Handwritten transcript of diaries of Apcar Leslie De Vine, 1 January 1915 - 6 October 1918, Part 15 of 26

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was carrying in my left hand, in my right in adition to 

a rifle I had a shovell, everybody is heavy laden with 

stores of some kind a certain percentage of which eventually 

reach the front line. Those of us who have come safely

through, arrive at our alloted position opposite to our objective

which is the village of Pozieres which is to be taken by the

1^st Brigade, supported by the rest of the Division, our right

& left flanks are held by English Divisions. The first-line

of trenches opposite to us are to be taken by the 1^st & 2^nd Bns

the 3^rd to take the 2^nd line, & the 4^th are to pass through &

occupy the 3^rd objective on the outskirts of the valley, where

we are to dig in alongside the main road. Our artillery

have been pouring in a very heavy concentrated fire

all day, which grew to it's maximum intensity before

midnight & lasted untill zero hour 12.30am

 

23/7/16  Sunday  Punctually at 12.30am the artillery

lifted on the second objective, meanwhile the front line

was successfully captured by the 1^st & 2^nd Bns, after a while

the guns again lifted on to the village and the 2^nd objective

was taken by the 3^rd Bn. The 4th Bn passing over the newly

captured positions pressed on to the village where C & D Coys

gained their objective and dug in  A & B Coys in close support

A Coy dug the communication trench back from the village

to the lately captured trenches behind. The 2^nd Brigade is in

reserve. The early hours of daylight are occupied in ratting

out the Germans from their dug outs & cellars in the

ruined village, which by now is simply pounded into dust

The cellars most being underground afford protection for

hundreds of the garrison, we take a large number of prisoners, 

also many wounded whom it was not able for them to

 transport, owing to our heavy shelling so they all crowded

into the underground shelters. By heavy digging we

strengthen & consolidate the position right through the 

 

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village. We are not interfeared by any counter shelling

during the morning, & we move about the ruins pretty

freely. The German artillery do not know exactly where

the line is, and are not shelling as they may hit their

own posts as they still occupy a few towards the other

end of the village  . Our artillery are not sure of the

extent of our advance & cease shelling for the

same reason. At daybreak many of our planes

flew over us trying to pick up our line in the

wreckage, which we endeavour  to show them by

lighting small flares at the bottom of the trench

We dig hard well into the morning realising that

as soon as our exact position is found Fritz will

open out on us with his heavies. Our wounded are 

carried to some of the deep dugouts for protection &

to wait for an opportunity, to be carried away. There

are many guns knocked out in the village by direct

hits, they have all been badly knocked about. All

of these guns positions have their own dugouts & are

joined together underground by an elaborate system of

tunnelling after the La Boiselle pattern. Many interesting

souvenirs have been found including large numbers of

German helmets complete with their badges, swords,

iron crosses, etc. I found a bugle of a Russian Guard 

regiment complete with regimental badge. About

midday the guns started again having found their 

new range, & keep up a heavy bombardment for the

rest of the day, on what is left of the ruins, not

one single wall remains standing our artillery preparation

was so complete yesterday that both gun positions &

buildings were completely blown off the map only a

mound of broken bricks & dust now reveal the site 

of the village. The wreckage caused by both the

German & our bombardments is absolutely complete

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the village being completely wiped out, this is our first real

experience in France of a modern bombardment. Dead  

English & German soldiers are lying about the ruins everywhere,

the "Pommies" have twice before entered the village, each

time failing to hold it, retiring, & left piles of their dead

lying about the ruins everywhere. The shell fire during 

the remainder of the day is very intense causing us many 

heavy casualties, but we hang on although sitting down

under heavy HE shell fire inactive, is simply awfull and

very nerve shattering. A Co were sent to a support trench

during the afternoon. The Germans attempted a counter

attack during the latter part of the afternoon, advancing

on our left to within 60 yds but were repulsed & turned

back retiring to a position 400 yds away. A Coy reoccupied

the front line at 8pm as we are expecting an attack during 

the night. We stand too all night waiting, but nothing 

happened although the shelling has increased very considerably

and is the worst that we have yet experienced. Our 

casualties are very heavy. D Coy have suffered most

 

24/7/16 Very heavy bombardment of the village all day, even

heavier than yesterday , fresh guns have been brought up

during the night. Most of the shelling is HE of all calibires

which simply pound our trenches flat killing, wounding, or

burying, nearly everybody has been buried at least once, we

are kept busy digging one another out of the blown up trench

However their guns do not shift us from our position in

the village. At midnight A & B Coy relieve C & D Coys 

in the front line. A Coy relieved D.  During the relief

A Coy got lost in the ruins of the village, finding it quite

impossible to recognise any semblance of a trench or a

garrison, so we waited in shell holes untill Maj Brown

found out exactly where we were. D Cy were eventually

found scattered in shell holes so we relieved them

 

