The War Diaries of Francis James Whiting

January 22
Wrote to Harry [Beaumont]. Fatigue filling sandbags up in 15 trench. Lively
bombardment most of the time. Letter from Cousin Fred. New draft came
up tonight – only 38 of them. Dick Beaumont not among them. Parcel from
Harry’s aunt. 78 Very good one too.
January 23
Fatigue again this afternoon. Quieter.
January 24
Relieved by 42 nd tonight. Moved on down to Wood Farm in huts. 79
January 25
Pain in back this morning. Feels like lumbago. Light duty.
January 26
Better today. Digging fatigue tonight. Very tired. 80
January 27
Ditto.
January 28
No digging.
January 29
Moved off from huts at 11 AM. Marched by very circuitous route to a farm
some 4 k. from Fletre. 81 [H.] Ellison and I walked in to Fletre tonight. Had
supper in our old restaurant.
men wear the aprons with pockets holding the Mills hand bombs, they have a pin in them and will
not go off until the pin is pulled out. One of these pins must have worked loose in the apron
pocket while the man was crawling up the slope as one exploded killing 2 men and wounding
four.” Letters of Agar Adamson 1914 to 1919, 133.
78 This was probably Ruth Beaumont of Ambleside in the Lake District of England. Five of her
Beaumont nephews served in World War I, and three of them were killed before the war was
over.
79 Probably the same huts mentioned on January 9 and 17.
80 Frank’s tiredness was readily explained. Adamson wrote, “The weather has not been so kind
of late to us and the digging parties are suffering a good deal working in water up to their middles,
long gum boots are not available except in trenches.” Letters of Agar Adamson 1914 to 1919,
135.