Saturday 10th November 1917

On trains.

A wet day.

Sgt. George Richard Goodchild (see 9^th November) remembered,

“Our travelling on the 10^th, was, perhaps, the most uninteresting portion of the whole journey.  Practically the whole of the way lay through extensive tracts of flat lands unrelieved by any hills which might break the monotony of the outlook.  In addition rain fell practically the whole day and made things very cheerless indeed.  Most of us slept as much as possible that day and were glad when Sunday morning came.

Saturday’s riding took us through Amiens at 3.15 am with its imposing station; Nolay-le-Sec at 6.15 am which reminded one of a fashionable English inland watering place with its large houses set out on a kind of garden city plan; Longueville at 9.30 am; Meagrigny-Niery at noon where breakfast (!) was served; Troyes at 1.30 pm where a short halt was made in the station itself; St Florentin Vergigny at 4.00 pm; Les Launes Alesia at 7.00 pm where we stopped for tea; and, during the night, Dijon and Chalons.  Many of us had hoped that in passing we should have caught a glimpse of Paris but this satisfaction was denied us as we passed its suburbs during the hours of darkness when nothing could be seen.  Noticeable during this day was the degree to which afforestation was practiced.  Numerous plantations in differing stages of growth were seen on every side – here the delicate young tree just showing itself above the ground; there trees in what might be called their youth, others in their manhood and others fully matured, whilst every now and then the sequence was completed by the sight of blasted trees whose life had been lived.

Much speculation existed by the appearance of curious green balls of foliage growing on the trees.  It was here that our ignorance displayed itself very markedly for hardly anybody really knew what these balls were.  Most of us – myself amongst them – thought they were the nests of some feathered friend who preferred home of evergreen to the usual one of twigs.  Eventually, however, when we passed close to some of the trees bearing these balls we found they were simply clusters of mistletoe!!  Again came memories of the homeland; of pleasant and happy Christmas evenings spent in fun and frolic by young and old alike with the mistletoe bough the centre of attraction for the young people and wonderings as to when a recurrence of these happy times will be ours.  But memories do not help one very much.  We live in the present and hope for the future; the past has only its lessons and memories for us, some of which are bitter and some sweet.

This dismal day also first introduced us to the bullock wagons about which most of us had previously heard.  It was indeed a curious sight to see these big animals harnessed to lumbering vehicles and farming implements trudging slowly along, looking quite forlorn and not appearing to like their job at all.  The further south the more frequent became these sights until eventually we hardly took any notice of them because we found that the bullock vied with the horse for pride of place in general utility”.

Pte. James Edward Parkinson (see 19^th December 1916) was charged with “leaving the train without permission and hesitating to comply with an order, ie not returning immediately to the train when ordered to do so”; he was reported by CSM Thomas McCloud (see 8^th November) and Sgt. Ellis Rigby (see 24^th September). On 15^th he would be ordered by Lt.Col. Francis Washington Lethbridge DSO (see 9^th November) to undergo seven days’ Field Punishment no.2.

Pte. Edward Anderson (see 20th September), who had been wounded on 20^th September, was discharged from 2^nd Canadian General Hospital at Le Treport and posted to 34^th Infantry Base Depot at Etaples.

Pte. Albert Drake (see 10^th August) was posted back to England, suffering from ‘neurasthnia’ (shell shock); the details of his treatment, both in France and once back in England, are unknown.

L.Cpl. George Mitchell (see 13^th July), serving with L Signals Battalion, Royal Engineers, departed for England on two weeks leave.

Capt. Gilbert Tunstill (see 11^th October) appeared before a further Army Medical Board assembled at Newcastle-upon-Tyne. The Board found that, “The flat foot is in much the same condition as when he was last boarded. It swells and becomes painful after walking and he is unable to raise himself on the toes of his right foot”. He was again declared fit for light duty at home and instructed to re-join his Battalion; he would re-examined in a further two months.

Pte. Milton Wood (see 2^nd November), was discharged from 1^st Northern General Hospital at Newcastle-upon-Tyne, following eight days treatment for scabies, and re-joined 3DWR at North Shields.

Pte. James Leonard Bloomer (see 28^th August), serving with 297^th Reserve Labour Company, Labour Corps, was formally transferred to Army Reserve Class P, for work with Messrs. Preston, Proctor & Co.

A payment of £2 18s. 2d. was authorised, being the amount due in pay and allowances to the late Pte. Samuel Wilson (see 7^th June), who had been killed in action on 7^th June; the payment would go to his mother, Annie.