Diary Entry - 21st May, 1918

Do roving OP but spend most of the time in the brigade OP with Tucker as don't fancy wandering around the front line, the Hun making it rather unpleasant, but I got as far as A company HQ in Pudding Trench.

Diary Entry - 20th May, 1918

Cruikshank goes down at ten a.m. I remain in at the guns to keep shop. Major and I bathe in the afternoon off the island and meet Majors Claudet and Tucker in the water. To my surprise the water was quite warm and one could stay in a long time. Lambkin comes up in the evening about the middle of dinner, both his horses lathered with sweat. He lost his way and says "the horse took the wrong turning." Before dinner the Major and I strolled up to see the detached gun.

Diary Entry - 19th May, 1918

Come up to the guns after going to church at Madagascar Corner in the theatre, held by our Padre - the colonel and adjutant were there. On arriving at the guns, Vosper walked me up to the detached gun in Athies, telling me on the way that I was a candidate for the captaincy in the seven ones but that the Colonel said that if I was going to apply for six months' leave in August, as I have every intention of doing, it would hardly be worth my while to accept it. It took no deciding, as I had no intention of taking a job in any other battery in the brigade, so I agreed. Major Thorburn goes in a day or two to GHQ as interpreter to the French army and his captain will in all probability get command and leave a vacancy for captain which I think Armytage (Charles) will get. The gun is in a splendid place just having flash cover and that's all (15 feet) and there are large pill boxes with four feet walls for the detachments only a few feet away. In the afternoon I watched the Major and Nicholson bathing in the public gardens lake, not having a towel myself. There were a large number of Jocks bathing off the other bank. What a chance for the Hun, only 300 yards from the front line.

Diary Entry - 18th May, 1918

Go for another semi staff ride with signallers BC's limber and no Nos1, we go out towards St Eloi as Siggers and I intended lunching at officers' club at Chamblain l'Abbe. At twelve we sent the party home and rode on to the village for lunch. Vaisey and Capt. Scott rolled up in the general's car and sat at our table, the former was going on to Aubigny to have his teeth seen to. Again, it being a splendid night, our planes are busy and a few Huns venture over our lines too.

Diary Entry - 17th May, 1918

Another beautiful warm day. The Major and Nick come down for tea, I have another knock at cricket with the men in the afternoon.

Diary Entry - 16th May, 1918

The weather seems to have suddenly turned into summer and has become very warm. I go looking for men's baths in afternoon and find none belonging to the 15th Div in Roclincourt but on going to Annyin[?] find what is wanted. Have a great game of cricket in the evening with the men but get very hot. After dinner Siggers and I took an orderly down to Annyin to show him where to get sand. It is fine to hear our bombing planes going over. The air is full of the hum of their engines and looking towards the enemy's lines one could see the special lights the Hun uses for warning the people behind the lines of the approach of hostile planes going up north and south.

Diary Entry - 15th May, 1918

Go to the rear position and out on a staff ride in the afternoon, taking the BC's limber. We take up several positions and get back about five thirty p.m.

Diary Entry - 14th May, 1918

Go to the rear position in the morning. Lambkin takes the map reading. In afternoon, Siggers, McKenna (veterinary officer) and self walk to guns and meet Major on the way down and, as he only wanted to see Siggers, he turned and walked back with us. The Hun was very active in the afternoon and seemed to be slinging shells about everywhere, putting several when we arrived just to the right of the position. It was very warm walking home in the evening.

Diary Entry - 13th May, 1918

Start work on our rear position. Siggers and self ride over to it in the morning and find that the infantry brigade out of the line use the ranges to the rear of the position and don't seem to be wonderfully accurate in their shooting. It rains again in the afternoon.

Diary Entry - 12th May, 1918

Major Quiller Couch (son of the author Q) of the 9th Battery relieved me so I came along to the battery, which is only a short walk, and am told to go back to the wagonlines, which I do in the evening. The Major was up the trenches with the Colonel, firing the Brigade on their SOS to see where the shells fall, as the barrage given us is very close into our own front line.

Diary Entry - 11th May, 1918

Very misty. Pay a visit to the 36th Brigade in the morning and find that Jumbo is away distributing remounts at the wagon lines. However, am assured he is coming round in afternoon, to arrange about a straafe on Fampoux and the trenches to the north. In the afternoon, about four p.m, he came round, saw General Hilliam (44th Inf. Bde, they relieved the others) and fixed it up that his infantry should be cleared from the line at a certain hour. The Colonel and self afterwards walked over to the inf. bde on the left to arrange the same scheme with them.

Diary Entry - 10th May, 1918

There is absolutely nothing to do on this job but try to humour the infantry if they are being spelled and see that any particular point they want straafing gets attention as soon as possible. In the afternoon I visited 41st Brigade across the river in Blangy and saw Barton, their colonel. He, funnily enough, used to command the battery Nevitt was in and knew him well. He also had been on leave to Australia from India just before the war and had stopped with the Toombies of Warnambool. When the padre and I set out on our way back we were greeted with gunfire from a 77 mm battery and were chased over the bridge at the double, much to the amusement of the many tommies who were spectators a little distance off.

Diary Entry - 9th May, 1918

Ride to guns at nine a.m. to do senior liaison officer as Siggers had to be on a court martial. Took over from Major Bromley of 17th Battery and found the 40th infantry brigade were the infantry.

Diary Entry - 8th May, 1918

A bright sunny morning, rode round to Marveuil to get something from the EFC but found they had moved so went on to Etrun and RAHQ and got my Corian back from Charles Armytage.

Diary Entry - 7th May, 1918

It was inclined to rain in the morning though it eventually fined up about ten thirty. I took the horses out grazing in the afternoon while Siggers took a map reading class. The horses grazed at the usual place down near the 12' gun and amongst the wire entanglements there.

Diary Entry - 6th May, 1918

At an order from brigade, a captain or major and subaltern from each battery had to ride the back areas of defence with the colonel, starting from the other side of Marveuil at ten fifteen a.m. We covered a lot of country and just looked at it from different points. Siggers and I lunched at Chamblain l'Abbe and we got home about four thirty p.m., having had quite enough riding. Siggers got back in an ambulance.

Diary Entry - 5th May, 1918

It rained until ten thirty a.m. and when Siggers came back from church we rode to Duissant to get some money but found no cashier there so proceeded to RAHQ at Etrun. They were surprised to hear there was no cashier there as they had directed us there and, on enquiring over the phone, they discovered that the nearest cashier was at Chamblain l'Abbe. The Brigade Major, a new man - Why - wanted us to stay for lunch but we decided to go on and lunch at the officers club in the village. There was a nice club there opposite Canadian Corps HQ but, on going to the cashier at two, were rather annoyed at being told the office would not be open until four p.m. owing to a meeting being called by the OC cashiers. So there was nothing for it but to ride home vanquished, having ridden some twenty miles to no purpose.

