The Great War diary of Jack Halstead

JACK Halstead was Royston born and bred. His diary was kept during the First World War while he was serving on the Western Front. Copies of the diary – Jack s War – are available from Royston & District Museum, and by taking this article to the museum it

JACK Halstead was Royston born and bred. His diary was kept during the First World War while he was serving on the Western Front.

Copies of the diary - Jack's War - are available from Royston & District Museum, and by taking this article to the museum it is on sale at the reduced purchase price of £15.

- Went up to reserve position as guard. No gun there, only ammunition. Not a very pleasant job, being on one's own. I remember making up my bed on top of shells, and remember no more until morning.

Still it was rather a bad principle to send a lone guard.

If anything had happened well - on my way back, I found a dead Indian. He had been wounded. He had unwound his turban for a bandage - yards of it.

- May 6, 1917.

n A captive balloon broke loose and floated low over our position. Some guns in rear tried to hit it, but no, it drifted over the enemy's line.

And so we carried on. Weather now was quite good and we were not hard worked and the Front became quieter.

The air force was active on both sides. Air fights were plentiful. Really we were somewhat disappointed if we did not see our every evening air fight.

- May 7, 1917.