Feature

 

Douglas Haig Commander in Chief.
Battalion is complemented by him on
their appearance, makes me feel proud
— looks splendid on march. Weather
fine, go on billet guard at night...very
heavy bombardment at midnight.
February 16:

Begin field maneuvres with aeroplanes
overhead.

February 21:

Go on work party at night, should not
have been on it. Sergeant got a calling
down for it. Fritz came over the fifth
barricade. Easily repeled, left some
dead.

February 23:

A 10th patrol got lost in-no-man’s-
land, wandered into Fritz line, 2 killed
2 hurt. Relieved at 1pm leave gun at
Battalion stores, trenches in awful
State.

March 1:

Midnight till 2am on guard duty. At
2am, combined gas and artillery attack
on Fritz by 3rd Brigade on our left,
and 3rd Division at Vimy Ridge. Lots
of red and green lights going up very
pretty and impressive sight.

March 10:

Lewis Gun instruction in morning, in
afternoon explored town which has
been heavily shelled. Went in church
which had been beautiful before it was
shelled, saw high tower ruins built in
1870.

March 17:

St. Patrick’s Day, weather fine and
drying. A raid at 6:15am by Imperials
to our right, quite a heavy bombard-

opcretea@siwash.be.ca

ment. Saw two aeroplanes come down,
one in flames.

March 26:

A company move to front line. Our
gun section stays in support with No. 4
Platoon. Set up the gun and go on
guard, snow and rain, not feeling very
good, old trouble again with my back.
March 27:

Relieved in afternoon, as we are
pulling out Fritz shells us very heavily.
Some come very close. Go back to
sunken road in support.

April 4:

Set out to go to Estrae Baushie, get to
Camblain le odble and turned back.
Go to a concert where news comes
that the USA has declared war on
Germany.

April 6—Good Friday:

Lunch parade. Orders to go up the
line, roll blankets, then order is
cancelled for 24 hours.

April 8:

We pulled off a bombing raid on Fritz
trenches at 4am Sunday, bombs flying
in all directions and shells and flares.
We lose a number of men: Corporals
Cohen and Bell, Lieutenant McDonald
and others.

 

   
   

 

 

April 9
Easter Monday:

We all go up to front line and jumping off trenches. We are shelled rather heavily at 5:30AM. Our
artillery and machine guns opened up a terrific barrage on Fritz. Our lines advance, the first waves
run into our own barrage and we lose heavily, but keep going. It was very hot for a time, rain a
little, the flares are sent up and shells are bursting.

Wave after wave advances, and prisoners start to come in. I am carrying the belt loader (for
machine gun). We have four men on start line killed, the rest are separated but keep going. Saw a
large number of dead Fritz and very scared looking prisoners. We reach our objective alright and
other companies and battalions go through and keep on going. The advance is just splendid, the
artillery is deafening, we get straightened out and join our platoon.

The first Brigade go through and reach their final objective easy. Some guns and machine guns
are captured, and our Major is wounded. We lose a large number of Officers and NCO’s. At night
we come back to our old front line. Real hard time finding a billet.

 

April 10:

We go back up to a reserve line behind
First Brigade. Poor places to stay, rain
and cold. I am now Lance Corporal.
April 15:

We are near some captured enemy
guns, at 6pm we are relieved. Fritz
shells us close, got hit on forehead,

April 24 (Last Entry):

An hour NCO instruction this morn-
ing. An hour and a half instruction on
Lewis Gun in afternoon tactical
scheme.

move back to black line. Just get
turned in and have to move again to
old Brigade #2. Guide got lost, after
11pm before we find our dugout.
Everybody is worn out.

Afterward

n April 28, 1917, Lance Corporal Herbert Kearse was in charge of a Lewis gun crew, and while proceeding to the
“jumping off” position, just prior to an attack on the village of Arleux-en-Gohelle, was instantly killed by a high
explosive enemy shell. He was 29 years old. Having no known grave, his name is commemorated on the

. memorial at Vimy Ridge in France. '

°

Transcribing these passages from this diary has been a little like shaking hands with a ghost. In many ways, I feel like
Herbert has introduced himself to me, and I’m left regretting that I never knew him when he was alive.

Members of the family found this diary about three years ago among the personal effects of my great uncle Harold—
my late grandfather’s only brother and Herbert’s youngest son, just after he died. The original diary was sent to the
national archives in Ottawa, and most members of my family have received photocopies of it. These photocopies were
the source material for this article.

 

The Other Press October 29 1996 15