Archie WIlls - My Life in the Army, Volume 05
Creators: name: Wills, Archie H. (Archibald Henry), 1892-1988
Publisher: name: University of Victoria Libraries
Year: 2021
Subjects: subject: Military training camps
valueUri: http://id.worldcat.org/fast/1021543
subject: Military education
valueUri: http://id.worldcat.org/fast/1021108
subject: Soldiers' writings
valueUri: http://id.worldcat.org/fast/1125350
subject: Soldiers--Conduct of life
valueUri: http://id.worldcat.org/fast/1125249
subject: Soldiers--Mental health
valueUri: http://id.worldcat.org/fast/1125281
subject: Recruiting and enlistment
valueUri: http://id.worldcat.org/fast/1091944
subject: Soldiers--Health and hygiene
valueUri: http://id.worldcat.org/fast/1125269
subject: Prisoners of war
valueUri: http://id.worldcat.org/fast/1077227
subject: Canada. Canadian Army
valueUri: http://id.worldcat.org/fast/531187
subject: Operational rations (Military supplies)
valueUri: http://id.worldcat.org/fast/1046381
subject: Soldiers
valueUri: http://id.worldcat.org/fast/1125233
subject: World War (1914-1918)
valueUri: http://id.worldcat.org/fast/1180746
subject: Intrenchments
valueUri: http://id.worldcat.org/fast/977825
subject: Civilians in war
valueUri: http://id.worldcat.org/fast/1746486
subject: Soldiers--Social conditions
valueUri: http://id.worldcat.org/fast/1125310
subject: Military camps
valueUri: http://id.worldcat.org/fast/1021054
subject: War diaries
valueUri: http://id.worldcat.org/fast/1745536

description: 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.