The War Diaries of Francis James Whiting

Town proved to be about 15 miles from the trenches. Billeted in fairly
comfortable stable. 29
October 18 [17]
Sunday. Rested luxuriously. 30
October 19
Went road making in afternoon. Wish we could make roads for the rest of
the winter. Road construction appeals to me more than man destruction.
October 20
Had a little drill in forenoon. Ordered to stand to arms this afternoon.
Something seems to be doing somewhere. Rumour has it that the
Cambridgeshires who relieved us in the trenches have lost them to the
Germans.
October 21
Ordered up very early this morning. Standing to still at 10 A.M. Handed in
our blankets. Expect to be moved somewhere. Rumour says Servia. 31
Received a parcel from Uncle Ernie day before yesterday. Sleeping bag
rather large. Making it smaller.
October 22
Loafed around. Light drill in afternoon.
October 23
Up at six. Paraded at seven. Marched to huts by canal – about 6 miles –
for fatigue duty.
29
The PPCLI War Diary recorded that the move to Morcourt, 17 km southwest of Eclusier,
occurred on Oct 16.
30 Frank was mistaken. Sunday fell on October 17; however, his entry for Oct 19 corresponded
with the War Diary of the PPCLI for that date.
31 Rumours abounded on the front, and this one had some substance. On 25 October 1915, Maj.
Adamson wrote, “The 28 th and 26 th Divisions, which beyond a doubt went to Serbia last week,
were pulled back the same as were we and by Brigades entrained for Marseilles where they
embarked. No letters mentioning their destination were allowed to be written. There seems to be
a fair likelihood of our following them …” Letters of Agar Adamson 1914 to 1919, 93-94. On 27
October 1915, he wrote, … the Army Corps interpreter … assured me that he knew for certain
our Division was going very shortly to follow the other two and that he himself, not being required
there, was going to another Army Corps.” Ibid, 95. World War I began, when Austria-Hungary
attacked the small Eastern European country of Servia or Serbia in retaliation for the
assassination of Crown Prince Franz Ferdinand on 28 June 1914 at Sarajevo in Bosnia.