Diary of Alexander Sutherland Mackay, 15 June 1917 - 26 October 1917 - Part 2

throw up the sponge, is camped

in an empty barn. ^In the morning after munitions

enquiries we found the camp

had shifted some 3 kilos on, so

set off about 7am turning up

at the WAC about 9am, back 

amongst the Observation Balloons,

Aeroplanes & Guns booming. It

now seems strange to hear the

old donkeys ba crying out after the 

spell at the school.

     However we are off for another spell

as all the 3^rd Division are being

pulled out of the line for a time.

We may leave tomorrow, Ive been

allotted to my limber No. 6

I believe our destination is eventually

the other side of St Omer, so

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we might have saved our

selves the trouble of coming back.

Sith the waggons I suppose 

it will take three of four

days to get there. This spell

is not genuine with WAC, as

horses & donkeys alsways necessitate

a fair amount of work - watering

feeding grooming & cleaning harness

Disappointed at receiving no letters 

on my return, from home.

Its about 2 months since Ive received

any. One dated 23rd July from

G. Turnbull, a Bulford hut mate

was here, poor beggar has since

been killed.

    Just finished watching some good

shooting by two antiaircraft guns

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one of Fritz's machines started

coming over, our shots landed all

round him. Fritz made one circle

& off for his life.

23/8/17 Last night just after we

got comfortably settled in to bunk

about four of Fritz's machines

came over & dropped 13 bombs.

Three bombs fell that close you

could feel the ground shaking

under your blanker. Our

searchlights soon picked them up

& our guns cleared them off.

I can assure you its far from

being a pleasant sensation, waiting

in the dark & wondering where

the next bomb is going to drop.

25/8/17 On the move & have got

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as far as Bailleul, We have

pitches a temporary camp. This 

is the place Fritz generally visits

daily, but I fancy we are the

right end to miss.

26/8/17. On Fatigue all day today,

happened to be in the Quartermasters

tent when the mail came in. I 

looked through & came across a bundle

of 17 letters, nearly all from home

for me Needless to say I turned

some twisters with delight. Spending 

the night reading them. We 

leave here tomorrow I think. Fritz

has just started shelling but

they are lobbing well the other end

as far.

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29/8/19 Moved off from Bailleuil

at 8am this morning, amidst

rain & slush. We passed

several Tommy Battalions going

into the line. Rather monotonous

ride through slush farms either 

side, most of them busily engaged

reaping their wheat. We reached

this spot, our camping place

for the night, about 2pm.

Our sleeping quarters are in

an old barn. Any amount

of hay on the ground, but

all hands and rather dubious

about chats. It certainly looks

a good sports ground for them.

I got placed under open arrest 

this afternoon for smoking

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in the barn. Not a bad start

for the first day's march Im

becoming a seasoned criminal.

However I doubt if anything 

will come of it, as no order

prohibiting it, was read out

before we were dismissed.

Caught by the skipper himself,

Foxton, a long time I believe,

Aide-de-Camp for one of the

Queensland Governors. All

fairly tired tonight, so bunk

has it in preparation for

reveille at 4.30am tomorrow, 

I hear we have a solid day 

before us.

30/8/17 Arrived at our permanent

camp about 8pm tonight, all

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dogged tired, our meals being

a piece of dry bread & bacon

for breakfast, two dry biscuits

for lunch & now they are preparing

a stew for tea, but I intend

satisfying my appetite at the 

farm house where we are

billeted.

31/8/17. Still raining today things 

far from pleasant, we are all 

split up in various billets, our

farm house is about a quarter

of an hour from the horses parade

ground so you don't get much

time to run down during the

day We are all camped in

cow sheds but have clean hay

to lie on. We do not [[?]]

here our own camp supplies. The

provisions which we eat standing

up (owing to mud) on the road

side. At the farm house, we

manage to get nice coffee

made from ^with milk, 1/2 franc a

bowl. None of the farm people

understand English, but we

can generally make ourselves

understood. Appointed permanent

mess orderly during our stay here

so can escape a little of the slush

in the horse lines

1/9/17 Still drizzling today & getting

fairly chilly. Today I received a parcel

from Mrs Mott containing a

Balaclava, Woollen vest, mittens

& 2 prs sox. They are very nicely made

                  26

just the things I required. I left

my others in England awaiting the

Winter proper. Nearly all the

Australians are out now for an

alleged spell. They evidently have

some big objects in view. Struck

a fellow named Cochrane today 

from Longreach. We are situated

some 10 miles from St Omer. 

No towns handy so we are in

for a dull spell if they continue

to remain here.

2/9/17 Davey Craig from the 29th

Battery came across to see me they

ate old Bulford mates. After tea

we strolled over to a neighbouring

village. Nothing of interest there,

practically every old building

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is a Estaminet (or hotel) their

chief supplies being a sour kind

of beer, red & white wine. All

spirits are debarred from the 

troops. One can't help noticing

how industrious the French are

in their districts, hardly a yard

of ground is left idle, all under

cultivation - wheat barley rye

turnips & spuds. Middle aged

men are conspicuous by their

absence, women & children do

all the gathering in of the harvest

You see nan old dame about 80

driving thru horses in reapers

& kids operating with scythes.