Diary Entry - 4th May, 1918

Major comes down at ten a.m. and we walk out to look at the horses grazing. He goes back to the guns for lunch. In the aftenoon, Siggers and I ride over to Marveuil to get some sand for building an OP. Having got what we want, we return by Etrun, call in at RAHQ and find that the brigade has some more decorations: Majors Claudet and Vosper the MC and McKinty the MC.

Diary Entry - 3rd May, 1918

A harness inspection (skeleton order) by Siggers at stables. Go for a ride to see the skins grazing in the afternoon and on the way see three large naval guns on the railway, two 9.2s and one 12'. During the morning archies knocked half a propellor off a Hun plane and brought him down. in a spin quite close to Ecurie, the machine crashed but both the occupants were alive though violently ill as a result of the spinning. The Huns late in the evening shelled the balloon at Ecurie with HV HE air bursts, getting some very low bursts in too. The balloon kept moving up and down on a light railway, bringing us right in the line of fire and one shell burst right over the lines, with an awful smash, and the Brigade MO Capt Todd and his two horses were wounded.

Diary Entry - 2nd May, 1918

Cruikshank arrives up from the wagonlines. He has not been feeling fit just lately. The Major goes to the OP and shoots all the guns on some tree which the topographical people say they know the exact position of. They finish up with a peculiar registration which is useless for calibration purposes. I get down for a few days at the wagonlines and soon after arriving we have a knock with a cricket bat and ball picked up during the retreat.

Diary Entry - 1st May, 1918

Nicholson goes to the wagonlines in the morning to stop for a few days. All quiet through the day and Siggers pays us a visit in the morning.

Diary Entry - 30th April, 1918

Rains all day. Nicholson comes down from the OP in the morning. Barrett comes up from the wagon lines.

Diary Entry - 29th April, 1918

A bright sunny day. The Major rides up in the evening about five p.m. having been round the rear trenches reconnoitring in vicinity of Aubigny. Siggers goes down to the wagon lines after dinner.

Diary - 28th April, 1918

On the night of 27th-28th, the battalion on our left had a large raid, sending over 240 men who remained in the enemy's lines for three quarters of an hour. We put down a barrage for 70 minutes. The show was a complete success and we brought back 1 officer, 54 men, 6 machine guns (destroyed 4 others) and one ganetenwerfer or machine for throwing pineapple bombs. Our casualties were very light, the enemy failing to put over any shells probably explained by good counter battery work by our heavies.

There is still a ground mist. Lambkin goes down to Fampoux from battalion and reshoots the guns on another calibrating point, a house with supposed enemy machine gun in it. Siggers and I take a walk along the railway embankment to look at the site for the new OP and see how the work has been going along. The Canadian Corps general had been round the guns at seven a.m. but as the men had been up firing till three the position was not at its best. The Colonel later in the morning wrote a devil of a stinker to Siggers about it, though must say each grouse he put in writing could be answered with ease and there was no need for any heat at all on his part.

Diary Entry - 27th April, 1918

Gorry of the seven ones relieved me half an hour late, much to my displeasure. On arrival at the Mess find the Major and Cruikshank up on a joy ride. It remained misty during the morning but Siggers is able to calibrate in the afternoon, though only did three guns when he was chased by five nines.

Diary Entry - 26th April, 1918

Go to OP. Quite a party of us set out from the guns, including Lambkin who was going to battalion for three days liaison and Siggers who was going up to try to calibrate. It was very foggy and as no wind got up the visibility was rotten all day. The front was quiet, though expected trouble at night as we were supposed to be making a raid - also the battalion on our left. However these seemed to have been cancelled as the front was exceptionally quiet.

Diary Entry - 25th April

Siggers and self call in at the 15th Battery to pick up Major Claudet on our way to start a working party on the reserve (rear) position. At eleven thirty we reach the spot and find Barrett already waiting with about ten men he had brought up from the wagon lines. On the way home thought we should never get Claudet away from brigade. He would persist in playing the goat in his usual manner.

Diary Entry - 24th April, 1918

The Colonel came round about ten a.m. and took Siggers off to be shown the OP he'd chosen. The Major is relieved at infantry brigade and goes down to the wagon line so as Siggers can complete his week up here. I ride down with the Major soon after two and, coming back about seven, call at brigade to find Siggers had just left, he having been out with the Colonel reconnoitring a rear position. Get caught in a shower of rain as I walk back from Brigade.

Diary Entry - 23rd April, 1918

Soon after breakfast Siggers went out to recommoitre an OP to cover the Thilloy reserve line on instructions from the Colonel. The enemy planes were active all day and two reconnaisance machines were very intent on registering a group of heavies and for this purpose flew very low. We fired hard on them with the Lewis gun and expended 1,200 rounds of SAA but never brought either of them down though am sure we harassed them. Nicholson spent the day at the OP doing 24-hours duty.

Diary Entry - 22nd April, 1918

Orderly dog. The Colonel comes round in the morning and fires off one or two odd remarks about the position. Siggers and Lambkin spend the day in the front line shooting at houses in Fampoux and registering points for an infantry colonel. In the afternoon the Hun puts over some big stuff at our heavies in Blangy on the outskirts of Arras. When the rations came up in the evening one of the mules, being tired of life, lay down and died in the middle of the road.

Diary Entry - 21st April, 1918

Arrive down at eleven a.m. to find Siggers in command as the Major had gone to do senior liaison. Young Scott relieved me. Enemy scouts very active during the morning but our old RE8s take no notice of them and continue shooting the heavy batteries.

Diary Entry - 20th April, 1918

Go to the OP at eight forty-five and eventually reach it at ten fifteen, after walking all over France, and relieve Fleming. A fair amount of shell fall on our right in Pudding and Lemmon trenches, otherwise we are not troubled. The OP is a good one and covers a lot of enemy country. Almost every gun the Hun fired could be seen but a long way back and the heavies had some good shoots on them. We registered odd points, fired on movement and silenced a minnie. An SOS went up on our right about ten fifteen p.m. and things were disturbed on our front for a time but soon settled down again. The Canucks made a raid about three fifteen a.m. without a barrage and there were plenty of Mills grenades bursting and machine guns rattling to our left front about that time and, though we killed a few and had some casualties, don't think we got any prisoner or identifications, which was what we wanted.

Diary Entry - 19th April, 1918

Still cold and inclined to sleet. Except for an odd shell dropping on the road just to our rear, all is quiet. Lt DV Lambkin rejoined his unit from brigade.

Diary Entry - 18th April, 1918

Major and Cruikshank go to the wagonlines, the latter eventually having his kit sent down to stay. Siggers comes up with the Major for tea. It turns very cold and is inclined to rain in the evening.

Diary Entry - 17th April, 1918

A sunny morning so there was considerable activity in the air on both sides. Clouded over towards midday and the Major could scarcely see the zero point when trying to register in the afternoon. We have some revolver target practice in the afternoon.

