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Monday 2 January 2012

Diary Entry - 2nd January 1917

Walford: At nine forty-five a.m. the battery marched for Outrebois and, as the Sergeant Major was away on leave and Sergeant Sherlock was running the show, it took us some hustling to get things moving. I stopped behind to see the billets cleaned up, and a filthy mess they were in, so it was an hour or more before I got away. Hoyland had ridden on with Thorburn to billet and, when I got in about twelve, we were just unhooking and going to water. On the way, I passed Carrington and Saunders.

Bee: We started on our way for the line this morning. We marched as a division. We were travelling last battery and started at eight forty-five a.m. The battery were at their worst today and are having to pay for it from now on. Nearly every man was late and in fact there was a general chaos. We came along very slowly as the gunners who were marching in front came the same way as we came out by. Our lines are at Outrebois, a small village. We are billeted at a big farm. I think it is about the same size as Moquet was before it was smashed. There is a huge courtyard about 100 yards by 50. The usual cesspool is like a miniature lake. The buildings are principally made up of pigsties and hay sheds. Pigs seem to be very popular around this part of the world. We have only got one room for Mess [illegible] in, but as we are only staying the night it does not matter much. The battery have to supply 30 men a night from now on for piquet, no advance in pay and no leave for NCO for a fortnight. It is the best thing that could happen.

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