Most of their implements appear 

old fashioned to me. The men

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folk are evidently all at the

front. Haven't seen a paper

for over a week, so don't know

how the scrap is going on. Last

night, we heard the guns away

in the distance, booming solidly

apparently a fresh stunt took

place.

2/9/17 Rain stopped & sun actually

shining. I sincerely hope it keeps 

up, tomorrow one may get his boots

dry. Over a week now with wet

boots & socks on. Heard the guns

booming again last night, but

with no papers cannot tell whats

in the wind. The Froggies make 

the most of a fine day, last night

they were all hard at it, until

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about 9pm, carting in their wheat.

4/5/6 Still fine weather, ordinary

   9   days put in. Received 6 letters

from home. All sorts of rumours

floating round, one that we

are to shift camp again, another

that the D.A.C. Gunners are to

be transformed to Batteries.

Evidently some big reog reorganization

is to take place, but

I fancy, any rumour at present,

is only supposition.

7/8/17.  Today at 4pm we ^(the gunners) were

transferred to the 8^th & 7^th Brigades

We went of over in a waggon & reached

our post about5.30pm. Hunt & I

were both allotted to 7 Sub in the

30^th Battery, 8^th Brigade. I was

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not sorry to leave the DAC

a gunner there has no fixed

job simply slavey for anybody.

In the Battery we will certainly

see more fighting but when

up at the front, a gunner

solely attends to his gun

We are to leav moving out in

the morning & I believe go straight

into action. Our destination is

unknown.

8/9/17 Left this morning about

8.30am & travelled bout 20 kilos

the gunners had a rough time

walking nearly all the way, at

a solid pace, working the brakes

on the guns & waggons. We have 

now pulled up at a camp for

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the night, 3 km, at some

unknown village. We are all

billeted in a large barn.

They say we are on a three

days march, I hope the remaining

two days are not like today

terribly footsore on it. The 

29^th, 30^th & 31^st Batteries

are all marching in the same direction

None of the Infantry have made a

move so far, all Artillery. So our

mission, at present remains a

mystery.

9/9/17 & 10/9/17 Not a bad day, left about 8.30

am travelled on though Aire

to Moosbecque where we camped the

night. All our sub camped on top

of a haystack, most of the night was

                  32

occupied in scratching. Reveille

was at 4.30am, we put in

an hour grooming & got away

about 9am. It was a fairly

monotonous march, but we

managed to crawl into our

waggon lines about 6pm, all

dog tired. After tea Hunt & I

went up to the horse troughs & had

a bath. One pumped whilst the other

bathed, first bath Ive had

for a fortnight.

10/9/17. Last night Fritz's aeroplanes

came over, it was a pretty sight

see the searchlights searching

& eventually pick them up. They

hung on to the planes like dogs

whilst the air was streaming

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with phosphorous bullets from

our antiaircraft guns. This

morning he started shelling us, 

the majority of shells lobbed

beyond us but a stray one

fell in the midst of a number

of men having tucker in the

camp behind us ours, killing

six men & wounding eighteen.

I've been picked to go up to

the guns tonight, goodness

knows how long we will be 

there. All say its going to be

a very hot position, but one

might just as well go up now

& have his cut. This plan is

called Dickiebusch & has

been continuously a warm

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corner. At the guns, no doubt

we will get more shells, but

one doesn't mind them, so

much as the stray ones. This 

stunt is evidently going to

be a very solid one.

11/9/17. Last night was one I'll never

forget as long as I live. The Gun crews

marched up to the Battery position

& started digging the pits for the guns,

6 in all. The guns arrived about

midnight but before we had them

properly fixed. Fritz started raining

over Gas shells. We were instructed

to down tools, don our Gas masks

& make for some trenches on a small

ridge some 100 yards away. There

were 8 or 9 of is in one position of

                    35

the trench, when two shells fell

in it. One man was killed

outright, three others so badly

wounded that they have since

died. The remainder of us crawled

out smothered in dust, to another

trench filled with slush leggings

dxxxx deep. We remained there

sitting in the slush & huddled

up against the side of the trench

for about 2 1/2 hours, whilst the

shells, sharpnel shrapnel & gas

shells simply fell round us like

hailstones. We wore our gas

masks for close on 4 hours. Our

Sergeant had been all through

Messines but reckoned he he

never experienced a worse night

               36

This was my first introduction

to shell fire at the Batteries &

I can assure you its not a

pleasant sensation. After Fritz

eased down a bit, we started

off with the wounded men for

a Field dressing station, being

dark we were an awful time finding

it whilst the shells were whizzing 

around us. It is marvellous that

more casualties did not occur.

We stopped at the dressing station

until daylight when we made

our way back to the guns. A

drink of tea & then hard at it

all day making dugouts & fixing

the guns.

12/9/10 Little sleep again last

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night, we had to clear out

on two occasions whilst Fritz

shelled. We are gradually

getting things fixed.

13/14/15 Sept. We have fixed

several barrages of of about 80 dd

rounds. Very solid work & although

our ears are plugged up with

wadding, one feels quite deaf after

coming out of the gun pit. Its

simply cruel to see this place

Ypres is about 1 1/2 miles away, hardly

a solid yard of ground left, all

enormous shell holes, broken

waggons, dead horses, piles of

waste ammunition, tools galore

Our dugout is about 30 yards 

from a dead horse, & he smells

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