Diary of Lindsay Robert Turner, 1918 (Vol. 5) - Part 7

notice but I couldn't very well

leave him to his own devices so

decided to go.  The D.A.C. I found was

situated in a much battered Chateau

just near Hamel and where a

large number of our shells in days

gone by fell in great profusion.

It was rather interesting as the C.M.

Consisted wholy of laymen and

I couldn't help having a brush with

the President.  The case was adjourned

so that advice could be attained

on some points raised and I have

the idea that we'll win on a 

technicality much tho I regret

it from the point of view of the legal

profession, but still!!  I was

to be sent to the wagon lines but

prevailed on the Major to permit

me to stay until our next stint

is over.  It is to be an advance

to 3000 yards but the front

will be exported and a further

advance made if practicable

our only trouble will be if the line

is checked on the North beyond

Bray still we'll hope for the best.

 

21/8/18  Strange to say not a [?]

was awake at 7.30.  I [ha?]

interested getting out at 6 to be

at [O.T.?] by 7.30 but the fates willed

it otherwise more over there was

a dense fog abroad so that observation

would have been impossible in

any case.  It was our turn to do

Brigade duty and I had to be there

by 10 to take over the relief so

we ended my long thither.  It was

a truly exciting morning as 5.9

and 8 in shells commenced

to fly in all directions tho' mostly

over still they were quite close

enough to cause us to seek the

shelter of a friendly dugout.  We

hear we aren't merely to hold the

line but in a day or so are to

push forward on this very sector

some how.  I think it will be

a somewhat more difficult advance

than we had at Villers yet our

infantry can hardly be expected 

to do the "hop over".  The 1st Division

 

are at present out training with Tanks

so that it appears as if they are destined

for an attack some where.  I expected

to be at the O.P. all night but it

was my turn with the guns so with

them I had to remain. Quite late we

did learn of our impending attack

and had to run the guns forward

another 1000 yards to be prepared

for it.  We had no dugouts so

decided to sleep in trenches about

20 yards in front of the Guns.  We

wondered exactly how many shells

we'd get in the morning.

22/8/18  We should have carried

out some shoots during the night

but as we had to dig in and otherwise

prepare the pits slept instead

quite early I was rudely awakened

by intense Artillery fire on our

left and over in the direction of

Albert which suggested that a bid

was being made for the last named

place.  Our attack was not to

safe place until the morning but

for a while I wondered whether

all the guns would be fortunate

enough to join in .   At 8 shells

commenced to pour over from

 

 

the 77m. to 8" and some of them

perilously close to the Guns.  There

was a R.T.A. Bty on our left and

they did their utmost to give the

position away but moving about

in full view of balloons and only

kept down when I threatened to

shoot one of them.  The two batteries

in rear got the larger proportion

of shells which sent the gunners

dashing about in all directions

obviously we had been located

and still more to the point the 

Hun was expecting something

quite evidently and that's why

he was endeavouring to blow out

the various batteries.  One of our

officers returned from leave

in England and as he was quite

fresh, I was sent down here to

the wagon lines for a "sleep"

and once more I'm to be out of

the beginning of a stunt.  It was

one consolation to be able to have

a swim for just nearby is a

fine open lagoon ideal for swimming

It was a Grand appetiser for sleep

 

23/8/18   I didn't have very much sleep

after all. We had to be up sufficiently 

early to get the wagons and lumbers up

to the Gun positions in readiness for

a still further advance after the

attack had been launched.  The barrage

opened at 4.25 and by 6.30 we

were on the way.  As we were halted

well in rear a number of hostile

places came over possibly for a

recognisance tho' we expected a

host of bombs and machine gun fire

still our anti aircraft fire managed

to keep them off bringing down one

plane over near Chipilly which

was afterwards found to contain

two youths tho possibly competent

airmen.  Numbers of prisoners

passed us on the way as well as

some of our wounded so that it

looked as if our advance beyond

Chuignes was a success.  The

barrage ceased at 6.30 and then

we had to wait until word came

thro' that all was clear for a

further run forward with the

Guns.  Meanwhile another attack

was projected beyond Chuignes

 