Diary Entry - 16th April, 1918

The rest of the battery move in towards evening and everyone finds themselves in very comfortable billets, much more so than the position we left, and the Major's billet, which I share, is a palace. According to news, we have repulsed all further attacks up north and have killed hundreds of Huns. Nicholson goes to the OP for 24-hours' duty and I do duty at the guns. At night, go to brigade to take over a working party to load ammunition on a train. There was a mix up about engines as usual and it was one p.m. when we arrived at canteen dump with one load.

Diary Entry - 15th April, 1918

Colonel comes round early and says we are to change position with D36 so there is no use grousing but to get on with it, this being about the fifth move in twelve days. My section swaps over with a How section that afternoon and we move about 2,000 rounds of ammunition. I remain with the section for the night.

Diary Entry - 14th April, 1918

A very cold north wind blowing with a thin fine mist mixed with it. I have to go to guns, and find the position perched up on a high ridge, with the bivouacs and Mess dug into a steep bank in rear - almost too steep even for an enemy How to touch. We register in the afternoon, a difficult shoot, owing to the gusty wind.

Diary Entry - 13th April, 1918

Still cold but there is nothing doing all day. We send up a party to dig new position but, on arriving, they find they are not wanted as we are swapping over positions with Canadians near Blangy and to the north of 41st Brigade on the Scarpe

Diary Entry - 12th April, 1918

Ride to Canadian veterinary section to see about some linseed and bran for the horses, but meet with no success. Spend rest of the day near a fire as there is a very cold wind blowing.

Diary Entry - 11th April, 1918

Siggers and self called up to the guns during stables to meet Major on track where we are to have four guns of the battery, the other two remaining in present position. Find the Major has left an NCO at the new position with instructions for us. Siggers goes on to see the Major and I ride back to Etrun to get authority to draw RE material from the Canadians. Am lucky in hitting the right division and they are very obliging, giving us all we want. On getting back to the lines, I go to the Canadian baths, which consists of a dribbling stream of hot water but it takes some of the dirt out.

Diary Entry - 10th April, 1918

On going round my horses in the morning find there are two wounded ones and poor Mary, who is mates with Dolly in the centre of the firing battery, has a nasty gash in the shoulder. The old gun teams were naturally very tired, which is not to be wondered at considering the march. Siggers and I ride to the guns in the afternoon, with about eight NCOs, so that they will know their way. We were greeted with a shell on arriving and there seemed to be lots of new holes about. We could only find Sgt. Laming and, on asking where the officers were, were told they were away from the position. We looked round and did not find them, so, on the arrival of another shell, again about 30 yards from us, we mounted the horses and rode off.

Diary Entry - 9th April, 1918

Set out in the rain or Scotch mist at eight a.m., marching second to D 36 lead. We feed about three miles from Aubigny, the misty rain having cleared about ten a.m., and turn up the main Arras road, which has lots of traffic on it. As we approach Acq we meet several tanks moving out of the village and across country towards Arun. The head of the column had just got into the village Acq when the Hun commenced shelling with his eight inch gun. At first we thought it was just an odd round but soon discovered that he meant business, as he kept sending them over about every two minutes and they were all bursting with a terrific smash, having very instantaneous fuses. We filed on into the village, Sergeant Keegan getting a hard hit on the arm from one chap, which burst close - but it bounced off again - and eventually began to park in a big farmyard. When the horses were all unhooked, one landed just short, 40 yards, and another just over. We began to file to water by sections at the Major's orders, and I thought I was for it, as, when we filed out, one was due to pitch somewhere in the vicinity of the road we had to go. We led out and before the tail of the horses got clear one pitched right on the first line team of F sub, killing five men, wounding four and killing four horses and eight mules. There was a shocking mess on the road and Barrett had been very close to being killed, though he came through, having a man wounded on his right hand and a mule killed on his left hand. As we were watering, a big hunk of metal landed in the water from a short, frightening all the horses, but we filed right out of the village up to the aerodrome to the south of the village. We were there for about four hours, two thirty p.m. to six thirty p.m., and I was lucky enough to get some tea from the officers' Mess of the R F C, which pulled me together as had neuralgia all day and these earsplitting bursts did not improve it. The Hun eased up a bit about six p.m. But he had put some very close to the railway on which a hospital train ran down during the bombardment. We hooked up and got clear of the village about seven fifteen p.m. and made for Anzin via Mont St Eloi, as orders had come through that we were to go into action at night. About ten p.m. we found Siggers, who had gone on ahead, waiting for us in very good covered-in standings with Nissan huts for the men, but it took some getting in as it was pitch dark. The Major and Cruickshank had gone up to the guns about five p.m. and we had to send Barrett up with the guns into action at night and they never got back with the teams till five a.m. in the morning. One gun had been put out of action by an airburst during the bombardment.




Driver Turner Robert Thomas
Driver Gregory George H            1st Line of Sub                                       All killed in Acq by HV gun
Driver Merson Charles Barkus
Gnr Barker William George

Gnr Adams
Gnr Chadwick
Gnr Cook                                                                                  All wounded in action
Gnr Spence T

Diary Entry - 8th April, 1918

It rains in the morning and carries on till the evening. Stables absolutely a washout and lines very mucky. Take a walk in the evening and have a look over a fish hatchery nearby where there are some fine big trout swimming about in small pools. Orders came in about eleven p.m. that we are to move up to Acq[?] in the morning and the time of marching is eight a.m. This was somewhat sudden as we were led to believe that we were here for about three days, in spite of rumours coming in at midday that we were to move that same afternoon. They were soon knocked on the head though as it turned out they were for the 2nd Canadians and not us. Orders seem very mixed just now and we are always being changed or cancelled.

Diary Entry - 7th April, 1918

It was a fine morning and there was a church parade in the orchard just near our lines at eleven a.m, at the same time as stables was going on. One of my Gunners, Bamber, performed on the small folding organ he used to play in a cinema at one time - and he played an organ in some church on Sundays. It was stormy in the afternoon and when the Major, Siggers and I set out for Frevent it commenced to rain.We could not get a lift on a lorry so hopped on a train which runs on a small line alongside the road. We could find nothing of any interest in Frevent and as we came back saw a lot of tanks being moved down southwards on trucks, also passed a troop train the occupants of which said they had come from Italy. We got back in an ambulance all right.

Diary Entry - 6th April, 1918

Again all our plans are altered at the eleventh hour and we find that instead of marching for Arras and action we are to join our infantry at Estree Wamin[?] only a few miles away - and they are in a rest area. I march at eight fifteen a.m. with cook's cart and go through a large forest so as to get in ahead of the brigade and get the men's dinners going. The battery went quite a long way round so as to avoid colliding with the infantry. It was a lovely forest I passed through, full of splendid timber, each tree standing very straight, being about four feet in girth and up to 100 feet high. There were also said to be boar (wild) in the forest. Just on coming into Beaudricourt, I ran into the infantry and tacked on behind them. At Estree Wamin found Siggers and helped him do the billeting. There was an old Corps General (X Corps) by Morland watching the troops go through, also GOC Div Perrire at other end of town where they came in. Battery go in and we were at lunch by one fifteen p.m., quite comfortably.

