Allotments with a lot to shout about
We now know that the end of the war and the signing of the Armistrice was just over two weeks away. At the time there must have been a feeling in the ranks that the fighting was slowing down. For the next four days Benjamin was restricted to physical and squad drills as his battery was out of action. But then on October 30 Benjamin and his colleagues were reminded just how dangerous the Germans could still be in attack. Wednesday October 30: “Fritz came over bombing at night dropping them close to our billet. Was in house having coffee when he dropped one about 100 yards away shaking all the glass out of the window. It killed and wounded several civilians.” Thursday November 7: “Done nothing all day. Went to the cinema at night.” Friday November 8: “Up at 5am ready to go up to position at 7.30am. Started but didn’t get there till 4pm as a gun was ditched and we couldn’t get by. Had to manhandle our guns back to go a different way.” Saturday November 9: “Pulled guns in but as Fritz had retired we had to pull out again.” Sunday November 10: “Pulled out and loadedplatform on bed plate, then broke off. Fine day.”
The war was over and this was Benjamin’s historic diary entry for Monday November 11:
“Hostilities ceased at 11am thank Christ its all over. On guard at night.”
Between November 11 and the first week in December Benjamin had little to do other than play football, fatigues and generally resting up. Suddenly the reason for the battery being there at all had been removed by the ceasefire and the withdrawal of Germany’s army to their homeland. In the meantime the battery had moved from Courtrai to Tourcoing and it was from here that Benjamin got the chance to see King George V in nearby Roubaix. George V together with his sons the Prince of Wales and the Duke of York, embarked on a tour of France and Belgium between November 30 to December 10. Saturday December 7: “Went to Roubaix to see the King. Fine day. Had cup of coffee which they charged 1 franc for, so I pinched the sugar.”
In the run up to Christmas Benjamin and his fellow gunners must have hoped they would have already left the mud of the Western Front for the open fire glow at home. But they had to make do with another Christmas away from love ones.
Wednesday December 25:
“Had good Christmas, got drunk, cursed the Major and paraded the Captain round the room making speeches.” Friday December 27: “Went to our Christmas pantomime (Cinderella). Fine time.”
The New Year celebrations passed quietly and up until January 17 1919 there was little for Benjamin to do except daily fatigues. On Saturday January 18 he was appointed Acting Lance Bombadier and the following day enjoyed a joy ride to Courtrai. Benjamin awas appointed full Bombadier on Monday January 20.
The day Benjamin had been waiting for arrived in early February. Wednesday February 5 : “Went on wood fatigue, but as chit not signed by 15 Corps HQ, I could not get it so came back, got chit properly signed and sent someone else for it. Went to office and signed my demob papers. Snowed hard in the afternoon.”
After several days of checks and tortuous journeys in the freezing weather, Benjamin left Boulogne aboard the RMS Archangel on Wednesday February 12. His second but last diary entry is as follows. Thursday February 13: “Embarked at 7.30am. Had cake, chocolate and tea and waited till about 10.30am when we had tickets given us to draw rations which consited of pork pie, biscuits, chocolate, cheese in paper bag. Left Southampton at 11am, getting to our dispersing camp at Chisledon at 2pm. Had feed then went into huts till 4.30pm when we again had to parade to be put in different sectors. Then we had to give our equipment in, keeping our steel hats, we also had kit inspection. Then we went to the offices and gave full particulars, was measured for a suit, drew two pounds and then was told to wait and catch special at 11pm. But I had my papers and went to village station, caught 6.10 for Swindon and the 6.30 for Cheltenham. There I changed for Birmingham, getting on the 8.30. I arrived at New Street at 9.50pm, walked to Snow Hill and just missed the last train. So I went home with friend I met at Swindon who was in my Battery. Sat talking till 2pm.”
The final entry from Benjamin’s diary was for St Valentine’s Day 1919:
“Got up at 4am as I could not sleep. Had breakfast and caught the 7 o’clock from Snow Hill, getting home at 7.45am. Finished!”