Diary of Wilbert Berg, 1916 - Part 2

1/4/16 All the 2^nd Division
went down to the rifle range
& went through a gas demonstration.
Have not seen nor
heard from Martie yet
2/4/16 Went to Church in the
village very nice. Had a
holiday all day. The Transport
Section arrived Saw Martie
3/4/16 Went to an all day
grenade School went in
motor cars to Terdegehem
& then walked to the grenade
grounds every time days outing
4/4/16 On parade all day
very much like rain had
a bit of a Concert in our
billett.
5/4/16 The 6^th Bgde passed
through our village on
their way to the front.
6/4/16 Had a holiday all day
to enable us to pack up
got orders that we were
moving off at 7 o'clock in
the morning
7/4/16 Left our village at 7 A.M.
& picked up the rest of the
Bgde outside Steenbecque,
marched past General Jeffere
& staff just outside Hazebrouck
Arrived at Outersteene, about
3 A.M. & were billeted for the night
8/4/16 Left again at 8/30 &
arrived at Erquingham All
very tired on account of
the hard roads
9/4/16 Resting all day. Great
artillery activity along the
line. Plenty of aeroplanes flying
about including a taube. Guns
try to bring them down.

10/4/16 Packed up ready to move
by which we did at 6-30 & after
a 5 mile march we arrived at
the firing line & relieved the
Q'land Fslrs things very quiet
11/4/16 Raining all day very
unpleasant in the trenches.
Machine Gun Officer shot accidentally
by another Officer.  Big artillery
bombardment by our guns on
our left. A little artillery activity
on our right. Things quiet here
12/4/16 Still raining. Got issued
with rations but have to do
our own cooking. The Saxons
are said to be holding the
trenches opposite us, they are
very quiet but good shots.
We are shooting very little on
account of no signs of life
at all from the Saxons
13/4/16 Fine weather to-day but
a bitterly cold wind blowing
things quiet all along our
front. One of my Sentrys knocked
a periscope this evening the
first signs of life that we have
seen since taking over the trenches
14/4/16 Raining again all day
also had a bit of snow
The 20^th Batt relieved us
about 9 P.M. & we went
back about three miles to
our billets arriving there at 12PM
15/4/16 Had a good lay in
bed all day but had to
go out to the trenches with
a fatigue party at night
It did not rain to-day
but was very windy Have
not seen or heard from
Martie yet.

16/4/16 Very nice day. Went
to Church in an old barn
in the morning & went for
a walk to the village of
Fluerbaix in the evening
A few of the 18^th were Killed &
wounded to-day while on
fatigue duty at the trenches
17/4/16 Rained again all
day. On fatigue duty again
Germans bombard with
6 inch H.E. trying to catch
our batteries but no success
18/4/16 Rained again Went
into the trenches at night
& relieved the 20^th Batt, it
rained all the way up &
we were drenched when
we reached the trenches.
Mart went away sick
19/4/16 Raining again. Things
very quiet all day. A light
bombardment towards
Ypres in the afternoon
20/4/16 Fine day. On fatigue
work in the trenches
helping Engrs fix up the
traverses Things quiet
21/4/16 Good Friday. Rained
all day I was out on
fatigue & got soaking wet
I left the Supports. (with
three men to relieve the
guard at Charlies Farm)
About 6 P.M. the remainder
of the Coy were relieved
by the 20^th at about 9.P.M.
22/4/16 Lovely day. Our
Aeroplanes very active also
a couple of Taubes were

flying about The Germans
wasted thousands of
rounds trying to hit
our planes but did no good.
23/4/16 Another lovely day
Great air activity by
our planes. One airman
whom they call the mad
Major flew down to within
a couple of feet over the
German trenches. Big
bombardment late last
night down towards Ypres.
24/4/16 Lovely day again
Had a bath & did some
washing Plenty of German
Observation ballons up.
Firing line quiet. Aeroplanes
very active three taubes
were brought down by
our anti aircraft guns
25/4/16 Having lovely fine
weather now the first we
have had since landing
Germans bombard our
gun positions just outside
Armatiers but did very
little damage. Saw Martie
last night quite O.K. again
26/4/16 Things very quiet
all around to-day. Went
into the trenches again
at 7 P.M. & relieved the 20^th Bat
Started to give leave to-day
for England.
27/4/16 Things quiet all day
Our Artillery bombarded the
Germans trenches oppisite us
at about 10 AM & the Germans
replied the bombardment
lasted about an hour
Only a very few casualties
on our side False alarm gas
attack

28/4/16 The trench mortars
on both sides had a
great go in to-day. We sent
a patrole out last night &
they reported seeing a German
patrole out also.
29/4/16 Things very quiet
to-day Fritz put one
bomb over but only one
of our chaps got hit a
flesh wound in the arm
30/4/16 We were relieved by C
Coy & we went back to Cemetry
Post where we stopped for the
day Fritz shelled us with
Coal boxes Moved out of
Supports at 8 P.M. & went
down & took over a post
from the 17^th Batt Not
as good as our old post
1/5/16 Things very quiet the 20^th
Batt came & relieved us just
after Stand to & we arrived
back at our billets at about
midnight Hot tea waiting for us
2/5/16 Coy orderley Cpl had
plenty of work to do getting
different fatigue parties away
Went down & saw Mart at
night time.
3/5/16 Fritz started shelling a
battery near our billets & pieces
of shell were flying all around
us so our O.C. gave us orders
to evacuate the billets. The guard
ran & left a prisoner tied up
4/5/16 Thing very quiet only fatigue
work Went down on swimming
parade in the afternoon to
Armatiers had a good bath
arrived home for tea

