Left school today - in billets 10 min’ walk from trenches named “Looplines” - Lance Corporal: 968 Claude Edwin MOORE and I took over lines today - good billets here - pictures hanging all around the room. Operators Private: 828 Roy McCUMSTIE.   Private: 862 Edgar Halley ROSE  Private: 710 Frederick George BOYS.   Private: 956 Richard Alexander WHITE. No beer for a while and I am dry - boys playing cards - no bon.

I/C linesman Private: 885 Frederick Richard TRIBE - went along lines today all in bad state - almost disc’ - had a lot of work repairing lines and tabbing lines - prepairing a lot of copper wire today for splicing wires - wrote to Pearl and Trix also Mari - big barrage today on both sides - very little tucker today - was very hungry - no Bon eh.

20th Found line disc’ - from G.R.11 to G. q. 2 Lieutenant: William Richard COOMBES instructed us linesmen to do no duty as we are responsible for communications - received a parcel from the “Armidale comforts fund” and it was welcome - heavy barrage with cannon guns on both sides during the day and night - snow everywhere - no bon.

36th: Lieutenant Colonel: James William Albert SIMPSON. M.C. killed - also 30 men killed by shells - lines all O.K. today - letters received - Pearl 1 - Trix 1 - Alice 1 - Leslie 1 - snow everywhere no bon - heavy bombardment on both sides.

Heavy bombardment on both sides from 12pm till 7pm then Germans advanced under their barrage in 3 waves capturing our front trench- I.A. C. Coy’ sector first line got into trench - sec’ got half way across no mans land and third cleared back then Australians advanced driving Germans out- killed all but six Australians loosing heavy our Coy’- had to go up and stand ready at hand- our house was shaking a treat -terrible cold - snow everywhere - heard Tiny is in hospital today with the “itch” no bon.

Private: 956 Richard Alexander WHITE went out to trenches today to take over office-a very quiet day today-two platoons took over trenches at “Looplines” Armintieres-received parcel from Mrs Lowe-tra bon.

My birthday today 25 years old - we took over trenches today and sigs’ took over signalling boxes 2.Y. in firing line and 1 in the supports trench - took over lines today - in a bad state nearly all buried - Roy and I nearly got shot - Wiz Bangs and shrapnel flying everywhere - Private: 818 William Herbert "Bert" MATLEY was wounded today and in hospital - night very quiet.

‘Fritz’ shelled hell out of us today and I had to duck - no bon - night was very quiet - one man wounded - very cold night frosts.--D.STA TION.GR5.T.STATION.GR.4-T.SS.STATION.SS.S.STATION.STUNT LINE.ARTILLERYLINEG.O.15-18SOS.BATTALION.G.R.2.

Repairing lines and shifting camp from firing line back to C. Coy’ H.Q.R.S. a good pozzieo - a few shots exchanged during the day - nearly got hit 3 times today with shrapnel- snow lying everywhere yet night very calm.

Kaizer Bill’s birthday today - Claud and I nearly got shot - Fritz turned his artillery on to us going along following a line- about 30 shells burst around us but we got unhurt - we crawled back along ice and cleared - artillery duels during day - Lance Corporal: 968 Claude Edwin MOORE got word to go to a signalling school - night very calm - received letters from home.

Fritz very lively today - nearly got killed several times today - line went disc’ while bombardment was on and I had to go out in it all - shells were bursting everywhere - Claud MOORE went to school - Fritz shelled us on and off all day - our artillery is giving Fritz hell tonight - there is a raiding party going over to raid the Germans tonight - everyone left trenches except Capt’ and Sgt Major and signallers - very quiet now again - all sigs’ in dug out.

Raid very successful - four prisoners taken and heavy casualties on both sides - another man wounded - about 70 casualties in the raid - Bert MATLEY returned from hospital.

Bombardment on both sides with artillery shells bursting everywhere - lines disc’ everywhere - night very quiet only rifle and machine guns firing - a few blighties and graveyards today - night very quiet.

35th took over today - trenches -Billiting in Armintieres - had eight days in trenches - snowing nearly all the time - terrible cold - plenty fatigues for a while - snowed all day - very cold.

Shoe Smith V.J Huggins. No:69681 J Battery RHA British Expeditionary Forces France. Fredericks brother Bertie (Tiny) Tribe. L/Cpl B.R. Tribe, 25th General Hospital, Hardilot, France.

Fatigue all night from 8.30 till 3.30am - everything quiet.

