Diary of Wilbert Berg, 1916 - Part 3

6/6/16 Still drizzling rain
to-day & very cold. The raid
was carried out successfully
by the 7^th Brigade they Captured
3 prisoners 2 machine guns
& some other things. The Artillery
bombarded like hell oppiste
the 18^th Batt front & we got
it back like hell for an
hour & an half. Not one
Casualty in D Coy but a
couple in A & B Coys
7/6/16 Drizzling rain again
to-day. The 20^th Batt came
in & relieved us at 8-30PM.
Went into Cellars at Bois
Grenier Our nerves pretty
well done After twelve
solid days in the trenches
Everyone glad of the rest.
8/6/16 Went down for a bath
to-day but were too late.
Sad news re Lord Kitchener
being drowned, also heard
that the Crown Prince had
been captured with 14,000
of his men Also of the great
Russian advance
9/6/16 Went to the Brigade
Bomb School all day. I was
put into the Batt. Bombing
Section. Heard to-day that
Bulgaria had thrown the
towel in, Ariel activity this
afternoon. A German came
over our lines in one of
our planes & opened his
machine gun on our airmen
but he did no damage & our
planes soon drove him back
again. Rained heavily last night

10/6/16 Lovely day. Nothing
to do. Went into Armatiers
to have a look around very
nice place bigger than
Sydney. Saw Leiut McNabb
last night & he told me that
Martie would not come back
again that he was going to
take on a base job.
11/6/16 Rained all last night &
to-day. The 6^th Batt carried
out a very successful raid
last night. Good news re
the big Russian advance
Things pretty quiet
12/6/16 Raining again things
very muddy & slippery. Big
bombardment in progress
down Ypres way. Our Artillery
had a strafe at about 2 A.M.
this morning otherwise quiet
13/6/16 Still continuing to rain
Received letter from home that
went astray. Finished the
Bomb School D Coy won the
Batt Championship. Jim Chalmers
sent me up some papers that
were down at the Transport
for Martie Things very quiet
14/6/16 Rain eased off a little
to-day. The 20^th Batt lost a
couple of Officers Killed & one
officer & 5 men wounded.
Artillery strafe at 11-30 P.M.
15/6/16 Nice day. Aeroplanes
very active also Artillery
Good news still continues
to come through re the
Russians. Canadians make
a brilliant charge at
Ypres & capture 1,500 yds of
trenches

16/6/16 Nice day again.
Another artillery strafe at
midnight. Put all the
watches on an hour to-night
A couple of our planes beat.
off a taube this evening
17/6/16 We are moving off
shortly to another front, up
Ypres way. Our planes
brought down two taubes
to-day. Very fine sight
False alarm gas attack
18/6/16 Lovely day again
Went to Erquinghem & bought
a couple of handkerchiefs &
some post cards to send
home Big strafe again All
night. Things very quiet
19/6/16 Very cold to-day.
Went for a walk with
Stan Cox Had a nice evening
in Erquinghem Artillery on
both sides very active
20/6/16. Very warm to-day, a
real Summers day. Went
to a bayonet school & got
instructions in the new
bayonet school. Germans try
to get our batteries with 12 inch
shells but do little damage
21/6/16 Very warm again
to-day. Did a bit of practice
bomb throwing in the morning
& we went in & relieved the
20^th Batt at 2 P.M. Camped
at Batt. Hqrs. Pretty quiet.
22/6/16 Another warm day.
Artillery & aeroplanes active
all day. Put a few shots
into the White City (Batt
Hqrs)

23/6/16 Drizzling rain again
to-day. Things very quiet
All along the front Could
hear big bombardment on
our right during the night
24/6/16 Weather a fi bit more
pleasant to-day Inspecting
the bombs in the firing
line Artillery active, also
our planes otherwise quiet
25/6/16 Twelve months to-day
Since we left Aust. Our
Aeroplanes carry out raids
on German observation
balloon, they drop liquid
fire on them very pretty
to watch coming down
Germans pull their balloons
in. Also dropped some on a
taube that came at them but
he went for his life back
over the German lines
Our artillery not giving the
Germans any peace lately
25/6/16 After a heavy bombardment
at night the 5^th Bgde
carried out a very successful
raid on the German trenches
Very few casualties on our
side Raining again
26/6/16 Still raining to-day
Just before dark the Germans
carried out a heavy bombardment
on our trenches
which lasted for about two
hours & then they tired to
raid our trenches but our
boys were too smart for
them & drove them off with
a good few casualties on their
side They never got to our
parapets. Then after a

heavy bombardment by our
Artillery the 18^th Batt
carried out a counter-raid
which was successful
got four prisoners & a
good lot of other material
Had to leave one of our
boys behind could not get
him out of the trench
Then the Germans kept up
a heavy bombardment until
daybreak. We had to turn
out & stand by down at
the firing line
27/6/16 Fine day to-day Our
Artillery put over a few Shells
range finding Relieved by
the 13^th Batt at night but
a big bombardment Started
on our right on the 1^st Div
front had to stay till it
was over arrived at Erquinghem
at daylight.
28/6/16 Had a lovely days
rest & feeling real good, went
for a walk into town,
Big bombardment at night
& raid by 1st Div & N.Z both
were very successful.
29/6/16 Went to Brigade
Bomb School instructing
A Coy men in the use of
bombs Artillery active at night
30/6/16 Same routine as
yesterday. Thirty two of our
aeroplanes went on a raid
over towards Lille
1/7/16 Same routine as yesterday
Saw some of the Transport
boys. Lovely weather now

