A vast, dreadful encampment - March 1917

Sunset over tents at the WWI NZ reinforcement camp, Etaples, France. Royal New Zealand Returned and Services' Association :New Zealand official negatives, World War 1914-1918. Ref: 1/2-013018-G. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand. /records/22722937

1st Thursday - Paraded 6:30AM to wash clothes, Route March to the place (where they washed clothes). Breakfast about 8:30AM. Paraded for both 9AM. Button cleaning act came in again. In the afternoon we had to take down tents clean up floor and set them up again. [In the] evening walk[ed] around Australian Camp.

2nd Friday - Harry Warren [?] got mumps today so all the rest of the tent isolated, about 70 are in isolation. Route March in afternoon, saw lookout tower built by Napoleon. Doctor thought I was getting measles, [but I] don't think so. Isolated for 28 days.

3rd Saturday - About 80 men in isolation now. Doctors inspection. Route March in the afternoon passed through tiny French village. Three letters today. Mum and family. One lot left for segregation camp tonight. Getting very cold again. G.B inaugurated here tonight by sound of the bugle. New Colonel making a great disturbance in this camp, [it will be] like Sling soon. Big crowd of Portuguese here now, also some of the 19th Reinforcement draft a day away.

4th Sunday - Another big batch of the 19th in today. Route March through the camps in the afternoon. No letters from Dot yet. Wrote letter to Mr Hayward and Dot. Weather very frosty tonight, starting to snow very hard so got to bed early.

5th Monday - Snowed all last night, did not get up until 8:30AM. Told to shift to segregation camp this afternoon, got ready then told "no, can't," so had to get back to the tent again. Rafferty rules (no rules [at] teatime like pigs at the trough to get the tucker. NZ mail nothing for me.

6th Tuesday - Went into segregation camp down on the beach, tents and eleven men's gear on a hand cart like a gypsy caravan, big camp here. Stop for 21 days only allowed two page letters Hear one side only. No dining rooms, eat in tents about 3 miles from base camp.

7th Wednesday - Had a Russian steam bath and had our blankets fumigated. Lecture by O.C of the camp on reason for segregation. Free rest of the day, camp right alongside the Railway line. Train passing every few minutes from front, so do not get much sleep. No letters. About 1400 and men here.

8th Thursday - Got up at 8AM, were to go for a Route March but owing to heavy snow storm it was washed out. So we stayed in tents all day. Another lot of contacts came in tonight. No letters today. Seventh day in isolation today. Cold wind blowing.

9th Friday - Fatigue making a septic tank in the camp in the morning. Nothing in the afternoon. Heavy snow storm. Bad headache all day today. Nearly 2000 men in segregation now. Cook most meals ourselves. No letters today.

10th Saturday - Went to the Tommies Bull Ring today. About 3 miles away. A big batch of German prisoners passed through this morning. Came on to rain in the afternoon and got wet coming home. No letters again today. Ninth day in isolation. One instructor today asked one of the boys, did he know anything about extended order drill, "No" he said. "What have you been doing all this time then? Swinging the lead?" ("Swinging the lead" is an old Naval term for working in a lazy manner.)

11th Sunday Rifle inspection. Church parade on the beach. Warm sunshine all lying on the sand. Subject [was] Fear and God's cure for it. Australian Chaplin. Nothing [in the] afternoon, a little rain after dinner coming with band Thursday (?).

World War I New Zealand military camp in Etaples, France. Royal New Zealand Returned and Services' Association :New Zealand official negatives, World War 1914-1918. Ref: 1/2-013754-G. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand. /records/22545843

12th Monday - Route March all morning in the rain. Arrived back to the camp wet through. Saw a big crowd of ambulance passing full of stretcher cases to the hospital. Last batch of the 18th past and enroute to the front this morning. New Zealand mail, none [for me].

13th Tuesday - Route March all morning through Etaples across river to Paris Plage (This is a beach called Le Touquet-Paris-Plage). Terrible dirty streets muck heaps at the sides. French women in ... ... Electric car, Etaples to Paris Plage about four miles. Afternoon off, no mail tonight. More contracts (labourers) in today.

