Diary of 2413 Driver Sidney James Miller, 1915 - Part 4

shelled too much.
Mon 22^nd nothing doing very
wet. slept in tent with Tommies
Tues 23^rd went with amu
plenty of shells, two dvrs wounded
Wed 24^th went with amu saw [[S.Moore?]]
Thurs 25^th easy day got payed.
Sat 27^th pulled out of actions
unable to bring the guns out
went back to Reninghelst.
Tues 30^th went to salve guns
but Fritz shelled to heavy
had to come home without any
Wed 31^st 10PM Fritz dropped
five bombs in horse lines
1 about the mens humpies
Killing one man wounding
17 & killed 31 horses, our
humpy roof were a mass of
holes.
Thu 1^st Nov: bussy digging
holes for horses.
Frid 2^nd left this camp for spell
we had to shoot 30 more horses
which left 2 in our sub; so
battery had to travel by
lawrie’s, & tow guns & limbers
behind, we stopped at
Sat 3^rd proceeded reaching
our destination 11-15AM
"Morbecque".
October 31^st made Bomadier.
Tues 6^th. had trip to Bologne
for remounts. left Hazelboek
12-45 PM reached Bologne 6.30 PM
spent night in town next
morning went to Dept 4 killo
done 19K. stopping at Desvres
fairly big town.  started off
next morn: 9 AM done 32 Kms

Stopping at 'Therouanne'

left 9-15 am   arrived back 12-45.

Sat 10^th In charge piquet & Guard

Mon: 12^th   Had leave to Hazelbouek

Tues: 14^th left Morbecque.  10.30am. 

arrived at Entree-Blanche. stayed

here three days
Sat 18^th moved again, started 7.30am  arrived

at 12-45.       

Wed : arrived at "Offin" 11-30.

Thur 22ⁿ    "  "   "Troyelles" 11-10.

this place 3K outside of

the historic battlefield of

"Cresey"

Frid 23^rd stayed at "Ducat"

5K outside of "Abbeville".

Sat 24^th reached " Cheppy"

Staying at this place for spell.

Sun 25^th  in charge of Piquet Guard

Sun : Decemb 2^nd. had leave into
"Abeville" very big town,

Wed 5^th left "Chepy" for

"Paronne". were in charge
of a party unloading at 'Stat

Thurs 6^th had same job;

Sun 9^th job finished returned
to waggon line.

Mon 10^th in Charge of Guard.

Fri: 14^th moved waggon line 4 K

beeing in "Peronne."

Sat 15^th Battery called out 2-46 AM

had to stand too, false alarm.

Tues 18^th Charge Guard Piquet

Sat 22^nd had Battery competition
against 43^rd Bty 11^th Brigade

they challenged & threw it in,

25^th had very good Xmas Din

28^th Frid; Div: left Peronne. 9-30AM

the weather terrible cold,

38 Deg. stopped 7 K outside 

Bapaume.

29^th Sat: Battery entrained left 11-30 A.M.

I stayed behind with loading party.
30^th Sun, we left Bapaume arrive 11.30 A.M.

arrived Bailleule 7-30 PM. stopped the

night in rest billet.

31^st Mon; walked to "Merris" 7 K
found the Battery had left so

went on 3 K to "Strellete" & put

up for the night, slept in feather

bed. 
1^st Tues; Feb:  started off again had

ride in laurie to "Caestre" had

breakfast then found Battery

at "Gawedeseldt,"

4^th Frid, Battery went into action

on Messins front, waggon line "Lyclette'.
& Kenamel Rd (Pompier Camp)

March Sun: 24^th  Left Pompier Camp.

had four days journey by road
going into action at " Melloncourt

27^th as the B had been driven back
April 5^th Fritz tried another

advance but got knocked

back by 10 - 11 Brigade & three

battalions of Aussies, Fritz 3½ Div strg

April 4^th Sergt Sleep Killed

  "       5^th Driver Dempsey  "

  "      16^th     "     Poole killed Cpl. Everett
wounded.   

