Diary of William Gordon Farquhar, 1915 - Part 3
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Wed. 24/11/15. Same faces working and usual daily
repair work. At 18.00 all underground work
ceases listeners only being kept on. During
the night everything very quiet.
Thurs. 25/11/15. At daybreak enemy sent
out bombing parties who were allowed
to come up as far as our screens
when they were driven off. All work
ceases during the day. Enemy heard
working at No 18 right arm, No 23
and No 32. Extra listener per shift
put on. Arrangements made for shifts
to come on again at 21.00.
Fri. 26/11/15. 75 lb. charge laid in right arm of
No 32, enemy working here until dark when
he knocks off. Very small footage in Nos 1 & 2
Underlies. Putting shifts on task work.
After 21.00 shifts in No 1 Post have to be
knocked off in account of bad weather.
Sat. 27/11/15. - Passive stunt still proceeding. No work being
done to parapets or fire trenches. Work on Nos 1 & 2 Tuls.
delayed owing to heavy storm. Started No 6 Tul. from
approach trench, continuous shifts on here tomorrow.
Starting all mining work on 6 hr. shifts with 12 hrs off.
Men from 17th Battn. - Mining 12 men 2 N.C.Os.
Surface 3 men.
From 20th Battn. - Mining 84 men 15 N.C.Os.
During the day enemy has not been so busy undergound
as his work in Nos 18 & 45A was very intermittent
Since laying charge in No 32. he has not returned there.
Sun 28/11/15. During night heavy snowstorm. Usual
faces going but progress slow. f Cut south
completed 4 shifts now working towards left
(No. 6 Tul.) to meet under lie from rear gallery.
Repairs to approach trenches in No 3 Northern.
also to parapets & [[bomb?]] screens things
being again normal. Enemy doing a
little work in 45A. centre arm. Laid charge
of 120 lbs (3 tins) in No 23 left & partly tamped same
Mon. 29/11/15. Shifts from 20th Battn coming in
(11.) late and under strength, reported to Brigade.
Recess for 36A completed & winze arm mended.
Other faces as usual. No sounds of enemy at
either 32 or 23; only place he has done any
work being at 45A where he appears to be
working slowly across to left arm. Ground
frozen hard and consequently dry.
Tues. 30/11/15. Repairs to parapets & Screens. Party
on deepening approach trench to No 2 Post
36A and other faces progressing as usual.
Footages in Nos 1 & 2 very poor.
Enemy still heard doing a little work
underground about 10 feet distant from
left arm of No 45A. No other sounds
elsewhere below ground. Day fine &
clear but very cold.
Wed. 1/12/15. Loopholes in No 1 Post and usual repairs to
parapets and Screens. Party in new bombing pits
in No 2 Post supports. No 6 Tunnel central breaks
through into underlie from main rear gallery.
No 1 & Cut from No 1 Tunnel started other faces
as usual. During night enemy did a little
work at No 23 left as completed tamping
charge laid there since when he has done no
more work. Listeners to report immediately
he starts again. No sounds elsewhere below
ground. Dry clear but cold.
Thur. 2/12/15. Bomb pit No 2 Post completed. Other party
in trenches a parapets. Infantry party & I Sapper on
withdrawing tamping from No 23 which had been
blown at 20.30 last night. A few men who
before blowing enemy was working two picks.
Explosion blew to surface owing to previous
blow in No 21 loosening the ground over a
considerable area, but think it was effective
in smashing enemy's works. Right arm of
No 24 damaged but can be cleaned out &
timbered when men are available.
Footages in faces for 24 hrs. a little better
but can still improve a good deal.
Fri. 3/12/15. Shifts usually on 36A Winze have, during
the day, been withdrawing tamping from No 23
the right arm and about 4 ft. of the left being
opened up. No 6 Tunnel breaks through to a
Cut South. Parties again put on & Cut North.
Progress in Nos 1 & 2 Tunnels rotten only about
1' 3" from each face for 24 hrs. Usual work on
support & fire trenches. At about 04.20 enemy
again starts work at No 32. At 07.00 mine
laid here a week ago was exploded. Three
seconds after there was a second explosion
causing a violent rush of air throughout
galleries and bringing down some of the roof
of main envelope in the vicinity of No 32.
No surface disturbance was observed; tamping
was not displaced nether were there any
signs on walls of drive of gasses having
ignited. Do not consider the secondary explosion
was due to bad detonation as charge (70 lbs)
had two electric detonators in series, but it
may possibly be due to deterioration in charge
itself as it had been lying for a week & was
not in tins as is usually the case. Since
blowing no sounds have been heard of
enemy at work below ground.
