Diary of Herbert Vincent Reynolds, 1917-1918 - Part 4

Sunday 22^nd
The day has been fine.
& aircraft have been exceptionally active
At l pm an enemy aeroplane dived out of a cloud
on to one of our observation balloons & fired
at it but missed, he then flew over & fired
at the balloon near us & missed it, he was
then very low our, anti aircraft guns were firing
at him from every direction, but did not go
any where near their mark but near skittled
one of three of our own planes that gave chase
whereupon they dived out of the way. The
enemy plane circled around & made off in
the direction of the first balloon that he
tackled it was then on the ground having
been hauled down, any how when flying over
again the machine fired & that time
hit it with tracer bullets which ignited
the highly inflamable gass. Noone was hurt
During the afternoon I went across to where
the balloon was destroyed, nothing remained
but a few burnt particals. At about 4 pm
several of our aeroplanes were set upon by a
 superior number of enemy craft one of our planes
came down out of control but luckily neither of
the occupants were very seriously hurt.
After tea a mate & I went for a walk across
country as far as Riencourt from there we obtained
a magnificent view of the old Somme Cattlefield
streatching away to the South west as far as the
eye could reach the scene was one of complete
desolation & we were on the edge of the were, of
an oasis. The enemy had a magnificent position
there well drained & could observe all movements
 on behind our lines, why he retired from there is
beyond comprehension, he evidently was forced
out by our constant pressure & was afraid of a
decisive blow being dealt him from another
part of the line. All around Reincourt our long
range guns had been constantly shelling the
enemys communications while we were fighting
in the vicinity of Geudicourt& of Le Barque
& the ground has been torn up considerably.
After leaving Reincourt we went into Bapaume
just as we got into the town an enemy plane
dropped two bombs on the place, with the
 

result that a South African major was
rather badly wounded We passed the
R.F.C. flying ground on our way home & seen
two of our new type of machines the spad
one had just returned & its pilot had received
a bullet wound in the foot, but managed
to land safely.
Monday 23^rd
The day has been fine &
aircraft have been active. At about 3pm one
of the 6 in naval guns near us fired several
shots at one of the enemys observation
balloons after the third shot it was pulled
down. At about 5 pm the 1st Fld Amb
marched to Bapaume, having been releived
by an English Fld Amb, just as we were
leaving the dressing station several large
shells exploded very close. The are
billeted in an old block of buildings at
the old main dressing station.
Tuesday 24^th
Enemy aeroplanes bombed
this town through the night, one fell
very close to us the whole building shook.
The day has been a beautifull one, quite a
spring day. During the morning I went
through some old underground passages
near our billets. At about 2 pm we set out
for the C C S at Pozieres marching along the
Albert Bapaume road. We are camped in
a large marquee. After tea I went for a
stroll over the scene of the fighting during last
July & August with a few mates.
Wednesday 25^th
Anzac Day & to celebrate the
occasion our unit had a dimer at 5 pm followed
by a concert in the marquee that we are
using for sleeping quarters I assisted to put
up a stage in the tent this morning. After
dinner we marched to Albert to the baths.
Thursday 26^th
We parade at 9 30 am & then
are detailed off for different duties I have
been clearing the stage out of the tent today
After tea I went for a walk with several mates
to Thebval we seen an old concrete
 

machine gun emplacement
 

Friday 5^th
At about 6 am revallie was
sounded & we received instructions to pack up
& be ready to go up the line at 8. 30 am
we were put into motors & taken to the an D S at
Vaulx  there we rested for the day, except for
a couple of hours pick & shovel work digging graves.
The day has been a beautifull one & very warm.
At about 6 pm we were fallen in & marched up to
the line We waited for a while in the sunken road
at         where we have a dressing stn, while there
a gass allarm was sounded & without a moments.
warning a gass cloud was on us, we adjusted our
respirators & waited for the cloud to pass it was shell
gass & soon dispersed. We set out under Capt. Hunt with
a streatcher & blanket per squad. before we got far
shells began to explode very near us & after going
about two hundred yds we got into another cloud of
shell gass, adjusted our respirators & waited under cover
of the bank of a sunken road till it passed. after getting
along another 50 yds another cloud appeared & we
again fixed our helmets but this time there was
no cover to be had we were in the open; & shells
were exploding every where to say nothing
of machine gun bullets which were sweeping across
the place, we were forced to lay flat on the ground
though its not advisable so do so in a gass cloud.
I must have got some of the gass into my lungs, as I
took a peculiar sickly feeling & got quite dizzy
but what followed caused me to forget every thing
for when we moved on again we had gone only a few
yds when a regular inferno broke forth, the air
was rocking with the crash upon crash of exploding
shells, every few seconds a phosphors shell would
illuminate the place & send burning fragments
flying everywhere & making the scene an uncanny
terrific terrifying. At last we reached a sap & with a certain
amount of releif o lost no time in making our
way along it, We were then in a regular barrage,
one could not hear himself speak. At the end of the
sap where we came out incendary shells had set
a fire some rubbish & other stuff, & more he shells were
exploding every where, an enemy machine gun kept
playing on the enterance to the sap. & how we
all managed to get to the R A P without a
casualtie will ever remain one of the greatest
mysteries of my life I will never forget
 

