The War Diaries of Francis James Whiting

April 6
Moved last night to road between Ouderdom and Vlamertinghe. 108
Reported to orderly room this morning. Camp shelled. 109 Fatigue party
tonight building parapets near Ypres. Rained. Got back 2:30 AM.
April 7
Stayed in bed till 10 this morning. Loafed all day. Went to picture show
down the road tonight.
April 8
Route march this morning. Fatigue tonight. Good weather. Not too muddy.
April 9
Sunday. Wrote to McWilliams this morning. This afternoon went down to
Vlamertinge with [A.] Giles and wandered round the ruins. Found an old
convent where a few nuns made lace. Bought some to the value of 23
shillings. Went to a concert in the Y tonight. Fritz sent over a few shells but
it didn’t make much difference. We enjoyed the music and the address.
April 10
Threw a few live bombs this morning by way of keeping in practise.
April 11 [12]
Met Allan Bell today. 110 Went into the trenches tonight. 111 Up to eastern
front of the salient. [H.J.] Warin shot through the head before being there
10 minutes. Bad place. Trenches blown up. No dugouts. [T.G.G.] Ellis, [H.]
108 The battalion had moved on March 28 to Camp B and on April 5 to Camp C, somewhere along
the 6 km distance between Ouderdom and Vlamertinghe to the northeast.
109 According to Adamson, the enemy “shelled the Princess Pats so badly last night [April 6] that
the Regiment had to take to the open, some huts were smashed but no one was hit.” Letters of
Agar Adamson 1914 to 1919, 165.
110
Allan Bell was a farmer from back home in Saskatchewan, where Frank and his family had
homesteaded.
111 The PPCLI War Diary, April 12, recorded that the battalion “Relieved the 49 th Bn. in the Hooge
trenches [near Sanctuary Wood] relief compete 1:15 a.m.” Adamson wrote from divisional
headquarters, April 9, that “The Regiment goes into trenches on the 12 th for 8 days in 48 hour
reliefs as the trenches are very uncomfortable – no dugouts, simply disconnected ditches.” On
April 12, he wrote, “The Regiment goes into the trenches tonight. I sent Buller up a note saying I
hated to be here [Divisional H.Q.] in comparative comfort when they were going into nasty
trenches, but that if anything serious happened I would insist upon the General finding somebody
to take my place.” Letters of Agar Adamson 1914 to 1919, 165.