Fatigue all night - drill during day.

Fatigue all night - drill during day.

Fatigue all night - got tooth pulled out - drill during day - America declared war on Germany.

Fatigue all night - went to doctor with sore foot - bath parade - had a letter from Tiny - still in hospital with rash - had wild night and saw French brawl.

Took over trenches from 35th - very quiet day a few shells flying - Saxtons on our front - I took over telephone lines all in bad state - no rations today no-bon - our Coy’ holding two fronts - B and C.

Artillery duels during the day also aeroplane fights in the air - day otherwise calm also night - temperatures day -25--night--15.

Terrible heavy bombardment on and off all day - Fritz shelled hell out of us this evening - killed 2 - wounded 12 including one officer - night very cold - Wounded --- Private: 1853 Arnold Sydney "Darkie" Johnston   and Private: 459 Norman Hall "Snow" Johnston.   Private: 1862 Frederick John LAW received letters.

Gave Fritz hell with plum pudding - Temp - night 5 - day - 25 - night very quiet - one signaller killed - Private: 438 Herbert William HARRIS.

Great artillery duels on both sides - aeroplane fights in the air - a great sight - fixing telephone wires - night very quiet.

Terrible heavy bombardment on and off all day and night - they had me ducking all roads - (compre)

Came out of trenches today - had rough time - billeted on canal - had a letter from Tiny today he is still in hospital doing well.

Everything quiet and no leave - rivers are all frozen - temp-day 30 - night - 8 - heavy bombardment down on our right flank.

Day very quiet and cold - heavy barrage down on our left flank.

Heavy bombardment along our lines and also artillery duel - forcasts - very frosty and cold.

Heavy bombardment all along the line and artillery duels and aeroplane duels - got paid today tray-bon - line went disc between G.1.2. And G . r. 11.

Heavy bombardment between the artillery on both sides - shells falling everywhere - night very quiet.

Took over trenches today in a terrible state water over our boot tops on the duck boards - terrible heavy shelling all day but we gave him hell with flying pigs and trench mortars also artillery - Heavy bombardment on both flanks tonight for raiders - out fixing lines while the barage was on - all lines disc’ - no casualties during the day - night very quiet.

Heavy bombardment on off all day - wild night expected - our artillery opened fire on Fritz at 10 pm and continued until 11 pm and gave him hell - but raid.

Morning very lively - bombardment started at 12pm finishing at 1pm - all men withdrew from lines no casualties - evening and night very quiet excepting machine gun and rifle fire - Lance Corporal: 968 Claude Edwin MOORE arrived back from school today - two men accidently wounded today - rained all day and night trenches all mud and water - in fact cruel - no-bon.

Heavy bombardment throughout the day - night very quiet - had heavy day fixing lines for raiders - Private: 972 Oswald Henry PHIFER wounded raiding - B. Coy’ caught spie in trenches.

Terrible quiet day and night no bombardment - 2 killed on fatigue- had heavy day laying telephone wires for raid - forcasts - cold and raining.

Gave Fritz hell all day today but he didn’t respond - artillery barage - one sniper awarded medal for bravery - he crawled out within 30 yards of German lines and shot 5 Fritz and 3 followed him but were shot - mud half way up to our knees in trenches - Private: 1977 Sydney Clifford "Pretty" WOODHAM joined us today - looks well.

Our boys raided Fritz causing him heavy casualties - 25 killed and wounded on our side - quiet during day.

Handed over trenches to 35th and went into billets ½ past 11 square - 10th Bde raided Germans very successfully causing many casualties on enemys.

Fatigues all day.

Fatigues all day - had tooth drawn - pay day today.

Fatigues all day.

Drawing of a (as Frederick describes it) Fritz aeroplane. Both top and bottom drawings.

fatigues all day.

Fatigues all day.

Fatigues all day.

Took over trenches today - in bad state - mud and water up to our knees - very quiet day today - night also quiet - dad boys went to school.

Fritz lively on off all day - had busy day fixing lines - night quiet - snowed all day today - terrible cold.

Very quiet all day - Fritz started shelling our trenches tonight but our guns at him and he shut up like a book - lasted about half an hour.

Gave Fritz hell this evening with guns and flying pigs but he never responded - night very quiet - day very cold - trenches full of water and ice - in terrible state - running telephone wires for gas alarms.

Very quiet day but very cold - night also quiet.