17^th. Pulled out of action 9 PM left

" Behencourt" 12 MN travelled all night

arrived "Lammott Camon" 8-30AM.

rained hard all night.

May 5^th went into action waggon
lines being at "Gleasy". this

being rather a hot place.

Forgot to keep diary till July 3^rd

July 4^th we had a stunt capturing

1500 prisoners & 45 guns.

July 5^th Left for Blighty leave 7^th- 21^st

having fairly good time.

July 25^th off duty not well.

29^th Fritz dropped plenty of bombs

round us.

31^st plenty of bombs again

Aug 1^st two Fritz planes brought

down four of our observation balloons,

Aug 9^th We started offensive  "Kemel" at
4-15 AM - 6-30 A.M. we moved our guns up
about two miles at 8-45 AM advanced

another four miles, we moved a little 

too soon & got up past the infantry

& had great fight with Fritz machine

guns on next ridge, which were

playing right on us, about an

hour later he got his big guns

on us & caused a few casualties

so had to draw guns back about

fifty yds on to the brow of the hill.

Aug 10^th Fritz shelled us at forward

causing a few more casualties & one

shell shocked.

Aug 11^th I went to rear Waggon. L. the

Tommies on our left were very late

in their advance, which prevented us

from going forward as we were
being infilated by Fritz.
Aug 12.  Americans had to help Tommies on our

left.

Aug 13  We advance a few more Killo taking

two more villages

Aug 14 - pulled out of this position &
pulled in about 6 Killo more right

plenty of bombs round this part.

Aug 15. Went up with amo. plenty of

machine guns bullets flying about.

Aug 25. pulled out of action & went back to

Amiens for spell arriving there 26.^th
the spell same as usual at all harness

Cleaning & field manouvres.

Sept 6 Left  started off for line again

9.15 AM pulling up at Crecy for night

7^th Sat: stayed here for the day

8^th Sun. off again at 8-30 AM arriving at

Fleurrie 2 pm  had dinner parade at 3;

had to clean harness, rained very

hard, through night, on piquet.
10^th Moved further up the line to

"Mereaucourt."

15^th  Moved guns & waggon line

closer at night rained very hard

16^th  Moved guns again another 3000 yds

18^th Stunt started had to stand

by with gun teams got shelled

rather heavy in afternoon had

narrow escape from being gassed

returned back with teams to

last position to stand by:
all objectives reported taken.

22^nd Sept: pulled out of action & went

& went in again in front of St Quinton

first position being in front of St Emilie

24^th  Took guns up 12-15 AM returned 2-30 AM
had few hours sleep in open raining

a little, after breakfast found better
waggon line with plenty of dug outs

25, took up amunition fairly quiet

till we started back when he put

plenty of shells round us.

26^th went with amo: had very

narrow escape with bombs going

through village.

27^th two grs got killed 3 wounded

I had to take up 2 Gns on h; back.

28^th The stunt started we had to 
take the gun teams up & pull the

guns forward got back 2-30 PM

29^th  Stunt carried on all the bty

had to go up & stand too.

Fritz made things very lively we
were ordered back to rear point.

as the advance had stopped
as we started a shell burst

20 yds away but all escaped

except my horse got a piece in

forehead lucky for me.

2^nd Oct. 2-15 AM - gun teams had to turn

out & gallop off to pits & move guns

to different sector got back to W L
9 AM but had to pack up & move W L

nearer at 2 PM got to W L. at 4-15 PM
which was a rotten place chalky

& in a quarrie, & plenty of big
shells falling near, next day
3^rd had to clear out to another

W.L. this place we had to go

six Kilo's for water. all grs sent

down guns out of range

Oct 10^th  went to fetch guns from
Catigny. put up there that night
sent to range "Sussan" stopped night got

back to Tincourt stopped the night. washed
Oct 16  Stunt continues ] month having mess shifts
 & found bty nearby.

had forward Limber lines.
17^th Moved forward again.

