Diary
of
3/469 Cpl
Thomas Ernest Hutchinson
( Medic )
1918
NOTES
This diary measures 8cm x 5cm (about half the size of the palm of my
hand - see copy at back) and has one week per opening, therefore
little details on a daily basis.
Unfortunately quite a number of illegible words.
Period entered only March-September 1918.
Photo is of Tom with his niece, presumably in
Transcribed
2002
by
Ngaire McGregor (daughter)
and
Map of Western Front area in
Highlighted are place names mentioned in diary.
MARCH 1918
Monday 25
Trip round Cassil.
Castre Godesweaneldi with Capt Childs.
Saw Jim at Cassil and George at Castre on the move.
Tuesday 26
Left Penny Siding for Reinforcement
Wednesday 27
Sold canteen stores.
Trip to pub in time for bombardment.
Thursday 28
Squad drill route march.
Coy alt. 9
Coy 2nd Entrenching Battalion.
Friday 29
Route march.
Promenade at night.
Saturday 30
Rain. Prom
pm.
Sunday 31
Nothing doing
APRIL 1918
Monday 1
Ditto.
Tuesday 2
Mobilised for false alarm.
Walk at night to Godesvelsh.
Lost on
Wednesday 3
Little Arthur died. (?)
Rain.
Runebrghelst for stores in afternoon.
Thursday 4
Breschepe in evening.
Fell in with Sgts.
Wet day.
Friday 5
Orderly corp. Wet
again.
Sunday 7
Spent pm on Mont de
Chato. Lovely view.
Monday 8
Evening out with Bill Hartman.
Prom round Breschepe. Two
letters from Lil.
Tuesday 9
QM Fatigue.
Fritz
captured Messines ridge.
Wednesday 10
Fritz took Boc St
Mum.
Heavy bombardment for last three days.
Thursday 11
Friday 12
Infantry moved out in a hurry.
Fritz in Baillene.
No leave.
Bombing at night.
Saturday 13
Chess with Andy all am.
Letter and paper from Lil.
Sunday 14
Nothing doing.
Letter
from E.R.
Monday 15
Left Abiele 12
N.C.O’s with train load
of refugee including forewoman of laundry at N. Eglise.
Spent night in train at
Tuesday 16
Arrived Etaples.
Saw
Wednesday 17
Left Etaples 7 am.
Arrived Doullens about 9 pm
Marched to
Thursday 18
Reached Lovincourt per lorry.
Found No. 8.
Posted to No. 1 at Mailley Maillet.
Friday 19
Snows. Night duty.
Dressing room.
Saturday 20
Cricket with improvised gear at M.D.S.
Our guns busy.
Annoying Fritz all day.
Sunday 21
All quiet on Western Front.
Several Fritz shells this way.
2 killed at Y.M.C.A.
Monday 22
Advance party arrived to take over.
Tuesday 23
Moved to Bus. (possibly Bus-les-Artois)
Camped in a wood.
No. 2 alongside.
Wednesday 24
Working on building of canvas M.D.S.
Dull weather.
Thursday 25
ANZAC Day. All quiet.
Working operating tent.
Friday 26
Still dull.
Very few casualties.
Saturday 27
Nothing doing. Fair
number of casualties.
Fritz firing. Our
ammunition captured when he advanced.
Sunday 28
More rain and mist.
Monday 29
Mist and rain for a change.
Camp a mass of mud.
Tuesday 30
Quiet day. Very few
casualties but plenty of rain.
Letter and photo from Lil.
MAY 1918
Wednesday 1
Still wet weather.
Thursday 2
Lovely day.
Rather hot. Letter from
Will.
Friday 3
Another fine day.
Nothing much doing.
Letter from mother.
Saturday 4
Very few cases in.
Sunday 5
Blast from Sgt Eye.
Monday 6
All quiet on the Western Front.
Tuesday 7
Walk to Lovincourt.
Saw George.
Wednesday 8
Nothing doing.
Thursday 9
Walk to St Legere and
Authie.
Friday 10
Walk to Corrin and Pas
(possibly Pas-en-Artois) am.
Working cases tent pm.
Sgt Eye went to
Blighty. Cheers.
Saturday 11
Nothing much doing. Saw
about 20 propaganda balloons go over to Fritz.
Sunday 12
Walked to Coigneux.
Around St Legere.
Monday 13
To Lovincourt am.
Dinner with George. Wet
day.
Tuesday 14
To Acheux am. Rotten
road. Wet pm.
Wednesday 15
Lovely day. Loafed in
wood all am Wrote to
Mrs Miller.
pm Jim arrived
home and said he has seen Bert.
Got pass. Left
per MGC midnight.
Arrived Gejoicourt 2 am.
