Diary of Lindsay Robert Turner, 1918 (Vol. 4) - Part 9

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a firm certainty. It proved so when
at 1 precisely we were required to
send an officer into Bourdon as
billeting Specialist evidently returning
to some part of the line near Amiens
Anyway Jessep & I tossed I lost
so straightway saddled up and set
out on the 17 Kilo ride with an
orderly as a Companion . As we had 
billeted there on the way thro it was
an easy matter to arrange billets

and after fixing everything up I
wrote letters until it was time to

ride out and bring the Bty in.
I had had further opportunities of
viewing the landscape and marvelled
more than ever at its beauty.
One village we passed thro Flixecourt

is quite a thriving one and Contains
a most luxurious Chateau owned
by a wealthy Rope Manufacturer
in the vicinity it is now the HQs
of Gen Sir H Rawlinson of the 4^th
army.

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29/6/18. We were all very tired
after the night's move I had to wait
up for the Battery which didn't come
in until 4 A.M. so didn't have
much sleep, being daylight moreover
I was detailed for the advance
party again but this time we
all set out together the Brigade
Orderly officer and a representative
from each Bty. Our destination
on this Occasion was Camon on 
the outskirts of Amiens. I had never
been there before and wondered
just what type of billet we
would get and how difficult it
would be. Anyway we set out at
11 A.m. going thro' St Sauveur
and Longpré where we had an
excellent dinner on eggs and
strawberries and a bottle of French
Beer to wash it down it was very
dusty too so was all the more appreciated
We arrived at Camon passing thro
Riviery where there was a large

81
Hospice and the buildings are now
used by various H.Qs. Its rather a
pretty place with the Somme flowing
past the outskirts and numerous lagoons
along its banks. We went out o Camon
but finding no suitable land Head
for wagon lines and it being obvious
that the place received more than
its fair share of shelling we decided
to retreat to Rivery. After Considerable
trouble the necessary wagon lines and
billets were arranged for and the Bty.
Commenced to arrive first at 3 Am.
30/6/18. We all knew that we were
being brought back into the line for a
special attack: but until we reached
Riviery had no idea where we would
go It was obvious now that we
would fill a gap possibly before Villers
Brettoneux and a hot corner too
rumours are rife as to what is
actually going to happen but quite
early orders came thro' for a
reconnaisance to be made both for
Bty. positions and wagon lines

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The Major set out at 11.30 together with
other Bty Commanders for Divl. HQs
and I was sent forward at 13.30
to select the wagon lines It was whilst
at Arty. HQs that we discovered we
were to go into action just in front
of our old position and on the outskirts
of Vaux. We were a little dubious about
positions but it was a relief to know
we would operate over all our old
ground. The Bty relieving us had been
sent forward and 60 Pds. Taken
up our old positions so evidently
an offensive of some dimensions
is in course of preparation. A
portion of the river frontage about
half a mile from Daours was alloted
to the 13^th and 14^th Brigades for wagon
lines and on making a reconnaisance 
the only objections we could find to
them was the difficulty of getting
in and out and the crowded nature
of the ground because 4 batteries and
a DA.C. had to be crowded into the
area. Still the cover was excellent

83
Water plentiful and grass and clover
of most luxurious growth. I decided to wait
in the position until the Bty would
pull in during the early morning
and moreover the guns had to be
taken up to the Bty position as well
so I saw a sleepless night before us
There was plenty to do to get things

ready and by the time the head of the
Column reached the Cross Roads at
Daours we were ready It was then
almost 1 and a good eight miles
lay before the gun teams before they
could dump their guns. It was simply
amazing the amount of traffic in
and around Daours every conceivable
vehicle including quite a dozen
Tanks were on their way forward
and the Main Road thro Daours
was for the time being a greater
highway than Charing Cross. I
was told that the two nights preceding
were equally as bad so I came
to the conclusion that a still greater
offensive must be on the cards than

84
I at first imagined The teams returned
at 5 Am. and after every thing had
been fixed up the tired Drivers and
Gunners just fell to sleep where they
stood. I turned in for an hour as I

had to report at the Bty. as early as
possible.
1/7/18. When I arrived at the Bty
position I wasn't at all pleased with
its location right down on the bank
of the stream and not more than 2000
yards from the Hun line our old
O.P. is only a few hundred yards
away and we thought that uncomfortably
close to Fritz's 5/9s. We
are all living in Cellars of which
Vaux abounds tho the houses are
considerably knocked about. We saw
some tough work ahead to dig in
and make the gun pits habitable 
in the case of a Counter attack and
already the men were feeling the
strain of the night marches with
little sleep. However safety is a
huge consideration so we just set

85
to. The much talked of offensive has
been fixed for the 3^rd and Americans
join in with us if it were only the 4^th
what an incentive it would be. We selected
the O.P. and had the pits well on the
way to completion when we ceased
worked at 10 30 and it was about
all most of us could do to crawl
into bed.
2/7/18 We were up quite early and
hard at it again. but soon after lunch
orders came thro' that the offensive
would not take place until the 4^th.
We were rather dismayed as we thought
the sooner the better and let us get
out again for our much needed spell.
Still we had all the more time to make
the pits splinter proof of great necessity
in the event of a counter-attack Tired
tho we were the Somme was so
tempting that we had to slip in for
a dip and it proved much refreshing
in addition to taking out evidence
of much manual labor. Nearly all

86
The Batteries of our Division are
located in and around Vaux and along
the River Somme back towards Cortés
which brings us at least a thousand
yards nearer to the front line and
in the case of a 3000 yds. advance
we would still be within range.
Towards evening we laid out lines of
fire on a selected datum point and
fired a few shots to check the line
considering the incompleted nature of
the pits and the necessarily hurried laying
out of the line we were not far out and
tomorrow when the platforms are
secure and trail beds staked down
we’ll carry out a further registration
tho' we have to limit it as it will
give our position away if we fire
too many rounds
3/7/18 I was glad the stunt had
been postponed for a day. When I

went to bed at 1.30 A.m I had been
at the O.P. for over 3 hours digging
some protection tho' it will be very

87
crude. I woke up with a heavy cold
so was feeling anything but bright and 
the cellars we're living in are damp
and ill-ventilated and conducive to
illness so I would sooner be up
and about at the expense of a little
more sleep. While the major was
working out the tables for the Artillery
Barrage we superintended to completion
of the pits and stacking of ammunition
We learnt more particulars during
the day about the "Great" offensive
It was to commence at 3.10 there was
to be a preliminary bombardment
of 10 minutes to allow the tanks
to approach the front line and get
the Infantry within striking distance
and then would open out the real
thing. The bombardment was to
continue for 2 hours during which
our infantry would reach their
objective and consolidate I was
rather pleased when the Major told me
I would be O.P. officer so there was the 

88
chance of seeing Something really worth 

while tho it will prove uncomfortable 
if the enemy retaliate. We finished up 
by 12 midnight and slipped into bed 
for a couple of hours preparatory 

to getting a “move on”.

4/7/18 The policy adopted by the 

General staff in all cases of 

offensives seems to be that of

hurried objectives. This was no exception

The section where the attack was contemplated

was in the form of a Salient

with Hamel as the pivot and the idea

was to sharpen out this line so 

that the advance was to be made from

Villers Brettoneux to Bouzincourt 

some 5000 yds. and to a depth up to

approx. 3000 yds. and including Vaire

Wood and Hamel Wood both Strongholds

Three infantry Bges including 4

Coys. of Americans 58 Tanks some 
300 guns of all calibres and a large

number of planes were to be employed