Diary of Lindsay Robert Turner, 1918-1919 (Vol. 6) - Part 4

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thing in a state of preparedness in case

of a move at any moment. We had

arranged a football match with the 113^th

Bty for the afternoon in spite of the 

Heavy rain but we had to go to a conference

of officers at D.A.C. H.Qs to hear what

had to be done for the coming attack It

was a success in that we found we 

had to be on the original start line

at 9 and the first objective by 11 o/c

so that we decided to move to a

rendezvous near Templeux at 3p.m.

The Major sent me forward to select a

suitable wagon line there as soon as

we returned from the Conference and 

it was a muddy ride I’ve never seen

the roads in such a bad state tho’

one could quite imagine it to see

the traffic going thro' every conceivable

vehicle was on the road so we

came back thro' Roisel and close

tho' Templeux is to the Front line there

was a railway train near our

rendezvous discharging men and

material for the impending attack

Enterprise of no mean orders.

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There were crowds of orders to digest

when I returned so that I had little

opportunity of getting any sleep especially

when we had to move out at 3.

29/9/18. Easily the most momentous 

day I’ve ever spend "dawned' ripe

and early when we moved out for 

our rendezvous at 3. We had

reveille at 1 and it was no light task

to get everything ready in time to

move out at the appointed hour. It was

still raining slightly and dark as

pitch so that I was fortunate in

having been over the road before. We

had a tiresome halt of an hour at the

starting point but after that reached

our wagon lines in comparative ease

as the sun was coming up over the

horizon. We had no sooner arrived

than the Major told me that I was to

take my Section forward and closely 

follow the 58^th Battn whose main

objective was Eshees well over
the Line. The Infantry were starting
out for their start line at 7 and
I arranged to meet the C.O. with the

 

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Section at Malakoff farm at 8. To do

this it was necessary to go thru Hargicourt

which was due to be heavily shelled by the 

Hostile artillery as the only road to Bellicourt

passed thro' the centre of the town. We set

out on time and just entered Hargicourt

when shells commenced to fall everywhere

a heavy concentration was being

put down at one particular spot
to go thro which would have been

sheer murder so I pulled off the road

for a few minutes to ride forward and 

reconnoitre. It was a ghastly business

I thought when I saw men marching

thro' being cut up badly but there

was nothing for it but to push on

which I did as the shelling moderated

we were in for some tough work if

this was any indication and the

fog gas and smoke was so thick 

that it was impossible to see a yard

ahead. Just beyond the town we

ran into another heavy concentration

necessitating another halt we had

some miraculous escapes tho a horse

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was wounded and had to be sent back

It was getting late so we had to push

forward. I had selected a partially

sunken road leading to Malakoff farm

there were some tanks ahead which

I concluded were those i had to follow

and which were to break down the

wire entanglements and throw off

bridges to enable us to cross the

network of trenches. Imagine my consternation

when the tanks suddenly halted

completely blocking the road and still

further machine gun bullets commenced

to rain down the road quite evidently

the Bosche were still in possession of

the Ridge and the American had not

completed their task. Shells were

falling in sheer dozens on the right

over which the infantry were marching

and where I had to go so there was

nothing else for it but to turn back

then we were immediately subjected

to shell fire and literally chased

all the way back by 4.5's and

5.9's the effect of direct observation

I saw a sunken road leading to

 

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Rossiroy in front so made for that

at a hard gallop tho' the horses were

by then just about fagged as the going

was heavy and shell holes numerous

I had no alternative but to reconnoitre

a track somewhere and find out

what was the actual position of affairs

otherwise we would be moving forward

into the glorious blue. Taking a

telephonist with me I set out on

foot to walk over the hill and

if possible find the Battn. H.Qs. and

ascertain what had to be done. It

was a case of Running the Gauntlet

with a vengeance. but we managed

by dashing from shell hole to shell

hole to reach the crest and from

there look down on Bellecourt

and the Canal Country which by this

time should have been well in

our hands but fighting was

still going on in the valley our

men just getting to work to clear

up the work left by the brave but

inexperienced Americans I could

not find Battn HQs but saw that

 

