The fifth of eight diaries written by Archie Wills during World War I. Wills describes the journey from the training camp Witley in England from August 16th to the front in France in December 31st 1917. Wills describes the continued mobilization prior to August 20th at Witley camp. On August 21st Wills left Witley by train to Southampton where he and his comrades boarded the “Eastfield”, arriving in Le Havre, France, the next morning. From here, the train takes the men through Poix-de-Picardie and further to Abbeville towards Bethune arriving in Arras. During the first few weeks, the men have gas drills, church parades, exercise rides, and are busy harness cleaning and creating dug-out in old trenches. Wills describes his efforts to learn French with his first landlady. Wills comments on the rations, which consisted of bully beef, biscuits, jam. At one point, the man came across cans which had been thrown out from previous troops, and they stocked up on pineapple and bean tins. Occasionally, Wills purchases eggs from local farmers. Locals are complaining that the soldiers are raiding their orchards. From the end of August the weather becomes increasingly wet, and the men are frequently soaked through and the encounter leaks into their gun pits. In October, Wills begins to work on the Christmas volume of “O-Pip”. Beginning in September, Wills describes his first experiences at the front being in a dug-out with Percy, Harry, Hunt, Snowy and Bowden: the men are ducking in the trenches as shells and gas are frequently dropped nearby their dug-out, observing air battles and the shooting down of aero planes. The men frequently have to move and create new dug-outs and hauling material from trains, and Wills describes digging out elephant iron. At times, he barely escapes serious injuries or death when pieces of shrapnel fall onto the roof of their dug-out, a piece of shell casing weighing 14 ½ pounds dropping amongst the wagons. During a raid the roof of one of their shacks fell on their gun-pit and smothered everything beneath. September 16th marks the first funeral of a boy from the 60th battery. In November, the men capture some prisoners, one of whom is a German in the trenches for the first time. Wills describes how the local population is effected by the war: shells have been dropped in a farm house; the town of Hersin was badly bombarded and several girls working in a big laundry were killed and wounded. People mentioned: Other soldiers: Percy, Harry, Hunt, Goldie, Snowy and Bowden; Military men: General Currie Major-General Morrison; Acquaintances: Bill Smith, Andy Clarke; Comment: Fritz Heinies “the Boche”; People: Percy Mattin; Harry MacDearmid; H.E. Hunt; James Alexander Goldie; Herbert L. Bowden; William Smith; Andrew Clarke; Major-General Edward Morrison.

In Collection:

• Victoria to Vimy First World War Collection
• World War One Photographs and Journals

Creator

• Wills, Archie H. (Archibald Henry), 1892-1988

Subject

• Military training camps
• Military education
• Soldiers' writings
• Soldiers--Conduct of life
• Soldiers--Mental health
• Recruiting and enlistment
• Soldiers--Health and hygiene
• Prisoners of war
• Canada. Canadian Army
• Operational rations (Military supplies)
• Soldiers
• World War (1914-1918)
• Intrenchments
• Civilians in war
• Soldiers--Social conditions
• Military camps
• War diaries

Language

• eng

Date created

• August 16, 1917 to December 31, 1917

Resource type

• Text

Rights statement

• In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted

Extent

• 1 volume (75 pages) ; 13.2 x 7.5 cm

Alternative title

• My Life in the Army, Volume 05
• Volume 5.My Life in the Army. France.. Aug.16 to Dec. 31.

Geographic Coverage

• France
• Western Front (World War (1914-1918))

Coordinates

• 46, 2

Physical Repository

• University of Victoria (B.C.). Library

Collection

• World War One Photographs and Journals
• Victoria to Vimy First World War Collection

Provider

• University of Victoria (B.C.). Library

Genre

• manuscripts (documents)
• diaries

Archival item identifier

• Accession Number: 2005-036; Series: Autobiography; Sub-series: My Life in the Army; Archival Item Identifier: 3.14

Fonds title

• Archie H. Wills fonds

Fonds identifier

• AR394

Is referenced by

• Archival Finding Aid: https://uvic2.coppul.archivematica.org/archie-h-wills-fonds

Date digitized

• February 23, 2012

Technical note

• 400 dpi TIFF. Migration metadata by KD.

Rights

• This material may be protected by copyright. Use of this material is permitted for research and private study purposes only. For all other uses, contact University of Victoria Special Collections and University Archives.

DOI

•  https://doi.org/10.58066/t7hw-et35

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