Battalion changed over today - 34th took over - signallers had to stay behind - Mat transferred to Batt’ HQRS sigs’ day very lively - snowed all day - very cold - night very quiet.

Sig’s went out today at 12noon very tired - received letters today - billeted at half past eleven square.

Signallers school started YMCA today - all our boys had to attend - lamp - disc’- buzzer- and flag wagging for seven hours daily.

Attended school - Sergeant: 811 Clarence James "Jimmie" LLOYD awarded military medal.

Attended school - Private: 5136A Thomas David MORTON got DCM presented today.

Attended school.

Attended school.

Attended school - also finished today - Private: 866 George Frederick SEAGOTT. got his military medal today also quiet Mackenzie Lieutenant: 918 William Douglas McKENZIE. the military cross.

Took over trenches today- in bad state - also lines from 35 at square farm - Sandy and I stopped behind sick and followed up in evening - both sides shelled all day continuously - night only rifle otherwise very quiet - Mac’ still helping us - our stating call G.S.6 - gassed old Fritz.

Very quiet day - had very busy day today tracing and mending lines - in bad state - great display of aeroplanes they went nearly out of sight over Fritz lines - 8 in all - battle planes - trenches in awful state most of them blown away - one aeroplane brought down on enemy lines.

Snowed day and night - terrible cold - artillery duels during day and night.

Raining all day - trenches in awful state - heavy shelling during the day and heavy rifle fire during the night.

Snowed all day - terrible cold and wet - no-bon - very quiet day and night.

Very quiet all day.

35th took over trenches today and we went into billets near ‘barb wire square’ - rained and snowed - no leave - C Coy’ in reserve.

Attended signalling school - rained and snowed - terrible cold.

Sig’ school - snowed and rained.

Sig school - snowed.

Sig school - had leave.

Sig school - snowed.

Sig school - heavy bombardment - snowed.

Sig school - snowed.

Sig school.

Code for signals.

Drawing of areoplane---A Fritz Areoplane.

Sig school - snowing - leave - no mails while out this time.

Took over trenches today - Fritz pretty lively - heavy bombardments along the lines - terrible cold and snowing - trenches very cold and wet.

Terrible heavy bombardment on right flank all day - had plenty shells flying on both sides - night very cold - snowed all day - sighted Fritz HQRS.

Very quiet all day - shelled Fritz HQRS today - night very quiet - also quiet.

Helped to run wires for bombardment which ended successfully - I had to duck - Tiny came back today - very quiet night - Fritz raided ‘plug street’ but he got hell with barrage.

Very quiet day and night - rained all day on and off.

Very quiet day and night.

Relieved by 10th brigade - day very quiet - night very lively - while we changed over few casualties - billeted near YMCA.

Rode bikes from Armintieres - camping at Boore with transport - went through a lot of towns - very tired at night - had heavy snow storm - no blankets.

Left Boore and went to Berougne and camp - had rough day riding - rained all day.

Left Berougne and went to 5 kil from St. Omea and met battalion - snowed and rained.

Batt’ marched down to Senninghem to billets - all very tired - camped in pig shed.

Signalling practice on hills - heard uncle Bob died.

Sig practice.

Sig practice.

Sig practice.

Sig practice.

Sig practice.

Sig practice.

Sig practice - Batt’n stunt a great success.

Sig practice - brigade stunt a success.

Sig practice - Brig’ stunt this morning - half holiday in evening - all estaminets closed in Senninghem today.

Had brigade stunt today - saw a lot of deer - 20 in all.

Holiday to vote but I didn’t vote.

Started back from Senninghem on route march - whole brigade - marched 20 miles - all very tired - I punctured.

Had mouse catching competition this morning caught 100 - marching to here today I came on motor transport - name Pradelle - walked back to Hazebrouck - Tiny- Sandy and I nothing doing.

Batt’ marched to Armintieres to billets - I came on transport sick - then Tiny Sandy Boys Rosie and I went out for a night out - tra-bon.

Muster parade and had to pay YS tax for huts damages at Lark Hill - rest during day - tra bon - Fritz seems quiet today.

Shifted billets from Armintieres to Ponte - Neipes - good billets.

Attended signalling school.

A French areoplane.

Attended signalling school.

Attended signalling school.

Attended signalling school.

Attended signalling school.

Attended signalling school.

All specialists moved into trenches - terrible bombardment on right and left flanks - thought Fritz was coming over - after he finished our guns gave him hell - Batt’ couldn’t take over and we had to report back to billets - a wild night - landed home at 2 o clock am.