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in small groups . A  large number of tear shells are

being used during the night, making our eyes very sore

and smart a good deal, the goggles that we have been 

issued with are quite useless, so we have to put

up with it. During the night our left flank

connected up with the English Division getting 

in touch with the Warwick Regiment, previous to

this we were not sure of our front & posted 

men looking both ways. We just mistook the 

Warwicks for Germans, & they mistook us, fortunately 

the heavy shelling kept both of our heads well down

otherwise we may have inflicted casualties on 

one another. The whole of the flat country & the

rear of the advance trenches which we are at the

present time holding, is covered with the dead of 

English Regiments, due to the fact that they

were twice repulsed in trying to take the

position, they must have suffered very heavily, &

as the fighting has been continuous since, there

has been no time to collect them, many are in 

a shocking condition, & the position is fast getting

very unhealthy. Our Padre Maj McKenzie is doing

some very good work attending to all wounded &

burying the dead under heavy shellfire

 

25/7/16  At 3am we were taken from the front line &

placed on the left of the village, held by the 2^nd Bn. At

5am orders were passed to take with C. Coy, Bn bombers & Lewis

Gunners, about 1000 yds of Kay Trench as far as the

cemetery. This objective is on the 2^nd Bns left, this will

enable us to link up across some flat country with an

English Division  that are working along a low  range of

hills on the left of the village. This we did with few 

casualties, the Germans were completely surprised, while 

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they were having their early morning rum & coffee, we

enjoyed the coffee instead, they showed very little fight &

surrendered in dozens, many jumped out of their trench &

made a bolt for their own lines near the cemetery thus

providing good sniping for the boys bowled many over,

many hid in shell holes & when they fancied their chance made

a dash for their own lines, thus provided us with good sniping

all the morning. The new trench has been taken by the use 

of hand grenades only, which have been terribly effective 

in the enclosed space of a trench, leaving it chocked with 

the dead & wounded, the dugouts were easily bombed very

many were caught like rats in a trap they had no hope 

against the Mills grenades. One of their deepest dugouts

[[?]] this trench was fitted out as an officers mess, complete

with a bar etc & many bottles of rum & other spirits , with

large quantities of cigars, all this was very welcome to 

us. During the day their artillery was turned onto us & gave

us a pretty bad time the shelling was very heavy & continuous

All day we can see plenty of Germans running about the flat

country in front of us, making a dash for their lines from

various shell holes, dugouts etc where they have been hiding

all day. Many are seen on the sky line as the "Tommys"

drive them before their advance on a low range of hills

Our guns poured plenty of shrapnell on them, keeping them on

the moove. During the evening we are bombarded with

greater intensity than ever, but we still hold onto the

trench although it is considerably knocked about & in some

parts completely flattened out, we have lost many men

during the day in consequence . During the night a patrol

reconoitering in front discovered that a Bn of the Warwicks

were holding a portion of a trench in front of us towards the

left. Night pretty quiet with no attacks, we are expecting

to be relieved during the night

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26/7/16  Very heavy & concentrated artillery fire on our

trench at intervalls during the day, at 5pm it

grew more intense, killing & burying many of the men

Hit on the elbow with a shell splinter nothing serious

We are still holding on to our position despite our very

heavy casualties & have not retired from any part of

the trench captured the previous morning

 

27/7/16  Relieved just before daybreak at 4am by the

24^th Bn. Left our trench and picked our way across

the torn up country now completely filled with shell holes,

to the main road running through Pozieres from Albert

This is the road we came up on the night of the 22^nd 

it is now simply covered with our dead who are lying 

piled on either side, this road being the main

communication with our advance positions, it is 

under continuous HE fire, inflicting very heavy losses on

all users of the road, many Bns have had to run the 

gauntlet each leaving their dead where they fell 

which by now have accumulated to a very large number

We slowly and in small groups make our way to La

Boisette to connect up with the remnants of the Bn

who are all making for this meeting place, after resting

for some time, we leave for the Mametz Wood where we

are given a mug of hot coffee, afterwards we march through

Albert to the brickfields, on the opposite side of the town

where our transport are waiting for is, we camp here for 

the rest of the day, lying down on the ground & sleeping

by companies, we all feel completely knocked out, and glad

of the opportunity to take our boots off & get a little

sleep, neither of which we have had since the 22^nd, slept

for the rest of the day, resting ourselves, & feel much fresher

Later in the afternoon at 4pm we pack up & move

off, marching further back to Warloy-Baillon.   We

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pass through the village of bivouac in Vadencourt

Wood between Warloy & Gentary where we occupy huts

and tents for the night. The Wood has been nicknamed

"Blighty Wood" 

 

28/7/16  Left Vadencourt at 7pm & marched through the

night passing through many villages, slept for a few hours

in an orchard attached to La Vicogne Chateau, we will

be leaving again tomorrow

 

29/7/16  Left La Vicogne at 9am, marching through the

morning arrived at Bonneville at midday, where we are

placed in billets for the rest of the day, to rest our feet

Managed to get a bath & feel much fresher for it, we

are resting all day

 

