THE DIARY OF LLOYD DUNCAN EDWARDS from the Trenches World War 1 January to July 1918

January 1st Tuesday Circumcision. Stock Exchange closed.

January 2nd Wednesday

Nice day. Slept till 12 o'clock. Easy afternoon.

January 3rd Thursday

Nice day. Boys relieved from the line. Went to the old camp in the wood to meet them.

January 4th Friday

Nice day. Boys came in camp at 3 o'clock in the morning. Slept till 9-45.

January 5th Saturday Dividends due. Last Quarter, 11.50 a.m.

Very nice day. Nothing special doing. Usual routine.

January 6th Sunday Epiphany.

Nice day. Kept up Christmas day. Had Plumb pudding for dinner. 7th R.J. Band played selections.

January 7th Monday Plough Monday.

Wet day. Had a bath at Metz. Cold dinner.

January 8th Tuesday

Cold day. Snowed, and very slippery under foot. Made beef pudding for dinner. Wrote to Alf.

January 9th Wednesday Christmas Fire Insurance ceases.

Dull day. Boys gone up line again. Cecil and I have come back again to transport lines, very muddy.

January 10th Thursday

Rotten, Dull day. Had to get some thick boards and put round cookers. Always doing odd jobs.

January 11th Friday Hilary Law Sittings begin.

Wet day. Did some brick laying round cooker. Kept busy.

January 12th Saturday New moon, 10.36 p.m.

Nice day. Doing odd jobs, plenty to do.

January 13th Sunday 1st after Epiphany

Nice day, cleaned cooker and had to take it up to the support tonight right to where C & J?. Anchored on wrong trace and had to chat. Sat round cooker fire all night.

January 14th Monday

Nice day. Plenty to do. Tea at 5-30 a.m. and 8 a.m. Dinner 1 p.m. Tea 4-30 p.m. and again at 7 p.m. Did 1 1/2 hours guard over cookers in ?.

January 15th Tuesday

Very wet and windy. Still cooking along side the road. Fritz shelling but going behind us. Had worried for lads?.

January 16th Wednesday

Wet day again. Boys gone up front line again. Jo and MJ relieved me. Helped to pack up limbers with boys' loads. Went back to transport lines at Fins.

January 17th Thursday

Wet day. Had a wash and shave, feel something like normal. Had a steak and some chips for my supper with our lads?

January 18th Friday & January 19th Saturday

Decent day. Messed about cleaning cooker and doing odd jobs. Had to pack up and got to Metz with cooker. Boys came out of line and got here this morning. Made them tea and fried bacon. Had a few hours sleep and then got up and got dinner on.

January 20th Sunday 2nd after Epiphany

Nice day. Majority of boys can hardly walk. What a game. I had to go to Fins (full pack) and cooked our captain some steak and chips, and then back again to Metz. Found boys ready to go up the line on fatigues. Rotten shame.

January 21st Monday

Nice day. Usual routine.

January 22th Tuesday

Rather warm. Boys went by train we marched with transport to Beaulencourt. In lovely hut and a splendid cookhouse.

January 23rd Wednesday

Dull day. Frank (Fritz) gone on leave, George and I left on our own, terribly busy bags of work.

January 24th Thursday

Nice day. Swamped out with work, still on our own, no help. Built oven.

January 25th Friday Conversion of S. Paul.

Lovely day. Still on our own. Too busy to write. Fritz coming close to.

January 26th Saturday

Nice day. Been extra busy owing to General's inspection.

February 12th Tuesday Shrove Tuesday

Went up line into the old Hindenburg line, now ridge trench.

February 16th Saturday

Nice day. Went forward into support lines at night. Slept with Staff for the night.

February 17th Sunday 1st in Lent. Ember Week.

Very nice day indeed. Walked back to reserve lines to get our knives etc. Had breakfast with the Artiste rifles. Cooking in a dug-out with a soyer-stove.

February 18th Monday First Quarter, 0.57 a.m.

Very nice day. Had a good sleep, feel alright now. Boys out working again.

February 19thTuesday

Nice day. Same old game in the dug-out. Had a good look round over the top. Boys out on working party. Had a wash and shave.

February 20th Wednesday Ember Day

Rained a bit. Left trenches and went to camp in Harolincourt wood.

February 21st Thursday

Nice day. Built an oven. Can't even get time to write.

February 22th Friday Ember Day

Wet day. Up to our neck in work. Got strafed over some pork, George returned to duty.

February 23rd Saturday Ember Day

Decent day. Boys gone to Villers Pluich, they came back about five o'clock. We missed young G.

February 24th Sunday 2nd in Lent. S. Matthias.

Nice day. Left the camp in the wood for transport lines at Neuville. Boys gone up the line again.

February 25th Monday Full Moon, 9.35 p.m.