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some batteries were coming into action

on the south western outskirts of

Bellicourt and concluded they must

have been those from Brigade and

sure enough they were. The Major

told me that he had been unable to

get in touch with the Infantry and

suggested I bring my Section there

to stand by for future action and

here I was faced with another problem

I had to pass over the main road to

Bellicourt which by this time

was being shelled unmercifully as

it was the only access to the Valley

So I walked back picked up the

Bty and started off. The road

thro' Hargicourt was quiet strange

to say but just as we were passing

onto the Crest along the "Red Road"

two shells fell in quick succession

just 50 yards adding more victims

to the large number already lying

about chiefly those returning wounded

Boche and Ally alike. It was a

ghastly sight to see bodies smashed

 

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beyond recognition horses lying

on both sides grim evidence of the

excellent gunnery of the Hun. I sent

each vehicle past the fatal spot at the

gallop with an interval of 50 yards

and tho' shells fell all around them

not a casualty did we have and

I breathed freely once more as I rode

past each on my way forward to

ascertain how they had progressed and

found that all were O.K. I joined

up with the Bty. and spent the afternoon

digging a hole for us us live in

near the Guns as there were no

trenches near enough and tho

shells fell on all sides of us

the position we selected was

practically immune. Ive had had

nothing to eat all day and the Gas

that was being poured into the

Valley was terrific but we tired 

of putting on gas masks and

disregarded it altogether. The

rations eventually arrived at 8

P.M. so we fed on bully beef and

bread and jam washing it down

 

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with cold water as it was too dark

to light a fire. We were even too tired

to erect proper shelter so just threw

a tarpaulin over the dug out and

lay down to sleep. and I thought as

I went to sleep how very fortunate

we had been only 4 horses killed

and one man wounded and perhaps

the most unwholesome experiences

some of us had had for one day.

30/9/18 Nor were our troubles over

for the day when we went to sleep

Perhaps an hour afterwards it

Commenced to rain. I woke up to

hear it coming down very gently

then somewhat harder and I

could hear the drip drip as the

water percolated thro the tarp.

down on top of me. Quite suddenly 

and without warning down came

quite a bucketful all over me

as the tarp gave way and

in addition to drenching me to 

the skin flooded my valise completely

To think that this should be my

portion after the experience yesterday

 

 

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was too much for me and hurt on

imprecation I just had to to ease my

mind just a trifle. I simply had to get

up and at least so fix the show that

the others would be spared a similar

fate and just as well. I was wet thro

already as it continued to rain

unmercifully. Orders then came thru

from Brigade that 300 rounds of

ammunition was required on the

position so I had to see to that and

it was already 12 and the whole of

the ammunition had to be here by 5

AM. a fearful task considering

the state of the Roads and the condition

of the men and horses but there was

a fresh attack for the morning to

complete the work of the day before

and ammunition was low. but

that was a distraction and

when the wagons commenced to arrive

I busied myself unloading there

The mud was that found its way

into my blankets was appaling but

I just didn't care what happened

even if the Hun had proposed an

 

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armastice I would have agreed to 

it instantly. I soon tired of walking

about so elected to lie down in

my water logged bed again but it

was better than nothing and I knew

I'd soon dry when the Sun came out.

We got our 2 hours barrage off

by 8.30 and then turned our attention

to having the first hot meal we

had had for well over 24 hours and

didn't I relish the cup of tea. It

proved that the Americans thro'

lack of experience had rather

made a hash of their attack but

at least it paved the way for our

infantry in the process of mopping 

up which they did rather effectively

but still were far from the first

objective tho' the main Hindenburg

Line had been pierced and nothing

should now prevent our fellows

from pushing on and completing

the deal. We carried out shoots

practically all day to aid them

and inadvertently found some

fine quarters some 150 yards