Diary of Lindsay Robert Turner, 1918 (Vol. 4) - Part 5

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whistled overhead and mutilated
the earth just below evidently
a few for luck. I took a ride
with 5 of our Sergeants to reconnoitre
positions selected by us in
view of an retirement. They are
unnecessary evils as a rule -
out in the direction of Amiens
in fact one position is only
about 2 kilometres away. It
was my first visit to the vicinity
and I had an opportunity of
seeing what a large City Amiens
is and now practically deserted
The Huns still shell the place
several 5.9's were observed
to burst in the vicinity of the
Cathedral as we were arriving at
our destination. The men thought
of such a beautiful city being
gradually reduced to ruins

fills one with pity. I returned
to the Bty. in the afternoon to get
in touch with the military Situation
once more.
 

40 

1/6/18. Another day at the O.P. and
it proved to be rather interesting.
Certainly one doesn't relish the idea
of turning out at 3 A.M. especially
when the activity of the Artillery
is abnormal as it was during
the night, result:- precious little sleep.
As the morning was misty I took
the opportunity to write some letters
early in the Afternoon the vicinity
of the O.P. was disturbed by a 4.2
H.V. Gun registering on its favorite
datum point the old bomb with
one shell which proved to be
a "dud" appeared to be Coming
perilously close and burrowed
into the earth just 30 yards
below. I then amused myself
by clearing a working party of
Huns. out of a trench meanwhile
getting our Howitzer Bty to
prepare for a few Salvos in the
vicinity on an errand of destruction
and when they do go over some
 

41
Ten minutes later it proved to be
a fine spectacular display earth
flying in all directions. It's a long
day and somehow I felt very
much more tired than usual
and was very glad to get into
my virtuous couch!
2/6/18. I remembered it was Sunday
when I got up and just four weeks
since I arrived at the Bty. and
a month crowded with all
kinds of experiences. Needless to
say with so much to do it
appears to have passed very
quickly. I was Orderly officer
but I'm now well acquainted
with the daily duties of that
onerous post including as it
does duty all night with the
possibility of being to first to
realise that a Hun attack
is on the way as that Gentleman
always attacks at dawn generally
giving good warning in the Hope
of a continued Gas bombardment
 

42
We are moving our habitations

further along the band as a map

captured with a Hun officer disclosed

the fact that our home was Known
to the enemy. I can see pick and

shovel work the order of the day

tomorrow instead of the usual

afternoon off.
3/6/18. I turned my energies to
a good purpose today as anticipated

the erection of new Quarters. It

turned out to be quite a

pleasurable job in that we

failed to strike solid rock as

is usually the case in the land
here about. We didn't burrow

far down into the earth as just

nearby is a scientifically constructed

dugout capable of

resisting even an 8" shell

and now nearing completion

It will be Source of Regret if

we have to advance and leave
it behind. Probably better that than

a retreat and to dig in afresh

43
4/6/18. It was my day at the O.P.

so of course I was up at 3 A.M. and
well on the way by 3.30. The Hun

usually opens the day just as
dawn is breaking with an area

short so one has to move forward

with some trepidation altho' it
would be difficult to come under 
observation and to prove a
direct mark if it were so we

would have to set out earlier 7

hours are quite long enough
to remain isolated. Of late the
vicinity of the O.P. has Come in
for much attention and now
it is a common accurrence to
have splinters flying all around
us tho' it takes only a fraction
of a second to make the
proverbial "duck". It is obvious
that we have not been located
otherwise we would have been
shelled out by this Infantry are
in reserve just below the Hill
 

44

and that is probably the attraction
I had one of our Sergeants' with
me and gave him a splendid idea
of how we sniped the Hun. Not only
with our own Bty. but also with
the Hows. It's a source of Keen
delight to see the earth in the
immediate vicinity of a trench
or elaborate dugout thrown
skywards and must be a source
of annoyance by Contrast, to
the inhabitants. In Some batteries
the much harassed subaltern is
never allowed to Shoot the Bty.
and reap the satisfaction of getting
O.K's by way of reward but here
we can have absolute control
of the ammunition dump. On the
way home we paid a visit to the
deserted village of Vaux to Salvage
some furniture for our new
dugout a Carpet or two, table
chairs and even pictures for
the walls all there was to be had
were a few pictures and much
 

45

wearing apparel mostly  feminine
that had been left behind when
the Hun "Push" was in progress.
On our way home shells Commenced
to fall on our left and right
just beyond the Bty. but we
arrived safely.
5/6/18. I hadn't been very long
asleep when a shell whistling
overhead and falling just in
front of our dugout rudely
awakened me It was soon
followed by another and then a
third in Quick succession and
So well along to our left. They
did not fall with sufficient Regularity
to be the prelude to an attack
so it was unpleasant enough
especially when a little later
the roof received a shower of
splinters and then too I got the
faint odor of "blue Cross" but
not strong enough to necessitate
our weaking masks. I was
 

46
orderly officer and tired tho' I was
had to be up by 10 to go my
rounds. We had a very uneventful
day tho' one never knows what
the hour before dawn will bring
forth. Any way I set out to write
some letters before the possible
strafe appeared on the Toure. 

6/6/18. We had no strafe but
at 2 just as we were commencing
our 3rd last shoot a very Curious
phenomenon appeared in the

shape of a most brilliant
light suspended in mid-air
away over on our left flank
The wind was blowing in our
direction and gradually the "meteor"

floated by followed by an

aeroplane apparently a Hun
who must have been on a Sniping
expedition tho he didn't fire on
us. It was a moat brilliant light
suspended from a parachute
and lit up the whole Country Side
Fearing an attack I got everyone
 

47 

under cover and watched the
phenomenon float majestically by.
Today I learn that one of our
Batteries did suffer the indignity of an
attack tho' no casualties Resulted.
Just after I turned in we had a
few 8" shells in front of the Bty.

tho' owing to the encouraging detonation
the shells were actually falling further
away than one would imagine.
I felt extremely languid so didn't
turn out until 3 P.m. and then
spent the rest of the day running thro
my Gramaphone Records and
incidentally writing more letters.
7/6/18 O.P. again and out at 3 PM.
while it was yet dark. The day at
O.P. used to be rather a pleasant
outing except for its duration
tho rotten targets are numerous
one is inclined to forget all about
that. Lately however probable
thro indiscreet movement on
the part of the infantry in reserve
along the hill side shelling has
 

48
become too frequent to be pleasant
as long as the Hun confined his
operations to the windmill situated
just in rear and used by him to
register his guns. we didn't mind
but now that he has taken on
area shooting We're just as likely
to get it as any other landmark
in the vicinity. Today at 5 oclock
quite suddenly and all in the Space
of a few seconds 40 rounds from
a 77m.m. and high Velocity Shells
as that flew over our heads into
the valley below then 5 minutes
later he subjected our little
plateau to 10 further Rounds I
don't know much about them
as I disappeared below in
Quick time An examination
afterwards disclosed however
that they all fell with a radius
of 30 yards. All the same I
hardly think we were the objects
aimed at. We decided to avoid the
usual track a long the hillside.