Gunnedah’s Tim MacKellar recalled how his grandfather Frank Channon – a trench mortar bomber in the World War I – kept a diary for the length of his service and also took photos “while he was in the thick of things”. Below is an excerpt from his diary notes.
14th April 1917 Saturday
Went to Bazentin then on to Fremicourt.
First sight of Bapaume.
About sunset we arrived at our Camp.
Eric Bell,Tiny Welch, Les Black from Trench Mortar School and myself. Met “Johno” Johnson from Willoughby.
Very cold & muddy in our tents.
15th April 1917 Sunday
German attack at dawn. Heavy gunfire.
Received photos from Uncle Frank and forwarded them to Australia.
Dreamt of Mum’s funeral.
12 May 1917 Saturday
March to Beaumetz & camped in village which had been demolished by Shell-Fire.
All fruit trees cut down by German guns in a sunken road.
We camped in German Dugouts when on guard.
14 May 1917 Monday
Beaumetz shelled and Tommy Knight wounded.
Went for a big walk over the Somme battlefield in search of Claude Kallits Grave.
Was unsuccessful.
23rd June Saturday
Received a letter conveying the sad news of Mum’s death at 3.50 am on 14th April
30th June Saturday
Had a refreshing hot bath & obtained clean shirts & had a feed of cherries.
Left Albert about 9pm in the usual cattle trucks for Bapaume.
Arrived (after plenty of fiddling and singing) about 11 or 12 midnight & was disappointed in having to walk to Beaumetz after expecting to sleep on the train.
Got off the road and roamed for miles in mud at 2am.
Railway sleepers everywhere.
Everybody very much tired, muddied and annoyed at route taken.
8th July 1917 Sunday
Received a photo of Stella, Mollie, Lettie and baby.
Left the camp and travelled to Belgium.
Passed through Poperinghe (Poeparnyah) by buses for Scottish & Dominion Camp Huts.
Camped in Dominion Lines.
11th July 1917 Wednesday
Went by Motor Wagons to Salvation Corner via Ypres and saw the Cloth Halls
remains for 1st time.
Ypres awfully destroyed.
Carried “Suckers” from Corner to the line. Got lost on 2nd trip so dumped Sucker.
Found Battery & done the 3rd trip. Met a shell fire stunt on 1st trip near Road.
Took cover nobody hurt.
Waiting for Motors but eventually walked home .
Arrived back at camp about 5am after doing a freeze in Ypres.
12th July 1917 Thursday
Spent all day in bed sleeping.
Went on fatigue to the front line again at night. Carried Plum Puddings into West Lane to front line and met with a stunt about the 100 yard mark.
Jimmy Dunlop badly hit in the back and arms and Bradstock and Black had light hits.
Old McNulty was in front of me going like a hare to keep up.
Arrived back at camp about sunrise.
13th July 1917 Friday
In bed all day resting and then up to West Lane trench again with Plum Puddings. Met a shelling stunt at end of trench on return for the second load and got off with more dirt baths.
Met a tear gas stunt when returned with second load.
Safe back to Ypres and Motors blocked through German incendiary shelling of the main road. Many Motors ablaze.
Made a dash up and on to the left like an express.
14th July 1917 Saturday
Picked up a load on West Lane dump on Menin Rd and after passing Hell Fire Corner up the road to left to the line, we ran into a stunt.
Awful time.Took cover.
Resumed our trip, deposited load and met with tear and mustard gas.
Raced back and was passing Hell Fire Corner when Bunns and Morrison were hit by shrapnel.
Awful gassing. Eric Bell and self got burns.
A pill box near us was hit and bricks came down on us.
Made a dash for Menin Gate and home.
Stunt went for 5 hours or so.
Drenched through walking home in the rain.
15th July 1917 Sunday
Those who went on sick parade were exempted from the nights work.
We had to go up and pick two suckers up at Menin Rd dump.
Parkes helped me with one.
Deposited bombs and only met with intermittent shelling.
Got safely back to camp.
Paddy O’Brien badly wounded and died.
Also Carlisle wounded badly on our first trip.
Awakened by Eric Bell who said Parkes was killed near Camouflage Rd.