Successfully took over trenches from 35th Batt’ near ‘Plug street’- Fritz very quiet all day and night - signalling station right in front parapet lines in bad state.

Very lively on and off all day and night with shell fire - plenty work.

Very lively during day and night with shell fire.

Very lively again - Fritz raided us about 12 o clock but didn’t get in - one man won military medal for bravery.

Heavy shelling all day - night very quiet.

Lively all day again - expected Fritz to raid - waiting on him but he didn’t come over - I found one man blown to pieces behind supports - shell fire very heavy.

Both sides shelled very heavy all day - changed over to 34th Batt’ and we stopped in the subsidiary lines.

Everything Quiet.

Day and night very quiet.

Day and night very quiet.

Fritz raided but never reached our lines - otherwise very quiet - Fritz lost very heavy.

Very quiet day but Fritz put a terrible barrage and then raided but he got hell fire - men got into trenches - rest of the night was quiet - raid lasted one hour.

Day very quiet as yet - expect Germans to raid tonight - night very quiet.

35th took over today - we shifted into scrub behind ‘Plug street’ - day and night very quiet - Batt’ camped in scrub in tents.

Very quiet.

Very quiet.

Very quiet - took over ‘Plug street’ from 40th batt’.

Day very lively - shells flying everywhere - gave Fritz hell tonight with gas shells and pigs.

Very lively all day artillery - night very quiet.

Nothing doing.

Nothing doing.

Nothing doing.

Tiny went back into reserve with about 50 others - shifted billets to Neippe.

Training for stunt.

Training for stunt.

Training for stunt.

Training for stunt.

Training for stunt.

Training for stunt.

Resting all day ready to go over the top - started out to trenches at 10.30 pm - Fritz sent over gas and gassed a lot.

Hopped over the top at 3 am. Several mines went up then we charged taking Fritz 2 lines and killed a terrible lot of Fritz. - he left a terrible lot of rifles and other things - we gave him hell. - the NZE. Took Messines and blocked all counter attacks - Sergeant: 1484 Donald McDONALD killed - ‘we made him love us’.

Lost heavily holding lines - it was a hell on earth - Private: 882 George Thomas TAYLOR was killed - terrible heavy counter attack repulsed - Private: 69 Jack "Joe" Farley wounded in the leg.

Very heavy shelling all day and night - 33rd Batt’ took on advance post 300 yards advance of our lines and held it - terrible heavy shelling.

xxx

We took another advance post 400 yards under heavy fire but lost our captain - we lost every officer in the attack also nearly all our Nco’s.

Handed over to 35th Batt’ and came back to ‘Plug street’ - good to rest - heavy shelling all day and night.

Camped in ‘Plug street’ wood -- all very quiet.

Shifted to Neiuve Agleice for rest.

Resting all day - Tiny and all reserves came back today.

Marched to Doulou for rest 3 miles from Essenes.

Had to report to B. HQ. for signalling school - had a tra-bon time.

Signalling school.

Concert at D.Coy’s billet tonight - good turnout.

Holiday for sports - very good.

Route march out to canal in scrub - 10 miles - for sports and swimming -had good time.

Left Doulou to come back to Neiuve Agleice.

Took over Messenes Ridge from tommies - no dug outs made - no-bon - pretty lively.

Pretty lively day and night with artillery and gas shells - Fritz destroyed 3 our baloons - all burnt - I am at D. Coy’s HQRS. Operating on phone.

Very lively with shells all day and night - also gas shells - helping D. Coy’ Sig’s.

Very lively - shelling day and night - also plenty gas shells - Fritz brought down 2 of our aeroplanes today.

Shelling on and off all day and night - also gas shells.

Very lively all day and night with shells but no gas on account of it raining - 3 of our boys wounded and 1 killed Corporal: 1425 Cyril Russell EATON awarded the M.M. and Billie the D.C.M. Also a lot of others.

Shelling heavy all day but night very quiet - a terrible thunder storm just arrived and washed all hands out of their dugouts - Sig’ dugout got full of water and then nearly fell in - terrific bombardment on our right somewhere about ‘Hoop lines’ - lasted over two hours.

Heavy shelling all day but night pretty quiet - I nearly got a blighty - a piece of shrapnel hit me on the arm - plenty aeroplane duels during the day - still at D.Coy’ Sig’ office - Fritz raided 39th Batt’ on our left but was repulsed - they got 109 prisoners of Fritz and leaving a lot of dead - started at 11pm. at night.

