Diary of Percy George Rupert Parkes, 1916-1917 - Part 6

DECEMBER
1915
64 MONDAY
75 TUESDAY
86 WEDNESDAY

1915
DECEMBER
97 THURSDAY
108 FRIDAY
119 SATURDAY
1210 SUNDAY

DECEMBER
1915
1311 MONDAY

Very interesting lecture by
Prof Atkins on "The cause of the
War'
1412 TUESDAY
1513 WEDNESDAY 

1915
DECEMBER
1614 THURSDAY
1715 FRIDAY
1816 SATURDAY
Military Tournament at riding
Ground. I was in both teams that
won Lloyd Lindsay & Relay Race.
Excellent afternoons sport.
1917 SUNDAY

DECEMBER
1915
2018 MONDAY
All Battns, out of line in the 4^th Army,
COs are here for conference on
work done at school.
2119 TUESDAY
2220 WEDNESDAY
Scheme siting trenches for
defensive with a point of view to
advance from later. Held at Bouchon

Lost final Soccer game 1 to

4 Pyndiccan.

1915
DECEMBER
2321 THURSDAY

Scheme at "Hangers" -Occupying

position won & consolidating

Wiring Competition

Drill competition

Bayonet Competition over course

2422 FRIDAY

Good afternoon at Bayonet Fighting

C.Os conference closes.

Address by Sir Henry Rawlinson

4^th Army Commander.

Report of work at school for

each Officer.

2423 SATURDAY

Sat {"Military Tournament" at riding ground. 

16) {I was in our men Team that won Lloyd Lindsay

       {& Relay Race. Good afternoons sport.

Close of school. Address of Commandant

leave for longpre at 7.45 Wait on station 

until 2/30 am before train arrives.

2624 SUNDAY

Arrive at Romas Camp, the concentration

camp for all troops in this Army. Wait 7 hours

here before sent off on our respective trains

DECEMBER
1915
2725 MONDAY

Received instructions at school for all 2^nd Div.

to report to Edge Hill. At Romas Camp instruction

to report at Daours. Train passed Daours

without stopping got off at next station

Corbie. Here receive instructions to report

to Albert. I wonder which is correct.

Being only 3 miles from Daours I walk across

& see what is doing. Find here Reinforcement

Camp & the place I'm to report to.

Send back to Corbie to bring on remainder.

Being in Corbie last night we had our Xmas

dinner or the nearest approach to it.

2826 TUESDAY

I find all Officers & NCOs returning from

school are curtailed to stay here & train

15^th Reinforcement. Pen Division refused

to take them to the line.

I am in charge of 23^rd Bn numbering 150.

Lt Col Travers in charge of Camp. It has only

been started since 21^st so all is not quite

settled yet. We can billet near Daours

in a village called Bussy Les Deurs

2927 WEDNESDAY

Training has commenced from very

beginning. Tis painful to see these

reinforcements drill & a shame they

were sent over to join up. They are

little better than raw recruits.

1915
DECEMBER
3028 THURSDAY

Everything in full swing. The CO

is showing what discipline is

from the start. Unless we take

this attitude with the men

while we are strange to them

there will be no holding them

later on.

3129 FRIDAY

A marked improvement is

already shown in the

movement & marching of 

troops in & off parades. 

We form up in our own stunts

as companions & march out

to parade ground independently

a distance of about ½ mile.

30 SAT

Morning Parade Afternoon

Kit Inspection. How on earth

these fellows carried all the

kit they have as far as this
beats me.

It put me in remind of how

we were fitted up to go

to the Dardanelles.

31 . SUNDAY.

Last day of the eventful year.

Can't help looking back over

experiences both pleasant & otherwise

This time 12 months ago I was in Egypt

& had just come got over convalescence.

I thought then I knew what 

war was, but since arriving in

France & taking part in the 
offensive on the Somme it has

revealed not only to me but to others

what childs play Gallipoli was to 
this.

Many pleasant times we had

when first we arrived in France.

We were then pretty compact the

Battn as a whole. We had been

long together & had partaken

of no heavy fighting to break up 

the Unit completely. Within the 

last 4 months our engagements have 

caused such heavy casualties

among all ranks that it is not

the old Battn but entirely new

except for about 5 original Officers

who left Australia & about 10%

other ranks.

