trenchtrotter Posted 19 April , 2007 Author Share Posted 19 April , 2007 Great stuff Andrew. Thanks for your contribution. Regards TT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trenchtrotter Posted 22 April , 2007 Author Share Posted 22 April , 2007 Next installment soon. TT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trenchtrotter Posted 23 April , 2007 Author Share Posted 23 April , 2007 Hi all, March enrries.... 1st March Four of us, 2 Smiths, 1 Speclt(?) and myself detailed to Cpl Bradwell. I help clean gun under very heavy fire from two huns, fortunately no casualties. March 2nd News came through that Pendlebury had leg amputated, Pusset bad condition and McDermott fairly satisfactory. Rejoined 'sub' at pioneer camp at Bazentin. March 5th Heavy snow fall. Weather colder. No duties. Fritz shells regularly every night. March 6th Issued with new pay book - no 36909. March 11th Beautiful weather, nothing doing. March 15th Heavy days work. Bought our 2 guns out of Courcellette. Loaded on tram and unloaded at Bazentin. Fritz very quiet. 14 (retrospective entry?) Obtained leave to Amiens, with Cpl Wallace, Gibbs, Ferety and Lloyd - stayed the night. 15th Visited Pierie and had lunch with him. Left Amiens 6.15, arrived Meaulte 8pm - Bazentin 8.30. Found three letters waiting for me. 16th Rumours that Fritz has evacuated Bapaume and has established his line 3000 yards in the rear. Also that our boys (22nd Div) have occupied Baupaume. St Patricks day duly celebrated by Trench Mortar battery with aid of several cases of whisky. Won and lost 40 francs at Banker. 17 Bought all surplus ammunition from pits to dump. Reportedly Fritz has retired two miles from Bapaume. 20th Peronne we hear has fallen to our troops. Recieved parcel from A. Emily(?) 21st Recieved news thta Pendlebury (Corporal) had died from wounds recieved on the 25th feb. 26th Saw fleet of new type of aeroplanes. Time advanced one hour. Large number brand new reinforcements arrived...having an idle life. 28th Walked to Bapaume from Bazentin. Towm very much damaged. Fatigue parties at work digging out bodies from city hall which had been blown up the day previous. 29th Walked to our gun pits. Visited maze, blue act road (?) Warlencourt. 30th Anniversary of our arrival in France. April follows. Regards TT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bob lembke Posted 23 April , 2007 Share Posted 23 April , 2007 Hi all, March entries.... 16th Rumours that Fritz has evacuated Bapaume and has established his line 3000 yards in the rear. Also that our boys (22nd Div) have occupied Baupaume. ......... ......... 28th Walked to Bapaume from Bazentin. Towm very much damaged. Fatigue parties at work digging out bodies from city hall which had been blown up the day previous. April follows. TT Very interesting. Such accounts are of particular value as they are quite reliable, IMHO, as compared to so much material that is much more "refined" but in the process has been cooked over for one political purpose or another and has to be regarded with much more caution. I am interested in the above two entries as my father told me, in his oral history, that he was one of the party of pioneers who installed and dug in the bomb in the basement of the Bapaume City Hall mentioned in the entry for March 28th. The timing of the two entries confirms what he told me about the fuzing of the bomb (which he told me was six metric tonnes of dynamite), thereby confirming for me that he actually was there. (I trust no source on face value, even my father!) Sorry to inject that and insert myself in your interesting narrative, but I wanted to point out the real historic value of such materials. Perhaps you will be able to publish the journal in some fashion, possibly annotated with the related material being found on the men mentioned in the narrative. Bob Lembke Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Upton Posted 23 April , 2007 Share Posted 23 April , 2007 21st Recieved news thta Pendlebury (Corporal) had died from wounds recieved on the 25th feb. Presumably: http://www.cwgc.org/search/casualty_detail...casualty=496724 Name: PENDLEBURY, GEORGE HENRY Initials: G H Nationality: Australian Rank: Corporal Regiment/Service: Australian Field Artillery Unit Text: 1st Div.T.M. Bty. Date of Death: 01/03/1917 Service No: 627 Awards: M M Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead Grave/Memorial Reference: XXI. K. 6. Cemetery: ETAPLES MILITARY CEMETERY Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Albert Bapaume Posted 24 April , 2007 Share Posted 24 April , 2007 Loving this, keep it coming all. Regards Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trenchtrotter Posted 24 April , 2007 Author Share Posted 24 April , 2007 April 1917 April 1st Walked to Albert via Pozieres. April3rd Heavy snow falls, celebrated a birthday. 