Not there. Found
32 at Doullens 6am.
Thursday 16
Got back 5 pm.
Friday 17
Long letter from Lil.
Saturday 18
Nothing much doing.
Wrote to Lil.
Sunday 19
Lovincourt in morning.
Saw George.
Monday 20
Strafe from
Tuesday 21
Dug bivvie.
Excitement pm.
Wind up. Prepared for
rush of patients.
Wednesday 22
Rush failed to turn up.
Posted photos to Lil.
Very hot day.
Thursday 23
Working in gas masks for 1 hour per day for practice.
Friday 24
Gasbags 9.30 to 10.30 pm.
Saturday 25
More gasbags pm.
Sunday 26
Still more gasbags.
Monday 27
Walk to St Legere and Authie am
1st Auk near Bus
looked for Ben but out on parade.
Fritz brought down co……
….. balloon.
Tuesday 28
Ben Cox came round pm.
Face is slightly bent.
Had long yarn about old times.
Wednesday 29
Fairly busy day.
Thursday 30
Nothing doing.
Friday 31
Wrote to Lil.
All quiet.
Sunday 2
Rumours of French advance.
Monday 3
More rumours of advance.
All wrong though.
Tuesday 4
Billeting party sent out.
Blue went to prepare the way for No. 3.
Wednesday 5
Quiet day.
Thursday 6
Tommies arrived to take over.
Friday 7
Left Bus. Went
with billets at Henu.
Quiet little place.
Saturday 8
Training. March
to Pas and swim.
Sunday 9
Church parade am.
Wandered around pm.
Very hot and dusty.
Monday 10
Light showers.
Settled dust. Orderly
corps.
Tuesday 11
Drill. Letter
from Lil.
Wednesday 12
Drill and lecture.
Sports in afternoon.
Wrote to Lil and Annie.
Lovely weather but dusty.
Thursday 13
Wrote to Annie and Eth.
On Guard 6 pm.
Friday 14
Happy hour with dentist.
Evening spent with 11 men to ½ 8 L.F.A.
Lovincourt to build sheds at railway siding.
Saturday 15
Building sheds with 4R.E.
Not too strenuous.
3 E.R. good crowd.
42 Div billeted in school.
P.C. from M. Descampes.
Sunday 16
Still building. Walk to
Authie. Saw No.
3.
Monday 17
Walk to Authie in evening.
Pierrots playing in woods.
Very good.
Tuesday 18
Authie again. Had a
long yarn with George.
Arrived Lovincourt 11 pm
Wednesday 19
Rain all day.
Fine in evening.
Thursday 20
Fine day. Applied for
transfer to No. 3.
Turned down stiffly.
Friday 21
Finished job. Unit
moved to Vauchelles.
Found Ben Cox in Lovincourt.
Saturday 22
Days loafing.
Spent evening with Ben.
Sunday 23
Returned to unit with good report from Hosp Div.
Sports pm.
Monday 24
3 letters and snapshots from Lil.
Sent to Pelman.
Night duty dressing room.
Tuesday 25
Slept all day. Walk to
Raincheval pm. Duty at
night. Jim Martin in
hospital. French Fever.
Wednesday 26
Applied for transfer to No. 3.
Turned down.
Three letters from Lil.
Jim Martin to CCS.
Thursday 27
Wrote to Lil, Mother, Annie Olsen.
Friday 28
50 patients arrived from No. 3.
Officers stunned.
Lively couple of hours.
No spare gear.
Saturday 29
Fritz planes over all night, bombing.
5 cases in.
Sunday 30
Hospital very full.
140 patients.
Fritz over again.
Monday 1
Massey and Ward inspected the troops.
Interviewed applicants at night.
Many from Amb. re tour of duty.
Good hearing from Gen Richardson.
Gas shells over at night.
Tuesday 2
Afternoon C Section moved to wood near Marieux, to run influenza
camp.
Wednesday 3
Nearly 400 NZ patients in camp.
Commenced bivvy.
Pelmas lesson (?)
arrived.
Thursday 4
Fair time. Most
fatigues done by infantry.
Walk to Sarton
(7½ kils) in evening.
Friday 5
In evening went to Orville (4 kils) with Stapely.
Saturday 6
Jim Thompson went to Rest Camp.
Took his place in hospital.
Sunday 7
Over 400 patients.
Fairly busy.
Monday 8
Epidemic apparently dying out.
340 cases.
Tuesday 9
Rain. Went to Cinema at
Marieux in evening.
Wednesday 10
Walk to Thieures in evening.
Quaint little place.
Rain and wind.
Thursday 11
215 patients only. Gas
drill for 1 hour in evening.
Every pm for 6 nights.
Friday 12
To Souastre in afternoon.
