31st March 1917

General Musketry Course finished.
Mad minute etc.
1st Class shot. 95 points.
Rifle 426.
3rd in Company.

Original diary entry

30th March 1917

General Musketry Course


(Classified as First Class shot)

Original diary entry

29th March 1917

General Musketry Course






General Musketry Course.
Beat Morgan and Reese.
First in D Company.
Classification began.

Original diary entry

28th March 1917

General Musketry Course







General Musketry Course.
Ahead in D Company.

Original diary entry

27th March 1917 - Letter

Letter from Ernie's older brother John ...





27th March 1917

General Musketry Course


General Musketry Course.
Parcel from home.

Original diary entry

26th March 1917

General Musketry Course (GMC)




General Musketry Course at Westcott.
B and D Companies.

Original diary entry

25th March 1917 (Sunday)

Wrote Daisy and home.
Church Parade.

Original diary entry

24th March 1917

Squad. Physical. Musketry.
Road Pass cancelled - why?

Original diary entry

23rd March 1917

New range at Redhill.
5 rounds ball ammunition alone with B Company.
30 yards. 3 bulls, 1 inner. 19/20.

Original diary entry

22nd March 1917

"To Richmond" official.
Dentists. Two teeth stopped.
Road Pass granted.
Bombing (dummy).
Lecture at market hall.

Original diary entry

21st March 1917

Physical and musketry.
Musketry in full pack and rifle.
Measles!
Night hops.
Route march to Redhill Common.

Original diary entry

20th March 1917

Route march 14 miles, full pack and rifle - Reigate, Betchworth, etc.
Gas practice.
New short rifle No. 426.

Original diary entry

19th March 1917

Applied pass (road) to Daisy's. (sister)
Squad physical, bayonets, musketry.
Lecture by Lt. Larens (?) - "Drill pack".

Original diary entry

18th March 1917 (Sunday)

The snow and ice of the past few weeks had practically disappeared and in brilliant sunshine the company fell in and marched to the assembly ground for church parade at Holy Trinity.

Church parade was always regarded as an occasion for emphasising ‘Pride of Regiment’ and spit and polish was at a premium.  In due course the RSM reported all companies present and correct and ready to march off.  The colonel followed by the adjutant, impressively mounted on glossy chargers, cantered briskly down the line and back to the head of the column adding a final touch to the dignity of the parade.  In a few moments the band would strike up and the march to the town commence.  D Company was positioned half way up the column and from the upstairs windows of the shops and buildings onlookers were watching the spectacle.  Precisely as the colonel and adjutant passed by a chamber pot was lowered on a line strung from a first floor window.  The perpetrators of this monstrous contempt were, in fact, certain members of B Company held in quarantine following an outbreak of spotted fever in the middle of February.  That day they were untouchable but even quarantine would end in due course.

Original diary entry

17th March 1917

Squad and physical.
Anti-gas.
Bapaume captured.

Original diary entry

Capture of Bapaume described here

16th March 1917

Bayonet course - parries, butt tricks, etc.
Whole final assault course.
Zepps.
Russian Revolution.

Original diary entry

Russian Revolution on Wikipedia here

15th March 1917

Bayonet course continues.
Parries and short points, etc. Games, etc.
Vaccination a failure.
Soldiers Rest.

Original diary entry

14th March 1917

3 day bayonet course began.
9 foot trench jump with swords fixed; also high parapet trench.
Parries - Rings, etc.

Original diary entry

13th March 1917

Route march to Horley, about 8 miles.
Cookhouse fatigue.
Moved to close billets - 61 Frenches Road, Mrs Elsey with E.J.Smith.

Original diary entry

61 Frenches Road, Redhill on Google Maps in 2017

12th March 1917

Miniature range all day.
3 inch group application 18/20.
3 inch group application 9/20.
Snap shooting and rapid fire.

Original diary entry

11th March 1917 (Sunday)

No church parade - church full.
Cranfield died.
Moving to Richmond?

Original diary entry

10th March 1917

Spotted fever about.
General spring clean - fire - and high tea.
Musketry. Club.
Moving to Tadworth?

Original diary entry

9th March 1917

Route march about 10 miles with rifle in blinding snowstorm.
Pay day at club.
No weekend leave.

Original diary entry