Diary of Lindsay Robert Turner, 1918 (Vol. 5) - Part 6

the Battery position.  We passed [?]

Marcelcave and reached our rendez-

vous for the wagon lines at Cayeux

at 2PM and then settled down

to wait further orders.  At 6.30

the Major dashed up put a map into

my hand with the Bty position

marked and told me to take the

ammunition wagons there forthwith.

It was a good 6 miles and we had

to be there by dusk otherwise I'd

have had the greatest trouble finding

the position having to pass over

entirely new country and it happened

to be only 2500 yards from the front

line.  So needless to say it was

with some trepidation that I got away

I was to remain on the position with

18 men and 3 sergeants overnight

to prepare fire pits for the guns tomorrow

We managed to reach our allotted

spot after much trouble and a

certain amount of trepidation as

Hun planes were overhead in dozens

and got the wagons safely away

 

The position is just near Méharicourt

and some 2 miles from Rosieres

only taken from the Huns two days

before and over on our left front

is Chaulues our principal objective.

One only has to ride from our

original front line at Villers to

realise the stupendous advance

we've made and the square miles

of country we've captured.  It was

a magnificent offensive and has

improved our morale by leaps

and bounds.  Everyone is keen to

drive the vile Hun back to the

Rhine and with a few more divisions

like those who have been taking

part in this offensive we could

do it.  We passed Guns and booty

in great quantities everywhere

and the total number of guns

taken must be quite 800.

14/8/18     We slept in an old Hun

huch last night with the stars

above.  A good deal of shelling was

done on our right and left but

we experienced none of it.  Anyway

we all slept soundly enough.  All

day we've been preparing gun pits

and making temporary houses.

The Major came up during the

afternoon and checked the lines

of fire.  I had laid out and no sooner

had that done when orders came

tho' that the attack had been cancelled

why we had no idea tho' we surmised

that the Hun had retreated beyond

the Somme and our contention

was supported by the opinion given

by some Canadian officers who told

us that their infantry could not

get in touch with the Bosche South

of Chaulues.  It's a shame that

we are to lose the opportunity of

shafing him but we'll certainly

follow him up.

15/8/18  I woke up this morning to the tune

of many machine guns which indicated

that some Hun planes were up and

so it happened when I crawled from

under my shelter I saw one crash

only a few hundred yards away

and on investigating for souvenirs 

found that everything was smashed

to [atoms?] even the pilot was

unrecognisable.  We sent some of

the detachment back to the wagon

lines at Veryly while the others

remained for dinner as we had the

rations with us.  As we were passing

a cross roads just near the position

the sound of a coming How. shell

could be heard quite distinctly and

seemed as if we'd get it on the full

but it landed just 30 yards behind

and splinters flew in all directions.

We mad a run for a trench but

hearing another coming once more

embraced mother earth but again

we missed it.  Beads of perspiration 

were standing out in my forehead

for it was a close call and 6"

How. shells are not too Choice.

We decided to stay at Veryly for the  

night and await further orders.

 

16/8/18

We are to go back into the

line again this time to relieve the

17th Divn. R.F.A. near Morcourt a

mile or so from the Somme.  It

appears as if the present offensive

has run out and we are to hold

the line pending an offensive

on some other section, possibly this

time by the British.  We left Veryly

at 10.30 and at 1 pulled into

new wagon lines near Morcourt

and tomorrow we'll march

to our new position.  The Hun

has not after all retreated but as

the French had not succeeded in

taking the Lassiging Heights which

was essential if we were to advance

we had of necessity to hold back.

The situation is full of possibilities 

and what Marshal Foch proposes

to do next is open to conjecture.

We pulled up at rather a delightful

spot on the banks of the Luce

and the men got no time in

 

slipping in for a dip.  It was an

afternoon of relaxation and didn't

we all appreciate it after so many

days on the "road".

17/8/18

We were ready at 10 to set out

for our new sector. We decided to 

take the guns straight up to the

position and the wagons and

miscellaneous transport to the wagon

lines on the bank of the Somme

just a ride north of Morcourt.

We passed thro' Mericourt and

Bayonvillers and [Cros?]  xxxxx

the main Warfusée Road to the

back leading thro' Forecourt to

our position overlooking Proyart

our latest acquisition on this front.

We are rather looking forward

to a spell of trench warfare to

give both the men and horses an

opportunity of picking up but

feel convinced we'll soon have

to push forward again as the

French are sure to continue their

advance at Roye.  We checked

our lines of fire and tried to effect

some improvements on the gun pits

bequeathed to us but the R.F.A. but if

will be no light task to put them

in order always the case when the

Tommies hand over.  Our H.Q.'s is

in a small wood just in front

of the Bty. in an uncompleted Hun

dug out but as orderly officer

for the night I camped in a trench

near the guns so as to be on

hand if a S.O.S. were put down

and also to better carry out

the night shoots.

18/8/18  The Hun evidently doesn't

intend to leave us alone.  When

carrying out a shoot on a series

of targets at 2 this morning

several shells whistled past into

the valley below and only a hundred

yards or so over still.  We gave

them all we intended to there are

several Heavy Batteries in the rear

and every time their guns fire

 

the earth shakes unmistakably I was

feeling rather on the right side of hungry

so didn't remain very long in bed

after 9, besides the sun was shining

rather brightly and sleep was out of

the question.   Just in  front of us is

Proyart  and on our right beside

the main Warfusee Road is La Hague

only an isolated village but where

there is a huge R.E. dump.  This

was plainly visible from our O.P.

near [Bon?] but we used to

think it was a sawmill now

it is in our hands.  Both these

places have been heavily shelled

all day by 5.9's and 42's.  This

afternoon I took a walk over

the hills to B.H.Q. to attend a

sitting of a Court of enquiry. Rather

a queer way of spending Sunday

but of course its only a week day

with us. We learnt that the French

under General [Hunt?] have taken

the Lassiging Heights which gives them

 

command of the extensive [?]

stretching almost to the Somme so

we should be no time forcing the

Bosche across the river now.  I am to

sleep in the dug out tonight tho it

reminds me of the "Port Sydney"

with the bunks along the all and

narrow passage way.

19/8/18   I spent most of today at

O.P. in face I haven't set eyes on

the Bty. at all and then I was

away yesterday.  Its rather a

welcome relaxation this new

stretch of trench warfare but

our gun position isn't a too

healthy a one and the O.P. less.

We get a fairly good view of our

sector stretching past Proyart

-in our hands - to Chuignolles and

Chuignes.  There is little to be

seen but the Hun shells come

over with a good deal of regularity

and make this place none too

choice.  One opportunity is its

handy to our Bty and we're able 

to get back for lunch.  I left

 

about 7 as it gets very much

more difficult to observe at that

time now.  At [Bour?] we could

see movement as late as 10 o'clock 

I'm looking forward to a good sleep

tonight tho' :  fresh air is a missing

greatly in the dugout after we're

been used to so much on our

trekk forward.

20/8/18  I'm orderly officer today and

it gave me a chance of renewing

acquaintance with the Bty again

quite early we received the news

that the French were successful

on the [Roye?] sector and consequently

we are to push forward again

here to force the Bosche back

into the Northern bend of the Somme

a large number of Batteries are

coming in and we have to move

our guns at least 1000 yards

rather a nuisance but still its a

case of going forward and not

back so we mind it not.  A prisoner

from the 54th Baty came to me at

11 and asked me to defend him

before a Court Martial to be held at

2 at the D.A.C. H.Q.'s.  It was short