Dyddiadur y Corporal Thomas Griffiths o fis Mai 1917

Disgrifiad

Cyn y rhyfel roedd Thomas Griffiths o Fangor (a anwyd ym 1881) yn gweithio fel saer maen. Fe gytunodd i wasanaethu yn y fyddin ym mis Tachwedd 1915, er na chafodd ei alw i wasanaethu tan 13 Tachwedd 1916. Gwasanaethodd gyda'r 250th Railway Company Royal Engineers, gan dreulio amser yn Ffrainc. Cafodd ei ryddhau o'r fyddin ar 2 Mai 1919. Mae ei ddyddiadur o 1917 mewn ffurf llythyr estynedig i'w wraig, Margaret. Dyma'r tudalennau sy'n adrodd ei hanes o ddechrau'r flwyddyn hyd at diwedd mis Ionawr. Adysgrif: Tuesday 1.5.17 Guns firing last night - rather heavy and also this morn. Breakfast 6.30, bacon , tea, bread. Then our platoon were told off for drill that we did till 10.00 then sent to Beaumetz by motor lorry. Saw Ruddles there, they are in tents and very dirty camp and it was a dusty ride. Arrived back 2.30, then our day was over.. Am sending photo home today. Our rations for tomorrow are third loaf, sardines, jam, biscuits. Goodnight dearie. Wednesday 2.5.17 A quiet night and lovely morn. Bacon & boiled tea at 6.30. Work loading up tools and taking down huts. Mid day meal at 12.00, tea 7 biscuits. Dinner 5.00 bully stew & tea. Third loaf cheese & jam. Now for a few lines to my wifey. Goodnight love. Thursday 3.5.17 A quiet night and a beautiful day follows. 6.30 bacon, tea. Parade 7.30. Working on French signal, terrible bombardment all day. Mid day meal at 12.00 potted meat from home very good. Our day was over at 3.30, dinner at 5.oo, roast mutton, peas, tea. Guns are going still. Rations for tomorrow 1/2 loaf, sardines &jam. Goodnight lovie. Friday 4.5.17 A quiet night. Bacon 6.30 & tea. Work on French lines. It's a lovely day. Regret to say that there are hundreds of wounded passing today. Mid day meal 12.30, tea jam. Dinner at 500, roast beef& peas. Rations tomorrow 1/2 loaf, cheese & jam. Goodnight love. Saturday 5.5.17 Another quiet night and a beautiful hot day. Bacon & tea 6.30. Work with platelayers. Mid day meal 12.00. Diner 5.00, roast beef and potatoes. Rations tomorrow are third loaf & sardines, margarine. Goodnight dearie. Sunday 6.5.17 G.E. No 4 Heavy gun firing and wind and rain. Bacon & tea 6.30. Work with platelayers at Saultz Station. Mid day meal on side of line at 12.00. We were marched to camp at 2.30 covered with dust. Rations for tomorrow are 1/2 loaf, cheese, jam. Tonight we had a ramble about 4 miles away to see a broken down village. Covered with dust when we landed back. Goodnight. Monday 7.5.17 A quiet night and a lovely day. 6.30 boiled bacon and tea. Working at Saulty Station with infantry men. Mid day break at 12.00, sun very hot today. Dinner at 5.00 bully stew. There are hundreds of hun prisoners working near us today. Rations for tomorrow are 1/2 loaf, sardines, marmalade. Goodnight love. Tuesday 8.5.17 Quiet night and rained throughout night. 6.30 bacon and tea. Work with infantry at Saultz. At 10.30 we were wet through and kept on till 2.30, rain stopped by then. No fire in hut to dry now. Dinner at 5.00, roast mutton, preserved vegetables and rice now half boiled. Rations third loaf, cheese and jam and an orange between two that are our rations for tomorrow. Goodnight dearest. Wednesday 9.5.17 A heavy night of gun firing. Bacon boiled teat at 6.30. Work with French signal people. It's a lovely summer day. Mid day meal 12.00. Guns are shaking the country today. Dinnner at 5.00 bully stew and tea. Rations tomorroware 1/2 of a loaf, bully and jam. Goodnight lovie. Thursday 10.5.17 A quiet and warm night. No firing. Boiled bacon and tea 6.30. Work with French signal fitters. Amusing to work with them. Mid day meal at 12.00. Afternoon very hot. Dinner at 5.00, bully stew, rice