Sat. 4/12/15. At. 16ft. No 36A starts driving out. No 8 Tul
party starts driving south to meet & Cut from
No 7 Tul. No 6 Tul. party starts on recesses. Other
faces the same. Cpl. Allen's party timbering up
fire trench in No 3 Post. Other work as usual on
parapets & approach trenches. Enemy has not been
heard below ground during the day. Numerous
rifle bombs on terraces during the morning.
Sun. 5/12/15. Footages in all faces slightly better;
totalling 23'.6". Timber work in No 3 Northern
still going. Fairly heavy day on bomb
screens. Still no sounds of enemy below
ground. Inspection by O.C.D.E. & Major Sturder.
Mon 6/12/15. Total footages for day 28'.0". Timbering firing
(12) live in No 3 Northern completed. Thomson and
assistant on ladder way from com trench into
No 4 Drive. During afternoon Cpl. Marr & two men
on reserve firing position behind No3 Northern.
Timber firing step for additional 3 men in No 2
Supports. Enemy gave a few taps at 45A but did no
work.
Tues. 7/12/15. Owing to 20th Battn shifts. being sent to Shuls'
for repairs to trenches footage in all faces drop,
totalling only 14'. 6". Start No 6 tunnel party on cutting
approach to No 9 Tul. Other faces the same. Cpls. Marr
& Brownler over rear firing positions No 3 Post.
Ladderway to No 4 Drive completed. Parapets in No 2
Post backed up on outside with spoil from No 1 Post
No sounds of evening below ground.
Wed. 8/12/15. Footages for day better. - total 29'.9". No 7 - 8
& Cut breaks through. Shifts cleaned clean up by 19.30
when & cut to No 9. will be commenced. Entrance
to No 9 timbered up. Parties still on reserve firing
positions in No 3 Post. One sapper & assistant on
sandbag traverse in firing line of No 4 Post; one
about completed. Parapets & bomb screens during
the day have required a good deal of attention.
One Sapper on general plumbing work on post.
Surveyor & assistant kept busy. During the
afternoon enemy has been working fairly
close to centre arm of No 45A
Thur. 9/12/15. Footage = 29'.0". Extra shift from 17th Bltn.
goes on to 36A which releases 20th. Btn.shift for
work on shelters. Right arm of No 36A commenced
ab 18'. Three sappers from this face put on shift
in No. 2 Tul. to try and push it a little faster.
Last night enemy was again heard playing about.
45A about 6 or 7 feet distant. Charge of 80 lbs. laid
in left T. of centre arm & partly tamped. No sounds
of him elsewhere below.
Parties still on firing positions in rear of No 3
Post and traverses in No 4 firing line.
Cpl. Allen & party commence on rebuilding of
shelters on terraces. Others employed on surface.-
Sapper on Screens [[& our?]] jobs, Plumber and
Surveyor & Assistant.
Fri. 10/12/15.- Footage for day = 30 feet. Marked increase
in No 2 Tunnel footage with corresponding decrease
in 36A due to changing over of Sappers. Footage in
No 9 Tnl. falling as ground becomes harder. No sounds
of enemy during the day.
Firing position in rear No 3 Central completed. Party
now on deepening approach trench to same. Position in
rear No 3 Northern should be completed tomorrow.
Traverse in No 5 firing line in progress.
One Sapper with infantry on repairs to No 5 Approach
trench which collapsed during the night.
Party on terrace shelters under Cpl. Allen increased to
8 men working 8 hrs. per day. During the day No 2 Post
and rear of No3 heavily bombed.
Sat. 11/1/15. Footage 28'. 3". At 19.30 all work on deep
shelters cease. The three 17th. Batt shifts on 36A are
being reduced to two the 01.30 shift tonight not
coming on. In No 1 Post there is only 5' to go to break
thro'. Consider this should he done as this Post would
then have a certain amount of shelter with
two outlets. During the afternoon enemy has been
heard distant from 34. He has also played a
little at 45A. Firing position in rear No 3. Nth
just about completed. Traverse in No 5 loopholed
and completed, parados still has to be revetted.
One Sapper & party deepening No 3 approach trench.
Fair progress being made on Cut for terrace shelters.
Two additional screens erected in No 2 Post.
Thomson on repairs to loophole & overhead cover
in No 3 blown in by bomb. Plumber & Surveyors
as usual.
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