DIARY - CALM BEFORE THE STORM

DIARY - CALM BEFORE THE STORM

known 21st March 1915

March 21st August, Sunday Regular Spring day; sun shining brightly. Men all asleep, or writing letters, or lazily smoking on their backs in a paddock here. I myself am propped up by a tree, munching new bread and cheese and needing only Thou to fufil old Omar’s idea of happiness. [Refers to a verse from the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam: - ‘A Book of Verses underneath the Bough, A Jug of Wine, a Loaf of Bread, and Thou Beside me singing in the Wilderness – O Wilderness were Paradise enow!’] All is so peaceful, so like the lawn at home on a Sunday, birds singing, cocks crowing, homely noises, that it is impossible to realise that within 15 miles of us is being waged the greatest battle. Yesterday evening everyone was in the last stage of depression; now all is joyous and coleur de rose. Mme Morel makes good café noir with cognac. Am drinking some now while inditing this. There is a demoiselle here too. Mdle. Eva, who is tres chic. …I wish I had my camera here. The light is good and the scenes unique. Now I am going to wander around the place. March 22nd Eva came and I gave her an English lesson. She showed me her books. Insists on us calling her Eva and on calling me Gerald. (I am not going to worry about omitting names; they’re all going in, as necessary) We had a cute little tete-a-tete until disturbed by fellows coming in and asking me to interpret and get coffee. Mme Morel makes jolly good café noir; made me quite jubilant the other evening. Paraded 11am for inspection and marched to Aux Chenes for review. General French with Sir Douglas Haig and a big staff came. Marched back. March 23rd Route march, Aux Chenes, Marles, skirting Bethune and almost in sight of the firing line. Our village is Cauchy-a-la-Tour in Pas-de-Calais. La Bassee is 40 kiols distant. Lille 60 kilos NE, nearest fighting 15 kilos. An amusing scene has just taken place, the clipping of our hair with the Company clippers. March 25th Today, O joy! We all had hot shower baths in Auchel – very refreshing. I saw La petite Natalie last night; she as always at parades to wish me “Bonjour!” and “Au Revoir”… Nous tutoyons maintenant … Had my first letter from home enclosing the Tunbridge Wells Advertiser. 8.15pm NCO’s lecture. Adjutant says we go into trenches on Sunday or Monday, about fourth line to get used to noise – not som much bullets – glad I have some cotton wool. Saw Fields afterwards; he was very serious and said in effect that the chances were 1000 to 1 against our coming out of it all. March 28th Sunday Paraded for service at Auchel, the Chaplain speaking from a motor lorry in the street. The old tunes, “When I survey” and “Nearer, my God, to thee” , made me strangely homesick. It freezes every night and one has to manipulate the coverings very carefully. Far on the skyline to the left can be seen a dirigible and a balloon, both captive; observation posts for artillery; heard heavy cannonading there. Had a letter enclosing Punch. Battalion sports this afternoon but I didn’t go. It speaks for this village that one of the villagers wrote to a friend: “We have a regiment of very rich, English gentlemen billeted on us at present”. Mme Morel says we take her mind off the war; she has lost one son and the other is wounded at Marseilles. March 29th Battalion attended a service on the Place at Auchel where the Bishop of London spoke. He only crossed on Friday and is in France for Holy Week. He is a cheery soul. Ration of newspapers issued today. Very tired. March 30th Trench digging. Very fagging work and a scarcity of spades. Parade for bath at Auchel. Bought butter, oranges, H.P. biscuits and sweets. Strange that H.P. biscuits should get to a little place like this – quite a touch of home. March 31st Bright moonlit night. Guns are very heavy and distinct. April 1st Lovely warm Spring day. Heavy gun fire. Cloudless ideal day for the wrok given to us – to get all underclothing washed and dry by evening. Mme Morel was very good and herself took the clothes of all in our billet to wash for us. Gave her my Queen Mary vest and pants. My cold has developed exceedingly since yesterday, so deemed it as well to put on a body belt and a couple of scarves to counteract the lack of underclothing. Nothing to do all day, but at 3.25pm these is a bayonet-fighting parade in this field. Wish I had my camera! 8.45pm very cold; no underclothing – not yet dry.

Created by: , Richard106785

  • Profile picture for Gerald Molyneaux Pickett

    Born 1893

    Died 1916

    British Army 2374 Private Royal Irish Fusiliers

    British Army Second Lieutenant Machine Gun Corps

    British Army 2374 Private London Regiment 15th Battalion (Prince of Wales Own Civil Service Rifles)