100 Years since the Battle of the Somme · 

Corporeal Albert King was a regular in the Gloucester Regiment in the First World War this is an extract from his dairy for the first month of the Battle of the Somme.

JULY 1st 1916, France,

Our people keep bombarding the Germans they say the French and our left are doing well, and have advanced 1/2 a mile 0n a 25 mile front. And have captured a lot.

JULY 2nd 1916

it is said that the French have taken 5,000 prisoners and our troops 1,500. We are having lovely weather.

JULY 3rd 1916

Relieved the Berks

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JULY 4th 1916
it was very quiet yesterday we have got to march to a place called Barlin. They say we are going back for a divisional rest. We have valises this time.

5th July 1916, 

Very quiet again, relieved at 6pm, got to Barlin Midnight, it was hard marching with a full packs. we leave tomorrow but no one seem to know where we are going 

6th July 1916

Left Barlin at 1.30 marched about 8 miles, and now we are on a train. We still don’t know where we are going.

7th July 1916

Arrived in a place called Darlius 10 pm last night, then marched 18 Kilometres to Naours[Somme] arriving at 8 a.m. we were nearly dropping, and had to sleep in a school yard as there no Billets ready, its raining now but we have got a billet.

JULY 8^th 1916

Paraded at 7pm last night and marched 6 miles to the billets in farm buildings, we are marching towards the River Somme. It is a very nice day. We move up nearer to our attacking troops tonight.

JULY 9^TH

Parade 8pm last night, marched 7 miles then Bivouacked in a wood. We can see the shells busting over a ridge a long way off. We had very short rations today only 2lbs of bread for 10 men and i biscuit each. They say our troops are doing well in the attack . i think we move tonight.

July 10^TH

Paraded at 10pm last night, and marched 7 miles to the billets at Albert , the Virgin Mary with a child in her arms on the church spire has been hit  by a shell and is hanging face down over the street. It is a very nice day.

July 11^th

We are in a wood, we left the wood and moved into the reserve trench. I km in front of the German line which they held for 14 months and lost last Sunday. I was watching two men coming up with a Dixie of tea, when a shell seemed to burst under the Dixie. One was wounded very badly, he had a hole just by the right shoulder, and you could put two fists in it. The doctor said it was hopeless. The other chap the other chap was both thighs. I fetched the Coys rations from Frecourt about 1 Kilom away. We were shelled for about an hour. The York’s took the village and ridge beyond. This makes the 5^th time our troops have taken that village. We are expected to hold it now the ridge is taken. The Germans made a counter attack, but were repulsed. The York’s took 35 prisoners including a General. It’s quieter today. 8 of my platoon have gone out in the front burying the dead. There are hundreds lying about and some are terrible sights some of them.    

July 12^th July

Digging in trench ,Fritz sent a lot of shells including  tear shells they made our eyes water very bad  it is a rotten job, it makes us feeling sick, as we keep digging up dead men. Some of my Platoon, out burying the dead.

July 13^th 

Digging in trench, according to the accounts given by German prisoners, the bombardment our artillery them is terrible. It rained this morning, but I am glad it turned fine later, as we have no dug outs, only s little hole in the side of the trench. To get to the trench we are digging we have to pass one that smells dreadful, as there are men buried there. I didn’t go digging tonight as I took a party of men down to draw rations.

July 14^th

We are rather unsettled today, we have been unsettled today. We have started for the front 2 or 3 times, only to come back again. We are supposed to be relieved tonight. The Black Watch captured chateau and 50 prisoners.

July 15^th

Relieved at 2am, got back to Albert 4 am, had breakfast, slept till am. This town has been knocked about by the Germans. The church must have been lovely, but it is a heap of ruins now. There are a few civilians. But none are allowed to leave now, and none and none are allowed to come into the town.   

July 16th 1916

It is a job to buy anything, and if you buy them they charge a very high price. Me and a chap bought a bottle of wine which used to be 8 d, we had to give 4 ½ francs which is 3 shillings and 4 pence. A small tin of sardines is 2/- . It has been raining.

July 17

Practised rifle exercise, and bayonet fighting, biovaconing in a wood near the firing line. There is an attack tomorrow.

July 18^th

Digging 9.30 pm – 4.30 am, last night. We were very tired when we got back as it was a long way up there and a very bad road, that attack did not take place last night. The Germans put over a lot of tear shells where we were digging.

July 19^th

On a Swedish drill, musketry a skirmishing. We go up the line tonight. We had 2lbs of bread for 21 men yesterday, but it was better today as we have 2lbs for five.

July 20^th

Got to the reserve trench 6.30 pm last night ,then carried barbed wire for 2 miles  in front of the front line trench, the Germans are about  2.000 yds  away . There are a lot of  ANZACS here. Its a very nice day. The Germans sent a lot of gas shells last night.

July 21^st

We went and dug an advanced  trench last night from 8.30 – 4 .30 , we were all dead tried when we got back I think we go up to the line tonight, I saw one of our aeroplanes come down, the pilot was shot in the shoulder. Also saw a German brought down. It’s very nicer today.

July 22^nd

Went to the front line last night, got there 11pm, and were hanging about in the open for a long time. We had two men wounded through loitering. And when we got back to the trench found the chap we had left there lying in the bottom dead he had been killed with a shell. We make an attack tonight. 

July 23^rd 1916

Made an attack at 1am on German Trench, I got wounded in the muscle of the right arm. Got it dressed at a dressing station, and then came to Albert in a motor lorry. Had tea and food, then got in a motor Ambulance, and came to a clearing hospital at Predrexout, and we move from here by hospital train, as soon as it’s ready. It’s fine to be able to get plenty of tea and bread. July 24^th

Came by train to No 9 General Hospital at Rouen, it is a treat to be out of the noise of battle, and get good food. I had a very lucky escape for the bullet was a explosive one and it sturk me in the right breast, went through my overcoat, the right breast pocket of my jacket, through a book with my diary wrote in and then knocked 5 teeth out of my comb which turned it off, I got 3 small pieces in my arm. But the force of hitting me in the chest spun me round half a dozen times.

July 25^th  

Move to our base deport to get treated today.

July 26^th

Got to base deport, no.55 at 6 pm, last night. The M O gave me 7 days light duty.  I have to have my arm dressed every day.

July 27^th

My arm is swollen a lot.

July 28^th

My arm is as big as 2, nice weather

July 29^th

Arm very big had a cold water bandage put on.

July 30^th

Very hot today, my arm is big

July 31^ST

My arm doesn’t get much smaller very hot today.