Arthur Douglas Crease Letters, Diaries and Scrapbooks
Letters from Arthur Douglas Crease of Victoria to his brother Lindley Crease and his mother Sarah Crease; instructions for the offensive of July 26, 1917; a regimental notebook, diaries and scrapbook. Learn more.
*All transcriptions are provided by volunteers, and the accuracy of the transcriptions is not guaranteed. Please be sure to verify the information by viewing the image record, or visiting the BC Archives in person.
BC Archives MS-0055; BC Archives MS-2879
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1918
Oct 11. Advance continues - Div HQ moves to ESCADOEUVRES NE Suburb of Cambrai. The ground leading up to Cambrai is a wonderful battlefield - long open slopes - no trenches but occasional fortified shell holes & [illegible] . Army still fighting - the course of wh. is all its steps have entrenching tool scrapes to digging in for the night could easily be traced.
12. Walked through Cambrai - Saw monument to BLERIOT for flying channel 25.7.09. Cambrai is a beautiful town gutted by fire but little damages by artillery on bouls. Pubic gardens well laid out in terraces with fine [illegible]. Engineers busy with the fires & hunting for booby traps. Plenty of evidences of hasty evacuation by enemy. Very hard fighting on Canal l'Escart. Enemy trying to hold their left flank while retiring on DOUAI - Stiff work at IWUY.
13. Sund. German proposals to accept [illegible] Wilson's 18 peace terms published. Our attack being [illegible] & enemy being forced into [illegible] retirement. There is a feeling of subdued [illegible] but no one thinks that Germany is doing [illegible]
BC Archives, MS-2879, Box 83, File 1 CREASE FAMILY, "Diary of the War", diary and scrapbook of Arthur Douglas Crease, 1915-1919.