Diary of Corporal Thomas Griffiths, July 1917

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Before the war Thomas Griffiths of Bangor (born 1881) worked as a stonemason. He attested for military duty in November 1915 and was called up on 13 November 1916. He served with the 250th Railway Company of the Royal Engineers until he was demobbed on 2 May 1919, seeing action in France. His diary for 1917 takes the form of an extended letter to his wife, Margaret. Here are the pages from July. Transcript: Friday 6/7/17 Heavy firing all night. Bacon 6.00. Work at Mondicourt. Dinner 5.00, bully stew, tea, 1/4 loaf tomorrow jam, poor rations now. Goodnight lovie Saturday 7/7/17 Quiet night. Bacon tea at 6.00. Work at Mondicourt, dinner 5.00 bully stew potatoes, rations 1/4 loafjam. On guard 7.00pm. Quiet night - heavy thunderstorm 2.30am until 6.00am. Sunday 8/7/17 GE No.8 Pay 15 francs (46th) Boiled bacon 7.00am. Pay parade 11.30am. Dinner 12.00 cold bully stew, new potatoes, rice, tea. Thunderstorm again at 12.30pm. Sleep in the afternoon. Rations tomorrow 1/4 loaf. Goodnight dearest one. Monday 9/7/17 Quiet night. Bacon tea at 6.00am. Work at Mondicourt wet and muddy day. Dinner 5.00pm, roast beef potatoes, tea. Tomorrow we are parading at full marching order at 6.25am. Rations 1/2 loaf. Goodnight my lovely. Tuesday 10/7/17 (47th) Parade in full kit at 6.25am. train leaves at 8.45. Arrived Aubigny 11.00am, put up tents and duty over 4.00pm. Tea and nothing with it at 4.30pm. Then went for a stroll to town which is not bad. Had egg & chips, tea in the YMCA & C of E canteen here and you can buy anything here. Goodnight dear one. Wednesday 11/7/17 (48th) Guns firing all night - slept fairly. Grass was damp and no boards. Tonight we have some straw, last night had a fine feed of egg and chips in town. Today was lovely. Goodnight dearest. Thursday 12/7/17 Quiet night. Breakfast 6.15am, bacon & tea. Parade 7.00am. Here dinner 11.30 to 12.15, day over at 4.30pm. Hot dinner 5.00 roast mutton, new potatoes, rice, dates & tea. Lovely weather, rather too hot. One thing would make this life easier to have that is to receive a few lines oftener. Not a line since Friday last. Ta ta love.

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