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

Conflict:
First World War, 1914–18
Subject:
  • Documents and letters
Status:
Open to contributions
Accession number:
RCDIG0001147
Difficulty:

Page 1 / 10

1657 WW areymean buveting for me ten pferhass where it kuedf arrive at Woclber Kaltha are found the way bacd to the bajontives Authe officer and mnelfdecided to goto the wapoubiies the tocation of which me had and fend out exactly the position It was impossible to see a Yeatabead and we had only been over the fround in the recunt once that monunn wehad a mex and set out accoss Country. After anhours wanderin Agclessl lost we shull the town of Escacourt and from there reached the place given bus another h hours Seried ithe rcut failed t reveal any liues To we tandered back to the Bty and leat oniselves vaien by lighing a fire in the holl we had made inth fround Then came the Cheerfulnesss that. the Attask was to be resumed at 5.10 and seres to g out your bif vy Section Ihad had pike enougd by That time but that didens neather shll he horses were quite wpt to
165 goforward the second day so on 70 celihe Sickon was given the tasd but I decided to go with the Reaton Camm and work an conjunction with him be halted where I had done so the day before and tok another hald prad to the friencly Rective bnputment. The Kest was shee there the astec by that R8th Rigt had provedapisce fest because a few caterprisung Mashine finmers hel dicited to die dutside on barrage and meet the Wput as they approached This settled the Contemplases dad of the H.S. reen and the whole line remesied where they were so another trintless day was ahead ofus The Bh hower nad joued frces bu the Sichon and we humedeately got inhaction be case we should be efured The 1h Neft there puched forward be the afternoon id the wha presue did caust the then to fad back byond tore mersion but when highs fell he was shd onthat tiw.
Rpops oering the night fresh seans were concocted fom eatand wesortant staff and a4.50 precisty oeleart frm firat triue what h Were Anothera Yack was Cantemalatn with aline kro Lasan Onnorle Farmas to first obfective and the Sambe laued benond to the tiue of oxcloctation ha beed Scheare after our last broday S eperience of the tericons to soldiers sin puk consuned on On dushalans hould have been well across the cause by this cain the Unfortunate left section and to be sen forward as a mobile lection Mgeta rest Somedan. A Leaison officer was required also to be it. Battn H.R. Donewhere at 5.30 half andonis nohce precisel. dress heve beakfirt and look for the Datto My other officer was dacitable as msuch had ber conducting the hort dering the right so I had bo go as Liarson and a the section follow wt a
scare officer who was then at the wayon Auies. Do hurriedle Gekhn this brakfast and gateris bgt Dequatters sostont for the Kailley wbl drectonce more as a strt anyway to find the Who had fove forward Therba a heavy for but we succeeded in reachin the place to find iddeserted echlo however an musceut tooking teleghere tue ellow and preen-laming bwesdo the prond live to be decited to fallor that te reached the saes time of the advance only a few mentes before b apparnetly ther was no oppo for ne widence of a fightoe to be seen be ra across the ban toas t Ack from dibe Juerion and by Grest Good frhence found are rputrymen who did knon something about the 10 Kep and e ledt us light to where to Rall H was ontheedgeas a Hawthon Fledge and from where the maahae fire Could be district hear wit tere from and over to waids 0
maenshein. We woved forward 73 thoth various ledges Burroudin the Small Ashmenb of hnd stork And soon Wacted te Atskutor the town evedenty the Hunhed wheah tho' some bodies tere paned on the Was and tn iverl hu pored to be quite food souices of Sorven his eecluding on de ay ron brow. Maguihen has deserted the hurse matine an fr coned beheard cpron counny from the direction of the farm on the first ofctre live. We moved to the Baskrn Edge and eslashgled e the and pot becide a fun position apparently Tacito only the night hefore for much fresh Expended dimenition hes bay About. Apgaint the edsence was again heldup as the frebecame More lnters and bullets could be onstruct heard reppay thro the Redges Obviously Re Lyh Ground immnediakly in live with the farm was the hoable so the objective wa
