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

for the move out at 10.30 so that no
possible delay could occur. We
wondered on the moved out- whether we
were leaving our major lines for Good.
It was a very dark night tho there
were indications that it would clear
up and working would be more in
our favor than to have a few days
of Good weather femay go even
as far as the Rhine as both Kenke
are making a "push"
8/8/18 Needless to say we had us Sleep
after a good march thro' Daours
Aubigny to Fouilloy we bivouaced
make open field leaving a good
interval between the Teams in case of 
shell fire and set out to await zero
hour which had been fixed for 420
tho we didn't have to be as the pins
until 2 hours after. It was a dream
wait and all the more unwhole yorke
on account of several shells falling
in and around the Bty Tho we
suffered no Casualties at 4.20 the
barrage which was the signal to our
infantry to advance was put down

41
away over on our right the rumbling
could be heard and extending for
miles from which it was clear that
the French were joining in the
attack along the 20 mile front and 
extending from Morlancourt to
Montledier. The din was terrific
especially as our teams were under
the fire of some of our guns of large
calibre in and drowned [[?]] but
not nearly so apparent where the
concentration was ever so much greater
as at the Hamel Attack on July 4.
An hour later we moved slowly up
to the guns. We sent the teams forward
to position just in rear of the guns
and while manoeuvring for position
I suddenly heard a loud crash only
20 yards behind and looked round to
see huge piece of apparently a shell
flying all round me and noticed
that the horse my orderly was riding
had been wounded. I had hardly time
to realise what had happened when
I heard two more explosions in
quick succession near the lines
And saw horses and men go down

42
as with one blow. I galloped over
Immediately and heard  was a [shocking?]
sight 3 men killed outright quite a
dozen horse dead and dying and
A number of our [?] and [?]
Badly wounded. We found out
afterwards that the [?] had
been done by  3bombs dropped from
a [?] place  this is I typical I thought
it was a [?] from a [?]
firing immediately in [?] strength
horses were so badly knocked that
I [?] with short then and has happened 
to be officers changes.. We couldn’t
lose any time however so sent off
the [jinns?] and majors as best we could
and then hand on attention to
clearing up the wreckage. In all we
Had 4 men killed 11 wounded and
had killed or had to destroy 4 horses
A terrible toll as horses are so
very difficult to obtain. We establish-
ed a rest camp there another for
the wounded horses and the last
moved on in the wake of the advancing
Infantry. Reports were coming thro
[?] all  [?] time we were
pushing on and [?] [?] the

43
Objective by Midday and so it
Happened [?] addition the cavalry
and armoured cars  made excursions
far beyond capturing prisoners
and gathering Valuable reports. The
prisoners amounted to 7000 and
included in the booty which was
Immense was a 12”Railway guns
as well as some 300 of Various
Calibres. We established a battery
position south of Harbounieres
some 7 miles in and our way on [?]
just on the outskirts of the village
was a magnificent victory and
We advance offsite 5 miles. We
held on here and in the morning
it is proposed to advance again.
9/8/18 we  spent a very restless kind
Of night we have moved the horses
Out in the open field leaving
them harnessed in case of emergency
and in view of anticipated bombing
raids. I slept first of all out
in the open but finding that
too uncomfortable curled up
behind the fodder, but shells
Were flying everywhere and we

44

couldn't possibly sleep. The major
arrived at 8 and the advance
Projected at 11 so the battery
Moved forward again. Our [?]
Had been wounded as well as
Several more drivers so we had
Further difficulty with the [?]
orders came thro that I was to
Go forward with the infantry as
[?] officer and as I thought
here was a chance  to see the
Fighting and do something at least
As [?] I’d also do 700
But off to the next village behind
which our infantry were resting
ready for the advances and found
Brigade H.Qs in a quieter Road
about 400 yards behind the
Jumping off line the vicinity
of which was being heavily
shelled but we arranged to dodge
Splinters. Precisely all 11 the tanks
moved off followed by our infantry 
to take [?] [?] {?]
It wasn't a difficult matter as the
hour was by this time well scared
and soon reports came this 

45

that the new objective was listed
The Canadians on our right and
americans on the left were keeping
Up the advance this meeting with
Slightly more [?] be [?]
our HQs in a large farmhouse
and there [?] warden and
his staff directed further [?]
We were kept going most of the
night the [damaged?] to [?]
a bare [?] [sleep?]
10/8/18 It was a inspiring sight to
See the progress coming
from a further advance we
made early this morning the
most of the work was done by the
1st Division which had [?]
this [?] during the night. soon
he new objective was reached
the extension of the line south
of vauxvilles to [?] my it [?]
Agreement with that the casualties
But the [?] [?]  was
Obviously weakening our infantry 
the 7th [Btn?] [?] getting [?]

[?] the [?]

46

So a Conference was immediately 
held to make another advance
covering that village and establishing
[machine?] on a plateau-beyond!
and link up with our major
4th Divisions on the immediate right
I made a request to the general to
be allowed to see the country
Ahead of us but he insisted on
my [?] at HQs to be on
hand. so the opportunity of seeing
[?] and picking up sou-
Veneirs was lost. I collected a
Cavalry horse that it had been
Shot thru the wind pipe so handed
it over to the veterinary section for
Treatment.  We had by this time gone
Quite 7 miles and reports of the
success of the Canadians and Fench
were most reassurng. It was decided
to make the attack at 4’15 in the
morning. The [lunny?] were getting
Active and needed watching
So we had another sleepless
night to took forward to but we
were expecting a short respite in
the morning after the next objective

47

and that was something.
11/8/18 Down Came our barrage at
4.15 and within an hour we
learnt that the objective had been
gained all [?] the time and we
were consolidating. The Col. [easy] up
to tell me that I could return to
my Btn as we were moving off
For a few days spell at [Foaillor?]
and to give us an opportunity to
Reorganise. was glad to get the
news as I wanted a sleep badly
aid set off on my horse which
I kept at [stills?] for the runner to
the Btn position. I found they
had left so there was nothing
left to do but ride back alone
This time I had an opportunity
of viewing the country so recently
in the possession of the [Ham?] and
Seeing exactly what we had gazed
at afar with the telescope and
What a surprise one [?] get to
see this type of country it is a
large number of [?] few
[?] the  [?] valley

48

where we were well aware they
were so I rode that way so I [?]
thro' A long range gun followed me
along the main Road dropping its
last shell [?] as I left [?].
I found the Btn had settled down
where we had selected reserve
lines the morning of the 8th and
where there are some very comfortable
Drops out so we set out t have at
least one nights rest. as it was
hardly likely we’d be pulled into
the line so soon after coming out.
12/8/18 I had been fortunate in
Netting a very Substantial austral-
ian Mail last night so read a
number of the letters in bed but
I had as sooner made up my
Mind to sleep when off I went and
remembered nothing more until
I was awakened this morning
for breakfast. It was destined to
be a very quiet day nothing
Doing except a little packing up
Of the detachments and [?]
the men are entitled to a well

49
Earned rest we feel safe from
Their planes at least for since we
[?] the offensive they have
carried out some bombing raids
[?] mean order and it is their
opportunity with so many [?]
[?]  on the roads. Altogether we
Spend a very lazy day a friend
Of mine from the 31^st Batten came
in after [?] to see me and
I was glad too because he had
been in the hop-over and had
wondered how he fared.
13/8/18 At 2AM an orderly dashed
into the majors dugout and
presented an ultimatum from
BattQs which was only an order
move out at 9 in [?] for
the front line [?] and this
[?] to support for further attack
on the canadian front  with
[?] as the objective we set
Out precisely to the town the 
Major [?] [?] on to select