Diary of Lindsay Robert Turner, 1918 (Vol. 4) - Part 6

49
in view of the days happenings and 
it was perhaps fortunate we did
as the wood we would have passed
thro was vigorously shelled for
some minutes.
8/6/18. During the night at intervals
all the Batteries in our particular
sector treated the area to a violent
gas bombardment. This is the first
concentrated bombardment I've
experienced and as we have more
deadly gases than the Hun and
experience and experiments have
shown that his helmet is not a
very efficient one We are hoping
casualties were numerous. I only
wish they would resort to Gas
a little more often it's the one

thing they seem to fear to any
wholesale extent. and rumour
hath it that a suggestion had been
made thro' a neutral intermediary
too discontinue the use of gas.
May they heap it on with a

vengeance I'm in favor of no mercy

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There was little or no activity "on the 
Western Front today" as the official
Communique would say. The Major
went off early in the afternoon to pay
a visit to Battn. H.Qs so I was left
behind all alone with the Bty. Nothing

happened however. About 9 a "late"
bombardment by the Hun Commenced.
a reply no doubt to ours of the previous
night and gas and H.E. flew in all
directions mostly in the vicinity of the
front line tho' as yet we have no

details as to Casualties. This Continued
until after 2 the C.O at one stage
ringing up to tell all an attack
was anticipated as a result of this
preliminary bombardment. The nearest
approach to our position was a
"dud" falling about 5 yds in front
of a dug out. The wind was blowing
away as we got very little gas.
By the time I returned to post at
4 Am. all was quiet again I was
inclined to thank our Heavies
carried out some fire. Commd. Bty work
 

51

9/6/18 I made a tactical error in
turning into the Major's dug out for my

morning's sleep He must have held

half a dozen orderly rooms judging by

by the amount of talk there was and 

of course I couldn't sleep. But I was

politely informed that I was to go to

the Wagon Lines for my 3 day's

spell so I looked forward to 

some good rest there and didn't mind

the lack of sleep so much. Had I

been up earlier I'd have had a

trip to our front line by daylight

to witness a S.O.S shoot as reports 

had been made of short shooting

and we wanted to verify them. but

the Major went himself. The Hun

has become much more attentive

to our principal roads of late

throwing over half a dozen Shells

at various intervals on most of

those used by our transport so one

goes up and down to the waggon

line with some trepidation Anyway

I arrived without mishap.
 

52

10/6/18. I didn't get up till 11, was rather
violently awakened during the night

by a loud report just over over the

hill beyond and this was followed 

by several more evidently so are 5.9's

intended for the main road to La

Houssoye. But it's quite a Common 

Occurrence for half a dozen to be 

sent over at intervals below and around

here. We spent the afternoon cutting

lucerne to save the French farmers

the trouble and also provide fodder

for the horses. The wherewithal to

cut it was an old scythe typical

of all things French but we managed

to get thro' half an acre by

9 o"clock. It's a fine relaxation

to the ordinary's day's work

at the Bty. tomorrow I'm going

out past Lamotte-Basbière to

make a reconnaissance for a rear

Bty position the one previously

selected has had to be abandoned

owing to an alteration in the 

line we'll fall back to.
 

53

11/6/18. I was up at 8 and away

by 10 expecting to be back by

lunch time but miscalculated. I

first of all rode thro' Daours to find

out where the 50^th Bty. wagon lines

were, but finding they were near

Aubigny some 4 kils away turned

North for Lamotte-Barbiere It was

a fine morning tho Fritz was fairly

lively especially around Glisy a

little over on our left. It was a

very pretty ride along the bank

of the Avre tho' when we saw

shells flying into Glisy we Circled

wide. Its a very difficult problem

to find suitable positions in the

most restricted of areas but I

managed to find one and assessed

it probably it will never be

used but we must be prepared

After leaving Daours We passed

some abandoned Wagon lines where

some lively shelling had recently

accounted for 8 horses poor brutes

they have to run even greater

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risks than human beings It surprises

me that disaster doesn't more often

befall wagon lines as the area just

in rear is full of them. During the

afternoon our own area was 

shelled again but they all went well

over. We have a few hurdles erected

in the vicinity and each evening

the would be bunkers are tried out

even the Mules came in for their share

but they are dire failures as anyone

who has had anything to do with the

unnatural brutes would have

predicted. Still its rare good fun.

12/6/18. The unofficial reports that

had been filtering thro of late that

we were going out for a rest shortly

was Confirmed this morning in the

shape of an official memo. from
B.H.Q. that everybody was to be

in readiness for a move out about

the 20th Thats rather a pleasant

prospect in spite of the immense

amount of work it will entail I

expect we will move back to

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Abbeville or some such quiet

centre for the usual 14 days and 

return to take up some other portion

of the line probably relieve the 2^nd 

Division on our left. We were

up early of am to start on the work
of "Getting Ready" for there's much to
be done and only a week left. I
had to return to the Bty. tonight
and so enter the "war" zone again.
13/6/18. I wasn't quite sure what I
was supposed to do today but when
Ellis got his marching orders to a
school at Abbeville I had to take
over his duties as Orderly officer. We
had some further discussions on
our contemplated move-out but its
too far off as yet to Complete
arrangements. There is a distinct
improvement in the outlook
particularly on our Front only
two days ago the 2^nd and 4^th

Divisions made successful advances

and suffered few Casualties and

even further South the French are

56

holding up the German Advance
The Major has threatened to pay a
visit to the O.P. in the morning but
I'm afraid the 3 o'clock rising
will change his courage somewhat
14/6/18. I had an easy night tho'
once I was told the CO. wanted to
speak to me and as it was 2AM.

I suspected perhaps that he had
some good information and
another attack imminent" as
once before however it was only

"ware short shooting" that's mostly

what we have to avoid. for the 

sake of our Conpérès in the

advance posts and nothing effects

morale so much as to have your

own Gunners firing into your

backs. but we swear by our rounds

as every Gunner does. It was rather

a change having breakfast in the

mess at 3.15 the Major being the

cause of the diversion we usually

eat in the kitchen at that ridiculous

hour. Anyway I had the

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finest morning's rest for some time

getting out at 12 tumbling into

a hot bath and leisurely dressing.

This afternoon I took a walk over

to Vaire to see a medico friend of 

mine at Battn. H.Q's. We had rather

a experience too. We were sitting

at the mouth of a Cellar out in the

open used as a dressing station

when a 4.2 landed 30 yards

beyond and just over a brick

house. We scrambled down the

steps and only just in time for

a second and then a third round

fell in the roadway just in

front a few more just over

and then Silence Reigned Supreme

again and we resumed our

conversation on photos. We

have strong rumours that a Hun

attack will actually take place in

the morning and they seem genuine

so as its my turn for the O.P. I'm

moving on tonight to avoid the

 

58
possibility of walking thro' a

heavy barrage in the morning Guess

I won't have too much sleep there.

15/6/18. My prediction came true after

all. A genuine dislike for dugouts

without ventilation and the proximity 

of the O.P. to the happy hunting

grounds of a large proportion of

Hun shells made sleep impossible

I was on the look out for targets at

4 AM and movement happened

to be very abnormal. particularly

transport-wagons and undoubtably

the Huns are able to keep their

horses in good Condition at the

expense of the unfortunate ejected

farmers. The immediate Vicinity

of our O.P. is daily becoming

a hot corner and it was fully

demonstrated today. At 8.30

AM. about 70 got very close to it

than at 2 the harsh form of Hun