Diary of Lindsay Robert Turner, 1918-1919 (Vol. 6) - Part 8

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any means inviting for me. Thursday

perhaps when it failed to arrive at

10 oclock that it may have found

its way back to the wagon lines Another

officer and myself decided to go to the

Wagon lines the location of which we

had and find out exactly the position

It was impossible to see a yard ahead

and we had only been over the ground

in the vicinity once that morning but

we had a map and set out across

country. After an hours' wandering

hopelessly lost we struck the town

of Escacourt and from there reached

the place given to us another two

hours search in the vicinity failed

to reveal our lines so we wandered

back to the Bty and kept ourselves

warm by lighting a fire in the hole

we had made in the ground Then 

came the cheerfulness that the

attack was to be resumed at 5.10

and I was to go out again with my

section I had had quite enough by

that time but that didn't matter

still the horses were quite unfit to

 

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go forward the second day so our

centre section was given the task but

I decided to go with the Section Commr.

and work in conjunction with him

We halted where I had done so the day

before and took another walk forward

to the friendly Railway Embankment.

The Regt was still there the attack

by the 118th Regt had proved a fiasco

just because a few enterprising

machine gunners had decided to

lie outside our barrage and meet

the infantry as they approached This

settled the contemplated dash of the

U.S. men and the whole line remained

where they were so another fruitless

day was ahead of us. The Bty however

has joined forces with the Section

and we immediately got into action

in case we should be required.

The 120th Regt were pushed forward

in the afternoon and the extra pressure

had caused the Hun to fall back beyond

Arbre Guernon but when light fell

he was still on that line.

 

 

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19/10/18 During the night fresh plans

were concocted by our Great and

important staff and at 4.50 precisely

we learnt for the first time what they

were. Another attack was Contemplated

with a line thro La Haie Tonnorle

Farm as the first objective and

the Sambre Canal beyond as the

line of Exploitation rather a bold

scheme after our last two days

experience of the Americans as

soldiers. I'm quite convinced our

own Australians would have been

well across the Canal by this Again

the unfortunate left Section had to

be sent forward as a mobile Section

Ill get a rest some day. A Liaison

officer was Required also to be at

Battn H.Qs. Somewhere at 5.30

half an hours notice precisely to

dress have breakfast and look

for the Battn. My other officer was

available as Punch had been 

conducting the shoots during the

night so I had to go as Liaison

and let the Section follow with a

 

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spare officer who was then at the wagon

Lines. So hurriedly getting thro' breakfast

and gathering two signallers I set out

for the Railway Embankment once

more as a start anyway to find the

HQs who had gone forward. There was

a heavy fog but we Succeeded in

Reaching the place to find it deserted

there was however an innocent

looking telephone wire - Yellow and

Green - Running towards the front

line so we decided to follow that.

We reached the start line of the

advance only a few minutes before

but apparently there was no opposition

for no evidence of a fight was to be

seen we ran across the main

Road back from Arbre Guernon

and by Great Good fortune found

our infantryman who did know

something about the 120 Regt and

he led us right to where the Battn

HQs. were on the edge of a Hawthorne

Hedge and from where the machine

Gun fire Could be distinctly heard

just in front and over towards

 

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Mazingheim. We moved forward

thro' the various hedges surrounding

the small allotments of land slowly

and soon reached the outskirts of

the town evidently the Hun had Retreated

tho' some bodies were passed on

the way and on investigating proved

to be Quite Good sources of souveniers

including on one all Iron

Cross. Mazingheni was deserted

tho much machine Gun fire Could

be heard in front Coming from

the direction of the farm on the

first Objective line. We moved

to the Eastern edge and established

H.Qs there and just beside a Gun

position apparently vacated only

the night before for much freshly

expended ammunition was lying

about. Apparently the advance was

again held up as the fire became

more intensive and bullets could be

distinctly heard ripping thru the

hedges. Obviously the high ground

immediately in line with the Farm

was the trouble so the objective was

 

 

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Going to prove troublesome to take.