Rained during the morning. Helped to build an oven. Cooked the bacon and meat and made soup to go up the line to boys.

March 24th Sunday Palm Sunday

Am looking over the top for Fritz. Had to retire about 300 yards. On outpost duty, made a funk hole.

March 25th Monday Annunciation B.V.M. Lady Day
& March 26th Tuesday
& March 27th Wednesday Hilary Law Sittings end Full Moon, 3.33 p.m.

Discovered that we have left behind on our own, so made our way back to Albert. Were picked up by the 7th Suffolk Regt. Had a lively time during the evening when Fritz arrived. Dug in at night. Had to retire in the morning, got mixed up with the 6th Essex, came out and made my way back to Varrence to find the transport but found them at Lealvillers.

March 28th Thursday Maundy Thursday

Met E.B. again at Lealvillers.

March 29th FridayGood Friday

Spent Good Friday in a field in Lealvillers.

March 30th Saturday Easter Eve

Moved just out of the village and camped on the road side it poured with rain all night.

March 31st Sunday Easter Day

Went back into the village.

April 1st Monday Easter Monday. Bank Holiday

Still in Lealvillers.

April 2nd Tuesday Easter Tuesday

Still here.

April 3rd Wednesday

And yet still here.

April 4th Thursday Last Quarter, 1.33 p.m.

Went up to Forceville to join Frank. Nice day.

April 5th Friday Dividends due

Nice day. Had a new draft up.

April 6th Saturday

Nice day.

April 7th Sunday Low Sunday

Boys going up the line tonight. Cookers and cooks back to Acheugcy. I went up with boys to give them tea before going into line.

April 8th Monday Rainy day. Frank went up to give the boys stew at night.

April 9th Tuesday Lady Day Fire Insurance ceases. Easter Law Sittings begin.

More rain. Billy up line tonight.

April 10th Wednesday

Nice day wet night. Got wet through going up line with the soup.

April 11th Thursday New Moon, 4.34 a.m.

Nice day. Went to Forceville to meet the boys out of the line.

April 12th Friday

Nice day. Plenty to do.

April 13th Saturday

Same as yesterday.

April 14th Sunday 2nd after Easter

Nice day. Still busy.

April 15th Monday Interest payable on £4 % War Loan 1929-1942

Nice day again went up to cook for the boys.

April 16th Tuesday

Splendid day. Made a cook house. Fritz shelled my diaries.

April 17th Wednesday

Cold day. D Company went into front line.

April 18th Thursday First quarter 4.8 a.m.

Were relieved from line, came back toAcheux in billets. Went sick with my hand.

April 19th Friday Primrose Day (1881)

Nice day. Doctor lanced my hand. Dressing three times a day.

April 20th Saturday

Hand looked bad. Dr. sent me in dock. Got to Gezincourt, 29th C.C.S. Am 26 today.

April 21st Sunday 3rd after Easter

Rather cold. Got in Red Cross train.

April 22th Monday

and arrived at 11th Stationery Hospital Rouen (No. 1 hut)!

April 23rd Tuesday S. George

Nice day. Time hangs already.

April 24th Wednesday

Nice day. Wrote three letters.

April 25th Thursday S. Mark

Nice day.

April 26th Friday Full moon, 8.5 a.m.

Nice day. Nothing doing.

April 27th Saturday

Lovely day. Went for a little stroll in the evening.

April 28th Sunday 4th after Easter

Showery day. Nothing but reading am getting fed up!

April 29th Monday

Wet day. Had a little stroll in the evening.

April 30th Tuesday

Very dull, little rain. Too happy to do anything, its most cheerful in hospital (I don't think)

May 1st Wednesday SS. Philip & James

Rather dull day. Read two books entitled "The Silent Rancher" and "Much to do about Peter"

May 2nd Thursday

Grand day. Saw Lt. Smith in the hospital grounds, also Sgt. Course and Tubby Childs.

May 3rd Friday Last Quarter 10.25 p.m.

Nice day. Left hospital for convalescent camp in the evening.

May 4th Saturday

Lovely day. Went in front of doctor, passed fit. Marched to see Rugby match England v S. Africa. Good game England 2 goals 1 try Sf nil.

May 5th Sunday Rogation Sunday

Wet day. Went to Church parade. Left Con. Camp for Base details.

May 6th Monday Rogation Day. Accession, 1910

Very nice day. Took a walk into Rouen. Went to pictures at night.

May 7th Tuesday Rogation Day

Dull day. Left Base Details for train, left Rouen at 3 o'clock, and after an all night ride

May 8th Wednesday Rogation Day

arrived at Calais about midday.

May 9th Thursday Ascension Day. Half Quarter Day

Nice day. Went before Doctor again and drew my kit, took a stroll as far as the canal in the evening.

May 10th Friday New Moon, 1.1 p.m.

Cool wind, lovely evening. Had the day in the area, went through gas chamber.

May 11th Saturday

Grand day. Standing by. Went down into Calais, had tea at the S.A.

May 12th Sunday Sunday after Ascension

Wet day. Went to Church in the morning and to Chappel service in the evening

May 13th Monday

Another wet day. Warned for a draft to return to Batt.

May 14th Tuesday

Lovely day. Got on a train at Fontfornettes Station, Calais and got as far as Etaples, stayed there two hours, entrained again at 5-45, and after nice journey

May 15th Wednesday Scotch Quarter Day

arrived at Cramont at one a.m. Here I met several of my old pals, Bill Read, Birdie, and others. Grand day, laid in an orchard.

May 16th Thursday

Very warm day. Rose at 4 a.m. Breakfast at 5 a.m. left Cramont at 5.30, marched to Candas (16 Kilos). Got on open train for Rancheville, had tea and marched to Varennces (8 kilos).

May 17th Friday Easter Law Sitting end. First Quarter, 8.14 p.m.

Lovely day. Very busy cooking for details and meat to go up the line. Had a bath. Washed shirt, pants, socks, handkerchief, towel and 3 pair of overalls.

May 18th Saturday

Grand day, bit of a storm in evening. Working until 8 p.m.

May 19th Sunday Whitsun Day. Ember Week

Very nice day. Still very busy. Georgie gone down gassed.

May 20th Monday Whit Monday. Bank Holiday

Very warm. Extra busy, finished late.

May 21st Tuesday Whit Tuesday.

Swelting hot. Plenty of work. Had another bath. Washed 2 shirts, pants, socks, overalls.

May 22th Wednesday Ember Day

Rained on the afternoon. Still slipping into work.

May 23rd Thursday

Lovely day. Still busy. Went up line with Frank to relieve Billy and Squibs.

May 24th Friday Empire Day.Full Moon 10.32 p.m.

Wet day. A bit of shelling going on. Boys went over.

May 25th Saturday

Very nice day. Having quite a holiday. Shelling going on.

May 26th Sunday Trinity Sunday. Queen born, 1867

Nice day. Not so warm. We were relieved and went into reserve. Shelling very heavy on both sides.

May 27th Monday

Lovely day. Shelling most terrific. Fritz attacked but was sent back with a hiding. Went back to camp just outside Forceville.

May 28th Tuesday Trinity Law Sittings

Splendid day. Plenty to do.

May 29th Wednesday

Very nice day. Went back to Varrence. Boys went into line again.

May 30th Thursday Corpus Christi

Nice Day. Very busy indeed.

May 31st Friday

Lovely day. Jerry over head all night.

June 1st Saturday Interest payable on £5 % War Loan 1929-1947

Very warm indeed. Went to concert.

June 2nd Sunday 1st after Trinity. last Quarter, 4.20 a.m.

Very nice day. Busy as ever.

June 3rd Monday King born, 1865.

Splendid day. Still very busy.

June 4th Tuesday

Very nice day. Bags of work.

June 5th Wednesday

Lovely day. Left Varrence to meet the boys out of the line in Acheux Wood. No sleep.

June 6th Thursday

Very warm indeed. Left Acheux Wood for Foutencourt, anchored in the wood. Very nice.

June 7th Friday

Nice day. Plenty to do. Went to concert in the wood.

June 18th Tuesday

Showery day.

June 19th Wednesday

Wet day. Very busy.

June 20th Thursday

Nice day. Batt. sports held.

June 21st Friday

Nice day. Went on Army Corps Commanders inspection. Wet night.

June 22th Saturday Longest Day

Nice day, cold wind. Left the wood at Foultencourt for Acheux Wood, came up here in trenches in front of Mailly Mallet.

June 23rd Sunday 4th after Trinity Prince of Wales born, 1894.

Nice day, cool winds. Took a walk round a cemetery to see if I could find Hubert's grave, no luck, saw several "Unknown British Soldier" graves.

June 24th Monday S. John Baptist. Midsummer Day. Full Moon 10.38 a.m.

Nice day, rather cold wind. Very quiet.

June 25th Tuesday

Nice day. Went up into support.

June 26th Wednesday

Nice day. Plenty to do.

June 27th Thursday

Very nice day. Built a cook house.

June 28th Friday

Nice day. Went up to intermediate support.

June 29th Saturday

Very nice day. Started on another cookhouse.

June 30th Sunday 5th after Trinity

Very nice day, rather warm.

July 1st Monday Last Quarter, 8.43 a.m.

Hot day. Busy.

July 2nd Tuesday

Very hot day. Still busy.

July 3rd Wednesday

Very nice day. Were relieved from Intermediate support and went to Reserves again.