the terryfing experence of that trip to the RAP.
what with tear gas, & other sorts that were freely
used, & the deafening din of ordinary shells &
the hundred & one other things that the enemy
sent over the place was an absolute hell.
We reached the R A P sometime between
8 & 10 pm everyone there & in the vicinity were
crouching like rabbits in holes along a bank
about 15 or 20 ft deep, & we got in where we could.
After a while the affair died down to ordinary
light shelling & we comenced to evacuate
the wounded. I think my squad took one
patient to the relay post before midnight &
had a fairly good trip.
Saturday 6^th
Shortly after midnight my squad
carried a wounded man to the relay post which is
about 700 yds away, we carry the streatchers shoulder
high here, we got the patient down safely &
retained set out for the R A P again, we had not
gone far before the enemy began to shell the
track & we made all haste towards the sap, when
we were about 500 yds from it, about a doz
shells crashed down in a bunch right between
us & the sap & instantly a large cloud of gass
appeared & drifted towards us, the wind favoured
the enemy for sending over gass. We did not
hesitate but made off at the double to evade
the gass cloud, we passed it at a few yds distance
& it appeared to us like a huge white wall as
we passed it. We had almost reached the
sap when an enemy barrage comenced again &
we underwent a similar experience to our first trip
up to the R A P. I hardly knew wether to wait
or go ahead for a while but we were in the thick of
the shelling so I decided to get back as soon as
possible we were as safe one way as the other.
When we reached the R AP it was as hot a corner as
anywhere else, & the dugouts we were sheltering in
were only protection against fragments of shell.
It is hard to realize how human beings could ever
live through such a hell as the enemy made the
place at times, but despite the metal & other
death dealing things that he brought into use, our
casualties were extremely few when one comes
to consider. Narrow escapes followed one enother
faster than seconds, only to be forgotten
 

again before long. Just about sunrise we
were called on to carry a patient down only 
ordinary shelling occurred during the trip.
During the day we were kept buisy my squad 

carried 8 streatcher cases down altogether, the 

enemy kept up an almost continuous shelling 

of the track all day six of the trips we were

releived at the first relay post but two we
had to take to the dressing post, at
The second trip with a wounded chap after
sunrise proved to us the enemys contempt for 

the wounded we have to carry the wounded 
in the open & in full view of them xxxxxxxx

& not being content with using us as targets for
a rifle he must deliberately fire on us, and the wounded with a 
machine gun, the first time the bullets went 
singing overhead, we felt uncomfortable, but never

then thought he was firing at us, a few seconds 

later the bullets went streaking past then we

knew we were the target, for, dust kicked up in 

dozens of places just ahead & on either side, but 

luck was with us & none of us were hurt, we did not 

get much further before another lot of bullets followed
us & again we were lucky. One has a
feeling of being absolutely helpless in such a
case, we have to keep going, there is nothing else left
to do & yet the target is an excellent one. the only
thing is to trust to luck. During the afternoon the
enemy very heavelly shelled the vicinity of the R A P
& while we were carrying a wounded chap down, a shell
fell & exploded right in the dug out two of my mates
& I sheltered in, a R S bearer was sheltering in
at the time & was killed when we got back our
equipment etc was scattered for yards around &
absolutely riddled, there was no sign of our rations, but
we managed to find enough about the place to do us.
During the day we had the following casualties 
Leaske, killed & Ridgeway, Maddox, Gibson Hayman
Sgt Clifton
At about 6pm things got fairly quiet & was so when
we were releived at about 9 pm by the 6^th fld amb & we
were never more pleased to get out of a place more
than this, we got down for the dressing post at
& there got an issue of rhum & were then brought to
some dugouts in a sunken road just outside the
village. One of my mates was wounded slightly today
+ I had a new man. Algie put in my squad.
Just after we reached the dressing post our
 