26th July 1917 Thursday
Went up to the line at Zillebeke on fatigue at about 11pm.
Party did a good deal of wandering about.
Passed Shrapnel Corner.
Couldn’t find proper dump so we carried puddings from an old dump.
Fairly heavy shelling near dump.
Took cover in a trench.
Had just left the dump when a shell lobbed there. Trench blown in a good deal and plenty of carrying over the top from aeroplanes above us.
Dumped bombs near the Woods.
Arrived home no casualties.
31st July 1917 Tuesday
Great Franco-British offensive on the Ypres-Coast front commenced as infantry went over at 3.53am.
Counter battery work had been in progress for weeks and bombardment previous to top-over was a booming roll.
All objectives taken.
Rain commenced during Tuesday night and stopped the advance.
12th August 1917 Sunday
Met a chap from the 18th Battlion who accompanied me to their camp and found out the particulars of Uncle Bert’s death at Flers.
Killed about 7.30am 7/9/1916. He had hopped over the top and was killed instantaneously.
Buried in a large grave with about 75 other men.
Wrote to all relatives in England notifying them.
16th September 1917 Sunday
Working on Granville Dump loading up 18 shells for the Cadover Dump.
15 German planes flew over the dump. Took cover in the gutter.
The planes passed over and bombed Cadover Dump- missed but bombs fell in 3rd Div horse lines killing two chaps and wounding 4 others.
17th September 1917 Monday
Made out an amended will as last posted by the Mongolia was sunk with the ship.
Went up the line about midnight carrying suckers and flying pigs to the guns on the left of Menin Rd.
Fairly quiet night but a good deal of shelling went on after we had dumped our Pigs.
Nearly got a shower bath near the cross roads with a big shell falling just in front of us.
20th September 1917 Thursday
Saw about 300 Hun prisoners pass by our camp at about 1pm.
Plenty of wounded returning from the front all day.
Left for the line at 10pm – a small dugout by Lake Zillebeke.
1st and 2nd Divisions hopped over at dawn.
Hun planes bombed about 100 yards from our dugout killed about 6 and wounded about 20
Went up past Menin Rd where Aussies had hopped over the previous morning.
Could see our shells falling behind Fritz’s lines.
Our bombs steadily bombarding all day and surprisingly feeble retaliation from Fritz.
I was immensely surprised to see the intense daylight activity behind our lines under steady observation of German balloons.
Saw several air fights.
6 or 7 Hun planes dropped big bombs but they fell a good distance from us.
Oct. 15th. 1917 Monday
Sent Razor to George Browne.
Jack Allan, 3rd Battalion. Killed in action
Oct 17th 1917 Wednesday
Wrote to Stella & Grandma Channon
Brother Peter died from effects of Mustard Gas early morning of 16th.
Saw a big Gotha Plane fall from a great height. One wing shot off. Fell near Diekebusch.
Oct 19th 1917 Friday
Issued with new Tunic.
Fritz over bombing about.
21st October 1917 Sunday
Fritz’s planes over bombing about 4.30am.
Had a fly at Kemp to go out for a bit of exercise & asked to be sent back to unit.
Received a packet of Oxo Cubes & letter from Uncle Fred.
22nd Oct 1917 Monday
Aeroplanes bombed very close to Office, 5 bombs.
Jack Harrison & self quickly fell on the floor & after being there for a while MacDonald came in laughing like a good’un, because he got a crack of a bump of mud on his back while he was trying to take cover behind his Steel Helmet which he had in his hands. We laughed like anything. Thought it great fun.
Went to Dickebusch with Mac during afternoon for mail.
25th October 1917 Thursday
Phil Staveley of the Office – also in the 13th Battalion came up & greatly surprised me. His throat is affected results of Mustard Gas.
Says he’s the only one left out of the 14 or so boys he enlisted with from Blues Point.
27th October 1917
Left Reninghelst for Ypres.
A little Shelling taking place just near where we unloaded wagons. Only slight.
Reg Rowe got me a bed, salvaged from Ruins & obtained permission to sleep over there.
Nice. Wood frame & hessian. Very comfortable.
