Diary of Keith Morton Hickman, 1916-1919 - Part 5

78.
went early in the morning for our
joy ride. We took the road to
Port Noyelles and Querrieu through
Allonville & Coisy then onto the
Main Amiens-Doullens road to. 
Doullens passing through Villiers
Bocage, Talmas, & Beauvail.
We returned via Moliens au Bois
Montigny, and Bhencourt. to
Franvillers We covered about
sixty odd miles all day.
May 13^th I went to Allonville

to fix up some business with

the divisional ordnance stores and
Field cashier who were both located
there. It rained all day and
as a result I got wet through.
On May 14^th We were relieved
by the second Australian Division

Mortars and we went to the
villiage of Freschencourt where
we camped for the night.
We found the 40^th Battalion here   

 

79.
And I took the opportunity to look

my cousin Vernon up. I found him

and he looked splendid.

On May 15^th We started a two days

journey to a place near the town

of Abbeville. I was placed in

charge of the waggons. The rest of the

men went in small parties and

boarded any lorries going in our

direction. We were on the road at 

8.A.M. travelling via pont Noyelles

and Querrieu. Just before we got to

Allonville one of the waggons got

of the road and to get it back

on we hooked twelve mules and

in scaleing a bank one of the

wheels collapsed. This we replaced

with a spare one. And moved on

through Allonville and Corisy to

Bertangles. Between Near Bertangles, we

stopped near a large aerdrome for

dinner. Then we journeyed on

passing through St. Saveur and

1918       80

Along the right bank up the river Somme

through the villiage of Belloy to

Burdon where we stayed for the

night.

Next day May 16^th we continued on

passing through Flexiecourt, Long

Longuet, Cocquerrell & Pont Remi and

billeted in the villiage of Eaucourt.

We remained here for the next two

weeks. Most of our time was spent

either in the river Somme or else

sun bathing on the grassy banks. The

days were nice and warm. It was

here I mastered the art of swimming

On May 19^th (Sunday) I spent the day

in the town of Abbeville with a

couple of mates. I went there again

on May 20^th & 21^st. I used to like the

to ride down the towpath on a

bycicle of an evening.

The Artillery of our division, held a

race meeting at Epagne on May 27^th

It was acclaimed to be a great

 

1918   81

success. It wasen't for me as I lost 20

francs.

I went to 4^th Army ordence depot at

"Longpre-Les. Corps-Savies" on May 28^th

to draw some stores.

On May 29^th I went to 4^th Army Gen

park at Hallencourt for some guns.

(6" Mortar) parts. And on May 29^th I

went to Lonpre again and drew

the summer issue of underclothes for

the battery.

We started back on our return

to the line on the morning of May

30^th at 9.A.M. We were travelling by

motor lorrie. Leaving Eaucort we

passed through Pont Remy, where

we crossed to the left bank of the

Somme to Liércourt. We passed

through, Fontaines-sur-Somme, Longpre,

Hangest, Croucy. St. Pierre á Guoy,

Picquigny, Aily-sur-Somme, Dreuill,

Montreis, Amiens and arrived at

Rivery early in the afternoon.

1918  82

At Rivery we billeted in the Hospital

(now Deserted), for two days. All the

villiages round here had been

deserted on the approach of the Huns

Amiens was practically wholly deserted.

We left Rivery on June 1^st and

proceeded to Blangy Tronville, passing

through Lamotte en route. We dug in.

camped on the banks of the Somme

between Blangy & Aubigny.

On June 2^nd we took over the line

from the 4^th Div Mortars at Villiers

Bretteneaux. I remained at Head

Quarters to look after the rationing

and equipment of the battery.

On June 4^th, I had to proceed

to Glissy to the Signal office for

some telephones D. MK. III. to replace

some that had been destroyed in

action.

Nothing much happened two weeks.

I used to go up to the guns every

day with rations or what ever

 

1918   83

stores were required to keep the guns

in action. I did not have any

startling experiences. I saw many

aeroplane fights. Our men proved

their souperiority in the air every

day, and seldom a day passed without

seeing a Boche plane come down.

Our planes seemed to go out in droves

and bomb the enemy day and

night. I used to have a swim

every day in a big lagoon and

made rapid strides in the art of

swimming.

On June 20^th I set out for the

Ordnance workshops with some

6 inch Trench Mortar Beds which had

been broken in action. I got

there and after waiting for two

hours I went to railhead at

Poulainville but was unable to

hand over the damaged goods there

owing to some red tape and I had

to take them to Aily-Sur-Somme

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Some six kilometers (4 miles) farther

for the transport mules. I returned

via Amiens and got back to H.Q.

at 11.30 P.M. tired & hungry.