artillery put over a barrage & the noise was deafening
for some time. After getting a xxxxx xxxx
Sunday 7^th
At about 5 am we wereturmed out of
the dugouts that we were in by an infy party
& had to get out & shift into others further along or
whereever we could get a place to sleep. The enemy
kept shelling the sunken road in our vicinity off & on all day.
At about 5pm we received instruction, to report at the
dressing post on the opposite side of the village my squad
earned a 4^th  fld Amb chap to the wagons & the enemy were
shelling the wagon rendevos  at the time doing his
best to hit the ambulance wagon, on our return we
we told to stand by as we are in reserve. At about
11 pm five of A sect squads were called out & proceeded
towards Bullencourt to the scene of an explosion
it appeared that an English coy of R Engrs were
unloading Amonal from wagons that had been
taken unusually near to the line when an
­enemy shell exploded the material, killing
an extremely large number, when we reached
the scene all those who had a chance of living
were shifted to a sheltering bank near by
after the explosion the enemy shelled the
vicinity very heavily there was only a very few
streatcher cases very few survived who were at
close quarters, some mules were being shot when
we left with a patient

Monday 8^th
At about 5 am we were required to
give a hand to convey the wounded the
wagons. During the night the Gordon Highlanders
& our 9^th Batt went over & took their objective
the jocks took  a village R    a good number
of prisoners were brought in this morning & a 
large number of enemy wounded also, they are
Wurtemburghers in front of our line; our losses
are  very small considering the success & scale of
operations. The enemy are keeping up a barrage over
the village of Bullencourt & the front is marked by
a great cloud of dust & smoke. At about 10 am the
enemy began to shell our vicinity but most of the
shells failed to explode one cracked into the bank
a few feet away from us & luckilly failed so explode
At about 11 am we were releived + my squad
was first off, we got back to Vaulx at about 10 noon
 

of Aircraft both ours & the enemys have been active
today. We are camped in tents here.
Tuesday
It rained heavily almost all night
the marquee that I slept in leaked, like a sive
but most of us were worn out & did not feel
any discomfort till we woke this morning. Rain
continued falling till about 4 pm then it cleared 
off. Our artillery put up a terrific barrage at
about 9 pm, the scene from here was very brilliant
huge blood red bursts of flame, & white flashes from
the different guns the different coloured flares
helped to make the scene rather beautiful
at a distance
Wednesday.
The day as been a beautifull one
& the place has dried up well. At about 1 pm
the enemy shelled the road for about 10 minutes
right in front of our camp one shall struck the
receiving tent went through it & entered the
floor without exploding. At about 7 pm we
marched off for the line & releived the 14^th Fld
Amb at the railway embankment at about 9 30 pm
 Thursday
At about 1 am my squad carried a
wounded man down to the relay post on our way
back  we got in amongst several salvoes  of whiz bangs
but fortunately did not got hurt. At about 2 am
we had another trip on reaching the relay post
gass same over & we had to use our helmets.
 

Tuesday 15^th
Revalie at 6 am. C section left here
in motors this morning for 
Friday 18^th 
Leave to Amiens, walked
to Albert & thence by train to Amiens.
reached the town about 9 am. visited the
cymetery at Madeline & seen the tomb of
Jules Vernee magnificent sculptural &
monumental wort to be seen in the place.
Spent a fairly pleasant day & left at
about 9 pm in a motor wagon which brought
us to Becourt we walked the remaining
3 odd miles home.
 

June 2^nd
My mates & I got our pass for Cayeux & after
parade left camp & had dinner at Hurk. then went on
to Cayeux had tea of the Hotel Parisian & went to the
Bellvue hotel for the night
3^rd Sund
Did not spend too good a
night. Had breakfast & hired bicycles rode to
Ault where we had dinner & a look around
the town ascended the cliffs & got a fine view
of the place a very pretty little town.
Friday 8^th
The day has been rather cool. We
received news of the big battle at Messines
All the tents were struck this morning to air them,
Went into St Valery & had Hea.
Saturday 9^th