So we remained in our old position

to assist in the barrage.  It opened

at 2 so I went forward to the next

crest and watched the attack thro'

field glasses.  Our barrage was a good

one but the reply by the Hun was

very patchy and most of it seemed

to fall behind our infantry.  It was

not until 4 that we moved forward

to a position on the west of Proyart

after unloading ammunition.  We 

set off back again and had just

cleared the crest where 6 77 mm shells

came over in quick succession just

missing one of our teams but getting

two wheelers belonging to one of 

the 114th Bty. wagons.  We were glad

to get back to wagon lines only

having one man wounded while

running the gauntlet tho' not badly

24/8/18  Our acting Bty. Captain as

well as one of our other officers

went off this morning. The former

to a months School and the latter

to "Blighty" so I was left in

charge of Wagon lines.  There was

I found plenty to do [?]

 

reforms and getting things done

that had been postponed.  At

2 I went off to a Court Marshal

at D.A.C. H.Q's in Gailly the resumption

of the previous one held last week.

Whilst there I learnt that we were

to move out of the line that

night and go to some position

near Hamel presumably to go

into the line elsewhere in the

course of a day or so.  I did intend

going onto draw pay but on

learning that news killed there would

be plenty to do so returned.  I was

to move out at 8.30 to wagon 

lines already selected for us but

in view of the increased activity

of Hun planes endeavored to

deduce  the O.C. to remain  until

the morning but he said that HQ's

were definite about it so I got

ready.  We didnt relish the idea

of leaving such fine quarters

prepared for us by the Bosch but

there was no alternative so got away

punctually at 8.30.  It was with

 

a great deal of anxiety that [?]

the [?] getting and saw how our

column stood out in the moonlight.

We had gone a mile along the road

when the 3 whistles could be heard

denoting the presence of a Hun plane

and my heart stood still as had

12 wagons and a large transport

underway came.  We were only a

mile from our destination when

somewhere in rear I saw a deadly

bomb explode followed by [?]

the last falling only 30 yards in 

front of me at the head of the Column

I knew someone at least had

been hit as well as some of the

teams but sending someone back

to take charge of those wounded

of any pushed on.  I took the

first road I came to to get

off the main road and get the

teams out and the men under

cover in case a further dose

was awaiting us as dozens of

planes could be heard circling

about our heads and bombs

were dropping every where & managed

to find a vacant block and

 

drew in temporarily for the night

I then returned to the scene of the

accident.  Collecting remnants on

the way and found that 8 horses and

mules had been killed two Gunners

and 9 taken along in an ambulance

but why more casualties had not

been sustained I can't understand

the bombs falling all along the

Column but the fatal one happened

to fall in amongst the spare horses

that were being ridden and led.  The

Major followed on with the guns

but was fortunate in escaping

without any losses at all.  It

was a sad occurrence and  need

not have happened at all if

only the H.Q.  had realised the

danger and either given us early

instructions or permitted us to

remain overnight.  We are located

just near Bouseucourt which

used to be No Man's Land barely

two months ago.  There are splendid

facilities for watering and swimming

and good banks for the men

to dig in.

 

 

25/8/18

We turned our attention to

clearing up the wreckage first thing

this morning finding out exactly 

how our casualties stood and where

the wounded had been taken.  We

didnt happen to land at the

wagon lines allowed to us but they

happened to be even better so we

decided to remain.  The other

Batteries had been fortunate in

avoiding the bombs.  I had to go for

pay to the Divisional Pay Master

some several kilos away and

whilst there bought out the  HQ's

Canteen for our mess.  It was a 

day of relaxation the men had the

afternoon off and almost every one

indulged in a dip and received 

a change of new clothing a great boon

naturally.  It commenced to rain 

rather heavily at 6 the result of a

mild thunderstorm but our dugout

was in good order so we remained

dry. [?] [?] [?] hostile [?]

but at 11 orders came thro' that a 

reconnaissance had to be made

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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