[transcription provided by collection donor]
May 2, 1918
Marched on to Monchy-Breton. It was a long trip. We passed through Grand Servins, Fresnicourt, Baraffle, Hermin, Frevillers & Magnicourt. Monchy-Breton is a filthy village, more so than the usual. Thanks to Capt. Cote, our Padre, I got a very good billet in the Curies house.
May 3, 1918
Major Pearkes, V.C.M.C., took us out for a cavalry drill – jumping logs, hedges, trenches, ditches & galloping over open country full of shell holes, also trotting stripped saddle.
May 4, 1918
Played the American Railway troops a game of baseball & trimming them. Our team is a very good one & the game was well worth seeing. The Americans seem to enjoy meeting Canadians & we don’t lose any opportunity to get acquainted.
May 5, 1918
Marched to Raimbert: another long hike. Passed through La Thieuloye, Dieval, Bours, Marest skirting Pernes & through Floringhem. Only one man dropped out on this march & he was a P.U.O. case just back from hospital.
May 7, 1918
Major Sutherland & I visited No. 1 C.C.S. at Pernes. Here I met Major Bennett, acting O.C., & had tea with the sisters. Met Miss Maubrey & Miss Pearce of Victoria. Saw Major Ridewood.
May 9, 1918
Had the grippe & was quite miserable for two days.
May 13, 1918
Out on 9th Brigade manoeuvres for open war. It was raining all day so crawling in the grass was no fun.
In the evening had supper in Pernes at Hotel Commerce with Sisters Pierce, Harper, Maubrey & Mercier, Major Sutherland, Capt. Preston & Lft. Joe Hughes. It was a very lively dinner with plenty to eat & drink. I consider it one of the very best I have had in France.
May 15, 1918
Out on a ten mile route march. It was hot & dusty.
May 19, 1918
Rode over to Nedon & saw Thorton Fullerton who is with the 3rd C.D.A.C.
May 20, 1918
Out on manoeuvers all day. 9th Brigade against 7th brigade. It was very hot. Two of my men were burnt from smoke bomb & one shot in the eye. One of the P.P.C.I. men got shot in the abdomen. Only blank cartridges were used. Nobody seems to know who used the live cartridge.
May 22, 1918
We gave Capt. Fairhead a farewell dinner.
May 23, 1918
Went to Pernes with Lft. Wallace & had tea with the sisters at No. 1 C.C.S. Later saw Major Ridewood who is about to leave for Victoria.
May 24, 1918
Rained all day.
May 25, 1918
We left Raimbert on a sudden order at 7:30am passing through Ferfay, Bellery, Ames, Lieres, St. Hilaire, Norrent-Fontes, Fontes, Mazingham, Lambres, Aire to LaLacque. Here we were put into very good huts. The camp was alongside Canal D’Aire so many of us went in for a swim. The 43rd were in the same camp.
May 26, 1918
We marched from LaLacque to Enquin-les-Mines passing through Aire, St. Quentin, Witternesse, Liettres, Estree Blanche & Flechinelle. The farms were all under cultivation & everything looked dandy: all green & fresh. The villages here all look clean & neat. Enquin-les-Mines is a very pretty place almost hid by trees with a stream running through it.
May 28, 1918
Out on Brigade manoeuvers all day. It was a good warm day. Our battalion did very fine work going through a forest, taking some villages & a prominent hill. The enemy put on a counter-charge lead by cavalry which we wiped off the map. Thoroughly enjoyed the day.
May 29, 1918
Went for a ride across country through Enquinegatte to Therouanne. On my way back I met Capt. Cote & we rode over to Serny & back through a bridle path to Enquin-les-Mines.
May 31, 1918
Moved up from Enquin-les-Mines into reserve, passing through Flechinelle, Estree-Blanche, Linghem, Foutes, Ham-en-Artois, Le Cornet Bourdois, La Miquellerie to Busnes. Here we are in bivouac on very low ground. This area is all evacuated by civil