and tea. Rations for tomorrow 1/2 of a loaf, cheese and jam. Goodnight Megan. Friday 11.5.17 Heavy firing till 10.30 pm then it was quiet. Bacon and tea 6.30. Work at Saulty with signals. Mid day meal at 1.15. Its awfully hot today. Dinner at 5.15, roast mutton and peas & tea. Rations for tomorrow are third of a loaf, biscuit and jam & cheese- down again. Goodnight loved one. Saturday 12.5.17 Pay 20 francs Heavy firing form 8.00 till 10.00 am. Boiled bacon tae at 6.30. Work at Saulty signal fitting. Mid day 12.00 meal. Its very hot here now. Dinner at 5.00, bully stew. Rations for tomorrow are third of a loaf, cheese biscuits and jam. Goodnight lovie. Sunday 13.5.17 Reg.Lett. 10 shillings enclosure Heavy firing throughout the night, bacon tea at 6.30. parade at 7.30 and bathing at 8.30 in new pond. It was fine too. Then we scrubbed out our huts and kit inspection at at 11.30, then did my fortnight washing. Dinner at 12.30, roast beef and peas and preserved potatoes & rice. In afternoon we had a sleep, its awfully hot here now. Tea at 4.00, tea cheese & jam. Then at 5.30 we had a short ramble so longing for home today. Rations tomorrow third of loaf, cheese & jam. 8.30 pm field service but it came on a thunderstorm so it came to a speedy end. Goodnight dearie. Monday 14.5.17 A quiet night. Bacon & tea 6.30. Work at Saulty. Very warm here today. Mid day meal at 12.00 and at 2.00 it came heavy rain so we were off duty at 3.30. dinner at 5.00, roast mutton, peas & tea. Rations are tomorrow third of a loaf, cheese & jam. Goodnight love. Tuesday 15.5.17 Heavy gun firing all night. Boiled bacon tea at 6.30. Work with at Saulty Station signals. Mid day break at 12.00. Dinner at 5.00, bully stew, rice & tea. Heavy firing all day. Rations tomorrow are 1/2 of a loaf, cheese & jam. Goodnight lovie. Wednesday 16.5.17 Gun firing throughout the night. Bacon & tea 6.30. Work with French signals at Saultz. The weather is misty and cold today. Mid day break at 12.00, dinner of roast mutton and half a potato, rice no sugar. Rations tomorrow are third of a loaf and biscuits, jam. Tonight we have been put through gas test with ne respirators. Heavy rain tonight. Goodnight dear wifey. Thursday 17.5.17 Heavy firing throughout night. Boiled bacon, tea at 6.30. Work at Saulty am loading rails. Pouring rain all morning. Mid day break 12.00. We were wet through & dinner at 5.00, roast beef, peas and rice. Rations tomorrow 1/2 of a loaf, cheese & jam. Goodnight dearest one. Friday 18.5.17 A quiet night. Boiled bacon & tea at 6.30. Work at Saulty unloading rails. Mid day break at 12.00. Dinner od bully stew & tea. No one touches the stew these days. Tomorrow's rations are third of a loaf, bully & biscuits, jam. Goodnight darling one. Saturday 19.5.17 2nd Reg Letter 11 shillings A quiet night. Boiled bacon and tea 6.30. Work at Saulty unloading rails. Mid day break at 12.30. Day's work over at 3.30. Dinner 5.00, bully stew & tea. Rations tomorrow are 1/2 of a loaf, cheese & jam. Its been a beautiful day, now dearie I have got some darning socks to do so goodnight dearest one. Sunday 20.5.17 Heavy firing all night. Bacon & tea 6.30. Work at Saulty cementing French signals. Mid day break 12.00. Our day was over at 1.30. Dinner 5.00, roast beef, peas & rice. Rations tomorrow are third of a loaf, cheese and jam. Goodnight lovie, writing to them now. Send green envelope No. 5 Monday 21.5.17 Heavy firing through night. Bacon & tea 6.30. Work at Saulty cementing cast iron sleepers on French lines. Mid-day meal 12.00, day over at 4.30. Dinner at 5.00, bully stew & tea. Rations tomorrow are third loaf, cheese & jam. Received your parcel. Goodnight lovie. Tuesday 22.5.17 Terrible firing all night through. Boiled bacon 