Diary Entry - 5th April, 1918

Friday - I missed one day. Being orderly dog, I rise at five a.m., get the horses watered and fed. We are supposed to march at eight forty-five, but receive orders at the eleventh hour that we march an hour later than previously ordered. It had been raining all the previous day and night and looked as if it would continue all day, but eventually turned off at nine thirty a.m. We march via Ascheux, Marieux and Doullens to Luscheux, watering and feeding at Sarton. There was a lot of traffic on the road, especially near Doullens, and we got into our lines about five p.m. We watered and fed on getting in then gave the men and ourselves an hour to get food and turned in to stables for an hour at six forty-five p.m. We all slept very well at night and I had to sleep on the brick floor in Mess as found Madame was occupying the bed supposed to be allotted to me. It was truly a wonderful household. There were about four daughters and one boy and they were all very friendly - in fact too much so, but produced some topping cider.

Diary Entry - 3rd April, 1918

Go to the OP at six a.m. but take the precaution of moving the wire 200 yards to the left and further forward and gaze through a hedge. The battery was to be relieved at ten a.m. by the 77th Bde. At eleven a.m. the relieving officer was shown up by a telephonist from D36 and brought right across the open plough country instead of coming under cover of the crest. Of course the Hun was watching and we soon had a lot of machine gun bullets whistling about us. I was not sorry to hand over and get out of it. The whole battery was clear by twelve fifteen p.m. and we proceeded to Varennes, where we heard orders had been altered and, instead of entraining, we were to march north and join the 10th Corps.

Diary Entry - 2nd April, 1918

Take stand to at five a.m. while Cruikshanks strikes off for Martinsart at eight a.m. to do liaison with the infantry. Major and I wander up to OP in the afternoon, a nasty spot which you approach in full view of the Hun across the open. We got into the spot without being sniped at and found Tucker of D36 in possession. We had not been there three minutes when a four two dropped to the left of us soon afterwards, another to the right and, when the second arrived, I realised that someone was watching or had watched us. The next was just over. and the fourth, as we left the hole, almost fell in it, so we sat behind a hedge and viewed the country from there.

Diary Entry - 1st April, 1918

Major, Cruikers and Nick go up with battery to relieve the 16^th [18^th?) battery, who seem in a very guggah state and seem neither to care if they are captured or killed, Cruikers comes back for me and we take four guns up about twelve p.m. The position is behind a ridge to the north-west of Bouzencourt, with not a hole of any sort near it and plumb in an open field. Nick was up at the OP and as soon as we got through to him he registered all the guns on the road running up Usna Hill to Ovillers. I carried on as orderly dog while the Major and Cruikers took a walk round.

Diary Entry - 31st March, 1918

Siggers and self go to Holy Communion in town major's office. The room was overcrowded, being filled with staff officers and officers and men of divisional artillery. We heard after the service that two officers of the sixteenth Brigade, Lieutenants Fox and Perry, had been killed during the morning. We have another staff ride in the afternoon, a larger affair than the skeleton one of yesterday. Everything was successful but for a heavy shower of rain which caught us. On arriving we are told we have to relieve 41st brigade on Monday, where we stay for two days, entraining on the 5th for the North.

Diary Entry - 30th March, 1918

Go for a staff ride in the morning and take up several positions, fairly successfully, everyone seeming to be fairly free of rust. Nothing else doing.

Diary Entry - 29th March, 1918

Good Friday. It fines up soon after breakfast. At stables at eleven a.m. Loll about in the afternoon, expecting orders at any time as we were all the time under an hour's notice to move, but there seems to be little doing on the front, though we hear the Huns have Albert and are somewhere between Bouzencourt and Aveluy

Diary Entry - 28th March, 1918

Go to guns at eight a.m. and arrive just in time to hear we are going to pull out. Ride back and warn the wagon lines, also send up section limbers at intervals and commence to pull out right away. The guns get down about eleven a.m. and we marched straight on to Varennes via Lealvillers and Ascheux. There was a freezing south-west wind blowing and lots of dust blowing about. Varennes is packed with troops but on hunting hard for billets we managed to get some cover for the men. It commences raining about four p.m. and we are all very pleased we have a roof to sleep under. We all turned in early and there was rather an amusing incident during the night when the major started walking in his sleep. He stepped on my pillow, crashed off onto Robson who was sleeping on the floor, all the time saying 'Get your clothes on, pack up.' It gave us a bit of a shock but, as there was no stir from the next room where all the others were sleeping, took very little notice. Then the major woke up, heard us all shouting questions at him, got back into bed and commenced laughing. He remarked that he had once before done it in another battery.

Diary Entry - 27th March, 1918

Go to advance wagon lines near Mailly Cemetery where the limbers and six wagons are all kept harnessed up in case of emergency. Was there all day and took up ammunition several times as we were doing a lot of shooting. The Hun at ten a.m. shelled the village and the orchard very heavily, blowing up one of the seven ones' limbers. A little later, he shelled the area in front of the position with eight inch but was about 50 yards short of us. I had a comparatively peaceful day and was rather amused at my groom, Driver Wrate, and a Corporal pursuing an old cockerel which strayed from the village. They eventually ran him to ground in the cemetery. There was a DH 4 on its back near me, a beautiful machine, rather crimped, but no one came to salvage it. The New Zealand artillery came into position in the evening and we looked like being relieved. Barrett relieved me and, on getting back to the rear wagon lines, I found a Bristol fighter down near the Mess. The pilot had run out of petrol. It was a lovely machine with 250 horsepower 12 cylinder Rolls engine in it which consumed 18 gallons an hour (of petrol). I was also rather surprised to find two or three heavy batteries in action nearby as nothing had been seen of them on the retreat. The battery evidently got some good targets during the day on the main Serre road and 15th battery knocked out a limber and team on the road. Then another one came along and got locked in it and it was promptly knocked out too, blocking the whole road. Many other targets were taken on with success too.