2/7/16 Had a holiday to-day
went into Erquinghem & had
a nice days outing Plenty
of our Aeroplanes & balloons
up Artillery very quiet
3/7/16 At the Brigade bomb
School again. 14^th Batt
tried to raid the Hun
trenches but were not
successful Things otherwise
very quiet.
4/7/15 Received an Aust.
mail, to-day the first for
a long time Finished
instructing to-day Artillery
very active again to-day
& to-night.
5/6/16 Did a bit of parade
to-day, rained in the
evening. Two or three false
Alarm gas attacks at
night Big bombardment
on the right of Armentiers
6/7/16 Mart came back last
to-night looking a bit thin
on it, Said he had a
good time while away
Things very quiet
7/7/16 Went to Brigade Bomb
School to-day & went for
a walk into town at
night Lovely weather
lately & the aeroplanes very
active. Artillery activity
at intervals otherwise quiet
8/7/16 Went to Bgde Bomb
School again but orders
came along to return to
Billets at once so we
came home & were ordered

to be ready to move off
at any minute. Went
over to see Mart. A
good few of the boys have
a night out Firing line quite
9/7/16. Got up at 5 A.M.
Lovely day. Left Camp at
9-30 A.M. & marched 15
miles to Strazeelle where
we billeted for the night
Feeling very tired
10/7/16 Left to-day at 11 AM
marched 12 miles to
Ettinghem where we billeted
again for the night. Just
about done Mart was
just behind me all the way
11/7/16 Left Ebblinghem at
12 A.M. & marched 6 miles
to Arques where we
entrained & went through
St Omer & then through
to Calais & then along
the coast to Etaples &
then to Amiens where
we disentrained.
12/7/16 Left the train at
2 A.M. After having no
sleep All night & marched
Seven miles to Angreviers
where we halted. Only
a little village but not
too bad. Have not felt
the long marching so far
13/7/16 Went into Amiens
for a look around It is a
lovely village, one of the
biggest in France. Also saw
their Cathedral which is Also
one of the biggest in France.

Arrived home at midnight
After a lovely days outing
14/7/16 Went down to-day to
the River & got some fish
with bombs. Good news
came to hand about the
British & French offensive
Got an Aust. mail to-day
15/7/16 Had parade to-day
went for a couple of hours
route march got orders
to be ready to move off
at any minute. Went down
to the Transport to see Mart
16/7/16 Moved off to-day at
12 A.M. & marched about
eight miles to Cardonette
where we billited for the
night. Not bad billets
17/7/16 No orders to move
so we had a parade.
Started raining in the
evening & the place soon
became very muddy. Good
news still continues to
come to hand
18/7/16 Moved off again at
12 A.M. & marched Seven
miles to Rubempre
During this seven miles we
came across many hills, the
most we have seen since
landing in France
19/7/16 Never moved off
to-day. The sound of the
Guns getting closer &
also Aeroplanes very
active. Pay day to-day
Not a bad village &
good billets.

20/7/16 Moved off again
at 9 A.M. The whole
Brigade was on the march
to-day, it was very hot
& the country hilly.
Marched eight miles to
Warloy Baillon where we
stopped again for the night
Not very far behind the
lines the 1^st Div. is in
action & we are expecting
to go in any minute
21/7/16 The whole division
went on an eight mile
route march & arrived
home at 6 P.M. Could hear
our guns firing heavily
all day. Packed up ready
to move off at a minutes
notice. 1^st Div doing good
22/7/16 Went & had a look
at the French trenches in
the morning. Got orders
to move & left village at
6 P.M. marched about
eight miles & then bivouaced
for the night. Right
alongside the town of
Albert.
23/7/16 Went & had a
look at the ruined village.
Saw their beautiful Church
in ruins also the blessed
virgin hanging over the
village. Our guns are
bombarding terrific all
the time.
24/7/16 Moved up to
Support Trenches at 9 A.M
1^st Div is in the trenches

Our guns firing like mad
but very little response
from Fritz. A Good few
wounded coming down
25/7/16 Went & had a look
at the German trenches
captured on the first day
of the advance Saw an
enormous crater caused by
a wire being blown up under
the German lines.
25/7/16 Went in & relieved
the 1^st Div at about 9 P.M.
Stopped in Reserve trenches
all night
26/7/16 The 18^th Batt Bombers
were called out to the assistance
of the 17^th Batt bombers at
5 P.M. Went right into Fritz
& were hand to had fighting
with him for six hours
& finished us gaining 70
yds of trench & we lost
about 22 men I came
out without a scratch.
27/7/16 The Germans seem
to be bringing more & heavy
guns & they are bombarding
all the time it is just like
hell Olly Hellyer Killed with
a shell to-day. We are having
a good few Casualties.
28/7/16 Germans still
bombarding like hell our
aeroplanes doing great scouting
work. Germans use a
great number of Gas & Tear
Shells but they do not catch
any of our boys. Our Artillery
doing good work