18
SNFEATURE
From the diary of Corporal William Evans Gorey, 21st Btn
A pril 12th: Move off
with full gear per boot to Calais
where we entrain for the front.
After travelling for about 12
hours we detrain and march
four kilometres to billets where
we arrive about midnight. We
stay here two days.
15th: Another short move to
Bertincourt seven km, where
we stay for three days, do a little
drill while here.
18th: Off again marching for
the front and after doing 15 km
it is raining. During the journey
we spend the night in tents; this
being a reinforcement camp.
20th: Still on the road and
join the battalion at Albert, a
journey of 10 km, arriving at the
outposts at 10 pm where I put
in two days and nights, hard
to take after my six months in
Blighty.
23rd: Fritz gives us a heavy
bombardment with gas shells
for three hours in the early
morning so the troops get very
little sleep for that first night.
24th The day passes fairly
quietly with the exception of
the usual shelling on both sides.
At 9 pm I go along with 40 oth-
ers on fatigue at nights digging
a trench from supply line to the
outposts. Have a good spin to-
night, only an odd shell drop-
ping around.
27th: Weather is fairly good,
but we are like rabbits and keep
under cover all day through be-
ing in a dangerous position. We
can be seen by the enemy dur-
ing daylight; all work has to be
done at night. Accommodation
is very bad. We only have our
waterproofs to keep out any
bad weather.
28th: Another day arrives still
crouched in our little home, but
we have blankets, so manage to
sleep during the day.
29th: Another fine day, thank
God, but what a life!
M ay 1st: Get relieved
by Tommy division at 10 pm
and tramp back 10 km where
we billet for the night.
7th: Back towards the line
again and arrive at Ribmont
where we billet in cellars. This
place is shelled day and night
not a healthy place by any
means! We have to stick this
for a week; also do fatigue work
during the nights.
16th: Move up to the line and
relieve the 22nd Battalion. We
do outposts again until the 21st
when they put us over the top.
A very successful stunt, captur-
ing a large number of prison-
ers, also machine guns, etc. Our
casualties were fairly light.
23rd: Get relieved by the
27th Battalion and go back to
trench, but get no rest. On fa-
tigue every night burying ca-
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bles; the weather being
splendid.
J une 2: Go
back to front
line where
we relieve the
26th Battalion
where we stay
seven days and
nights and have
a rough time.
Fritz tried to
raid us, but he
got the worst
of the deal. We
captured 22
prisoners out of
the rise-up.
9th: Get re-
lieved and go back
to trench where we
stay for six days do-
ing fatigues to the
front line.
15th: Get relieved by
the 53 rd Battalion, 5th
Divy and go back to trench
again for the night.
16th: Off again and tramp to
(unreadable location) where we
camp in tents in a lovely wood
where we have 12 days well-
earned rest. We have sports
while here, swimming, etc.
J uly 2nd: Move up the
line and relieve the 17th
Battalion and put in a very
cold night, the weather having
turned very chilly.
3rd: The day passes quietly,
but still cold; going to do an-
other stunt this time in.
4th (Hamel Stunt): At three in
the morning we prepare to take
up our position on the (unread-
able) remaining there for an
hour in the bitter cold, wait-
ing for the word go to do our
allotted task. At 4 am the guns
open up with a bluff barrage
for a few minutes, which drew
a few shells in return from Fritz.
At 4.15 am the guns open up as
one. Such a salvo of shells was
deafening, but made a beauti-
ful sight, all the various lights.
After dwelling a few minutes we
William (Bill) Gorey (below) visited the great 15-inch
gun with his brother James in September.
go to do our job. By this time the
tanks are in sight which added
to the roar; this being our first
time to have tanks accompany-
ing us and they proved of great
assistance.
Our objective was gained an
hour after starting, getting a
large number of prisoners, ma-
chine guns, also one field gun.
Next performance we dig in.
This was soon completed, the
ground being in good condi-
tion for digging.