Diary Entry - 26th March, 1918

The Colonel visits us at one p.m. and gives us a message for the major which is that we have to supply a liaison officer in the morning to be with the sixth brigade at seven a.m. The major details me for the job so at six fifteen, after having walked to the horse lines, had a bite of food and some tea, I set out, with two signallers, two mounted orderlies and my horses. The map reference given us by the Colonel is wrong and after half an hour's hunt, we find we have to go forward through Auchonvillers instead of to the rear and to Mailly Maillet. I find my destination is down through Beaumont Hammel and down the road to Beaucourt. After leaving my horses in a small quarry, the signaller and self walk on down the road, meeting two infantry men only, who, though they belonged to the sixth brigade, could not find them and said they had been almost hit by a four point five How bursting on the road. Bryant and I wandered on and when only about 400 yards from Beaucourt two 4.5 How shells almost did for us, so, concluding we were in No Man's Land, we wended our way back to the horses. Just as we were mounting, a captain of the Fusiliers who was also looking for the sixth brigade, came along, so, thinking he would find them, I followed. But we only made a long detour over rough country and eventually recrossed the Auchonvillers road above Beaumont Hammel and, as we had followed the trench all the way, which was presumably the front line, I set out to remove my horses from No Man's Land and proceeded to the fifth infantry brigade whom I knew were in Auchonvillers. They tried to direct me to the sixth brigade, as did the TGOC division Major General Perrire but, as two and a half hours had been lost trying to find them, I thought it best to stick to the fifth, whom I had found by accident, and I sent a note to the Colonel to tell him what I had done. It was a memorable day full of incident. At ten thirty a.m. the Bosch was reported to be coming on in large numbers, both from Serre and across the Ancre from Grancourt and although we intended fighting, things were very grave as the brigade Major had been out on reconnaissance in front of Serre to find the people on our left. His report was that there was no one there and the 51st div who were supposed to be there could not be found. The Hun soon began to put down a barrage with one or two batteries five nine four two and pipsqueak and as we were simply in an open house with no dugout I thought we should soon be blown kite high. He made it too hot for the batteries and they withdrew to the orchard and slope behind Mailly Maillet station. The Hun was reported in the Sucrerie about eleven fifteen a.m. and pushing on towards Collincamps. This village was due north of us. Things were looking very blue, but we were determined to hang on at all costs. About twelve p.m. the Germans were reported in Collincamps. In fact, they were placing indirect fire on our men's back who held the line facing the Ancre in front of our village. Orders for withdrawal were written out but held for a quarter of an hour in case anything turned up in the way of support. Two very strong units turned up just in the nick of time and our hopes went high when we heard a division of New Zealanders were advancing to our support as well as a new type of tank named whippet. The whippet tank is about 30 feet long, about three feet above ground, with a turret at the rear end of it wherein are a number of machine guns and their main feature is their speed – 12 miles an hour or 18 miles an hour under favourable conditions. About one thirty p.m. the tanks advanced on Collincamps, followed by a battalion of New Zealanders, and they put the Hun back 2,000ards y, driving him out of this village and taking 1,000 prisoners. By three p.m. the position was well in hand and everyone was very pleased with themselves. In the meantime the guns had been doing great execution, especially fifteenth battery, who came into action to the north of Auchonvillers with a section and fired with open sights. Siggers, with a gun, also dropped into action near the cemetery (Mailly) and fired at Collincamps Avenue with open sights. In the meantime the seven ones in action near the Larry [?] were being machine gunned from their left flank and Captain Scott did great work in stopping a civilian train from being captured, by stopping them and making them go back the way they had come, but they took a lot of persuading. If they had gone on they would have been captured at Beaumont Hamel or Beaucourt and most of them were bound for Albert. At five p.m. the New Zealand Brigadier arrived very cool and collected and informed us he was coming up to relieve us and so ended a very thrilling day during which I had often thought of either being captured or fighting to the end. The brigade major Wardel was splendid and had the whole thing at his fingers' ends and in my opinion saved the situation for the infantry. At eight p.m. they were relieved and I proceeded to the New Zealand headquarters in Mailly Maillet where the Colonel met me and said I could go back to the wagon lines. It was a three-mile walk to Beausart and I can tell you as soon as I had a bite I was fast asleep, not needing any rocking.

Diary Entry - 25th March, 1918

None of us needed any rocking to sleep that night. We all just got down to it in the open and needed kicking up when we were called at three forty-five in the morning. Although orders were to march via Pys and Miraumont, when we got in at night we had to turn round and get onto the Albert-Bapaume Road. As soon as the 41st Brigade got clear, the Colonel led us on through Courcelette, along the east Miraumont Road to Miraumont, but we were soon in the thick of another traffic jam when we crossed No Man's Land – this was the country we had spent miserable months on in February 1917 but it had been somewhat improved and instead of being a sea of shell holes and mud it had a coat of grass on it. We halted for two hours when we decided to try and force our way through the tightly packed road and chance a road down the south side of the Ancre to Grandcourt. I navigated our wagons down this and camped just below Thiepval where the road leads across the river to Beaucourt. We got here about eleven a. m. and were followed by an army brigade and 63rd Div. artillery, the latter seemed to be panicstricken and came past at the trot. Each battery took a section into action near Miraumont and sent the remainder of their guns and vehicles on down to Beaucourt to a point of assembly. The guns caught the Hun about two p.m. as he advanced in column of lamps [?] through Le Sars. We received orders about two p.m. to march on to Auchonvillers and establish our wagon lines and the guns withdrew about five p.m., being chased down the Miraumont Valley by 10 centimetre shells. Lieutenant Shipley was slightly wounded. As they crossed the river the REs blew up the bridges at Beaucourt and everyone made for Engelbelmer, Auchonvillers and Mailly Maillet. The guns drop into action just north of Auchonvillers about five thirty p.m. Robson and I go on duty. We do harassing fire on Miraumont all night shooting at 8000.

Diary Entry - 24th March, 1918

The situation again critical and there seemed to be some doubt as to whether our right flank was in the air or not. The morning was misty though a bright sun was trying to percolate through the haze. About seven a.m. the Huns started shelling Hoplincourt and Barrastre Woods with 5.9' hows and searching behind the woods with pipsqueaks from the south. The remainder of the dump in Haplincourt wood was soon alight and crackling furiously. Two German balloons were up by eight and seemed to be looking right down on us. At nine a.m. we opened an SOS barrage at a slow rate of fire as the infantry have to withdraw, having no-one on their right. By ten a.m. the infantry began to pour back over the ridge and others seemed to be going up from the rear in support and there looked to be a real box up. However, that was only a gunner's point of view. By ten thirty a.m. we were putting down a very heavy barrage in front of the Green Line, which just ran to the front of Bertincourt and at eleven a.m. orders came through to limber up and retire. There was a heavy smoke barrage coming in from the south and suppose the Hun was trying to advance under cover of it.  The tanks went into action just in front of our section and drove the Huns back while the section under their cover completed their firing. On going back over the ridge the Major picked us up and said as there was no more ammunition to be had he was taking the right section back to the position, so to fire off what we had left and I, with the remaining two guns, was to proceed with guide to point of assembly where Siggers had the wagons and guns. From what we could gather, things were in a bad way and must say I did not expect to see either Major, Nicholson or the section again. We found Siggers just north of Le Transloy. He had two guns in action just off the road and the wagons in a valley behind them and had lost one team and a wagon in trying to get up through Bolancourt. On getting over the Le Transloy road, we just ran into the Somme battlefield, which is simply one mass of shell holes, large and small, and, if you get off the road, it is well nigh impossible to get on again. Siggers already had a GS wagon bogged in a shell hole going down to the lines. When we got it out, we proceeded to have or try to get some lunch and await orders and about one fifteen p.m. the Major, Nicholson, Cruikshank and the section joined us, much to everyone's relief.