I miss still poor old Ken & Flett.

The later was No 3 platoon Commander

& I No 1 in A Coy. We men practically

inseparable in Egypt & on the Peninsula

When I was transferred to 'D Coy' as

2nd in Command at Canal Zone, at 

night when both off duty something 

was wrong if we were not

together in my tent.

Both my closest friends fell in

our first Posiers Battle. Capt Ken taken

prisoner & later died. Flett was killed

in action the same night. 

The Company was taken into action

on the 28^th July & made an attack

with 180 strong. On Sept 4^th the Company

again had another stunt. On the morning

of the 5^th 45 men came out with me on 

being relieved, this included 16

reinforcements who were sent to me in 

the line on Sept 3^rd. Some of these men

have recovered from the wounds &

rejoined. At present the Company is

about 200 strong that includes 4

batches of reinforcements.

 

Battle of Norieul

From our advance on March 17^th leaving

our line at 7. Am. we entered German

line & found same almost unoccupied.

We pushed on through Avesnes about

1 mile W of Bapaumbe. From there orders

were to push through to North of Bapaume

keeping to the outskirts. Owing to our 

right flank being in the air, one of

our patrols went through Bapaumbe

These were the first troops in that 

place. Coming through to the Nurth

we came under heavy MG fire

which held up our advance.
Same night after dusk we reached

our objective. Again about midnight

I went forward with 2 Coys

& occupied village of Favreuel
& early in morning put posts out

in front of Beanartre 3 mile from

Bapaumbe.

Returned that night 21^st taking

over the Van Guard.

Next night called up to support

21^st & early morning found us

attacking Norieul. No preparation

was made that we know of for

scouting same & reconnoitring.

The whole show during the

attack was a huge blunder on

higher commanders part. Perhaps

mounted patrols had reported 

 

enemy clear but that information

was false. For 5 hours we 

tried to take the village that 

was held with large bodies of

troops & machine Guns. Eventually

we had to retire back &

establish a line about 1/2 miles

from it. Owing to weak state

of all ranks we were relieved
that night & march back 7 miles.

Practically for 4 days I had not

a wink of sleep. Same with other

Coy Commanders. During this

Advance I was acting 2nd in C of

the Battn & was with front line

Coys having my report centres

& phone there.

 

Bullecourt

After rehearsing this attack

several time 6^th & 5^th Brigade
in conjunction with British

Divisions on our left. Z Day came

3^rd May at 3.45 am attack started.

22 & 24^th Bns were to take 1st & 2nd

Hindenburg line also railway embankment

about 400 yards in advance.

21^st & 23^rd to push right through &

connect up between two villages

north of Renecourt to the village

of Hendecourt.

Nearly all the troops were on the

jumping off trench about 500 yds

from enemy line when he saw 

the passing of our troops. I had

the 8th wave which was the last

& furthest to go in the advance about

2 miles. Enemy barrage fell just as

we were forming up & proceeding

to jumping off trench.

The men were excellant though

& pushing on as calm as one

could wish, notwithstanding
this draw back we we reached

the starting point on time.

Our barrage opened up with  one

 

huge roar. The attack

then commenced. You could

not hear yourself speak &

the air was hot & smoky with

the exploding shells. The rattle

of Machine Guns could be

heard at intervals in the lull

of artillery fire. We reached

& past through the troops who 

took the enemies front line.

Now came the long wait for

our own creeping barrage to left.

We were unable to get our final

objective under 3 hours owing to

our Artillery having this slow

creeping barrage.

After passing enemies line & 

moving forward to railway our

flanks were both exposed as 5^th

Bdge on our right & English bdges

on our left had failed. Our

casualties were heavy so we

consolidated on the embankment.

Now though our position became

inten  to open & eventually through

not having support on our flanks

retired to enemies 1st & 2nd line.

Maj Trew our C.O. at this time was

wounded about 10 AM. I carried on
in his place. For the remainder

of the day enemy counter attack

 

again & again but good work

by our bombing parties threw

him back.

7^th Bdge to reinforce up

& keep our right flank intact.

24 & 23 Bn now holding lines

with about 150 men also a few

21^st & 22^nd. Out of the Brigade who

went over in the attack not more

than 200 to 250 were left to hold
500 yds of Hindenburg line.