About 10 am out comes about
50 of Fritz’s aeroplanes to try
and locate us, which he did and
well we knew it for we had to
put up with a good deal of shell
fire until relieved on the night
of the 6th by the 19th Battalion
when we move back to reserve
trenches about 6km back for a
short rest.
8th: I’m sent in charge of par-
ty of 20 on fatigue building dug-
outs close to Villers Bretonneux
where we remain for a month
during which time Fritz gas
shells us pretty frequently, caus-
ing quite a number of
casualties.
A ugust
6th: Our work
cuts out and we
return to detail
camp, the bat-
talion being in
the line. Later
we join them.
8th (Our
Day): At five
in the morn-
ing opens up
the greatest
configura-
tion of guns of
all calibre ever
heard by any of
us, with tanks
all around us and
the heavens full of
aeroplanes making
an awful din. Away
we go after Fritz.
Once started, going
is good, no opposition,
nothing but (unreadable)
on all sides of us. We keep
advancing for two hours,
artillery following in the rear.
When the 5th Divy go through
us and take up the chase we
settle down to reorganise for a
further part to play in the great
hunt. Never before have I seen
such a stream of prisoners going
to the rear, guns of all descrip-
tions in scores, machine guns,
trench mortars, etc and the
dead Fritz were terrible to gaze
on.The greatest sight I ever wit-
ness, or ever likely to, was when
the Cavalry and armoured cars
went through and took up the
chase. What a great cheer there
was. Next comes guns of all de-
scription, motor lorries, horse
(unreadable) all going forward
made a great sight. One forgets
the horrors of war for a time.
9th: We again take over from
the 5th Divy, but the Cavalry
and armoured cars in front
left nothing for us to do but go
ahead. Our casualties up to this
time have been exceedingly
light. Another day ended and
we have advanced 12km in en-
emy country. Night of the 10th
we are relieved by the 5th Divy
and go back by motor lorry
where we have a good rest for a
short period.
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2008
18th: We are off again for the
front per motor. After travel-
ling for about three hours we
get down and tramp a few km
and put the night in an old 1914
trench.
20th: We again go forward
following up Fritz who is evac-
uating, an advance of three km
for no losses.
31st: Move off at 9 am and
march 10 km crossing the Som-
me River by a temporary foot-
bridge where we halt for dinner,
then move up close to the line,
taking shelter in a cutting until
dark when we go forward for
the night.
S eptember 1st: At 5am
the 24th and 23rd Battalions
have a try for Mont St Quentin,
but are held up on the left flank
so we have to reinforce them.
At 9 am in the broad daylight
we move up in artillery forma-
tion in full view of the enemy
to our allotted position, with
very few casualties.
At 1 pm after a short bom-
bardment by our artillery away
we go to the place alive with
machine guns. In less than
hour the hill was won, taking a
large number of prisoners and a
score or more of machine guns.
3rd: We get relieved by the 5th
Divy and march back weary. We
remain here until the 26th, dur-
ing which time, along with my
brother Jim (James), we visit the
great 15-inch gun. We also hold
brigade and divisional sports
while here, also company foot-
ball matches.
26th: I get 10 days’ leave to
Paris where I have an enjoyable
time.
O ctober 5: Three years
since leaving my native land.
This time leaving Paris for
Rouen where we stay two days
in the rest camp.
7th: Leave rest camp at 5 pm,
march to Rouen and after a
long, cold wait the train moves.
Find all the Australians have
been withdrawn from the line,
relieved by Yanks. Stay at the
corps rest camp for the night.
October 25: Go to Rue to at-
tend trench mortar school for
16 days. This place is on the sea
coast. It rains a good deal while
here.
N ovember 10: School
breaks up and we return to unit.
It being a cold and frosty night
get a drink of coffee and march
out to battalion where we arrive
just on daylight.
11th: The great day we have
been waiting for for so long, the
signing of the Armistice. The
excitement! All the bells ring-
ing and flags flying from almost
every house.