When lunch was over and we were looking for a way onto the Boulancourt-Guedecourt road a sudden panic started as the Huns were reported advancing on Boulancourt. We had a very rough track to go over to get onto the road and got one GS wagon hopelessly stuck and had to abandon it. The body of the four-wheeled Mess cart also smashed and had to be abandoned with a lot of kit. My kit was left, but luckily someone came along and salvaged it and put it on an ammunition wagon. We then commenced a very trying trek along bad roads which were packed with traffic and infantry all making for the west. As we went along some batteries dropped into action on the south side of the road and fired with open sights due south. At one time it looked as if we would all be captured and if the Hun had had any cavalry there we should have been. The tanks combined with infantry wallowed about the crests of various hills over the shell-pitted country to ward off any rush that might be made on our rear guard. It took us over two hours to go half a mile and the Hun was cunningly dropping some HV shells about the road, trying to cause a panic. In fact he knocked out Brigadier General Barnet Barker (5th Brigade) who was resting by the side of the road. About five thirty p.m. the Colonel came along looking very worried and decided to sidetrack us towards Le Barque and Le Sars, as there were all manner of wagons stuck in the road in front of us, they having sunk through surface and got into the gluey clay mud peculiar to the Somme country. We got onto an old road running due north and eventually came out at Le Barque where we found the traffic very much blocked too. By nine thirty p.m. we were on the main Bapaume-Albert Road, refilled at Butte de Warlencourt, bivouacked at Le Sars, with everything ready for an immediate move or action.

While on the main Bapaume Road numbers of enemy planes flew on towards Albert leaving us alone, but I shuddered to think of the execution they could have done on such a bright night with their machineguns. The road was simply thick with traffic going either way - and all horse transport too. One aeroplane would have accounted for hundreds of horses, men and transport. In fact, one machine might easily have blocked the whole road.



Driver Smith PR, Gnr Belcher J and Gnr Ford R wounded in the team which was knocked out

Diary Entry - 23rd March, 1918

We were informed before dawn that we had to be ready to cover Beaumetz which had been taken during the night and that the enemy were to be checked by us if they attemped coming down the valley from Beaumetz. This meant a 45 degree switch, which made us enfilade the position with No. 1 gun. However, we had to do the best we could and chance a premature as there was no room to move out to the right. About twelve, we caught a glimpse of the enemy crossing the ridge and got onto him with open sights at 3000 and continued to put down a barrage, searching behind the crest. Nothing appeared to happen of much importance till one p.m. when we noticed machine gun fire seemed to be coming from direction of Velu wood. Then things began to happen, shells fell in vicinity of position from direction of Velu Wood, our left rear, and machine gun bullets began to whistle over our heads. Fortunately, the wagon lines had kept a good eye on us and as they thought things seemed strange to the left had the limbers up. Orders came at one thirty to limber up and we were away in all haste in ten minutes with machine gun bullets fairly whistling around. No horses had come up for us and we footed it, meeting the Colonel near Bertincourt Sucrerie. He warned us to leave Bertincourt on our right, as the Huns were through Velu wood. Unfortunately, having no horses to guide the guns away, F subsection's gun went back the same way as they came, between Bertincourt and Velu wood and were soon under machine gun fire. The wheel driver, Dr. Davies, was killed with a bullet through the head and a centre horse hit, the team took charge but the drivers bravely stuck to their horses and eventually rejoined the battery back near Villers au Flos. The Major, Nicholson and myself in the meantime wandered off to the left of Bertincourt with our one gun and a few men getting along in haste from shells and machine gunfire. We eventually picked up a track to Ytres then proceeded by Bus and across country to Villers au Flos. The Major went on to meet the Colonel and when we got back we found the wagon lines to the northy of Rocuigny and the guns in action to the rear of Barrastre. The 9.2' gun was still searching and sweeping indiscriminately about the back areas and several lobbed close to the horse lines. The Major sent for me at the guns about five p.m. and he and self remained with the guns that night. We kept up harassing fire on Velu Wood all night. About eight p.m. the Hun was reported to have patrols in Bus and there was certainly a lot of machine gun fire coming from that direction but we could not make out what had happened to the 19th Div gunners who were on our right, as they remained absolutely silent. There was a certain amount of wind at ten p.m. and our wagon lines were ordered up to the guns in case we had to move off in a hurry. REs were busy just in rear of the position, digging a trench but all left when their task was finished at two p.m. Vosper and I had no kits up and spent the night walking about trying to keep the circulation going, as did most of the gunners.

Sgt. Beadle EW evacuated (not having got over the Beauchamp gas).

Fitter Shoesmith F wounded in action.
The abovementioned man was sitting on the gun as we came out of Bertincourt position and just behind that village as gun went off the road up a slight bank he lost his balance, fell under the gunwheel and had his leg smashed. We passed him off on a CCS at Bus, who were in the middle of packing up. It was his wish that he be put off there, but know I should sooner myself have been carried further to the rear as it is doubtful whether the horse ambulances could get away quick enough.

Dr. Davies G killed in action.

The large dump at Ytres commenced blazing about nine p.m. and was a really wonderful sight. Every few minutes there would be a huge flare lighting the sky to a dull red colour, then, a few seconds later, a muffled roar would reach us as a huge dump of shell - varying in calibre from 18-pounder to 15' howitzer - exploded. This dump burned on all night, periodically flaring up, giving off large explosions.

Diary Entry - 22nd March, 1918

At four a.m. receive orders from guns to fetch up limbers and necessary transport but, as we had moved out our horses from the standings to the top of the ridge towards Bertincourt and there was a thick fog it took about two hours to get the teams turned out. It was as well the fog held or else we should have been for it going up the road in the open. Found, on reaching the rear position, that they had moved all the guns and kit back from Boar Valley with the wagons and transport they had at the forward wagon line early in the morning. But there was still some left up near the Boar position so I took a GS Wagon team up for it. All the gunners and officers were looking very tired as they had had few decent nights owing to mustard gas harassing fire and the recent days continual fire. The orders were to move back to the wagon lines in Haplincourt so Major and Cruikshank went on. Nicholson, Robson and I bring on the battery and meet Mr 9.2' naval gun bracketing the road behind Havrincourt wood, placing one round 24' plus and the next 25' minus every 45 seconds. There was no avoiding the gentleman so we went through at the trot with the result that half the kits fell off an overloaded GS wagon and the cook's cart body came unlimbered at the crucial moment. Ruyaulcourt had by the look of it been treated in the same manner a few minutes before our arrival so we did not linger there and eventually got to the wagon line, avoiding Bertincourt altogether. We thought we were for a day's rest but before lunch was over orders came in that BCs were to reconnoitre positions between Velu Wood and Bertincourt to cover Hermies which was being heavily attacked from the north. So five o'clock found Nicholson and myself leading the battery up in front to Bertincourt and eventually found the Major had a position in an old horse standing along side the seven ones. It was dark when all was ready and we turned in to a deep machinegun dug out but there was no sleep as the Colonel and various other people kept calling in all night and I turned out three times.