5/5/16 Big artillery bombardment
on our positions, trenches knocked
flat about 100 casualties, they
also used gas we were called
up into supports had to advance
under shell fire lost about 4
before arriving at supports
Had to double up over ploughed
ground with full pack up &
gas helmets on, Pretty rotten.
6/5/16 Came back from the trenches
this morning & packed up &
relieved the 20^th at night.
7/5/16 Raining slightly to-day
A lot of Generals passed
through our lines this morning
including General Holmes
Birdwood, Haig, & Legge.  The Soul
of Anzac said good morning
to us all.
8/5/16 Drizzling rain all day very
unpleasant things very quiet
Sent out listening posts about
40 yds outside our barbed wire
9/5/16 Still raining still very
quiet Saw Harry Neaves to-day &
had a good yarn to him Sent
out patroles & listening posts again
10/5/16 Lovely day to-day Aeroplanes
flying about. Sgt Major Roy returned
from leave a couple of days ago
Three of our men shot while out
putting up barbed wire in
front of our trenches
11/5/16 Lovely day again Fritz
puts a few shells into our
trenches but no one was hit
Fritz brought down one of our
planes this evening it landed
just behind our lines, only one
was slightly hurt

12/5/16 Raining to-day very
unpleasant. Doc Brown, Jack
Lockhardt Ollie Hellyer & Ned
Tregonning arrived back
from England to-day, they
are all looking well on it
13/5/16 Still raining. Our
artillery put a few shells
into Fritz's trenches to-day
otherwise very quiet
14/5/16 Not raining to-day
but very dull & cold
Great rumours getting
around about Fritz
asking for peace.
15/5/16 My Birthday to-day
Stopped raining to-day
Fritz put a few shells
into our trenches There
was a big bombardment
down opposite Armatiers
16/5/16 Lovely day again Fritz
puts more shells into our
trenches one Machine Gun
man was Killed Relieved
by the 20^th Batt at 8-3 P.M.
17/5/16 we did not go back
to the billets last night but
went to a post called
"Cemetry Post" just behind
the firing line & slept all
night with amongst the
graves. Had a good old
rest today
18/5/16 Beautiful day. Heavy
mist hanging about last
night & our chaps were
afraid of gas & we had about
half a dozen false alarms
during the night. The
Germans put over a good
few bombs last night

19/5/16 We are having nice
sunny New South weather
now, It was misty again
last nigh & we had some
more false alarm gas attacks
The Germans put a good few
5.9 shells just near us when
they were trying to get on
to one of our batteries
20/5/16 On guard to-day
Germans put more shells
over to-day one landed
right in the Cemetry but
did no damage. Only throw
up a bit of dirt
21/5/16 Nothing much doing
to-day Artillery on both
sides putting in a few
shots Ollie Hellyer went
away sick again
22/5/16 Went down to the
baths to-day. Germans put
in a few more 5.9 shells
again. Ned Tregonning is
missing. A couple our
boys were Killed last night
23/5/16 On guard again to-day
Nothing very much doing
A couple of Taubes flying
about but our anti-aircraft
guns drove them off
24/5/16 Went into the billets
to-day, on leave. Having
a real good rest. Having
glorious weather now
25/5/16 Our 18 pounds guns
put a good few shells into
the Germans this morning
At Stand-to, we only got
a few back in return

26/5/16 Rained slightly all
night, & this morning. Our
guns bombarded the German
trenches again this morning
& we had to Stand-to for
an hour. Relieved the
20^th Batt at 8-30 P.M.
27/5/16 Lovely day to-day a
big bombardment by our
artillery during Stand-to
this morning. Ollie Hellyer
returns again from Hospital
28/5/16 Had a narrow escape
to-day a piece of nickel off
a bullet went through my
tunic at the shoulder but
it only made a red mark on
my arm. Turks bombard, a
bit this morning during
Stand-to Ol Only a few casualties
29/5/16 Two of our Sgts wounded
to-day & another Killed yesterday
Ned Tregonning is in Hospital
again. Have not heard from
Martie lately. Having lovely
now, heavy dews of a night
30/5/16 Gen. Birdwood Gen. Godley
& Staff passed through the
trenches this afternoon, he
told some of the boys that
the Aust. would be on
their way back home in
a couple of months time
31/5/16 Poor Dick Devlin was
Killed last night while out
in front at the listening
post he got a terrible wound
through the side of the face
& through the neck. Aust.
mail in last night.

1/6/15 A big bombardment a
couple of miles down the line
on our right. Our patrole
went out last night in the
hope of catching the German
patrole but with no success
2/6/15 One of our planes landed
behind the German line (A
German supposed to be in it)
also two taubes brought
down. Had two narrow
escapes a piece of nickel
going through my tunic
at the shoulder & the other
passed between Sgt Allum
& myself. Our balloon broke away
3/6/15 Got a letter from Martie
last night quite well again
A notice was posted up in the
trenches about the naval
battle in the North Sea also the
latest Verdine news, also
about the daylight attack at Ypres
4/6/16 A pretty heavy bombardment
on our Company lines about
6 P.M. not a soul hurt (nothing
short of a miracle) also a
very heavy bombardment about
3 miles away on our right
at 11 P.M. Slight rain falling
to-day & a bit on the cold side
5/6/16 Still raining slightly
this morning. Stood to nearly
all night the 7^th Bgde were
going to make a raid on
Fritzs trenches but something
went wrong & it did not come
off. We were to draw Fritz
fire while the 7^th Brigade
carried out the raid