Diary of 2413 Driver Sidney James Miller, 1915 - Part 2

heavy casualty to

us, we were taking

amunition to our

battery all night last

load beeing at 4.30 AM

wounded were beeing

brought out all night

& next day the road 

was an unpleasant sight

we had to take amunition

again at 9 AM &

heard that our men

had been driven back

to our first line again

not beeing sufficiently

reinforced, & told to

charge too soon, our

gun fired 630 rounds

that night & altogether

the Battery fired 2,500

A. B & C. guns went out

of action first

July 20^th German aeroplane

brought down on our 

side

July 21^st Firing Guns quiet

July 22^nd Helped to dig some

graves for the Austn Dead.

July 23^rd eight of our Aroplanes

came back from

the German lines 6.15 PM

the flying Corps are

very brave they get

shelled very heavy

when they get near

the G. lines.

July 24 took amuntn to

Battery under fire.

July 25^th rather heavy

artillery on both sides.

July 30^th midnight had to

go & fetch all amunition

Away from Battery.

31^st had to fetch guns

& Gunnery

1^st Aug to the 3^rd done nothing

4^th we left this billet for open

field training at Sumbres

we reached Hazebrak 4.30 PM

continued the journey next

morning 6.30 AM got to our

destination 2.15 PM distance about 

35 miles.

6^th Sunday making horse lines

& straightening up

7^th started training had a 

long way to go to the

grounds taking us two

hours very hilly & pretty

8^th spent the day cleaning

harness

9^th went out training in

the afternoon getting

back at 8.30 AM.

10^th took turn as spare

driver having good spell.

11^th Arvesters were asked for

so put my name in.

18^th went out on Maneuvers.

20^th Got Payed Bon. 

Had easy time till Friday

25^th when we moved back 

to the firing line leaving

at 9AM. stopping fire - day

at Wallon Cappel left next morning

8AM. reaching our destination

Reninghelst (Ypres) 5.30PM.

Mon 28^th exercised horses in

morning clean harness afternoon

29^th heavy firing in the evening

started at 3 PM quartered

down 5.30 PM when a thunder

storm started & rain very 

heavy lasting all night

(on picquet)

30^th still raining hard with

short intervals wind to rough

Sept 2^nd took amunition for Guns

   "      5^th on piquet

   "      6^th exercised horses

   "      7^th cleaned harness Inspect

   "      8^th Amunition to Guns

   "    14^th packed up & moved

billet two miles nearer

to firing line "Outerdom"

when we got there Pioneers

had taken the billet we

had to return to our last

place.

Sept 16^th on picquet wet all night

   "     18^th moved again

very bad accomadation for

horses had to build stables

Sept 23^rd on picquet two German

planes came over we brought

one down

Sept 24^th German plane came 

over but our fire turned him

back our Anti aircraft guns

do very good shooting, our

planes go over German lines

nearly every day very daring.

26^th German observation balloon

broke loose our aeroplanes

brought it down by machine gun

27^th went to gun pit with G.S.

waggon to fetch gunners as 

we were changing over got 

there at 8PM found out that

we weren't suppose to go

up till 12 oclock so had to return

to [[Dickeburly?]] as the machine 

gun fire was heavy, got

back to waggon line 4.30 AM
28^th went to gas drill.
30^th Sat. night on Piquet.
3rd Oct: went to gas drill
  "  received parcel from Bill.
7^th Sat. Piquet.
10^th Tues: went to gun pits with
amunition horse fell in shell
hole broke leg, one gunner
shot in knee.
11^th Wed: gunner shot through ear.
13^th Frid: on piquet.
18^th Wed: went with amunition 
to gun pit plenty of machine
gun bullets flying about two
shot going through out
timber, heavy hail storm
in afternoon.
19^th  canel over flowed guns
got flooded out had to
pull them out & take them
in our new position also had
to move all amunition, went
up at 1 AM got back at 6.30 AM
the night very cold everywhere
white with frost looked
very nice at day break few 
shells fell rather close but
get away alright.
20^th Frid: had to go up again
& move the rest of amunition
got back at 3.30 AM frosty night
but fine heavy fire opened
both side 2.15 fasting as
hour several teams got bogged
in shell holes.
21^st On Piquet, our Planes
brought down a German
great site to watch battle
in the air, voted against conscriptn