Diary Entry - 21st March, 1918

First day of spring. The German offensive begins at 4.40 p.m. Gunner Levison (left section) killed in action at advance wagon line by an HV shell splinter.

At a few minutes before five a.m. we were woken at the wagon lines by a heavy bombardment in the direction of Bullecourt, Benguy [?] and Moeuvres and a few minutes later shells began pouring into Haplincourt, from direction of Moeuvres, both 5.9' gun 4 10 cm gun shells. They mostly fell up the road in amongst the 41st Brigade. The Hun kept straafing the village with one round about every minute and by seven thirty a.m. there was news that 8 horses had been killed, two men and a number of others inujured. At six o'clock the shelling started on a dump in Haplincourt wood It consisted of SAA tank ammunition (3-pounder) and petrol. It soon got going and there was a tremendous crackling of rifle ammunition intermingled with the bursting of the shells. The fire burnt out in about an hour. The Hun either switched one gun or owing to bad laying got off the original line as shells began to fall in the 15th wagon lines but luckily they got their horses out after the first round. The shelling eased a bit at twelve p.m. but continued right on till dusk. About eleven a.m. a big enemy gun probably a 9.2' naval gun began shooting on Barrastre Wood searching back to a Nissan Hut camp on the left hand side of the road. Siggers and the Padre nearly met their death by inquisitively looking at the hole one of these shells made when another landed only seven feet from them, but they luckily escaped with a shaking.

Diary Entry - 20th March, 1918

A cold day, but fining up. Attend stables. A fairly quiet day all round.

Diary Entry - 19th March, 1918

Attend stables in the morning and take it fairly easily. It was inclined to rain in the morning but held off till the evening. Major came down for lunch. Had a look round and we all walked to Villers au Flos in the afternoon to see the agricultural officer about seeds.

Diary Entry - 18th March, 1918

A beautiful day. There appeared to be a tank demonstration on the plain between Haplincourt and Bertincourt and when I rode across to Etricourt I was almost enmeshed by tanks and generals. Found Quiller Couch at RA and he discovered where the 9th Division were for me. I rode on to Nurlu to find B battery, 50th Brigade, as Uncle Bell was with them, but when I found them I discovered he was at the guns. However, they gave me lunch at the wagon lines and I rode back in the afternoon. Siggers went up to the guns to see the Major and got back about the same time as me.

Diary Entry - 17th March, 1918

My eyes had improved greatly by midday and at four I have a look round and find Siggers has unearthed a nice black mare for me, my groom having lifted it off some DAC lines. Dr Cox, Siggers's groom, also brought back a horse, but he sent it back. In the evening McKenna and I strolled over to see the clover field which we had wired off for the horses and had placarded with reserved for Vth Corps. Bdr Clarke, C and Gnr Law were gassed.

Diary Entry - 16th March, 1918

Wake up with very sore eyes caused by getting some mustard in them from somewhere but goodness knows where. After breakfast Sergeant Higgins and I set out for the wagon lines and when I got in the light my eyes were very painful and swelled right up. There were a number of other officers and men in the brigade in worse condition than myself and Dixon, Claudet, Kershaw (evacuated) and McKinty were all very bad, especially the second two. On arrival at the wagon lines I lay up for the afternoon in the dark but in the evening when the sun had gone down we all went to the 17th Divisional Show called the Duds, which was quite a good show but very crowded, the fellow dressed as a flapper was splendid.

Diary Entry - 15th March, 1918

Take it quietly all day and in the evening take a section up near Boar Copse into the 9th Battery old position and fired off 200 rounds, scattering them about the Hun lines.

Diary Entry - 14th March, 1918

Misty morning with wind in the east from the Hun lines. A lot of buzzing could be heard in their lines, sounding like motors - and lots of them - so I reported it to the brigade as probably enemy tanks moving up under the mist, adding a little more wind to the already windy staff.  Colonel and Vaisey came in for lunch. I slept at guns, the Huns again gassed us, commencing about nine p.m. and carrying on for one and a half hours.

Diary Entry - 13th March, 1918

Go group OP at ten a.m. and relieve the seven ones, a very quiet day and a good light. Lots of movement could be seen well behind their lines, especially on the road leading into Marcoing from Cambrai. I tried to get the heavies onto it without success. At night the Huns again bombarded with gas from round Le Quennet Farm, right up to Bourlon Wood. The guns must be moved up at night as you can see the flashes quite easily.

Diary Entry - 12th March, 1918

Go down to the Metz position which has been altered and is no longer on the Trescault Metz road but near the Havrincourt wood. Cruickers was down there and they were getting along digging cupolas down into the ground. A Hun was brought down in the morning and was claimed by the battery Lewis gunners, though an aeroplane really brought it down. Cruickers comes up in the evening, Barrett going down - the former sleeps at the guns. We take a section up to Boar Copse and fire off 200 rounds, scattering it all round the place. The Hun put more mustard over at night, commencing about ten p.m. and pumping it over for about three hours. We had to fire in the middle of it all, as a deserter had walked over and said the Hun was to attack at dawn, so we fired from midnight onwards as counter preparation and all the time the position was being shelled. But again we were disappointed and nothing happened and as a result of the mustard three or four of the men's eyes were affected and Cruickers got a whiff of it too.

Diary Entry - 11th March, 1918

Spend rather an unpleasant night in the mine at the guns as some gunner mistook my cubicle for a urinal which was most unpleasant. He was walking in his sleep. I think it was mainly due to the fact that we had received a barrel of stout from the wagon line and they had been making the most of it. Nothing exceptional happened during the day - it was very quiet but again beautifully warm and sunny. Nicholson went to the wagon lines early in the morning, for him, leaving here at nine a.m

Diary Entry - 10th March, 1918

Being orderly officer have a good day with the Lewis gun as the Hun persisted in coming over to register some of the back area positions. I must have got off 400 rounds when the gun jammed and we had to pull it to pieces, finding a small part broken. As it was a nice still evening, the Hun started to put over gas shell at eight p.m, continuing for about three hours, but having good dug outs well curtained, we were not bothered at all, though the infantry had heavy casualties.

