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Old 11-02-13, 14:29
AndyHoldcroft AndyHoldcroft is offline
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Default Family transcript 10: "Great War Diary" pt 2

Second set of excerpts from the Great War Diary 1915-1916 of my maternal Grandfather, Ernest Walter Cooke (1895-1949), commencing August 1915

AOUT

3. MARDI S. Geoffroy
No swim
S.H. 3.0 pm & Stewart & Iddon
End of first year of war

4. MERCREDI S. Dominique
Swim 6.0 am
Rough Sea
Beginning of second year of war
Memorial service in Boulogne Cemetery unable to attend.

5. JEUDI S. Abel
Swim 6.0 am
Saw British Destroyer “F” Type
Had 6 photographs taken
S.H. @ 3.0 pm
Evans goes on leave



6. VENDREDI S. Sixte
6.0 Swim
S.H. 7.0 pm
(shorthand phrase) 8.30 pm
Corporal drowned @ Wimereux

12.. JEUDI Ste Claire
Swim 12.0 noon
(Orders against swimming without picquet)

13. VENDREDI S. Hippolyte
Photos to be ready ?
Swim 6.0 am
S.H. 3.0 pm

18. MERCREDI Ste Hélène
No Swim
Started applic for Field Unit
Oxo gets 10 days CB26 for (shorthand phrase: “for disobeying an order”)

26Confined to barracks

19. JEUDI S. Donat
Swim 6.0 am
Met 2 tarts


20. VENDREDI S. Bernard
Swim 6.0 am
Dived off raft head first into sea stuck in bottom.

21. SAMEDI Ste Jeanne
Saw Mr R McRinns (?) Chandler (?)
Swim 6.0 am
S.H. 3.0 pm
Ship sunk just outside. Mail Boat stopped. Destroyer comes to the rescue. 5 lost 5 sunk
Mid Inspection 2.15 pm
Boat William Dawson Brit Collier27
HS Clement Castle (?)
Glenam Castle (?)28

27The “William Dawson” was sunk off Boulogne on this day by mines laid by UC-5, a German U Boat: this was the first time such a vessel had managed to lay mines in the English Channel.
28Probable reference to Hospital Ships: one might be HMHS Glenart Castle which was torpedoed in February 1918.

22. DIMANCHE S. Philibert
Great excitement caused by excessive firing at sea by the forts and rifle fire from French Destroyer on mines which had floated from Calais. No success. No Mail or Leave Boat.
Malyon Harrold Stewart & Green had great adventure by being carried away by current while bathing. Malyon saved by mast of ship from ship sunk. Humane Society came to rescue.29
More firing at night 9.15
Saw a mine hit. Big explosion. Wreck wash up on beach.

29Presumably a joking reference as the Humane Society rescue animals....

23. LUNDI Ste Sidonie
Monday 23
Swim 6.0 am
More firing 9.30 am
Another mine hit
Saw Norwegian boat towed in. Suspected of laying mines.
Bishop of Khartoum holds confirmation.


28. SAMEDI S. Auguste
No Swim
Medical Inspection by Col Campbell 12.15 pm
Miss Lena Ashwell30 concert party in No 1 Ward @ 2.0 pm

30Lena Ashwell (1872-1957) was an actress & actor manager and was the first to organise large scale entertainment for troops: by 1918 she had 25 separate groups on the Western Front.

29. DIMANCHE Ste Sabine
Swim 6.0 am
French Band in Bandstand
Arrival of 4693 Pte A. L. Turnball from 1st Division in relief of Cox
Titch Hoodless goes on leave.



SEPTEMBRE

1 MERCREDI SS. Leu et Gilles
Mr Arthur Feather gives a ventriloqual entertainment in Barrack Room @ 2.30 pm
Rough house in Clerk’s Mess by Sgt Barron and Thomas over 4 cucumber & 3 lettuce.



2. JEUDI S. Just
Swim 6.0 am
EWC, C & N.S. visit Salvation Army Soldier’s Home.
Sgt Barron supplies new pyjama suit.
EWC returns 5 francs.
Thunder Storm @ 7.0 pm

3. VENDREDI S. Grégoire
Swim 6.0 am
No 9.0 am Parade too wet.
Matron plays H? about the gramophone but does not discover who pinched it - Sgts Green & Ellis (?)
Parcel from home.

