The WW1 diary of Percy W. Rainbow – January 1 st – December 31 st , 1918 A transcript of: The 1918 Personal Diary of Percy W. Rainbow Regimental Number: G66930 Home Address: 4 Albatross Street, Plumstead, SE18 Corps: 22 nd London Regiments “Queens” Company: B Section: Signals 1 | P a g e The WW1 diary of Percy W. Rainbow – January 1 st – December 31 st , 1918 1918 1st January Tuesday 2nd January Wednesday 3rd January Thursday Divine service for draft in morning at Chiseldon 1 4th January Friday 5th January Saturday 1 http://www.chiseldonlhg.org.uk/the-camp.html 2 | P a g e The WW1 diary of Percy W. Rainbow – January 1 st – December 31 st , 1918 1918 6th January Sunday 7th January Monday 8th January Tuesday Left Chiseldon Camp 8.30am. On board “Duchess of Argyll” 2 3at 6pm. 9th January Wednesday Arrived in France at 8.30am, in Camp at 11.30am. 10th January Thursday France 11 th January Friday France 12 th January Saturday France Image c.1935 2 https://www.dalmadan.com/?p=814 3 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PS_Duchess_of_Montrose 3 | P a g e The WW1 diary of Percy W. Rainbow – January 1 st – December 31 st , 1918 1918 13 th January Sunday Started job as officers ba tman 4. Went on pass to Le Harvre 5 14 th January Monday 15 th January Tuesday Le Havre 16 th January Wednesday Went to of.M [officers mess] in evening “Importance of being Earnest”. 17 th January Thursday Le Havre 18 th January Friday Le Havre 19 th January Saturday Left Le Havre for the Batt @ 1pm 4 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Batman_(military) 5 https://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/battlefields/gazetteer-of-the-western-front/gazetteer-of-the-western-front- le-havre-and-harfleur-base/ 4 | P a g e The WW1 diary of Percy W. Rainbow – January 1 st – December 31 st , 1918 1918 20 th January Sunday Arrived at Floringhem @ 11.30am 21 st January Monday Left Floringhem for Trevillers. Billeted in barn 22 nd January Tuesday Had signalling test at Trevillers 23 rd January Wednesday Parades, practising attack, with company 24 th January Thursday Ditto 25 th January Friday Ditto 26 th January Saturday Ditto 5 | P a g e The WW1 diary of Percy W. Rainbow – January 1 st – December 31 st , 1918 1918 27 th January Sunday Church parade 28 th January Monday Parades with Coy 6 29 th January Tuesday Left Trevillers for tunnelling Coy . Arrived at Vimy Ridge 7 midnight. Billeted in old German dugout. 30 th January Wednesday Reveille 4 a.m. Went repairing dugout at Vimy Ridge. 6am till 2 pm. To Roclincourt in evening. 31 st January Thursday Working on the M.G. 8 emplacement to R.E 9rest camp in evening. Billeted in canteen. 1st February Friday Re -joined batt at Curragh Camp. Billeted in small dugouts 2nd February Saturday Out on wiring party. 1st letter from home received today. 6 Coy is short for Company 7 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Vimy_Ridge 8 M.G possibly Major General 9 Royal Engineers 6 | P a g e The WW1 diary of Percy W. Rainbow – January 1 st – December 31 st , 1918 1918 3rd February Sunday Wiring 4th February Monday Wiring 5th February Tuesday Rec’d letters. Wrote Bert Clara 6th February Wednesday Wiring 7th February Thursday One days rest 8th February Friday Moved to another camp, Rounday 9th February Saturday Wrote Dave Home 7 | P a g e The WW1 diary of Percy W. Rainbow – January 1 st – December 31 st , 1918 1918 10 th February Sunday 11 th February Monday Transferred to Signals 12 th February Tuesday Signalling practice 13 th February Wednesday Move up the line. S.O.S post in front line (Towy XXX) 14 th February Thursday Line 15 th February Friday Line 16 th February Saturday Dave & Home 8 | P a g e The WW1 diary of Percy W. Rainbow – January 1 st – December 31 st , 1918 1918 17 th February Sunday Home & Ruby 18 th February Monday Back to Rounday Camp 19 th February Tuesday Rounday 20 th February Wednesday Rounday 21 st February Thursday To St Aubin 10 22 nd February Friday St Aubin 23 rd February Saturday St Aubin 10 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anzin-Saint-Aubin 9 | P a g e The WW1 diary of Percy W. Rainbow – January 1 st – December 31 st , 1918 1918 24 th February Sunday Walked to Maroeuil 11 25 th February Monday Wrote Bert 26 th February Tuesday Inspection by Maj Ghs Dudgen (?) 12 . Home & Dave. 27 th February Wednesday Up the line Water point S.O.S post Coldstream guards raid on our right front midnight 12.25. 