4th Snow fall continues 9th/10th On leave Amiens Visited Priere 11th Salvage work have salvaged £2000 worth of shells in 3 days (7,8,9) Heavy snow falls continue. Advance on Lens Arras front, Hundreds of prisoners taken. Short...?.....result! Here the diary ends. On 12/4/1917 Allan Beresford Sevestre aged just 24 was accidently killed whislt salvaging a german 5.9" shell. Also killed was Gunner 2578 Michael Hogg !st Div TM Bty. Both lie side by side in plots I.B.2 and I.B.4 Flat Iron Copse Cemetery, Mametz. Allan was the son of Henry and Blanche Sevestre of 17 Linton Crescent, Hastings, England. He must have emigrated to Austrailia shortly before the outbreak of war. For those of you interested check out his record and that of Michael (an interesting military discipline record!) on the Austrailian National Archives. I have included some pictures of Allans possesions, the diary, his plaque and vistory medal. Also the wallet, his silver ID bracelet, some small family photos? and his original leave pass signed to allow him to visit Amien in March 14/15..see diary entry. So here our story ends. On the eve of Anzac Day let us remember one of her sons who served and gave his all. Allan Beresford Sevestre....not forgotton! And his plaque Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil Mackenzie Posted 24 April , 2007 Share Posted 24 April , 2007 TT Thanks for sharing that with us - a poignant story. Very interesting and, as you say, very timely. Neil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShirlD Posted 24 April , 2007 Share Posted 24 April , 2007 That was a bit of a surprise to end suddenly, as Neil says, poignant, and would have been the untold story of so many. Thank you for Allan's story Cheers Shirley Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozzie Posted 24 April , 2007 Share Posted 24 April , 2007 Thanks Mate for posting this, and as you say Let us remember Kim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trenchtrotter Posted 24 April , 2007 Author Share Posted 24 April , 2007 Shirley, Yes, the abrupt end was an all too reality. The diary just stops and then blank pages. Very sad. Makes you realise how tenuous our grip on life is. The blank pages reflect a life lost. I assume the diary was returned to the UK to his parents hence in a round about way my trusteeship. To reiterate as it is Anzac day...remembering Allan and all those mentioned in this diary who suffered so much. TT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frev Posted 25 April , 2007 Share Posted 25 April , 2007 Remembering Allan & his mates - lives lost so young - that we may know peace. Lest We Forget. Another story told - thanks TT. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frev Posted 25 April , 2007 Share Posted 25 April , 2007 Hi again TT Just curious to know if the names and addresses listed in the front of Allan's diary includes the O'DONAHOO's of Breen St, Bendigo? It seems Allan had an Aussie born cousin - Arthur Herbert Graham O'Donahoo who was killed in action at Lone Pine 10/8/1915. I was just wondering if Allan was in touch with Arthur's family. Arthur is listed on the Kangaroo Flat Memorial (one I photographed years ago, and may find the time to research in another lifetime!) Haven't been able to check either of their Service Records yet - being Anzac Day - the National Archives website is swamped! Cheers, Frev Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew P Posted 25 April , 2007 Share Posted 25 April , 2007 Thanks for that TT. Will raise a glass for Allan and his mates tonight. Regards Andrew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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