Shelling heavy all day and throughout the night - few casualties - rained all day and night - trenches very sloppy and wet.

First page of test notes, not written in code. Information on the set up and testing of field telephone system and morse sets.

These two pages not in code, call signs-actual letters. The test instructions I presume were for the field telephone system and battery/H.T. supplies.

1st Shelling heavy all day but night pretty quiet - Fritz got 4 of our batteries today ( heavies ) - still wet and muddy otherwise tra-bon - still at D. Coy’ Sig’ office.

Handed over to 34th Batt’ - billeted at tents at Neiuve Agleice - a good camp - very bad with cold.

Attended signalling parades all day.

Attended signalling school all day - had half holiday today - had open air concert and was very good.

Attended sig’ school - held Batt’ concert after tea was very good.

Attended sig’ school - had church service band us off - leaving billets at 12.45 PM.

Took over from 35th Batt’ at Messenes hill - in a bad state - no dugouts - slept in trench. - made dugouts today - pretty quiet all day.

Very lively with shells - few aeroplanes fights - rolling up cable wires - raining all day.

Shelling heavy all day - rolling cable all morning - went up to front lines and they are in an awful state - mud over our knees all along the trenches - shell fell in sigs’ dugout and wounded one sig’r - still raining and very muddy.

Shelled all day and night on and off - Dad and Cooper went out to trenches tonight.

Took over trenches from 11th Brigade at Messenes - shelled us heavily day and night.

Fritz shelled us all day and night very heavily.

Fritz shelled us all day very heavily - Fritz raided the sector on our right but never got in - terrible heavy shelling - rained all day very muddy - Stan and Bert went to Sig’ school - Private: 818 William Herbert "Bert" MATLEY went away to England to 9th training Battalion.

Fritz shelled us all day and night very heavily and an extra share for night - terrible shelling on our - tip- advance - raided heavily all night - trenches in an awful state. Corporal: 911 John Thomas WYNN wounded. Corporal: 704 Stanley Joseph BARROW Killed.

Sergeant: 811 Clarence James "Jimmie" LLOYD and Sergeant: 842 Sidney Raymond NELSON wounded at 3 am. - terrible shelling during day and night.

Terrible heavy shelling during day and night along all fronts.

Heavy shelling during day and night - a real hell in the sector - 35th took over from us tonight - came back in support to subsidiary lines.

Heavy bombardments during day and night - heavy shelling on our left towards ‘Dunkirk way’ raining all night - our artillery bombarded twice during night.

Heavy shelling during day and night all along the lines - still raining.

Very heavy shelling on our front all day and night - then our guns gave him hell - nearly got hit with 2 shells -duds- going for supper.

No entry.

The last entry in the diary was written---- F. R. Tribe was killed, I presume that it was written by Bertie his brother.

I live in Dorset, England. I have made contact with many relatives in Australia but am always interested in hearing from any others interested in the WWI history of the Tribe family.

(Mike Tribe; February 2010)

Frederick Richard Tribe was a single 23 year old Labourer from Rowena, N.S.W. upon enlistment. His parents William James and Alice Maude Tribe were married on the 21st july 1884 at Narrabri, N.S.W. and had at least 7 children. Walter Henry Tribe born 1885 at Narrabri, N.S.W. Birth Cert:27923/1885. William James Tribe born 1887 at Narrabri, N.S.W. Birth Cert:29453/1887 and died in 1948 at Armidale, N.S.W. Death Cert:21718/1948. Ernest Thomas Tribe born 1889 at Narrabri, N.S.W. Birth Cert:28908/1889. Frederick Richard Tribe born 1892 at Narrabri, N.S.W. Birth Cert:24258/1892 and died in 1917. Messines Ridge, Belgium. Bertie Robert Tribe born 1893 at Narrabri, N.S.W. Birth Cert:24813/1893 and died in 1950 at Moree, N.S.W. Death Cert:19902/1950. Mildred Pearl Tribe born 1896 at Narrabri, N.S.W. Birth Cert:5541/1896 and died in 1915 at Armidale, N.S.W. Death Cert:7007/1915. Leslie CHarles Tribe born 1897 at Narrabri, N.S.W. Birth Cert:24053/1897.

Frederick enlisted with his brother;Private: 884 Bertie Robert Tribe 33rd Battalion AIF.

The War Graves Photographic Project (in association with the CWGC)

(Australian National Archives)