Oct 25^th  got shelled very heavy at Limb L

had several horses wounded & one man.

had to move back to rear W.L.

in the evening went to fetch guns out

& stayed the back of St "Souplet", till
Nov 2^nd went back in action  again

troops very dissatisfied as they expected
to go back for a good spell.
Landrecier) but only for the stunt

pulled out again Nov 6^th & went

to Le Cateau:, had easy time here,

Nov 11^th 11 AM Armitist started

Nov 21^st - 9.15 AM started off for the Rhine

stopped first day at La Groise.

22^nd Got already to start off again

at 9-15 AM but turned out to 

be an inspection the Boys counts

out the Act: Col: Evans.

23^rd still at La Groise

27^th Sarted off again for

Boulogne at 8.45 AM arr: 12.30 PM

28^th Left for "Liessies" at 8.30 AM A 2: PM

Dec 3^rd  Jan: & Feb 15 Men Demob;

  "     13^th Left 9 AM Liessies for Flavion

arrived at Froid Chapelle 2.15 PM

stopped here the night.

Dec 14^th Left at 9.30 ^AM. arr "Villers de Gamon"

3.20 PM arriving at Dec 15^th left 10 AM arr Flavion at 2 PM
on the road we were stopped for

some time as the Prince rode past us.

Jan: 1919 - 8^th Wed; went up in areoplane from
Morville Aredrome, visiting "Namur"

& landed at " Brussells" racecourse

height 5.300, time of trip 1 hr 40 ^mins

Jan: 16^th 1919  Left 39^th Battery

for Aussie at 8 AM on horse being

about 25 from this Bty. rode to

"Rosee" collected together there &
rode to "Florennese" which was 

7 kilo  arr: at 10.15 AM stopped the day.

Jan 17^th  started off at 10 AM for station

waited on train till 1-45 PM then started

a very slow trip to "Chaleroi" we
reached Chateaux at 4-10 PM & had till
5-30 AM to wait before it started again

so a few of us decided to get off & 
catch tram & get into Chaleroi
at 5-15 PM the mob didn't reach

there till about 9 AM.

Jan: 18th entrained again at 8-15 AM

left at 9-30 AM we travelled in horse

boxes 28 in each or 8 horses.

went through "Anons" 7-15 AM

Jan 19th stopped at Douli 5-30 AM for a 

few moments our next stop was

Saint Pol from 11-20 AM  till 12-10 PM

then we stopped at Doullens
from 1-15 PM till 3 PM arriving at

Harfleur early in the morning

Jan 20th marched to the Base & 

had breakfast.

Jan 23^rd left for Harve at 10am

which is a very long walk 8 Kilos

embarked at 1-30 AM  "Dieppe"
sailed at 2.15 AM calm trip

but very cold. arrived at

Weymouth at 10 PM but had to

stay on board all night  which
was very unpleasant as there
was no sleeping accomadation

so landed next morning

at 9-30 AM  Jan 24^th went to

Alexandra Gardens had free

Tea & Cake then entrained
at 11 AM arriving at Wilton

Station 1-20 PM marched to Camp

Hurdcott which is four miles

reaching there at 3-15 PM

Sat 25^th Went before Quack scabie

inspection 9-30 AM

Jan 29^th went home on 14 days leave

had two days over

Feb: 14^th arrived back to camp 8.45 PM

Mar: 16^th went home on french leave

Thurs 20^th returned back to Camp

Sunday March 23^rd  left for Aussie

Leaving Hurdcott at 9 AM walked

to Fovant Station ( 2 M) had free

cup of coffee & packet of biscuits.

entrained & left at 10-20 AM stopping

at Exeter from 12.50 till 1-25 PM
here we were supplied by the
Town Mayoress free tea & roll.

it snowed all the morning. 

But cleared up in the afternoon,
arriving at 'Devonport'

3-40 pm embarked the "Cluny Castle"

4-30 pm.

Sailed for Aussie Mon: March 24.^th 8 am
Arr: Cape Town Sat:

Left    "         "     Sun,

Arrived Adelaide. Wed. May 21^st 6.30 am

Con Kein

30 John St.

Ashfield