On the morning of the 5th day at Ribemont ‘C’ company was assembled in full marching order and marched along the Road to the place where the village of Frecourt once stood, but of which there was now not a trace, it having been blown to bits, like every other village in the Somme region, during the recent fighting. Here, we were placed under the direction of the Australian Engineers and set to work building rows of Nissen Huts for the accommodation of troops who were taking part in the still proceeding Battle of the Somme. These huts were built in the form of a half cylinder, of curved corrugated iron, attached to iron frames by bolts. They were raised about a foot from the ground on piles and were lined with white pine boards and had a wooden floor, a door at one end, also three windows made of oiled calico. They were quite comfortable and warm and were in general use on all parts of the front where billets in villages were unobtainable. They were built in rows of twelve in each row, but containing from twenty five to forty men, each block of huts holding a battalion of men and the whole camp being given a certain name to distinguish its locality. The block we were engaged in building was knows as “Sydney Camp” while other blocks nearby were called “Manitz camp”, ”Frecourt Camp” and so on.

After being engaged on this kind of work for two days, I caught an attack of Trench fever on November 2nd, 1916. Feeling very hot and feverish, with a splitting head ache in the evening, I lay down in one of the newly built Nissen huts and there remained all night. In the morning, I went on sick parade and was examined by a Medical officer of a Worcester battalion near by, who took my temperature, which was then 102° and ordered me to go to the 5th Field Ambulance about a kilometre distant.

There the M40 again took my temperature, and finding it to be 103°, ordered me away to a Casualty Clearing station at Heilly whither I was taken in a motor ambulance via Pibemont and Albert. There I was put to bed and fed on slops for 1½ days, a nice nurse taking my temperature every few hours. As the temperature did not decline at all, I was carried on a stretcher to a hospital train which was due to leave that night for Rouen. In the hospital train I was placed in one of the bunks and another nurse accompanied by the train M.O. came along and examined my chart and me and then dosed me up with some evil tasting medicine and pills, after which I was fed with more slops by an orderly.

Next morning, I was admitted to one of the Hospitals at Rouen and there remained in one of the fever wards for six days until I was pronounced convalescent, much to my disgust as I was just beginning to like the place, although I must admit that I Twas nearly well again. The fact of the matter was that the hospital fare agreed with me very well, and the attention of the nurses was well worth the experience so that I was loath to leave the place. However on November 9th, they evicted me and sent me to the convalescent depot feeling quite well. Here I remained for three days and was allowed a little extra food and palliasses to sleep on.

Next day I was passed out by the M.O. into No. 3 Rest camp which is only another way of getting rid of you, really only meant waiting for a draft to proceed back to the firing line. Here they fitted me with a “Tommy uniform” and Cap, as all my clothes had been taken from me, and I did not try to retain them as they were crawling with lice and covered in mud.