June 21^st I went to Daours to

arrange for baths & change of clothes

for the battery.

On June 29^th I had again to go to

the ordnance workshops. This time

I returned via Poulainville, Cardonette

Allonville. I went and got these

damaged Beds and one piece on

July 1^st repaired.

On July 4^th The Australians and the

Americans ^made and attack in front of Villiers

Bretteneaux. It was very successfull.

The enemy seemed very much

annoyed because he came over in
large numbers of aeroplanes and

machined gunned the roads and

dropped bombs on the batteries

and billets. One enemy plane

dropped some very bright lights

 

1918   85 

which lit up the country as bright

as day. He dropped his bombs trying

to hit some tanks up that were

parked right alongside us. The

bombs fell very close to their mark

and five British Officers two men

and five horses were killed. We

were severely startled.

On July 7^th I was diving in a 

lagoon and I forgot to take my

teeth out. The result was that

when I came to the surface and

opened my mouth to brethe, out

fell my plate of teeth. The bottom

of the lagoon was very muddy

and although three good divers

did their best to recover them we

were unable to do so. I went

straight to the Artillery Dentist

and was lucky enough to get

an impression taken after I had

gone to Amiens and got the

plaster of Paris. I got them fitted

 

1918   86 

next day and got the teeth two days later.

We left the Villiers Bretteneaux

sector on Sunday July 14^th and

went again to La Neuville near

Corbie. Here we took over the same

billets as we left on April 24^th.

Our guns were in action at

Hamell and Hamell Wood. We

relieved the 4^th Aust Division here

We also had two Anti tank guns

in action. 15 pounders were used

as anti tank guns.

On July 18^th I put in an application

for transfer to the 107^th Howitzer Battery

This application was, however, refused.

On July 24^th I applied to the O/C to

be relieved of Quartermaster's duties

and be returned to duty on the

guns. This request was granted.

July 27^th it rained all day and

at night Fritz shelled the place

rather heavily and two of our

Officers were wounded. 

 

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On July 29^th I went into the line

and took charge of an anti tank

gun on the ridge overlooking

Vaire Wood. All went well with

nothing exciting except periodical

strafes by the Huns, untill August

8^th when the Germans got the

biggest shock that ever received

during the war. The attack was

begun at daylight by Australians

Canadians and British with the

French on the right Flank &

British on the left. Our Trench

Mortar men went over with the

second wave and turned what

Germans guns they could find round

and fired on the enemy. I did not

get over the top as I had to remain

behind to hand over the anti tank

guns to another division. I was

not relieved till 11.P.M. so I stayed

there for the night and reported

back to Head Quarters at Fulloy

 

1918  88

as ordered [*next morning*]. I have never seen the

prisoners come back in such

large numbers. They simply came

back past us in droves and

most of them were mere lads.

We had a good time for the

following four days. We spent

most of the time swimming in the 

Somme.

On August 13^th A party of us was

taken by motor lorrie to the

villiage of Caix. passing through

Villiers Bretteneau, Warfusie, & Bayouvillies

en route. We arrived at Caix at

about 10.30 P.M. Here we took over an

ammunition dump from the 5^th Div T.M.B1

We worked all night and all next

day during which time we

handled some 20,000 rounds of

18 pounder & 4.5 inch shells. We were

not quite so buisy next night and

were able to get a little rest.

We handed over the dump to

 

1918   89

the 3^rd D.A.C on August 15^th and went

back to Fulloy, arrived there about 6.P.M.

On August 17th we were inspected

by General Grimwade on the square

at Fulloy.

August 21^st was the hottest day

I ever experienced in France.

We left Fulloy on August 25^th and joined

the D.A.C. at Chippily. we arrived there

about 10.P.M., and as we were getting

our dugouts fixed up a severe squal

struck us. The top went off my dug

out and I got a shower bath and a 

swim combined.

Next day August 26^th I was sent in

charge of a party of men to assist in

the handleing of ammunition at a 

dump in Happy Valley on the

Bray-Corbie Road. About 8 P.M. that

evening, just as my party was going

on shift for the night. Old Fritz

shelled the dump and set it on

fire. A burning ammunition dump

 

 

1918   90

is a thing to be avoided. Anyway

we put it out doubly quick without

casualties.

We remained here for two days and

then we moved the dump forward

as far as Suzanne. I remained here

for two days. On August 30^th I rejoined

the Trench Mortar Batteries

as they passed Suzanne on their

to Curlu. We made our Head Quarters

at Curlu and sent two gun crews

into action with light German

Minnenwerfers. We lost one Officer

killed one corporal and one sergeant

and two men killed and two men

wounded and accomplished nothing.

On September 2^nd I spent a couple

of very pleasant hours with my cousin

Vernon. It was a very cold day.