5. DIMANCHE S. Bertin
Swim 6.0 am
Gift of Chocolates from Colonies

9. LUNDI Ste Reine
Swim 6.0 am
Large number of troops passed through with bands.

7. MARDI S. Cloud
Football on sand at 6.0 am
No Swim.



8. MERCREDI Nat. de la Vierge
No Swim shower bath
SA @ 3.0 pm
Saw German Aeroplane which was wrecked at Cap Gris Nez.

10. VENDREDI Ste Pulchérie
Swim 12.0 noon
Paid 10 francs
SA 3.0 pm
Box of Jersey Dairies (? ) from Father Ballerine (?)
Wrote Miss Iddon

11. SAMEDI S. Hyacinthe
Start growing Maustach (sic)
Medical Inspection at 12.15 pm by Col J Campbell (SR) M.B RAMC

13. LUNDI S. Maurille
Cox goes home to Warwick.


16. JEUDI Ste Edith
Iddon admitted with the flew (sic)
Mine blown up
Danger lights burn from the port
Leave boat stopped
17. VENDREDI S. Lambert
Jock Laing, Old Jones Woodford & Harrold made (acting corporals?) & pay from yesterday.
Windy made A L Sgt
Swim @ 6.0 am

18. SAMEDI Ste Sophie
Swim @ 6.0 am
10 men presented with medal by French General. One has Legion of Honour.

21. MARDI S. Mathieu
No swim
Concert in Barrack Room @ 5.30 pm

24. VENDREDI S. Andoche
Swim @ 12 noon
Paid 10 f
Recd 5 francs from Lt R G Abercrombie for services rendered
Dental inspection by Col Campbell
Last swim of the season
No see 17/10/10

25. SAMEDI S. Firmin
Watch to be finished ?
Went SA 7.0 pm



26. DIMANCHE Ste Justine
½ day
Walk afternoon
7.0 pm Band Service at Holy Trinity Church
Rev ? McCready preached

27. LUNDI S. Côme
Walked to Wimereux at Night
Y.M.C.A. Hut turned into Hpl.

28. MARDI S. Wenceslas
Bushed (?) started
Loos captured

29. MERCREDI S. Michel
Nothing special
Norwegian boat carrying timber said to have been blown up for laying mines.


OCTOBRE

1 VENDREDI S. Rémi
Iddons Birthday
Started winter clothing. Very busy. Fairweather goes to 2nd Divn 6 Field Ambulance.


4. LUNDI S. François d’Assise
Arrival of Boobyer from 8 Stationary Hpl

5. MARDI S. Constant
Departure of Dusty Miller to 8 Stationary Hospital


7. JEUDI S. Serge
French display
Medals given to two English men by General
Col Wilberforce Surg Genl Sawyer, Col Forrest (indecipherable phrase)


9. SAMEDI S. Denis
Gil admitted to Hpl
SA with Stewart Adderley & Green

10. DIMANCHE S. Paulin
Gil put in Obs ward
Went to 6.30 A.M. Service @ St Johns


13. MERCREDI S. Edouard
Gil transferred to No 14 Stationary Hospital32 with Enteric Fever33

32At Wimereux at this time: later at Boulogne.
33Another name for typhoid fever

16. SAMEDI S. Léopold
Half day
Stewart (shorthand phrase)
Received Papers, Note paper, Tobacco Music & Letter from Rose Rawlings
No Swim Scrub out

17. DIMANCHE Ste Edwige
Whole day in
Malyon goes on night duty
Verran comes on day duty
Swim @ 6.0 am
Last of season

18. LUNDI S. Luc, évêque
Busty Roe goes on Amb Train
Leaves box of chocolate for the Clerks
No Swim too cold

20. MERCREDI S. Aurélien
Swear Bose robbed of 6 ½ d

21. JEUDI Ste Ursule
The King arrives in mail Boat with 2 airships & Destroyers as escort. Goes past in Car.


26. MARDI Ste Francine
Sleep all afternoon

27. MERCREDI S. Fidèle
SA 7. 0 pm
Met Sgt Barron down Town. Had to treat him.
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