14th Wednesday - Went to Bull Ring, learnt sighting distance; get feet of man in the platform of the sight. If Blade comes to his knees he is 100yds away, if it comes to his thigh 200yds, breast 300yds, tip of head 400 yds. No letters today.

15th Thursday - Paraded with sore throat, got medicine and duties, went on Route March around the beach in the afternoon. Australian Chaplain came to camp with Australian band in afternoon. No letters again today.

16th Friday - Route March all morning through Etaples. Muster Parade in the afternoon. P.C (parcel) from Dot, Letter from Stan, three from Mm. P.C from Mrs Bishop. 11th day in segregation camp.

17th Saturday - Supposed to be on fatigue today doing marking. Beautiful weather here lately. Have developed another cold. Got our tin hats issued to us today and have to wear them always on parade now, beastly heavy things they are too. Received a parcel from Auntie Maggie and one from Mrs Bishop today also a weekly news from Dot. No letters.

18th Sunday - Church parade in morning and Rife inspection. Free for the rest of the day. Wrote letters. John Bull offered five shillings to every man in British army if war does not finish in eleven weeks. Beautiful weather just now.

19th Monday - Bull Ring making parapets with sandbags advancing under Artillery fire. Good war news today, allies advanced 10 miles on an 80 mile front. Calvary in action some of the 20th Rft in Segregation now. Raining while coming home tonight. No letters today. Wet night.

20th Tuesday - Route March today same old way through Etaples, tin hats on too. An Australian was Court Martialed for stealing. One years jail. Afternoon off, rained a little during the afternoon, very cold today. No letters from Dot yet.

21st Wednesday - Fatigue today doing nothing. Went for Route March to Paris Plage in the morning. Paid in the afternoon, got a parcel of sox [socks] and soap. Fight between Aussie and Maori, Aussie won. No letters.

22nd Thursday - Bull Ring all day, snowing hard nearly all the time, off and on. Usual repetition of the same old things. Getting very monotonous. German's driven ten miles beyond the Somme. Letter today from Uncle in Glasgow.

23rd Friday - Bull Ring all day entrenching. Patrol duty and wiring very cold today. Yesterday was the first day of Spring. Germans making a stand in paper tonight. Letter from Dot tonight. 18th day in Segregation.

24th Saturday - Route March in morning to Paris Plage. Had to go right around the road to get back to camp as the tide was too high to go around on the beach. No letters today. Rumoured that Allied Artillery have been very active. We are supposed to have captured a lot of guns and prisoners. The weather still continues to be very cold. We expect to leave here any time now.

25th Sunday - Church Parade, Padre spoke on "who so believeth in me shall never see death. Many hours passed today with men and guns going toward Armentieres. No letters today. Wrote letter to Mum this afternoon, very cold.

26th Monday - Fell in for Bull Ring but owing to the rain we were dismissed again. Fell in again ten o'clock and went for Route March, off all afternoon raining hard for a while then sun came out, fine but the weather is very cold and miserable. No Letters.

27th Tuesday - Bull Ring day today, we all swung the lead and went on Route March instead. Snow and sleet on and off all day. Wrote letters to England 14 days ago, no answer yet. No letters today at all. Weather still cold and miserable.

28th Wednesday - Route March this morning, went to Bull Ring afternoon on fatigue digging out a big hole. Beautiful day with a little rain in the evening. Germans sunk a Hospital ship today. Letter from Uncle.

29th Thursday - On cookhouse fatigue today the dirtiest place it has been my lot to see so far. Plenty of rain all day today. Last day in segregation today, going out tomorrow. Sent letters to Uncle today and wrote one to Mrs Bishop. No letters today. Front soon now.

30th Friday - Russian Bath and medical inspection in the morning. Pulled down tent, packed up and left Segregation about 2:30PM. Arrived back in Base Camp about 4PM and went into details. Colder here than in the Segregation Camp. Rise 5:30AM here. No letters yet.

31st Saturday - Paraded for shortages today. Got new trousers. Back in tent. Dinner time fatigue carrying stones in the afternoon. Wrote letters to Dot. Salvation Army Hall. Showery today.