30/7/16  Sunday  Left Bonneville at 9am, marched to

Halloy-les-Pernois by midday where we occupied billets

We all enjoyed a swim in the river during the day

Paid  60f - £ 2.3.0

 

31/7/16  Rest over: Drills have now started. Physical drill

6.15 to 7.00am Parade in the morning 9 to 11 & afternoon 2 to 4

 

1/8/16  Parades same as yesterday

 

2/8/16          "            "           "        "

 

3/8/16  All senior NCO^s detailed for bayonet instruction

by a SM of a regular regiment, as this afternoon is a Bn half

holiday, we lost it much to everybodys dissatisfaction, the class

being held from 2 to 4pm

 

4/8/16  Parades as usuall

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5/8/16 Morning parade only. Sports at the rear of A Coys

billets during the afternoon with a concert in the 

evening, we expect to be mooving off soon

 

6/8/16  Sunday Detailed for ROC, mounting with guard

at 2pm, easy day

 

7/8/16  Dismounted  ROC with old guard 2pm

Nothing doing all day

 

8/8/16 Physical drill 6.15 to 7am. Morning parade in 

full marching order for route march 8.45-11am

Swimming parade 2pm, bathing in the river that

flows through the village

 

9/8/16  Under orders to moove off full marching order

at 9am, marched for three hours to La Vicogne, slept

for the night under the trees of the same orchard

we occupied on the 28/7/16. Very cold without our

blankets, when we woke up in the morning it was

raining steadily. We are very wet & cold, and are on

our way back to the trenches again having been out

of the forward area since  27/7/16

 

10/8/16  Packed up for marching off at 9am, the roads

are very muddy we arrive at Herissart at 12 noon

where we billet for the night, we may be here for

a few days

 

11/8/16  Parades today 9am & 2pm

 

12/8/16  Parades today. Physical drill 6-6.30am, morning

parade 9-11, afternoon  parade 2-4pm

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13/8/16  Sunday  Full Brigade parade in a field beyond

the village. General Birdwood attended the church

parade which was first held, afterwards distributed 

MC & DCM ribons to the winners of these distinctions

afterwards making a long speech, congratulating the Brigade on

their work at Pozieres etc. After giving 3 cheers for the General

we returned to our billets, rest of the day off

 

14/8/16  Physical drill 6.15-6.45, morning parade 9-11 orders

for full marching order at 2pm, full & marched off 

at 2.30pm, as we marched off a heavy shower commenced

and as we were not wearing overcoats we all got very wet

Marched to Vadencourt Woods occupying some huts as 

we did on 27/7/16. We are moving off again tomorrow

 

15/8/16  Left camp full marching order at 8.30am and

marched direct to Albert arriving there at midday, after

resting in a field for about an hour or two. I took this

opportunity to visit the BEF canteen in Albert to buy a

few things especially chocolate to take up to the line 

arrived back at our bivouac just in time to find

the Bn under orders to move off in half an hours time, 

just had time to get myself into battle order , when we

had to "fall in" without even being issued with rations

orders arrived very suddenly. It is now raining heavily so

we wear our WP sheets without overcoats, which we

leave in our packs with the transport. We march

off at 3.30pm without time to get a bite to eat

although a hot dinner has been prepaired in the Coy

cookers. A & B Coys with half the Bn Lewis Gunners & bombers

move off and march through Albert towards Pozieres. The 

firing line has been pushed further on since we were there

last. being now at Meuquet Farm in front of Martinpuich

well over the ridge we left in German hands on 27/7/16

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We relieve the 50^th Bn, and are being continually shelled

throughout the night. No infantry attacks. C & D Coys

will eventually relieve the 51^st Bn, on our right thus

making the Bn front continuous 

 

16/8/16  Managed to get a good view at daylight of the

surrounding country, which is simply a mass of shell holes

& ruins all jumbled up together making huge piles of

wreckage, the shells have fallen so closely & thickly that

there is hardly a yard of country that has not been

covered. We are only in a very rough trench, which

is continually being shelled thus blowing it up at

intervals. Large shells continually falling on some part of it

cause casualties all day. We cannot very well distinguish

the German lines as they have been so much knocked

about by our shell fire, that all the country around

looks the same, all we know is that they are 

holding a line of shell holes & position of battered 
trenches very close to our front, however they keep

pretty quiet during the day, seldom firing a shot, but

their artillery is very active, continually searching

over the ground with HE shells. We had an

exciting night as we were attacked on our left

causing us to " stand too" all night with many alarms

but they did not attack on our Coy front, we were 

subject to continuous heavy shelling all night

 

17/8/16  Artillery not very active during the morning

we suffered many casualties during the night

due to the shelling which was very constant

We saw several of our aeroplanes engaging German 

Fockers over our lines during the day, one

German burst into flames falling just over a 

ridge on our left, before he struck the ground