Gunner in mess.
Capt Sandham leaving tomorrow.
Big jamboree.
Pictures at Marieux at night.
Saturday 13
Not much doing. Only
170 patients in hospital.
Capt Sandham going to new hospital for Officers in
Sunday 14
Saw the Belter Oll (?)
at the Marieux cinema.
Not bad.
Wet day and wetter night.
Monday 15
Quiet day. Wrote
letters.
Tuesday 16
Violent thunderstorm in morning.
Prisoners going through section dinner in evening.
Heard Cpl Brush gone to Blighty on tour of duty.
Wednesday 17
Quiet day.
Pictures in evening.
German offensive commenced 16th.
Not going too well for them.
Thursday 18
Some thunder and rain show in evening.
“Passed to you please”.
French advanced 6 miles.
12000 prisoners (?)
sic
Friday 19
Stayed in camp and played “tennis” in evening.
150 patients in hospital.
Saturday 20
Spent the evening in Marieux canteen playing chess with Stapely.
French, Italians and Yanks still going strong.
19000 prisoners and 360 guns.
Sunday 21
Went to cinema at night.
Air raid at night.
Air full of Fritz planes for 2 hours.
No damage done around here.
Monday 22
Dull day. Stayed in
camp in evening and played quoit, tennis and chess.
Tuesday 23
Wet day. Only 83
patients left. Allies
putting it across Jerry from Ch. Theiry to Rheime.
Wednesday 24
Trip to Souastre for inoculations.
Thursday 25
Pictures at Marieux in evening.
Friday 26
Walk to Beauguesnes in evening.
Wet through coming home.
Spoilt diary.
Saturday 27
Sent for to Souastre by col.
Rec. for tour of duty to N.Z.
Sunday 28
Pictures at Marieux.
Monday 29
Trip to Frechevillers in evening.
per M.A.C. car
back …. ……
Ordered to report at Souastre.
Tuesday 30
To Souastre in morning.
Arville in pm en route for
Wednesday 31
Left Arville 10 am.
Arrived Bolayse 9 pm.
“Marched” to Rest Camp per lorry.
Thursday 1
Arrived
Friday 2
Ordnance in morning.
Naval pictures in afternoon.
Bus ride to Tulol Hill at night.
Funny times.
Saturday 3
Steady rain.
Arrived
Sunday 4
To Comm…. Day in
Monday 5
Rode to Rays, Stratton and Masons
(?) Wheat in Aston
9 ……….. ??
Walked back from Garley.
Tuesday 6
To ……… book from
Wednesday 7
Back to
Thursday 8
Arrived
Friday 9
Trip to Mumben with Mother and Eth.
Lovely day.
Saturday 10
Town with Eth and Cis in morning.
With Gert and Eth to see Daisy.
Billy and Tony in afternoon and evening.
Sunday 11
Monday 12
Town in morning. To
prom with Eth, Gert, Mother and Auntie in evening.
Tuesday 13
To duck and pier with uncle of Daisy’s in evening.
Had supper. Home
11.30. Wrote to Lil.
Wednesday 14
Park in morning. Crib
in afternoon. Rain.
Thursday 15
Left
Friday 16
Drew clothing rc ?
Walk to town in evening.
Pavilion in evening.
Saturday 17
Bathing at Babbacombe in afternoon.
Paignton in evening.
Sunday 18
Babbacombe and walk round lovely ward.
View from Teignmouth to Paignton.
Monday 19
Tepid baths in evening and club.
Tuesday 20
Boating at Oddicombe in evening.
Wednesday 21
Fine pin……..
Thursday 22
Evening at Paignton.
Friday 23
To Coastguard Station in evening.
Saturday 24
Walk round Anstey Cove way.
Sunday 25
Heavy rain. Babbacombe
and Torquay with Peter Philsnos.
Monday 26
Rain. Appointed O.C.
mess room.
Tuesday 27
More rain.
Wednesday 28
Fine. Evening in
Torquay. Heard Remuera
postponed.
Thursday 29
Went round Bishops Walk in evening.
Friday 30
Rock Gardens all evening.
Saturday 31
Bishops Walk in afternoon.
Tea at Ansties Cove and walked on round Babbacombe and
Oddicombe.
SEPTEMBER 1918
Babbacombe in afternoon.
Tea at YMCA.
Walk round Ansties Cove and Bishops Walk
am.
Monday 2
Walk around Lincombe
am.
Tuesday 3
To Maidencombe am.
In evening.
Wednesday 4
Over the downs.
On Boat Roll.
Thursday 5
Bishops Walk and
Friday 6
Medical examination in morning.
Left Torquay 10 pm.
Saturday 7
Arrive
End of Entries
