1916

May 1916
1st Monday
Bailleul-aux-Cornailles.
Day Duty.
Lovely weather prevails.
Sleeping out in the field.

3rd Wednesday
Day Duty.
Many of our Sect in Hospital sick with trench fever.
Packed up at night ready for move, David goes on leave, and from then it stops until again settled.
[This diary entry is clear enough, but not sure what he meant; probably talking about the move.]

6th Saturday
Reveille 5am.
The Unit march away from Bailleul-aux-Cornailles at 8 o’clock am, midday halt at 11.30 am ‘til 12 mid. A drink of tea served, and afterwards march away. arrive at Ivergny 1pm o’clock, billeted in barns but slept out in orchard, and at 1 o’clock am I had to carry my bed back into the barn owing to heavy rain, and then I had to be troubled with army of rats.
Marched away at 1 o’clock and arrived at Gaudiempre at 6 o’clock pm.
Billeted in barns.

9th Tuesday
Gaudiempre.
Left at 10pm by Motor Ambulance and arrived at Doullens Station at 11pm and stayed the night there.
Left Doullens by 6.30 am train, and arrived at Havre 9pm o’clock, and immediately embarked on ‘Monids Queen’ which sailed midnight and arrived Southampton 9am. London 12 midday, Wolverhampton 4.20 pm.

13th Saturday
Home on leave.
Went out to tea Portland Street. Spent night at the shop.

14th Sunday
Ringing at St Giles.
Met Ethel at Park Brook.
Home for the day, had a good party, rang at St Giles at night, and attended service.

15th Monday
Home.
Lovely weather prevails.
Had tea at Hunt’s, Wood St, having fine times.
[Anne Hunt was Ethel sister in law]
PS Eng.
[Not sure what this last entry means - got engaged perhaps?]

16th Tuesday
Spent day at Harry’s.
Dinner Park Lane.
Tea. Will Ward’s.
[ Both Will & Harry were Franks elder brothers ]
Fallsinge Park. Colosseum Dudley Road at night.

17th Wednesday
Home.
Went out to dinner at Dugmores, and tea along with Ethel at Wards.
[ It was Thomas Dugmore who managed the company of Beddow & Sturmey ( lock makers ) where Frank worked before the war, he & Ethel were on friendly terms with the Dugmore family.]
Gower Street. Picture Palace.

18 Thursday
Home.
Ethel comes to dinner and afterwards we attend party at Portland St. Walsall.

19th Friday

Fine weather prevails.
Went to Wolverhampton in afternoon, had Photo taken and came and had tea at Arthur Dugmore’s.
Supper at Clemson Street.

20th Saturday
Home and spent day there.

21st Sunday/22nd Monday
Daylight Saving Bill comes into force.
Left Willenhall by 10.20am train and Wolverhampton by 11am. Ethel travelled with me to Birmingham. I left that place at 11.45am London 3pm, had tea, and left for Southampton at 4.30pm.
Sailed 8pm on ‘Hark Angel’ liner, landed at Havre 3.30am and immediately entrained, and arrived at Doullens 8pm o’clock and had a lift on motor bus, and walked from St Pas to camp arriving at 11pm.

23rd Tuesday
Gaudiempre.
Bivouacking out.
Fine weather prevails.
B Sect still running canvas Hospital.
First day of my reserve year.

25th Thursday
Gaudiempre.
Football match in 3rd round of Wortley’s Cup, replay.
5 N Staffs 3 Unit 2.

26th Friday
Lovely weather prevails.

29th Monday
Gaudiempre.
Night Orderly Duties.
Hours 7pm to 7am.
A Sect still running the line and C and part of B digging communications trench.

31st Wednesday
Night Duty.
Great Naval Battle off Jutland Bank, British losses six large ships and eight destroyers. German losses 20 ships.
[Later information says that the Germans lost one battle cruiser, one pre-Dreadnought, four light cruisers and five destroyers, while the British lost three battle cruisers, four armoured cruisers, and eight destroyers. Many of the surviving German heavy ships had suffered serious damage, increasing the British dominance in heavy ships. The outcome was indecisive, but the German Fleet stayed in port for the duration of the Great War, until scuttled by the German Navy at Scapa Flow on 21st June 1919, after the Treaty of Versailles.]