Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

‘Boots’ Pocket Diary 1917, 10 x 7cm. (approx.) belonging to 6360 Lance-Corporal W. J. Barnes, 5th Battalion Connaught Rangers, with many entries in pencil; together with a card, dated 14 July 1918, notifying Mrs E. Barnes of Portland, Dorset that he had been transferred to the Wessex Divisional Train A.S.C., good condition (2) £80-100

The year 1917, as recorded in the diary, began with Barnes on picket duty at a camp in isolation due to an outbreak of scarlet fever. In early February he sailed across the Channel to Le Havre and thence overland to Marseilles. On 11 February he sailed via Malta to Salonika, landing there on the 16th. On the 27th he reported as being on the end of a bombardment, ‘... many deaths and injured. Awful sights and blood splashed everywhere’. Weather, duties, patrols, fatigues, food, pay and letters from home, received and answered, are all faithfully recorded. During March - May he records movements of his unit from Elison to Dragos to Barakli to Kupri and back to Elison. In early June he attended classes for the training of N.C.O.s but this was cut short by an attack of dysentery and enteritis. After sampling a series of casualty clearing stations in early July he was hospitalised in Salonika. There he suffered an attack of malaria and was not released from hospital until the end of September. On 24 October he left Salonika arriving at Alexandria on the 27th and thence via Kantara he went to Rafa in time for a severe bout of malaria which put him out of action until well into December. Discharged from hospital he was ordered to Helonan. Christmas 1917 was ‘a most enjoyable day’; the 27th was even better, ‘Wonders of wonders. Received pay (4/-). Musical treat after tea, piano, violin & flute. Grand.’