Mon 23^rd had full marching
order 11 AM again at 4 PM waited
for officer to come & 
inspect, but waited till after 
dark they never came.
24^th again full marching order
9-30 AM got everything ready
then the time was changed
till 11 AM it had been raining
very heavy but now was
was light rain, after inspection
we had to exercise the
horse with all gear on
everything got smoathered in
mud & wet.
25^th full marching order 11 AM
then exercise raining hard
got back at 1PM fell on at
2 PM clean harness 4 PM water
groom & feed finished 5.30.
29^th Sun: on piquet heavy firing
in out sector 6PM Germans made
an attack but failed.
30^th Took waggon into Ypres
for bricks, this town was
nearly layed flat.
31^st Went to firing line with

ammunition.
Nov: 1. ^st Wed: had to clean harness
in morning. full marching order
2 PM the billet in verry
boggy condition.
3^rd Nov: was watching our
observation balloon go up, about
quarter of mile away, noticed
it went up rather strange
then could tell it had
broke loose, next thing
we saw was the observer
jump out with parachute,

but went a considerable
distance before reaching
the ground as wind rather 
rough.
Sat. 4^th got payed
Mon 6^th on piquet
Sun 12^th Day Piquest in the

aifternoon went with G Swagys
to Boeschepe
Mon 13^th Moved billet from

Ouderton  3 PM stopped that 
night at Boeschepe getting

there at 6 PM, left next
morning  8.15 AM rested at
12 till 1-30 PM for dinner

Aufquinn at 3.30 PM, had
to groom, water, feed & oil

harness, had a walk
into town which was
rather small,
Wed 15^th  left Nuef- Berquin
8.15 rather interesting journey
passing through few towns

rested for dinner from 12-30
till 1-30, arriving at Frevent

3-30 PM.
Thursd 16^th  left at 8 AM. weather

fine but very cold country
hilly stopped for dinner

12, till 1 PM arriving at
Amplies 3 PM on piquet very

cold night freezing hard

left 7.30. 17^th  Frid: country

very hilly terrible cold wind

arriving at 3.30 PM 'Arlenest'

Sat: 18^th  snowed through night

left 7-30 AM roads vert slippery

made travelling slow started
to rain at 10.30 AM reached

"Amplies" 1.35 PM stopped here

Very muddy place for billet
on top of steep hill.
Sun: 19^threvelle at 4.30 AM fed horses
had breakfast then started off
again at 7.30 AM went about
quarter of mile had to wipe
an oil rag over the harness
this we done every morning
& night, weather showery
the afternoon little more fine
stopped to feed at 11.30 am
reaching Villers-Bocage 2.30 PM Start
to clean harness feed & groom

finished at 5 PM.
Mon: 20^th left 9 AM weather rather
fine country verry hilly & open
arrive at "Bonnay" 4 PM billeted
in small village.
Tues 21^st stopped here cleaned
harness, got payed, weather
foggy fine afternoon.
Wed 22^nd revelle 4.30 AM had breakfast
started on the road 7 AM
arriving "Morlancort" 11.30 AM
this being the stopping place
for the night very muddy &
chalky had tents to sleep in
sixteen in each.
Thursd 23^rd revelle 4.30 fed & had
breakfast & ready to start at 6
but waited about till 7. then
continued the journey which
was one long dragging hill
& shells dropping about getting
to the journeys end at 1.30 AM
which is hilly & knee deep in
mud, had to sleep in the
open first night as the

battery had'nt moved out.
Put on piquet: