Diary of Herbert Vincent Reynolds, 1918 - Part 2

with our second trip it commenced to
rain heavily making the track extremely

treatcherous. The enemy has been shelling

Btn H Qtrs behind us today. This evening
he sent over a few gass shells in our

vicinity causing us to sneeze & splutter

a bit.

Thurs 10^th
There was nothing doing
during the night, but since daylight
it has been an exceptional day, hardly
a shell has come over our way from the
enemy & our artillery also have been much
quieter than usual. Prizoners have been
coming down in batches all day, the 4^th
btn on our right have taken a number also
& it is believed that the 2^nd Bgde on our
left sector have made a good haul. This
Btn 1^st have taken 99 & 16 machine guns
up to a late hour this evening. At about
9.30 p.m. we carried a wounded hun down
all our own casualties were today were about
half a doz walking cases & 1 streatcher
besides a couple being killed.

Frid 11^th
Nothing doing during the night
Batches of prisoners were brought down again
This morning one lot of 28, were carrying 4 of their
own machine guns in with them.

July
Monday 29^th
Received parcel from
home. Left here at 7.30 pm proceeded
up to the line  & awaited any casualties
that may result from the stunt to take
Merris xxx
Tuesday  30^th
At 12 30 pm the artillery
comenced the barrage the heaviest we
have witnessed in this section for months
past it continued for three quarters of
an hour very intense then gave way
to harrasing fire at 2 30 am & 4 30 am
the barrage broke out for five minutes
or so on each occasion. The affair was
very successful all our objectives being
gained & approximately 200 prisoners being
taken some of whom we had carrying
their own wounded. very soon after
daylight we had the post all clear
& then returned to Borre.

August 4^th Sunday
Beautiful day. Parade at
9 30 am half hours squad drill. Obtained
leave to visit Saint Omer started out at
12 30, got ride in motor lorry to the square
arrived there about 1 30 pm had dinner then
spent the afternoon at a band concert
in the beautiful public gardens, had
a stroll round the town then some tea
& returned to our billet at about 8 30 pm
after getting a ride from the square right
to the Village in a motor lorry.
Monday 5^th
Half hours squad drill at
9 30 am, instructed to be preparred to leave
at 12 45 am tomorrow morning. It has been
any thing but a fine day.
Tuesd 6^th
Left at about 1 am marched through
Blendeques & entrained at Wizernes at 6 am
& arrived & detrained of Pont Remy at 4 20 pm
via Calias Bologne Etaples & Abbeville marched
from Pont Remy though Liercourt Fontaine

Longpre, Conde-Foile, L'Etoile & arrived
& billeted in Vauchelles at about 10 pm
Wednesday 8 7^th
Spent the day in this
village, extremely short rations. Spent
evening at concert at R A F bgde H Qrs.
Thurs 8^th
Left at 10 am marched through
Flixecourt to Belloy where we halted for
dinner, then passed through La Chaussee
Furancourt & arrived of Saint Sauveur at
about 4 30 pm & had tea after which we got into
motor lorries which landed us at the Chateau
grounds at Allonville at about 6.30 pm after
passing through Amiens which is absolutely
deserted though not smashed so much as
one might expect. Lorry loads of wounded
Canadians & Huns xxx xxx passed us on their
way back, reports are very favourable
concerning our new push
Friday 9^th
Bivouaced in the Chateau
wood for the night & moved off at about
7am passed through Querrieu, Pont Noyelles
Corbie & arrived as the Main Mess Stn  at
Fouilloy about 11 am, where we rested till
6 30 pm then set out for the A D S at
Bayonvillers passing on the way through
La Motte & what remains of Abancourt. The
buildings we are using now for the A D S.
were used by the huns as Bgde H Qrs.
A captured 10 in gun is in this village
My squad are for duty from 11 pm till 1 am
The enemys aircraft bombed this village
about 10 pm & caused a few casualties
Sat 10^th
Turned in at 1 am in the loft
above the dressing room for walking wounded
a good number of 7 & 8^th Btn wounded were
coming through during the night, also a
number of wounded prisoners. After breakfast
we were set to cleaning out this building
which has been a stable & barn etc. After
dinner, which was an extremely hasty & scanty
one we set out again towards the line, passing
through Harbonieres we remained at the cross

roads to Lihons & Rosieres to Fauvillers & got
into any sort of shelter we could find coming
along the road before reaching here an enemy
gun scattered us but only our section Sgt. Sellars
was wounded though not badly. A large amount
of captured material is lying about here a
complete C C S a railway train several heavy
motor tractors, other transport material.
Sund 11^th
About 2 30 am we carried a gassed
patient down to the ambulance at the C C S.
shortly after returning the hun comenced
shelling our vicinity with 5 .9 h c shells & gass
two exploded within a few yds of our holes,
but one of our mates received a wound in the
back of the neck & while attending to him C sec
Sgt. McCray & a mate of mine Ridgway were
wounded the latter rather seriously.
At about 3 pm a mate & I took a chap
down to the next post who had received
severe wounds by using a hun telephone
which had been left behind as a trap.
the most remarkable thing was that the
instrument had been used all the
morning for sending & receiving
messages at one of our 18 pndr btys. 3^rd
Two enemy aeroplanes came down in flames
this morning within 5 minutes of each other
Received parcel from Nene today One of
Mondxxxxxx xxx our bristol machines came down

near us today. Spent a fairly quiet night very

little shelling in our vicinity  Two 6 in how

are being put in 3 yds each side of our

shelters so we had to shift into a new

house which some engrs were leaving it

is much safer & is an old hun dugout.

Mond 12^th

Spent a fairly quiet night very
little shelling in our vicinity enemy aircrafts

have been extremely active in bombing
during the past few nights. Received

letters from Ausie & also a parcel from Vi.

9.2s exploded rather close here about

5 pm. At about 6.30 my squad went

up through Roseieres to the Railway relay

post the place is an xxx hun dugout

only recently constructed.

Tuesd 13^th
Did gass guard from 11 pm to 1 am. 
This morning at about 1.30 a mate & I took
a streatcher case through to the crossroads
as no wagon was waiting to at Rossieres
I returned with another patient immediately
after returning to our post to shew the mates
the track to the wagon. 

Sept Sund 15^th
Nothing doing all
day. Rather fine. Three of our balloons down
in flames. Another enemy night bombing
machine down in flames about 10 pm.

Oct 3^rd Thurs
Revelle 7am. Parade 8 30 am
in square, said good-bye to all the mates
& left the unit in G. S wagons arrived at about
10 15 am at Flixecourt where we waited till about
7 pm when we left in motor lorries for Bray.
arriving there at about 9 pm.
Friday 4^th Spent night in an old house
opposite the Town hall. Parade at 9 30am
in square. Shifted to new billet in another
part of town.

Oct 23^rd Wed
Revelle 5 am Parade
with kits packed 8 am Marched out of camp
at 8 30 am to Devonport dockyards where we
boarded the tender Sir Francis Drake which
carried us out to our boat S S Durham
at anchor in Plymouth harbour which
we. boarded at about midday
Thurs 24^th
Weighed anchor at about
7 am & steamed out of harbour accompanied
by 5 other boats an auxiliary cruiser
& four destroyers. Passed close to
the Eddystone lighthouse
Friday 25^th
One of the boats has been
well behind all day accompanied by
destroyer it is a tank steamer & very
slow doing about 8 knots.

Sat 26^th
The escorting destroyers left
us during the night, the 5 other boats
have been travelling away astern to

start port all day the aux cruiser

has been travelling with us. 
Sund 27^th
No sign of other boats today
still steaming along with the aux cruiser
doing slightly over 103 knots now
Church parade on deck this morning
Tuesd 29^th
Rather big swell
from starboard side causing boat
to roll pretty much.
Wed 30^th
Sea like that sheet of glass

exceptionally calm