Handwritten transcript of diaries of Apcar Leslie De Vine, 1 January 1915 - 6 October 1918, Part 26 of 26

249
would give us the least shelter from wind or
weather has been burnt, the whole county side
is burning no shelter of any kind being left for
either men or horses. We fix ourselves up the best
way we can for a little shelter, using the hot sheet
iron from the ruined huts. During the afternoon I
walked over to Mt St Quentin which commands
a very fine view of all the county around, this
very important position was stormed & token
by one of our Divisions only a few days ago, with
very light losses. The easy surrender of this position
will mean a lot to Fritz who not putting up much
of a fight let it go cheaply. Aeroplanes paid us several
visits during the night, bombing Courcelles & Peronne.
Some fall close to us, as we are not using the old positions
of his camps no bombs took effect as we were not
where he expected to find us even the village of
Courcelles is not occupied. The bombing behind the
lines now every night is the worst feature of this
front, relays of planes follow each other at intervals
of about an hour each drop their load on their
selected spots & return home, we are doing the
same, whole fleets of planes being used for this
purpose alone, all night we hear the drone of
planes passing one way or other, we can easily
distinguish the German Foker engines which is
a signal to take cover. As all troops, horses, etc
are bivouacked outside villages in the fields
for safety our casualties from bombing are reduced
to a minimum. Orders issued for us to leave tomorrow

9/9/18 Fell in 8.30am & marched through Tincourt
to Raisel we approached the town from the
outskirts, having marched across the country and

 

250
entering the town at the large dump on the
railway line, which had been fired before the
Germans were compelled to evacuate the district.
This huge dump which extends over a mile & a half
along the line is burning fiercely from end to end
as we march through it, being compelled to
march through the centre, fortunately a fairly wide
road runs through the dump from end to end
which gives us a clear passage through the burning
mass on either side of us. Everything apparently is being
consumed consisting of all kinds of Army stores,
engineering material, huge stacks of timber, tens
of amunition & shells, aeroplanes etc, the fire
will probably continue to burn for several
days yet, no attempt being made on our part to
put it out or to salvage anything. We occupy
dry outs & shelters a little distance from the
dump which during the afternoon was under heavy
artillery fire, the Germans keeping this bombardment
up in order to prevent us from salvaging
anything of value, & to keep the fire going. fresh
outbreaks have now occured. The front line
is only 3 miles away. The town of Raisel is
continually being shelled all day, in the hope of
catching some of our troops there, all troops however
pass around the town for safety, leaving Fritz to
bombard the ruins only.

10/9/18 Several showers of rain during the day, the
ground is now getting very muddy, intermittant shelling
all day of the town of Raisel & the dump which is
still blazing fiercely behind us. Orders arrived during
the day for us to leave here at 8 pm for the
front line. Left camp at 8 & marched to the line
 

251
 to relieve a Coy of the 40^th Bn. During the night
orders received that we are to advance 1000 yds
& dig in, at daybreak next morning. The night is
very quiet, all shells passing over us. We are now
holding a part of the old French original front line
being part of the front thy held at the end of the
big Somme offensive in 1917

11/9/18 Advance commenced at daybreak, under a
very week artillery support, we met no opposition
until we gained our objective, which was a ridge
of ground just in front of the village of Templeux
a small village in front of the Hindenberg Line.
On this side of the village & on the ridge itself
Fritz had constructed several sunken outposts
commanding a good view of the flat county
in front & protecting the village. We had no
idea of the existance of these posts, & did not
find them out until we were right up to
them, when we found rifle & machine gunfire
spitting at us at very close range from all directions
A Coy was very badly cut up, as the fire from
a machine gun post was withheld until we were
right on to it, then they opened on us at 10 or 12 yds
range, my platoon being in front was nearly wiped
out, the officer being wounded earlier, had fallen
out in the advance & left me in charge of nearly
half the Coy, so had to carry on as best I could
with the men that were left. The only thing to
do being so dose to the post was to rush it
Was fortunate in getting right up to the post & jumped
in while Cpl Johnstone leavered up the sheet iron
roof to drop a Mills bomb inside & drive the
occupants out while we who had actually jumped
 

252
into the post was waiting to catch them at the
door, several of them came out in a rush but
did not surrender as we thought they would, but
put up a good resistance, as there were only
3 or 4 of us we got a sevear handling, Finally
I was the only unwounded man remaining, the
others having been sniped from another post on higher
ground & overlooking the one we were in. While
dealing with one or two Germans still left one of
them got behind me unobserved & shot me though
the back. The post now was full of wounded &
dead Germans & our men I did not notice one
man of either side unwounded. Most of our boys
seemed to be seriously hit & could do very little
as I was rather serious myself. fortunately I was
unhurt about the legs & realised I could not
lie in their outpost as it was still not taken
as all the attacking party were now either
killed or badly wounded in the attempt to
take & hold it, the garrison being too many &
their protection too strong. Cpl Johnstone while
trying to bomb them into surrendering was shot
through the thigh & lay on the opposite side of
the post to me, I did not see him again, eventually
with a few others he was taken prisoner.
Fortunately I managed to crawl out of the post
& fell into a shell hole some little distance
away, hoping that another Coy would eventually
take the post & find me, unfortunately things
were too hot just here, & no further attempt
was made, it would have been hopeless to gain
the post from the front as their machine guns
swept the ground all around, with the post on
the left giving extra security, being on higher ground
 

