The War Diaries of Francis James Whiting

November 26
Very cold weather. Freezing hard. Guns going all the time. No parade
today.
November 27
Inspection parade today for smoke helmets, emergency rations, rifles and
ammunition.
November 28
Pay parade in forenoon -20 fr. Walking out parade in afternoon. Time
altered, missed parade, on the mat for tomorrow. Wrote letters to home,
Mr. Coffin, Uncle Will, Hilda and Libbie Beaumont. Sent Xmas cards to
Hilda, Libbie and Harry and Uncle Will’s folks. Billeted [at Flêtre] near
Ypres – about 10 miles.
November 30
Inspection by General Alderson of Canadian Div. We are part of the
Canadian Corps now. 46
December [3 & 4]
Rained occasionally the last two days. No parades. Wrote Mother
yesterday. Letter from Dad tonight. Answering it.
December 5
Payday – 10 Fr. Went down to 8 th Battalion at Metteren [Méteren] to look
for [R.J.] Rusty Rodgers [Rogers] and [T.W.] Cogland. Both as near as I
could find out, never left England. In orderly office at Shorncliffe. Two
parcels from Ramsgate. Acknowledged both.
December 6
Short route march this afternoon. Wrote to [R.J.] Rodgers [Rogers]. New
draft came up from Shorncliffe, part of 3 rd University company. 47
46 Major Adamson accepted, but had been opposed to the transfer of the regiment from British to
Canadian control, in part because of his misgivings about the competence of the Canadian
Expeditionary Force. In a letter to his wife, 20 December 1915, he wrote, “General Mercer is at
present in command of the Corps Troops of which we are a part. He has been made a Major
General and is slated to command the 3 rd Division. We are in the 2 nd Army which is commanded
by General Plumer and Alderson is our Corps Commander.” Letters of Agar Adamson 1914 to
1919, 96,109, 114.
47 The War Diary for the PPCLI noted on December 5 that 138 men arrived from the base camp
and were posted to companies, bringing the strength of the regiment up to 31 officers and 1008
other ranks.