Bombing at night.
3rd November 1917
Received a letter from Uncle Frank.
Saw that poor Howard had been killed in action 16/10/17.
Albert Sutton also killed about same date 20/10/17.
14th November 1917 Wednesday
Justin Killed up Anzac Ridge. Eric Bell slightly wounded in head.
Ted Richards (signal boy who used to help Andy cook for us was sent up the front last week). Killed. A lovely Chef. Andy transferred to Mortars.
16th November 1917 Friday
Went to burial of good old “Jus” Jose at Diekebusch. Cemetery.
Everybody deeply sorry & grieved to part with such a fine soldier & Comrade.
Ted Richards buried at Reninghelst Cemetery (just at rear of our Billets)
Learnt from Tom Knight that Billy no good was killed in action.
25th December 1917 CHRISTMAS DAY
Very stormy, cloudy, & shivers of frozen rain – small hail – wind died down about teatime. Went for a walk to the T. M. Rest Camp during the afternoon.
At 6.15pm we (Don Ack & Signals Section at D.A.- other Ranks Mess) – sat down for our brilliant & cheerful Christmas dinner.
Tables beautifully done up considering the circumstances Pictures around the walls; Holly & Greenery hanging from the roof; nice fires in the Hut; & bit camp; spirits; fruit nuts, etc, decorating tables.
Georg Russell, Manus, & Blue Russell were the cooks & they were cooking on night of 24th & all Christmas eve. Blue Blundell managed the birth of the PUDDING & when it was time to be presented to the guests, Blue came in with it in a lid covered in Rum & the Rum alight giving off a putty blue light. Didn’t Blue & the Pudding get a cheer? Not Arf ! We all cheered & kicked up a row as long as our breath lasted.
The 3 garcons – boy waiters- had a lively & jolly time, cleaning dishes, passing beer, etc, etc,. The time about 10 oclock & then the whisky came out & Brownie suddenly remembered a bit of a Maori dance & up he sprang on the foam & attempted its condition, I laughed until my jaws ached.
The toasts of “Home folk” & “Fallen Comrades” (many fell in 1917) was drunk with marked respect reverence & silence, & Dick Bodly very ably proposed the toast of “The Day we Celebrate” making nice references to the Birth of the Prince of Peace. The Dinner finished about midnight & the sight of the recent fall of snow was magnificent. Just a sight ,such as many English Artists have pictured an English Christmas. It was magnificent, pretty, peaceful, & a long life picture for us to remember. It seemed a mantle of peace on this Dark Spot of the World which God had reserved for Christmas Day as it was the first fall of snow we had. Everyone was struck with its splendour.
There were various Christmas gifts such as Tobacco, Biscuits, Cheese, half a pound of beautiful pudding per man which was saved for New Year’s Day dinner.
31st December 1917 New Year Eve
We (The Other Ranks Mess) held a quiet evening, Smokes, Biscuits, Sandwiches, Beer, Cake & Music. The musical items were not much class but enjoyable. I gave a bit of a time on the violin & sang & it came as a bit of surprise to them. We waited up till 12 o’clock & rang the old year out & the New Year in with lustily & prolonged cheering. The guns boomed out for about a minute or two at 12 o’clock midnight as a greeting & challenge to the enemy.
5th March 1918 Thursday
Sunny day so went to Belgium Battery Corner Cemetery & found Bob Sandhams grave and Nancy Parker ( of Derby’s) husbands grave. Took 4 Snaps of same.
9th March 1918 Saturday
Lankhof Farm with 1st Brigade Headquarters
Went to Hell-fire Corner& Menin Road with a chap on Wireless work.
The old places of danger, quite unfamiliar in appearance. Railways
tramways, Huts, Dumps,Tents etc all over the Field right up Westhoch Ridge.
16th March 1918 Saturday
Gas-shells falling in vicinity of the farm and Spoil Bank about 2am.
Lovely day. Went to Lake Zillebeke & back via Shrap. Corner for walk during
morning
21st March 1918 Thursday
Three hours Mustard Gas bombardment from 3-30am to 6-30 am by Fritz into our Batteries
preparatory to a Raid.
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