Place: R. E. Farm [E of Dranutre?]
Date: Oct 1
Hour:
Very [illegible]: 54321 Pte G. RUSHMERE [Rushmer] shot himself through left heel while cleaning rifle, + 53057 L.Cpl. O’DWYER shot himself through fore [arm?]. Both cases seemed accidental.
Place:
Date: Oct 2
Hour:
Lieut. F. G. Newton in a shocking condition as a result of ‘nerves’ + sent to hospital. Also 53089 Cpl. CASH (H.W.) with chronic [illegible – rheumatism?]
Place:
Date: Oct 3
Hour:
No 5416 H. R. AIKENHEAD was hit in head with bully beef tin which someone was using to test a trench catapult [illegible] was sent to 5 F.A. . Likewise 54252 T. H. ROBINSON who was shot in left [scupution?] region was returned to billets in DRANUTRE in [illegible] of C company.
Place:
Date: Oct 4
Hour:
Visited billets + found men in good health.
Place:
Date: Oct 5
Hour:
Set to 5 [F.A.] [illegible – following?] men: 53323 M. CAMPBELL arthritis, chron; 54009 Sgt. J.H. CHILD – ing. Hernia; 53913 C.F. FOREMAN – [illegible – perioslates?]; 54291 R. HARE – [illegible harma?]; 53462 H.B. HOOK – abscess heel.
Place:
Date: Oct 6
Hour:
To hospital: 53775 J. BETTS – asthma; 54158 J. BURNLEY – phlebitis [leg?]; 53439 H. BANCROFT – appendicitis; chron. Recurrent.
Place: DRANTUTRE
Date: Oct 7
Hour:
A tent caught fire + Sgts. C. O’CONNEL (53372) [Service Record] had his face burned + was sent to [57th]. Company commanders and platoon sgts were sent to VIERSTRAAT trenches. 53875 Sgt. W.J. MORRIS + 53761 Sgt. A. HOLBROOK [In actuality HOLMES, Albert per attestation papers and 18th Battalion Nominal Roll] was struck by shrapnel there + sent to hospital.
Place:
Date: Oct 8
Hour:
At R.E. FARM 53180 F. YOUNG + J. SMITH (54170) was struck [illegible] shrapnel the former in the knee + the latter in chest. At 5 p.m. Battalion started to march north through LOORE + LA CLYTE to HALLEBAST [illegible] where they [illegible] two companies remained at VIERSTRAAT + [illegible] went into trenches in part of LA BRASSERIE + BOIS CARRE.
Place:
Date: Oct 9
Hour:
Trenches found in filthy + unsanitary condition + most unsafe. In the afternoon a rifle grenade killed Pte. J. TAGGART (53858) and wounded 53856 R. SARVICE [SARVIS] – was leg + face. 53855 G. S. SMITH – knee, throat + arm; 53840 T. PRIESTLY – leg, arm, left hand + chest; 53505 A. SEAGROVE [illegible] lower leg. Was clear in the open acrpss [country?]. LA BRASSERIE with Brigade [Charing?] Station and R.A.P.
Place: LA BRASSERIE
Date: Oct 10
Hour:
54024 E. HEADLEY [Headly]– shot himself in palm of left hand.
Place: LA BRASSERIE
Date: Oct 11
Hour:
On a.m. 54144 S. SARGEANT received bullet wd in upper arm; [illegible] 15 57th.
Place:
Date: Oct 12
Hour:
Considerable bombardment but nobody hurt – many shells not exploding.
Place:
Date: Oct 13
Hour:
A ‘battle rehearsal’ with smoke bombs was [schedule?]. The casualties were: 53734 G.R. SMITH – shrapnel scalp + [illegible]; [4126 Sgt. R. BROWN] shrap. Leg; 54089 A.E. COOPER [Service no. confirmed re. 18th Battalion Nominal Roll but no other reference found as of yet] shrap, arm, back, head; 53481 J. LEROY [Laroy, Julius] – shrap. arms + [head?]; 53307 Sgt. HARDING shrap. arm; 53326 J.H. CARLIN – bullet wd head; 54356 T. NELSON – killed; 54340 H. NELSON [Nelson, W] – killed; 54348 W. MUNDIE – killed; 54141 L. UNTHANK – killed; 53323 M. CAMPBELL. [Campbell, M KIA this date]
Place:
Date: Oct 14
Hour:
Very quiet. Sent to hospital 53525 O. WESTELL – [illegible]; 54081 W.E. HUNT bullet wd leg; shot near DICKEBUSETT presumably by a sniper behind lines.
Place:
Date: Oct 15
Hour:
No. 53385 R. REDHEAD received slight puncture wd + was sent to hospital, also 53062 A.A. WEBB – [illegible] knee left. Battalion moved to RIDGEWOOD.
Place:
Date: Oct 16
Hour:
Quiet day. Sent to hosp. 53978 O. WHYTE – influenza.
Place:
Date: Oct 17
Hour:
Visited YPRES in afternoon, it was being shelled. Set to 57. A. 53322 Pte. L.G. BUTLER – [illegible]; also 53225 W.H. FENTON – chron rheumatism.
Place:
Date: Oct 18
Hour:
A dug out collapsed + injured 53452 W. FREEMAN – [illegible]. Sent also to hospital 53089 Cpl. H.W. CASH – rheum; Lt. F.G. NEWTON – [rheumatism?]
Place: LA BRASSERIE
Date: Oct 19
Hour:
An Uneventful day.
Place:
Date: Oct 20
Hour:
53386 A. RIDGELEY was killed by a bullet – in Poppy Lane. Sent to hosp 53364 J.R. McCOMB [McCOMBE] – tonsillitis.
Place:
Date: Oct 21
Hour:
An uneventful day.
Place:
Date: Oct 22
Hour:
No. 53863 R.C. TAYLOR [illegible] to 5 F.A.
Place:
Date: Oct 23
Hour:
No 412719 M.G. Daniel [Daniel, M.T. not of the 18th Battalion] shot himself in foot, sent to 5 F.A., also 54108 A. BLAKE with pneumonia + 53914 M. GARNER – [illegible].
Place:
Date: Oct 24
Hour:
No. 54277 R.B. CROUCH [Lt. of the 33rd Battalion] – scalp wd from grenade + 53842 S. PUGH tonsillitis to 5 F.A.
Place:
Date: Oct 25
Hour:
A quiet day.
Place:
Date: Oct 26
Hour:
Marched to LA CLYTE rest camp. Two men dropped out from exhaustion + was picked up by ambulance and taken to hospital – 53756 N GLOIN [Digitized Service File] and 53210 J. CARRUTHERS.
Place: LA CLYTE
Date: Oct 27
Hour:
Rain. Much lumbago + rheumatism pains complained of.
Place:
Date: Oct 28
Hour:
Rain. Sent to hosp, 53078 J. FLOOD – conjunctivitis; 53930 F. JOHNSON – absce, leg. 53294 C. UNDERWOOD – shot in buttocks by accident.
Place:
Date: Oct 29
Hour:
Rain. Sent 53439 H. BANCROFT to hosp with chron appendicitis.
Place:
Date: Oct 30
Hour:
Rain. Sent to hosp. 54043 W. PIER [PEER, George Wellington] – sciatica; 54195 M. LEAHY – sciatica. 53408 M. RYMALS [RYMAL, Milton James] – sciatica.
Place:
Date: Oct 31
Hour:
Rain + mud terrible. Sent to hosp. 53963 G.E. READ [READ, George Edward per 18th Battalion Nominal Roll] – [illegible] abscess.
Notes:
Priestley, Trueman 53840 was to die of wounds 17/11/1915 in England.
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