Private Charles Robert Bottomley - Christmas

Artillery
War Diary
December 1918

December 1, 1918 -- Held up for rations in Tohogne all day. The rations came in about 5 o'clock in the afternoon during the day they had to buy feed and potatoes for horse and men we slept in a big room in an estamient.

December 2, 1918 -- Left Tohogne about 7 o'clock we passed through very hilly and wild looking country all up hill and down we passed a village called Bomal stopped in a village called Harre and slept in a school house.

December 3, 1918 -- Left Harre about 9 o'clock travelling through very hilly and wild country. We arrived in a place called Lierneux about 4 a.m. no rations came up until 9 p.m. at night. We brought some steak and had a feed We billeted with an old couple Last Belgium town.

December 4, 1918 -- We left Liemeux travelling via Corrone Veilsalm and Pethihier passing over the frontier of Germany at 1.20 p.m. in the afternoon General Currie and staff taking us over. We arrived in a German village called Recht and slept over a farmers house a platoon of infantry was attached to us Frontier town Valsalm crossed.

December 5, 1918 -- Stayed in the village of Recht all day resting the horses and cleaning vehicles and guns We had a pretty good billet Rations started to come in a little better.

December 6, 1918 -- Got orders to move left Recht travelling through Born and landed in a village called Bullingham and was billeted with a German farmer. It was funny to see the German discharged soldier saluting our sergeants. The lady of the house cooked a meal of potatoes and cabbage. The village was very dirty also the roads.

December 7, 1918 -- Left Bullingham 5 a.m. travelling through Rhine land a very hilly country and a nice looking country arrived in a village called Reiffersherd at 4 p.m. Some of our fellow started a racket in an estaminet The village was not a good looking place boarded with a family of six kiddies and man and wife. Passcherdale

December 8, 1918 -- Left the village about 7 a.m on a short march went through some very nice country the Germans were just coming from church and lined up to see us pass. Passed through Gall and arrived in a village called Schever on top of a hill. Boarded with some very nice people.

December 9, 1918 -- Left Scheven about 7 a.m. travelled through some pretty nice country and arrived in a big barracks town called Fuskuchen billeted in the barracks met Jack Morton and one or two more Oshawa boys.

December 10, 1918 -- Left the barracks town and made a long hike and landed in a small village called Walberberg about 10 kilos from Bonn we billeted with some very nice German people and slept upstairs.

December 11, 1918 -- Working around the horse lines cleaning guns and wagons in the afternoon and night gun park guard.

December 12, 1918 -- On guard during the day had a very easy day Raining most of the day.

December 13, 1918 -- We left Walberberg about 9 a.m. on our march across the Rhine We went through some of the main street of Colonge and across one of the Rhine bridges and marched pass General Plumer McDonnel and H.Q. Staff. We had a splendid view of the Cathedral and the Rhine River. Slept in a prisoner of war cage at Humbold works Cologne-Kalk.

December 14, 1918 -- Left Cologne-Kalk and marched to a prisoner war cage near a dynamite works a place called Militatraugs not a bad place. During the evening six of us went to Colonge and had a look around the city got back about 10 at night. Lond Dynamite Works.

December 15, 1918 -- We stayed in the POW camp cleaning guns in the morning Took things very easy during the day.

December 16, 1918 -- We left the POW camp and went to a big military barracks near Wahn All the 1st was billeted around here.

December 17, 1918 -- We are settled down in the barracks for a few weeks I was detailed for guard during the day we had a good billet both for horse and men.

December 18, 1918 -- During the day we started to clean up for a general inspection. During the night we had a walk around town and brought some German pie and cake and she certainly was a rotten dope.

December 19, 1918 -- Cleaning up vehicles during the day in afternoon had a bathing parade Stayed in barracks at night.

December 20,1918 -- Cleaning up around the guns and wagons having a pretty good time.

December 21, 1918 -- Cleaning up in the morning in the afternoon on holiday.

December 22, 1918 -- Church service in the morning a very impressive service and well attended in the afternoon on holiday.

December 23, 1918 -- Cleaning around vehicles all day putting in a pretty fair time sticking around the barracks.

December 24, 1918 -- Working around the gun sheds General Morrison came around inspecting in the afternoon the Colonel inspected the horses and men. Stuck around the barracks at night a lot of the boys were boozed.

December 25, 1918 -- Got up at 6.30 a.m. had bully beef for breakfast and dinner at night we had a great Christmas dinner consisting of soup, vegetables , turkey, goose, pudding, and fruit. We had a good time also we had a German orchestra playing. The Colonel gave us a step dance.

December 26, 1918 -- Nothing much doing all day at night was on guard. Some of the boys were feeling good in to boozing at night.

December 27, 1918 -- During the day was on guard duties We were taking things very quiet rumors that we were going to be relieved.

December 28, 1918 -- Still around Wahn camp pretty well fed up with it everything around out of bounds doing very little all day.

December 29, 1918 -- Having a pretty fun time at night went to church we had a pretty good service.

December 30, 1918 -- Laying around camp all day

December 31, 1918 -- Laying around camp all day.

January 1, 1919 -- Laying around all day.