253
would have to be taken first, the whole business
has been badly bungled we have gained nothing
and have nearly lost a half Coy of men. Fortunately
for me I lay in a shell hole  & so escaped the
shots which passed over, was  be compelled to stay
here all day. The Germans brought up other
troops & counterattacked about 8am & made a
little progress, as only a few isolated men are now
left; with some wounded who could offer very
little resistance. A few prisoners were taken, including
some of the wounded with Cpl Johnstone. fortunately for
me they did not advance far enough, & so missed the
shell hole I was lying in, as it was under observation
from our old outposts thus placing them open to our fire
from D Coy in supports; who already had taken the
opportunity of picking many of them off & thus, giving
those wounded in the advance some protection.
The day dragged on very wearily, all day shells are falling
intermittantly & the ground is swept by machine guns.
Being wounded in the back I could not dress the wound
so had to lie flat on my back & press the sides together
with my weight, this helped to stop the flow of blood a
good deal, my only hope seems to depend on me being found
by one of our patrols at night & carried in. During the
day there were two light showers of rain that freshened
me up a bit, as I was begining to feel very weak from
the loss of blood & the want of something to eat
At 5pm the Germans counter attacked again, could hear
them approaching & talking in German, so I decided to
make a dash for our outpost lines if I had sufficient
strength left & dragged myself over the side of the shell
hole & lay outside ready for the final effort. I could
see them advancing in open order to occupy the ridge
for the night, so lost no time in trying to get away
 

254
from what would soon be their own outpost.
One or two of them as soon as I struggled to my
knees had another shot, one very nearly got me as
he knocked my shrapnell helmet off & knocked me to
the ground again, fortunately I was not hurt as
only the helmet was hit. They must have thought
they had got me, after a very short rest I got
on to my knees again & eventually on to my legs,
instinctively turned in the right direction &
stumbled foreward eventually heard someone calling
me, without even knowing where I actually was, I
had struck one of C Coys posts & was taken in
by one of the observers, where I was dressed for
the first time & taken back to the support
line & carried to the R A P & evacuated by
motor ambulance to the advanced dressing
station, remaining there for about 1/2 hour to be
inoculated against lock jaw following a dirty
wound. Afterwards passed on by another motor
ambulance to a central dressing station the
1.AFA who in their turn passed me on to the
53. CCS outside Peronne where I remained
for the night

12/9/18 Operated on this afternoon, the bullet
entered the back on the R side of the spine, without
touching it, & travelling upwards cutting through the
muscles of the back & leaving by the L sholder blade
breaking a large part of it away, The whole course
of the bullet was opened up & cleaned, the wound
being about 14" long, feel very sick & weak from
loss of blood etc

13/9/18 Feeling pretty bad all day, very weak
 

255

14/9/18 Expect to be evacuated during the day, took
a little food, the first since the 10^th still very weak

15/9/18 Sunday Not evacuated untill 3 pm, the
railway not being considered safe. We are the first
hospital train to leave Peronne since its recapture
Travelled all through the night, reaching La House
at daybreak

16/9/18 Arrived at No 2 General Hospital at La House
at dawn, will wait here for a short while for a
hospital ship. We occupied the hospital now at the
end of the pier where we are redressed. Left at
4pm on the Guildford Castle, we did not leave
the port untill darkness had set in

17/9/18 Arrived off the Isle of White at day break
reaching the wharf at Southampton at midday
when we tied up & discharged, the ship is full
of wounded. I was a stretcher case & had to
lie on the wharf untill 2pm when we were
placed on a Hospital Train for Cardiff S Wales
arriving there at 9pm & taken  by motor ambulance
to Ninion Posk Hospital. A 5 Ward

18/9/18 Had a very restless night, without permission
got up, the first time for 7 days

19/9/18 Back very painfull,  & discharging very
much, being dressed with hot ferments 3 times
a day. Drew a hospital kit today

20/9/18 Visited Cardiff this afternoon for about 3 hours
We are to be transfered tomorrow
 

256
21/9/18 Transfered to a V. A. D. Red Cross Hosp
at Barry Docks. Left Cardiff 2 pm arrd Barry
4 pm

22/9/18 Sunday Out all day, visited the sea beach
wound is much easier now, being dressed three
times a day

23/9/18 Wound very easy now, everything normal
the discharge being now under control, am
now out of danger

24/9/18 To 18/11/18 Hospital at Barry
On the 11/11/18 word arrived that an armistice
had been arranged to operate from 11o/c am
On the receipt of this news the whole town
went mad & wild with excitement which
was kept up for 2 or 3 days. On the evening of the
11^th a big torchlight parade took place in which
all soldiers, sailors, nurses, scouts etc took part
everybody being wild with delight to think that
the war is over at last

18/11/18 Left Barry for Newport & sent to the
Cavalry Barracks

19/11/18 Passed Dr as fit to travell

20/11/18 Orders received that all member of the
A.I.F. are to leave this morning for London
caught the 9.20 am, arrived London 1.30 pm.
Went to Horseferry Rd our Headquarters. those
fit went on 14 days leave. Dr sent me to No 3
Aust Auxiliay Hospital. Dartford. Kent
 

257
 21/11/18 To 18/12/18 At Dartford Hospital
left today on 14 days leave

18/12/18 To 2/1/19 On 14 days leave in UK.

2/1/19 To 22/6/19 Leave in Paris

After overstaying leave in Paris, returned to Monte

Video Camp at Weymouth for demobilisation
Final 14 days leave granted in London before
embarkation 2/7/19 To 17/7/19

Finally left England on the "Ormonde"
arriving home & discharged Oct 6. 1919

Service Abroad       4 years 290 days
Complete Service     5   "       54     "