youn to prove houble some to take? had arcauged for te section to be brought in the vicinity of the Cross Roads of Mazinghei but tho I waited Soncelonsiderable tne aud searched back forit I could not tocakit The Bocke were very honblesome with their fire widenth they had settled down in he posctions and there hibent andelising the advance to the tanal possibly ballow yuus and Hores to be served across be prehand. I was able to get other Batheries to puldown fire on the high gromed infront but the lapetin were uotequal to the task tho' tate in the Apteriioon a prisoner was brought in ona Shetcher having been taken in an isolited house purteber tho ofichoe His companiions 8 of them so the dinencen officer informed me tere allowedt him the punket but as he savely remaaled the didn't gepn Just as the major was deciding rody forth night word came thro that tw the Bathn was being relieved by the 077
British and after their 3 day 575 attack Im puite sure they were glad toget awar. The aveep Ms man Thilesone as being very cuthuseashe andwer fine skings of soldier bu they lack excerience and Carlination and whereas Our Austislian Could serform atask it takes at last so of them with less to show pit Thereseems in my mund to be nothing else for it but to throw the Battalions in with lether French abrifish hoaps by themselves they are absolutely hopeless 20/0/8 Mich tho sneeded Keep dedn't succeed in Jetkry Mich The Toming Cos. Commander dedet return to the G we were at so We were obliged to spend the Right Alove and datwas only about 300 Yarks from the Front Line therewas heasoh for our apprehension I was Very cold mareover lonly hadi Overcont with me so conceived the idew of lypting a fire in a Small
76 dujont and endeavouring to keep barm that way. We huld out at 6 and set out te walk to the Battern which we know has somewhere in the Neighbourhood of Arbre de Jeuruon and without much holible found them living in a small Cohtage hear the main road they were rest Vern Sympathelic with me when told them how thadspent the night and reprredine to alarge shell hale weart that hadheen maseduring the night and for my information tolets Swell the yas in the an I claim to be impervious to fas so Couldeet find out whether yus was about or not. We had avery juet day waiting for Orders fromofG. wrauned ratten heavily so we dedat object to remaining under love. 21/10/18 redidnt remain long in doubt this moring astowhat was Youn thappen tous. First thing
the 60 with Bb Commanders rothle offtowards he Cleare to select a Bt position for each Bh to covr the Apti of the Sdmbre Canal Very soon the returned and orders were given for the By to move shouhtawar. I remained behind to clear the posittion and waiked for my horse for pute two hours but he sin of it so lsctout to waik Threw the map reference and delet expect to have any difficulty in finding it. When larlived in the reitty the Bosche were indulyay we some shelling a few fallingi an orchard jest on the eight of Our Bl position. One Coud hardly mstall et the every Bly i the Aust. boys seoued to be beated thereabout Weatout to build adeyout the we oul expected to be there ada auticipally the neual reheaton the part of the Hems Wesoon hida Comfortable place made fast room for three ofus the R. clickng to have one for himself in are ared tesstinel to be shetted It cominenced
foram aft so we thought the best blan was to get tobed as we were tall pretty Fired. 23/10/18 Another Momentous day for We and do it happened the end of France for me. We woke up at 9 to find a batman bur 10m duce usk heve head fast it was shelraming to we dicided tostan nofor tunch as well. The O.c. Caslie along at 11 with asnjestion that We should homout which we equored then in hour take along camet bo very perherbed to fied We weretaking thyseasy and give Turich at least something tods viz sebout for Basnelthere the Trousline was and seles a By position to which the B Could Aaovedt auhour after R Barrag opened in the mornin and lover the advance beyend the tanal. As it was an opfdar and rather than that he should go alone I pulled on my rubber, books doaned steel heluel and Gas nark and we

69

any means inviting for me. Thursday

perhaps when it failed to arrive at

10 oclock that I 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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Kimberley Hayes Kimberley Hayes
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