13th September 1914  (Sunday)

SERCHES.  Artillery duels increasingly heavy, shells constantly passing overhead.  13th Infantry (?) transport cut up.  Heavy casualties including Capt. Murray,  to whom I gave the last drink he had,  and Sgt Major McWhinnie K.O.B.S. (nb. Miss Murray, daughter of Capt Murray, had our boys in her class in Sunday School in Dublin).  We used a house as a dressing station and after redressing wounded had to move suddenly on account of danger from shell fire. Retreat to a farm but soon afterwards return to the village to receive wounded brought in by our bearers at 9pm. Receive 18 wounded at 1.30pm and redress them. Slept a few hours on straw in shed.  The rooms and garden were very fine in this house.

12th Sept 1914

HARTNESS.  Sick transfered to base in motor lorries, including 9 wounded Germans.  March of at 11.20 am, very wet day.  NAMPTEUIL-sous-MURET, billeted in a room, rat ran over my faces I lay. Met an interesting case. Man blown bodily out of a trench without wounding - back bent double with shock but rapidly improving.

11^th September 1914

Rise at 4.30 am, leave camp at CHENZY-en-ORXOIS at 8.30 am. Official news read for the first time. 7000 Austrians captured by Russians and army practically useless. Cavalry engagements between British (including 9th Lancers) and Germans. Heavy losses of Germans in Artillery, Cavalry, and Infantry. Intercepted wireless messages showing urgent need for help for German army corps. Aviators dropping bombs on German transport etc and doing much damage. Germans up to the age of 60 called up. Capt Darling and Sgt Whelan turn up having been away since 2nd Sept conveying 4 motor lorries of wounded to base.

MARIZY-STE. GENEVIEVE 1pm, ST. REMY-OULCHY-LE-CHATEAU passed, arrived at HARTENNES at 8 pm after a long tiring march in heavy rain.

10th September 1914

Crossed the MARNE at 7.30 am. Searched hill for wounded, came across a number of British dead scattered along the roadside, in the woods, up the hill and in the vinyards. WC.L.I (Cornwalls) badly cut up. Several abdominally wounded left all night where they fell. 600 Germans captured in village, numbers of German dead passed on the road. Passed deserted German guns and limbers, Engineers explosives etc wagons and many dead horses. 10 ambulance wagon loads of wounded collected. We buried 10.

GANDELU passed in the evening, rested ½ hour by an inn on the seat outside, landlady’s husband at the war, shook hands and showed me her baby fille (?) her Belle fille, kindness to troops again.

8th September 1914

 Wake at 4.20 am, at 4.40 splendid sunrise, beautiful effect through trees. Saw 65 German prisoners who seem little sorry to be with us. Pass near the front of our 4.7. Lay on baggage wagon. Rather uncomfortable but much better than lying in field which was very wet. Bivouac near SAACY-sur-MARNE in field under apple tree. No. 15 Field Ambulance take a number of German prisoners.

9th September 1914

Turn into field at SAACY. Ambulance bearers turn out, gun fire all round us. German aeroplanes fired at by artillery, 11 rounds but without effect. The balls of smoke from each round hung in the sky and could be clearly counted. Bivouac at 3.20 am.

The 60 lb guns in the field next to us, had just commenced to change the direction of their fire when an aeroplane suddenly descended after the first shot to inform the officer i/c that the shell went over our own troops and thus averted, in the nick of, time, serious consequences to our own troops.

7th September 1914

Rise at 5.30am, a fine morning.  We are supposed to move off at 8am, DAMMARTIN. 1 of (?) cavalrymen (German) buried in next field.  German guns captured, surrounded by dead.  Picked up a few British wounded.  Troops in high spirits at advancing.  Many signs of German looting, broken windows and doors, remains of cattle etc. in fields.  Pass over site of battle and men pick up curios.  Slept on baggage as field was so wet.
Pass through COULOMMIERS, a fine town with grand churches,  buildings etc.  We pass many miles of telegraph wires cut down, note peculiar build of posts.