Diary of Lindsay Robert Turner, 1918 (Vol. 5) - Part 9

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go to be early Orders had not come

in for the shoot but we expected to be

up early in any case.

1/9/18 Probably this has been one

of the most exciting days I've had

in France and that we are all 

alive is nothing more than an Act

of Providence. To commence with

at midnight the familiar burst of

a "Pip Squeak" otherwise a 79 man

shell was heard very close to our

habitation them followed another and

still a third even closer and then

a few along the trench all missing

it by feet I decided that was too

hot to last and evidently the trench

was marked out for treatment so

warned everyone to repair to some

dugouts 100 yards in rear. Nothing 

more happened until 5 'clock

where one of my Sergeants called

me for a barrage to be out down

at 5.30 so evidently the order had 

come in and the Major was busy

making out the shoots. We commenced

at zero hour and had not gone

more than 5 minutes of the 3 hours

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when the familiar sound of an 8"

could be heard coming towards us.

It burst well in front throwing up

a host of dirt in all directions.

Gradually they came closer but rather

over on our left then immediately

one fell out 30 yards in front of

No. 1. Gun the flash of which was

easily visible to the Huns. Immediately

took the detachment off and no sooner

had they left when a huge crater was

made on the right of the trail followed

a minute later by another almost

under the left gun wheel. Had the 

detachment been there they would

certainly all have been wiped our

a number fell in front of the

Bty and then one just in rear of

No. 6. so I ordered the detachments

to beat a retreat until the strafe was

over. A few more shells came over

still in front but doing no damage

to the guns. How we all escaped was

little short of marvellous but no

doubt we owed our lives to the soft

ground and to the fact that they were

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all 8" shells the effect of the burst

is to throw the splinters skywards

and of course we all lost no time

in embracing Mother Earth each

time we heard one coming. We resumed

immediately the shelling ceased

and except for an odd Guard or

two had immunity for the rest of the

shoot. I then had to walk some

4 miles to our O.P and on the way

had an opportunity of gaining

first hand knowledge of the task

the French men have had in 

holding the line The state of the ground

beggars description it is one mass

of shell holes tangled entanglements

and trenches going in all directions

How the poor unfortunate French

man will ever get the ground into a

a state of preparedness for

cultivation or use of any sort I 

can't understand. Once at the O.P.

I was able to look once more on 

the famous Somme River and see

Peronne. A few minutes after I 

arrived a huge column of dense

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black smoke curled skywards followed

by a deafening roar evidently a

mine set off by the reheating thus

as the saw that Peronne was doomed

with the aid of a telescope I could

see Huns moving back to the high

ground whether they have decided

to make a stand there or retreat to 

the Hindenburg Line is difficult to

say. Our 15th Brigade were to make a

crossing of the Somme opposite

Meusil but were unable to put down

a bridge in time for the attack

so the 14^th will have to stay their

hand and merely hold Peronne

until the crossing can be effected.

It made one quite anxious to be

over the Somme and out of this

disordered country looking at the

fresh green hills beyond and who 

knows we may be establishing 

our wagon lines in the woods there

tomorrow. We hope so at least. I

was glad to get back again and learn

that we were moving at 4 am to a

new position beyond Baileux We will

have to be found there at last.

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2/9/18 If only we can be as successful

this month as last we should be

drawing this terrible war to some

definite conclusion at least making 

the Hun realise the futility of continuing

the struggle any longer. We all want 

to bed quite expecting t be u it

and in our new position by dawn

but the fates willed it otherwise & instead

we were booked for another barrage

An attack again this time

beyond Peronne evidently. to assist

the 15th Bge. Another expedition of the

morning before I thought of course

we are sure to draw fire. The barrage

opened at 5.30 and to minute

later I was sitting with the Major

waiting for the next shoot when a

4.2 burst just over our trench

certainly close but we decided to

remain a second followed this time

just short certainly now time to

think of going. The old adage was

almost time by proof "he who

hesitates is lost" for a few seconds

after the dugout was plunged in

darkness and a shower of dirt

descended on our heads for the

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next had evidently burst a line [[?]]

top of us. So we lost no time to

slipping into the next trench and

were well to a flank when the 4^th 

came along. Just nearby a few 5.9s

were being thrown about the Bty

but all well to the left and spent

splinters were all we had to hand

again. We finished at 8.30 and

what a relief was too I expected that

this trench wouldn't be so

fortunate and one or other of us

would catch something. We had 

several more shoots during

the day but only of short duration

nevertheless each shoot brought

a number of rounds over t

remind us that at least the Hun

was still aware of our existence

We definitely decided to move

forward at 7.15 to the position

selected beyond Bailleux and

what a message of thanks the

men gave voice to when they

heard it. All the same we still

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had to get away By further good

fortune we managed that without

mishap to not 5 minutes too soon

for our last team had no sooner

cleared when two 5.9s came over

in quick succession right n

to the position vacated by us.

It was gradually getting dark

however some knew that there

would be little risk of being

seen further along the road.

The position we moved to is

certainly an improvement on

the veritable death trap we had

just left and unless the Hun 

located us we would have

a fairly safe run.

3/9/18 I was on duty at the

guns and as our H.Qs were

some distance away I elected

to sleep in an open trench

just in front of the Jeries. Hun

planes were alarmingly active

alright tho our teams were well

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clear when the familiar whirr

was heard first Bye gave us a 

rest from night firing but during

the day we have had to do a little

The attack yesterday was not at

all successful and the Hun still

held the ridge on the East of Peronne

despite al efforts to capture it

and we heard it was being held

by the Prussian Guards and

a Division of Alpine Troops but

our Australian infantry have

no peers as storm troops and

will eventually succeed. Meanwhile

the Tommies and Canadians are

progressing satisfactorily and it

is only a question of time before

the Huns on our Sector will

either fall back or be driven out

probably the former if I know them

at all. Our 14^th Bge were working

round the north and northeast

of Peronne whilst the 15^th were

endeavouring to cross the river near

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one of the incidents of their attempted

crossing was the involuntary [[?]]

of the G.O.C. "Pompey" Elliott

who personally led them across the

Somme. We had a rather unpleasant

15 minutes at 7 oclock . A Bty of

H.V. 4.7s poured about 40 rounds

in and around the quarry where

we were located and we all had

some narrow escapes. I elected to

remained in a shallow dugout

but the Major and the remainder

beat a hasty retreat to a flank

I had to perform another night

duty as night O.P. Officer but

[[?]] consisted in sleeping in

an open trench on the highest

point in the vicinity and needless

to say nothing of any consequence

happened.

4/9/18. The first startling piece

of news I received on returning

to the Bty this morning was the 

Major's promotion to higher rank

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that of a Staff Officer attached to

5^th Divl H.Q. No more unwelcome

news could have knocked me for

we think the world of our O.C.

Such a fine chap he is and of

sterling character. Of course we

had to expect that this would

happen sooner or later as all

Duntroon men who have done

well will be ultimately Staff

men so I say in spite of our

loss all honor to him in his

new sphere. He left us at 10.30

Capt Archibald meanwhile returned

my [[?]] temporarily We now wonder

of course whom we shall have

for our new O.C. tho I didn't

forget to suggest that the Major

be the Colonel and fast forward

the changes of one other.

We would like Capt. Newbone

of the 14th I has his brother

in my Regt and a fine

chap he was too so I can speak

from some experience of the family