Thursday February 21st, 1918
Stand down 6:30. Poor rations for breakfast, sleep until dinner, work in trenches till 5pm then tea and stand to. 6:15 first relief AB14. Terrible cold feet & numb. Glad when relieved 12:15. Oxo when got back. 1am till 4am work. Must think we are mad. Knock off 4am, two hours sleep till stand to. Breakfast 7am, had wash and wrote home 14th letter. Work afternoon and then stand to. Second relief AB14
Oxo & Bovril
Frank is on a guard-like rotation on AB14 and also part of a working party. He covers almost two days in this diary entry. It sounds both stressful and tiring. No wonder he writes ‘Must think we are mad’ to no-one in particular.
The benefits of a hot drink were much discussed, recognized and promoted during the war. Indeed the virtues of both Bovril and Oxo were widely extolled both on the home and war fronts. Meat extract was a staple in every soldier’s iron rations.
Gladys Storey, an actress, started doing her bit for the war by selling postcards of Lord Roberts. The Field Marshall died of pneumonia after visiting the Indian troops on the Western Front in late 1914. He was widely respected and had a reputation for caring for his men. Ms Storey took the money she received and bought Bovril to send to the troops.
The initiative was very popular with soldiers of all ranks and grew into a huge enterprise during the war. Her advertisements contained endorsements from the highest ranks of the services. Even Her Majesty the Queen took an interest. In one such advertisement in May 1916 in The Times, the Bovril campaign mapped all of the battle fronts and regiments receiving its bounty. The Manchesters were listed as was Salonika. Despite this, Frank is on Oxo – and enjoys it very much.
13th (Service) Battalion War Diary – 21st February 1918 – No 1 Sector, Minden Camp
Our artillery fairly quiet all day. Enemy fired about 11 small High Explosives on support trenches between B2 and B8. Our Trench Mortars fired at intervals throughout the night on to O1. Enemy answered at 20:50 with 3 in front of B4 & B6 and 1 on Ridgeway Sap. In the evening an enemy plane flew from West to East over our line at a very high altitude. A patrol of 3 OR proceeded alone the Dojran Road west of wood, through enemy wire. After reconnoitring ruined house, they moved west up Patty Ravine, returning via B4 sap. No enemy were seen or heard. 1 British rifle and 2 German grenades were found in Patty Ravine and brought in. The three gaps in enemy wire in front of ruined house are still untouched. Our found rifle in B6 was active against the Pill Box in O2.
References & Further Reading
*Bovril, Books, Health & History, New York Academy of Medicine