28 th February Thursday Line 1st March Friday Line 2nd March Saturday Line 11 https://www.cwgc.org/find-a-cemetery/cemetery/11800/maroeuil-british-cemetery/ 12 https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/1030000201 (possibly the Major General [Dudgeon]in question) 10 | P a g e The WW1 diary of Percy W. Rainbow – January 1 st – December 31 st , 1918 1918 3rd March Sunday 4th March Monday Line 5th March Tuesday Back to Rounday 6th March Wednesday Rounday 7th March Thursday Roundhay 8th March Friday Rounday 9th March Saturday Under open arrest for 10 minutes for missing practice shunt up green line. 11 | P a g e The WW1 diary of Percy W. Rainbow – January 1 st – December 31 st , 1918 1918 10 th March Sunday Roundhay 11 th March Monday J.a.s.R Moved to St Aubin 12 th March Tuesday Back to Roundhay as sweating on German attack. Billeted in Baths 13 th March Wednesday Stand to at Roundhay 14 th March Thursday Back to St Aubin 15 th March Friday St Aubin 16 th March Saturday St Aubin 12 | P a g e The WW1 diary of Percy W. Rainbow – January 1 st – December 31 st , 1918 1918 17 th March Sunday St Aubin 18 th March Monday Up the line again on “water point” 19 th March Tuesday Did “Stag” 13 all night Home 20 th March Wednesday Line bombarded 5AM – 9AM Wrote Clara 21 st March Thursday Line 22 nd March Friday Out to Gavrelle Post 23 rd March Saturday Ret’d from Gavrelle Post 13 STAG means to stand guard or keep watch 13 | P a g e The WW1 diary of Percy W. Rainbow – January 1 st – December 31 st , 1918 1918 24 th March Sunday Gav. Post found to have been raided. 25 th March Monday 2 dead bodies found there. Back to Roundhay Camp. 27 th March Tuesday Wrote home, Dav e ( P.C.) 14 Camp shelled in evening. 28 th March Wednesday Up to “Red house” on Oppy Sector @ about 9pm. 28 th March Thursday After heavy barrage 3am – 8am, Fritz attacks in massed formation all day/battle follows. 29 th March Friday Back to Roundhay Camp at 3pm. 30 th March Saturday To Rochincourt West Camp 15 XX to St Eloy. 14 P.C. possibly Post Card 15 Possibly Roclincourt, North of Arras 14 | P a g e The WW1 diary of Percy W. Rainbow – January 1 st – December 31 st , 1918 1918 31 st March Sunday To Mont St Eloy 1st April Monday Mont St Eloy To Bow Bells Concert XXX 2nd April Tuesday Mont St Eloy 16 3rd April Wednesday Mont St Eloy Home. 4th April Thursday Mont St Eloy Home Clara Sent souvenir home 5th April Friday St Eloy (Bert) 6th April Saturday St Eloy 16 Possibly Mont-Saint Eloi https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mont-Saint-%C3%89loi 15 | P a g e The WW1 diary of Percy W. Rainbow – January 1 st – December 31 st , 1918 1918 7th April Sunday St Eloy 8th April Monday Left St Eloy for Dainville 9th April Tuesday Dainville Trench digging XXX 10 th April Wednesday Dainville 11 th April Thursday Dainville shelled house opposite our billet Blown in on to hut. 12 th April Friday Dainville On parades, signalling 13th April Saturday Dainville Parade & afternoon off 16 | P a g e The WW1 diary of Percy W. Rainbow – January 1 st – December 31 st , 1918 1918 14 th April Sunday Moved up to Arras Caves 17 in evening. 15 th April Monday At the caves 16 th April Tuesday Sent digging cable Trench by Beaurains 18 Caves 17 th April Wednesday Caves Digging trenches by night often under shell fire 18 th April Thursday Digging common trench Up the line at night 19 th April Friday Left caves & moved into line on Tilloy/Beaurain s front On S.O.S post in front Tilloy Wood 20 th April Saturday Line 17 http://www.explorearras.com/en/wellington-tunnels.html 18 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beaurains 17 | P a g e The WW1 diary of Percy W. Rainbow – January 1 st – December 31 st , 1918 1918 21 st April Sunday Line 22 nd April Monday Line 23 rd April Tuesday Line Boche prisoner given himself up to our advanced post 24 th April Wednesday Line 25 th April Thursday 17 Coy (Company) make bombing raid on Hun outpost 26 th April Friday Line 27 th April Saturday Line 18 | P a g e The WW1 diary of Percy W. Rainbow – January 1 st – December 31 st , 1918 1918 28 th April Sunday Down line by Dainville, marched through Arras arriving Dainville 29 th April Monday by 2.30am. Dainville 30 th April Tuesday To Berneville for bath. 1st May Wednesday Dainville 2nd May Thursday Dainville To Bow Bells in afternoon 3rd May Friday Dainville 4th May Saturday Batt.