Diary of Alexander Sutherland Mackay, 5 March 1918 - 7 September 1918 - Part 6

him. If all the fronts keep going
it wont be long before they get him
back to the old Hindenbeng line. They
anticipate a decided stand there on his
part, but he is not in the same
position this time. He will have
all the Yanks to contend with,
so viewing the stu situation as an
outsider I think Mr Fritz is in for
at bad time. Later We just got word that 
the Canadians are still going ahead.
Douai has fallen & they think Fritz is
retiring all along. I sincerely hope it
is correct. We are still waiting for
the orders to shift. We are are a
disreputable looking mob at present long
hair & dirty clothing. I've had no
seat in my breeches for the last three
days. No chance of a new pair until

we get back to near a centre
4/9/18 Pulled out today to Suzanne
in Reserve. As soon as we lobbed, all
hands got a change of clothing & made
a beeline for a swim. It was glorious
to feel clean again. In huts now
on the top of a high hill Ill bet
Fritz cursed when he had to
evacuate this home. It would do
me for six months without an
effort
5/9/18. Had a delightful sleep last
night on a wire stretcher, not
even the sound of a shell or bomb.
There is a rumour we may have
to go in again tonight. What a
sell it will be if thats the case.
However you are always on the quiver
when standing by in reserve, it 

may not amount to anything. Suzanne
is chiefly a mass of broken brick
walls & houses. A few places have
escaped fairly well but they are
few & far between. This hill is
a mass of shell holes. We have
struck some beautiful defensive
positions in this country, one wonders
what made Fritz retire. A decided
stand with a few machine guns
could inflict awful casualties on
an advancing body. However I suppose
Artillery work settled the question.
6/9/18 Left our happy home & moved
up into reserve near "Curlu". We are
camped altogether, no word yet whether
the guns are to go in yet, or simply
hang fire. They say Foch is just 

starting his push, anyway there is
something big on. The troops last night
& today have been pouring past.
Yesterday afternoon all our 1st Divy
went up, 120 motor lorries full
It certainly looks as if Foch is
kicking off & will continue at Fritz
for the balance of the summer
We see fires going of a night &
dumps well over Fritz's line being
exploded. It looks as if he is
anticipating a general retreat & burning
all the villages before he departs.
He is at his dirty tricks again
leaving bayonets, helmets , badges &
souvenirs of all description in
conspicuous places, attached to mines.
Anyone picking these up explodes 

the mine. He also has a habit of
leaving attractive dugouts with delayed
mines exploding by clockwork as
long as 3 weeks after occupation.
Mined ammunition dumps & roads are
common dodges. However all troops
have been warned so a number of
his efforts in that respect have
been wasted. The news appears
cheerful right along. I've always been
confident but never felt so optomistic
as at the present time. Fritz is
worried more now. Than at anytime
of the war from all accounts
7/9/18 Very quiet day, we will be shifting
early in the morning. Troops still pouring
into the line. Fritz is retiring generally
luckily we are in reserve at present
We had our share of shifting forward 

WL    AX         A

          142        580 

A        AX        106        AS

176     93        10          4   

                               A          [[A?]]     [[?]]     [[?]]      [[?]]

                               25         55           35       10            4

                       2      16          60          36                       4

                                             ___         __         __          __

Registration          9.1       115          71         10            8

                       3   +   8

                       4   +   17

                                  ____

                                  75.1

                                  _____

  

J -

L -

[[?]]

P

W

__________________________________________________

6/7/18

 

     106

1     26 from Pit

        A

       54 frm T Bet

     100 DAC    

 

     A                                                     Ex

2   84 + Bett                                       25

    106

      18 from Pit

    50A [[5BAX?]] DAC                       25

 

     A         AX

3   100      32       DAC                         25

 

      A         AX       106

4   100      38         30 from Pit          100

                                                               25