We left Curlu on September 4^th

and returned to billets on the

river bank near to the villiage

of Bray.

 

1918  91 

I was sent on a wild goose chaise on

Sept 5^th to salve a German waggon

After travelling about eight miles

I found that the waggon had

already been salved by some English

troops. I returned back the eight 

miles and at the end of the day I

had travelled some 16 miles for

nothing.

On September 6^th we left Bray en

route for Peronne. We stopped for

the night at a camp between Curlu

and Hem. We arrived here, as we did

in a good many places, about 10 P.M.

pitch dark with a drizzling rain.

Next day Sept 7^th we struck camp at

11.A.M. and continued our journey.

We passed through Hem, Clery, Halle

and Perronne and pitched camp near

the villiage of Doignt. All these

places were merely heaps of stone

and brick. The town of Peronne

was not quite so bad. It did

 

1918   92

resemble a town but it had

been terribly smashed at different

times. At Doignt we had no

billets so we had to build ourselves
shelters with whatever

material we could lay our hands

on. During these few days we were

being used as reserve troops. And

whatever work wanted doing we

had to do it.

The next week was very stormy

and wet, and we did not have

a great ammount to do.

On September 15^th I was attached

to the 25^th Battery for duty. I joined

them up at Courcells. Half an hour

after I had reported I was sent

with two other sergeants and two

officers to locate a new battery 

position near Hermilly. We located

the place and returned to Courcelles.

About 7 miles each way.

The next night Sept 16^th we got

 

1918   93 

a severe thunderstorm just after

midnight. Our bivouac was blown

down and we got our blankets,

soaked through, and everything

else.

We moved up close behind the

guns on the night of Sept 17^th and

camped beside our horses in a field.

All this time the enemy bombing

planes were very active during

the night and during this nite

night quite a large number of

bombs fell at no great distance

all round us, but none were close

enough to do any damage to us.

A further advance was begun on the

morning of Sept 18^th which was very

successfull. The barrage opened

at daylight. We moved forward

about 8.30 A.M. and the transport

of the ammunition fell to my lot.

I was on this job till just before

dark.

 

 

1918  94

We moved the guns forward again

on September 19^th and again I had to

attend to the moveing of the ammunition

forward again. I was sent from

the waggon lines with a full

column of ammunition again that

night.

On Sept 20^th I was sent down to

Courcelles to reserve our waggon lines

there as we were expecting to be

relieved any day by Americans. I

got back to waggon lines just

before midnight.

Next day, Sept 21^st, I was again sent

up to the guns with ammunition

This time we got a rather lively

time of it. We rode right into a

stunt of Fritz's. Good luck was

again with us. We got clear

after delevering the shells to the

guns, with only one horse

wounded slightly just above the

breast collar.

 

1918   95

I was recalled to the Trench Mortars

on Sept 23^rd. I reported back to

H.Q. at Doignt that night. I was

required to look after the battery's

books while the clerk went on

his furlough to Paris. This is

were the war ended for me I

never saw any more fighting, at

least I never took part in any

fighting personally. From this

time we were following up. Twice

some of the rest of the battery boys

got into action.

We left Doignt on Sept 28^th and

made dug-outs in the side

of a hill at Villiers Faucon.

All except about ten of us were

ordered to gover go over the top with

the Americans next day. So

they left early on the morning of

Sept 29^th. I am sorry to say

that they were unable to accompl

accomplish the turning round of

 

1918    96

captured guns. It was a disastrous

day. The Americans did not clean

up properly and the result was, they

were cut off for a while. They stuck

to it well, and the 2^nd & 3^rd Divs

of Australians fought their way

through to them next day.

I went up next day (Sept 30^th) and

saw to the buring of six of our

men who had been killed in the

fight. They were buried at Ronsoy.

For the next two weeks we

remained at Villiers Faucon. We

were not required so we had

a good spell. We just followed up

when ordered to do so.

On October 14^th we left Villers

Faucon and proceeded to the

villiage of Prémont. It took

about nine hours to do the

journey and we passed through

the villiages of St. Emille, Ronsoy,

Hargicourt. Here we crossed the

 

1918    97

famous Hindenburg line, then on

through Bellecourt, Naurou, Estrees

and along the Maritz road to

Prémont I arrived here just at

dark.

On October 16^th Two other sergeants

and myself went to the town of

Bohain which had been reacently

captured from the Germans. The

town was very little damaged except

for the shop fittings, all of these had

been removed. There were several

thousand civilians which had been

liberated. I had a talk of to them

and they told me some terrible

tales of the treatment they received

from the Germans. The young

women and girls had a very

bad time of it. One could see

from their faces how they had been

through hard times.

We remained at Prémont for

the next month and did practically

nothing.