6.30. Duty at Saulty unloading material. Raining till 2.00 pm. We are wet through. Off duty 4.00, dinner at 5.00 - roast mutton, peas, sugarless rice & tea. Rations tomorrow third loaf, bully beef & jam. Gas parade at 6.00 pm with helmets. Goodnight dearie. Wednesday 23.5.17 Heavy gun firing last night. Bacon & tea 6.30. Duty at Saulty unloading material. Mid-day break at 12.00. Dinner at 5.00 - roast beef, peas & lemonade. Tonight am on guard. My first beat 6.00 - 8.00. rations tomorrow are 1/2 loaf, cheese & jam. 2nd beat 12.00 till 2.00, a very quiet & calm night. 2.00 till 6.00 had a nap then off duty till tomorrow. Bacon & tea at 6.30. Change my under clothes & had them on the line by 10.00. Mid-day meal 12.00, tea, jam & cheese. Dinner at 5.00, bully stew. Tea rations tomorrow are 1/2 loaf, jam. This endeth Thursday 24.5.17. Friday 25.5.17 A quiet night. Bacon & tea at 6.30. Duty at Saulty unloading materials. Its very warm and today is over at 4.00. Dinner at 5.00, roast beef, one potato, sugarless rice and tea. Rations tomorrow are 1/2 loaf, jam & cheese. Now I am off for a ramble, it's a lovely evening. Will you come lovie? Goodnight little girlie. Saturday 26.5.17 A quiet night but a German tank dropped bombs on the village where Ruddles is and killed two. Bacon at 6.30 & tea. Duty at Saulty loading material. Our day is over 6.00pm. Been very hot today. Dinner bully stew and rice. Rations tomorrow are 1/2 loaf, sardines & jam. Goodnight dearest one. Whit Sunday 27.5.17 Pay 15 francs. A quiet night. Bacon & tea 7.00 am. We are having a holiday today & I am starting my turn as cook's mate, washing up greasy pots. Parade at 8.00am. Bathing at 8.15. Pay parade at 11.30. Dinner 12.00, roast beef, rice sugarless & tea. $.00pm tea & jam, then wash the pots & duty over at 5.00, so we had a short walk. Church parade at 8.20. rations for tomorrow are third of a loaf, sardines & jam. Am so longing for my dearie this holiday, it's a dreary life this is. Goodnight lovie and God bless you & baby. Monday (Whit) 28.5.17 Another quiet night. Breakfast 6.30, tea & maconickie. Duty cook's mate. It's a very hot day. Dinner at 5.00, roast beef, tea & 1 potato. Tomorrow's rations are 1/2 loaf & jam. Tuesday 29.5.17 Heavy firing all night. Maconckie & tea 6.30. Cook's mate. Dinner 5.00, roast mutton, peas, potatoes & rice. Rations tomorrow are third of a loaf loaf, jam & cheese. Goodnight lovie. Wednesday 30.5.17 Night quiet. Maconckie & tea 6.30. Duty cook's mate. Dinner 5.00, roast mutton 1/2 potato, rice. Rations tomorrow 1/2 loaf, jam, sardines. Goodnight lovie. Thursday 31.5.17 Night quiet. Boiled bacon & tea. Parade 7.00. Duty cook's mate. Dinner 5.00, roast mutton, potatoes & tea. Rations tomorrow 1/2 loaf, cheese, bully beef & jam. Its been very warm today & life is so dreary here now. Goodnight lovie, lights out 9.30. Friday 1.6.17 Night quiet. Boiled bacon & tea. Parade 7.30. Duty cook's mate. Did my washing today. No hot dinner today, bully cold tea & rice 5.00. rations tomorrow are third loaf, jam & bully & biscuits. Goodnight lovie. Saturday 2.6.17 Quiet night. Boiled bacon 6.30. Parade 7.30. Duty cook's mate. Very warm today. Dinner 5.00, bully stew & tea. Tomorrow's rations 1/2 loaf, cheese & jam. Goodnight love. Sunday 3.6.17 A quiet night. Bacon & tea 6.30. Parade 7.30. Dismissed for the day. Cold water bath at 9.00. Dinner at 12.30, roast beef, potatoes, peas & rice & lemonade. Its very hot today. Tea at 4.00. Church parade at 8.30. Goodnight lovie. Monday 4.6.17 A quiet night. Bacon & tea 6.30. Parade time changed to 6.25am. Mid-day break 11.00 till 12.30. Work painting tents. Dinner 5.30, roast beef, potatoes & tea. Day & work was over 4.30. Rations usual. Goodnight dearest one.