OCTOBER 1918

1 Tuesday

Fairly away with my work now again.  I had two lectures today on the T.M.S. 53^rd Inf.Bde. coming to village tomorrow.  Bde HQ coming into chateau so we have to move our mess also the mens for their accommodation.  Papers again full of good news.  Frosty tonight.

2 Wednesday

Nice bright sharp morning.  Our clerk went on leave.  Moved our mess this afternoon along to aeroplane hangar and got it fixed up very comfortable.  Mens mess is also fixed in the hangar.  News in the papers continues to be of the best.

3 Thursday

Fine and warm this morning.  I had busy day for lectures today.  Could not get a paper today.  I biked to Amiens but could not get one.  I saw a few of the old places that Fritzy had shelled.  The Cathedral does not look so bad, at least what I saw of it.

4 Friday

Weather still keeps mild but windy.  I think we have got to move our mess and cookhouse again as this 53^rd Bde want the hangar as a recreation room.  We are hounded from pillar to post.  News through that Turkey has signed peace.  Usual work all day.

5 Saturday

Test reading today.  Finished work at 1am.  1300hrs Did nothing but letter writing and recording the remainder of the day.  One I wrote in French.  Clock put back one hr. tonight.  We are not moving our mess now.  In bed tonight by 9pm.

6 Sunday

Got up 8am and had breakfast.  Spent the morning cleaning up, had cover a helio mirror as a shaving glass.  Only parade today was at 12 noon.  Had a good hot bath and clean change then 2 hrs in bed this afternoon.  5 to 7 in hearing a string band of the 18^th Div.  They have fixed up the hangar next to ours as a concert hall.

7 Monday

The usual work all day.  I went to the 53^rd Bde. concert at night.  It was very decent and helped to put in a night.  Cigarettes becoming scarce.  Unable to buy any.

8 Tuesday

Raining all morning so all work was indoors.  Got out fine later.  I had a ride on the bike to Querrieu and so far along the Amiens-Albert road then back to billet.

9 Wednesday

Just the usual today.  Heard that our Div. is doing well in the line in front of Le Catelet.[1]

 10 Thursday & 11 Friday

No entries

12 Saturday

Tests today then the afternoon off.  I spent the afternoon wiring up a place as a Signal Office.  Very short of cigarettes everyone waiting of the rations coming for a smoke.

13 Sunday

Inspection parade 10am only today.  I cycled into Amiens after dinner spent two hours in the place and got back for tea.  Cigarettes I got none so I got myself a pipe to help out the few to be got.  There is a great deal of damage down in the town as far as I saw.  I put before the officer a rearrangement of times for working hours at the school.  He adopted them without question.

14 Monday

Very bright with sharp frost this morning.  I had two lectures this morning and one during the afternoon.  Had a very heavy head all day which made my work feel heavy to me.

15 Tuesday

All the talk here is what will be the result of Germany’s Peace Note.  Everyone says there can or should be only one reply.  Unconditional surrender.  Advancing in Belgium again.

16 Wednesday 

Papers today state officially that Germany will get no terms but must surrender unconditionally.  So much for their peace prattle.  Weather today dismal and wet.  Still good news from Flanders.

17 Thursday

I had fine, one hour lecture today.  It takes some doing 9.30 to 12.30 then 2.0 to 3.0pm.

18 Friday

No.1 class commenced their passing out tests today.  Reading tests, visual during the morning and sending tests in the afternoon.  The School Cmdt. and I checked the sending tests.

19 Saturday

Commenced at 8.30 this morning with the DIII Cable and the Lucas Lamp practical tests.  I took the Lamp.  We were kept busy until 1.20pm then finished for the day.  I had a good hot bath about 9 and turned into kip straight away.

20 Sunday

Long lie in this morning.  One parade 10am to check the washing of clothing, also to reorganise classes after the weekly tests.  Weather very bad, a light drizzly rain and very dull.  Orderly Room Clerk got back from leave today.

21 Monday

Still continuing with examination of signallers.  I took the practical exam on Prismatic Compass then in the afternoon I got part way through the buzzer sending test.  After tea commenced checking paper taken by class today on the T.M.S.  No mail today.

22 Tuesday    

Finished buzzer sending this morning then I finished checking T.M.S. papers by 2.30 then I had a lecture until 4pm.  No mail again today.

23 Wednesday

Maj. Bagnell was here today and is staying overnight.  1 or 2 instrs. and 60 OR to be returned to unit this morning.  Had a letter 19.10.15 from home tonight to say that my son had been taken to hospital with fever on the 18^th inst.  School Cmd. going off in the morning for three days so I am left in full charge.

24 Thursday

Saw party off this morning at 9pm.  Carrying on as usual during the day.  Had another letter from home dated 13^th inst informing me of a railway accident at Bp. Auckland on the 11^th inst. My daughter was in the train but got off with a shaking.

25 Friday

Put in a very quiet day nothing occurring of importance.

26 Saturday

Quiet all day.  The officer came back at 4pm also Capt. Adams with the box car.  They went into Amiens about 7pm, myself and other four NCOs had a trip in as well.  Got back at 10.15.  It put in what would otherwise have been a dismal night.

27 Sunday

Nothing doing all day except an inspection at 10am.  Had a sleep in the afternoon.  Expecting a party of 100 students tonight for the school, arriving Amiens at 4pm.  They did not arrive!

28 Monday

Spent the morning catching Army pigeons that are flying about where the loft had been.  Got four, other four still flying around.  Students not yet arrived.  It has been quite hot today, more like summer.

29 Tuesday

Had no special work today so I had a cycle into Amiens.  It was a nice day and the town was full of people and troops.  Thousands of civilians have returned since we came here.  I got back about 4pm.

30 Wednesday

On my usual lectures today.  The 2^nd Australian D. Arty arrived and fixed HQs in the chateau yesterday.  Weather still keeps fine with a bit frost.

31 Thursday

Balance £2-13-7.  Armistice was signed with Turkey and came into operation at noon today.  Austria also asking for peace so everything is looking rosy for the Allies.  Heard that the so called flu epidemic is an epidemic of cholera.[2]

Notes:

[1] 8-9 October 1918, the Battle of Cambrai, the re-constituted 50^th Division (no original battalions) took part.  German Army headed for Le Cateau

[2] Spanish Flu