I had arranged for the Section to be

brought in the vicinity of the Cross

Roads of Mazinghein but tho' I waited

some considerable time and searched

back for it I could not locate it. The

Boche were very troublesome with their

fire evidently they had settled down

in new positions and were intent

on delaying the advance to the Canal

possibly to allow Guns and Stores to be

moved across beforehand. I was able

to get other Batteries to put down

fire on the high ground in front

but the Infantry were not equal

to the task tho' late in the afternoon

a prisoner was brought in on a

stretcher having been taken in an

isolated house quite near the objective

His companions 8 of them so the

American officer informed me were

allowed to Run the Gauntlet but as he

suavely recounted "they didn't get far"

Just as the major was deciding to dig

in for the night word came thro that

the Battn was being relieved by the

 

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British and after their 3 days

attack I'm quite sure they were glad

to get away. The average U.S man

strikes one as being very enthusiastic

and ^a very fine stamp of soldier but

They lack experience and Coordination

and whereas One Australian Could

perform a task it takes at least

20 of them with less to show for it.

There seems in my mind to be

nothing else for it but to thro to the

Battalions in with either French

or British troops by themselves they

are absolutely hopeless.

20/10/18. Much tho' I needed sleep

I didn't succeed in getting much

The Tommy Coy. Commander didn't

return to the H.Qs we were at so

we were obliged to spend the Night

Alone and as it was only about 200

Yards from the Front Line there was

reason for our apprehension. It was

very cold moreover I only had my

overcoat with me so Conceived the

idea of lighting a fire in a Small

 

 

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dugout and endeavouring To Keep

Warm that way. We turned out at

6 and set out to walk to the Battery

Which we know was somewhere in

the Neighbourhood of Arbre de Geurnon

and without much trouble found

them living in a Small Cottage

near the main Road. They were not

Very Sympathetic with me When I

told them how I had spent the night

and Referred me to a large shellhole

nearby that had been made during

the night and for my information

told me to Smell the Gas in the air

I claim to be impervious to Gas so

Couldn't find out whether Gas was

about or not. We had a very Quiet

day waiting for orders from HQs

it rained rather heavily so we didnt

object to Remaining under Cover.

21/10/18. We didnt Remain long in

doubt this Morning as to what was

Going to happen to us. First thing

 

 

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the CO with Bty Commanders rode

off towards Le Cateau to select a Bty

position for each Bty to cover the Capture

of the Sambre Canal. Very soon they

returned and orders Were Given for the

Bty to move straightaway. I remained

behind to clear the Position and waited

for my horse for quite two hours but

no sign of it so I set out to walk

I knew the map reference and

didnt expect to have any difficulty in

finding it. When I arrived in the

vicinity the Bosche were indulging

in some shelling a few falling in

an orchard just on the Right of

Our Bty Position. One Could hardly

mistake it tho' every Bty in the Aust.

Corps seemed to be located thereabouts

We set out to build a dugout tho'

we only expected to be there a day

anticipating the usual Retreat on the 

part of the Huns. We soon had a 

Comfortable place made just Room

for three of us the O.C. electing to

have one for himself in an area

less likely to be shelled It commenced

 

 

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to rain at 6 so we thought the best

plan was to get to bed as we were

all pretty tired.

22/10/18. Another momentous day for

me and as it happened the end

of France for me. We woke up at 

9 to find a batman trying to induce

us to have breakfast it was 

still raining so we decided to stay

in for lunch as well. The O.C. Came

along at 11 with a suggestion that

we should turn out which we

ignored then an hour later along

came the C.O. very perturbed to find

we were taking things easy and

gave Punch at least something

to do viz. set out for Basuel where

the Front line was and select a

Bty position to which the Bty could

be moved to an hour after the barrage

opened in the Morning and Cover the

advance beyond the Canal. As it

was an off day and Rather than that

he should go alone I pulled on my

rubber boots donned stell

helmet and gas mask and we