Diary Entry - 9th March, 1918

Another bright sunny day, the expected attack by the Hun never came off. We ran another gun up to Boar Copse.

Diary Entry - 8th March, 1918

Do group OP and relieve B87 and 19th Div battery attached to this group. A heavy ground mist obscured the view in the morning but it was better towards evening. In the evening the 63rd Div rather stirred things up on the left as they had a raid and did not let anybody know about it. In the evening we took a gun up in front of Boar Copse and did a little promiscuous straafing, the main idea being to make the Hun think the old positions round there were still occupied and draw some of his hate away from us. The weather just now seems to have taken a good turn. We have warm days like the beginning of May.

Diary Entry - 7th March, 1918

Walk to rear position near Metz and then on to forward wagon line. On the way down Trescault slope got a bit of a start as the Hun put down a heavy barrage on the Flesquierre front but nobody came over. Funnily enough, he did the same thing at two fifteen p.m for no apparent reason. Meet Siggers at the forward WL and walk back to the guns with him, meeting various people on the way - Mills, Claudet, Sanger, Thorburn. Again stroll down to Metz position in the afternoon with Siggers and Major to inspect our mine, which we are building in conjunction with the seven ones.

Diary Entry - 6th March, 1918

Do FOO in artillery lane but it was very hazy and could only see little individual movement, which I occasionally went to gunfire on and made the Huns keep undercover. Robson came up in the afternoon and we registered the tank. At night I did liaison with the 2nd OX and Bucks commanded by Colonel Crosse. They had all been with the battalion some time and were nice men, which is rather unusual as a gunner officer always feels rather out of it when doing liaison. They had great stories about the Hun coming over on the tenth and quite put the wind up me.

Diary Entry - 5th March, 1918

Major and Robson go to Metz to look for wagon line, also to visit near position. A walk up to the tank gun in a strong wind which is blowing from the west. The enemy's planes were very active during the morning and ours seemed to be very inactive. We do more gas drill in the evening. The colonel returned off leave, arriving up at HQ in the afternoon.

Diary Entry - 4th March, 1918

Orderly officer - remain at the guns. A damp hazy day. We put in more gas drill in the afternoon, doing about half an hour in helmets.

Diary Entry - 3rd March, 1918

I was very sorry to hear that Shapland had died during the night, poor chap. HG Shapland was a nice young chap, about 23 years old, very keen and enthusiastic in everything he did and by no means slow witted but, rather, fairly clever. Still cold wind blowing and inclined to sleet so instead of riding I set out on foot for the guns. Meet Todd at Bertincourt Sucrerie and also catch a lorry which takes me to Metz. Find Claudet and Armytage working at their rear position, which is referred to by all other batteries as the Handly Page aerodrome, the gunpits being such a huge blot on the landscape. Also run into Cruikers, who is on his way down to WL. In the afternoon Major and I walk to the battalion and OP, fire on a tank and arrange about a battalion stunt which is to come off at one a.m. The duckboards were very slippery and the ground very heavy walking, making one tired by the time we got back.

Diary Entry - 2nd March, 1918

Very cold, strong east wind. Padre and I set out for 48th CCS to see Shapland and it was so cold riding over the plains that I felt like turning back, the wind simply cut your face like a knife. We found the hospital the other side of Ytres and an MO told us Shapland was very serious and, although he knew us in going in to see him, he looked to me very much like a loser in the great game of life. Padre and I rode on to Etricourt in a young blizzard then back across country in the teeth of the wind and snow. In the afternoon an organ, (collapsible type) arrived for the Padre, being sent out by the colonel. It was in a somewhat rocky condition when it arrived but the wheeler righted it and we had it going well in the evening.

Diary Entry - 1st March, 1918

An orderly arrives in the morning to say Shapland has been wounded in the head and is at Ytres CCS. Apparently he had been bathing in a splinter proof in the trench above the Mess and a pipsqueak landed about nine feet from the door, a splinter going through the entrance and hitting him on the head. This had happened on the previous evening. Robson and Barrett left for the guns in the morning, calling at the CCS on the way up. It was again freezing and a cold east wind was blowing, turning into a real April day in the afternoon, with cold sleet storms. Siggers and I rode out to see the clover was being fenced in, then walked over to Villers au Flos to see the corps agricultural officer.

Diary Entry - 28th February, 1918

Take a ride round in the morning for exercise and find a very nice patch of clover over near Bus. The Major comes down for lunch and says the ploughing is going on all right. I forgot to add that it was the Major's idea to cultivate some of the ground so he got permission to carry on from the Corps agricultural officer, an old gunner colonel dug out. In afternoon Barrett, Robson and self do a little revolver practice near the gun park and fire off 50 rounds a piece.

Diary Entry - 27th February, 1918

As orderly officer rise at six fifteen a.m. but there was a frost so ploughing could not be carried on with in the morning. Lose - or rather have wounded - four mules. One so bad it had to be taken away in a float, it being a noted rowan[?] of E sub named Rhubarb. Two of F sub's wee black mules, nice little chaps, were gassed and were very groggy in the wind. They also discharged from the eyes and nose and consumed large quantities of water.

Diary Entry - 26th February, 1918

A beautiful sunny day. Siggers and I and Robson ride up to the guns to let the Major see the new officer. On arriving at the advanced wagon lines, we found the Major and Nicholson down looking at the havoc wrought by numerous gas shell which had been pumped over on the previous night. While walking up to the guns there was a lot of enemy air activity and several reconnaissance machines were well in behind our lines and our archies were hard at it making artificial clouds with the smoke from their bursts, but, often as not, many thousand feet from the planes. We also saw Hun captive balloon floating about the front. It had evidently broken away and was very high up, travelling southwards. We rode back at three p.m. and as we came from the guns the Huns were shelling Trescault Ribecourt Road with HV shrapnel. I was riding Nip, Cruiker's horse, and he was very fresh

Diary Entry - 25th February, 1918

It was raining hard with a strong west wind when we got up for breakfast and I thought Sid who had arranged to run us into Amiens in his car would not turn up. The appointed time ten a.m. came round with no sign of him and we were beginning to think it was a blue duck, in fact even started on foot with the hope of getting a lorry. However, turned back at the crossroads as it was such a rotten morning. Alex turned up with another man, Stokes, at twelve, having been out since nine forty-five a.m. running some officer to an aerodrome.So we sallied forth and found a 25 horsepower Vauxhall awaited us with no starting handle but by a quiet push she started all right and away we went. There was lots of mud about up to Albert and we had a puncture before reaching Bapaume but from Albert we ran in well to Amiens just getting another puncture as we got there. We had to get a pass from APM for lunch as it was after two but we managed that all right. The afternoon was spent in shopping and we bumped into one of the young Lindsays in RFC fancy dress, looking like any man of four letters. After dining at the Gobert Restaurant we set out for the car at nine fifteen p.m. The car was started after much pushing and we got under way with a beautiful moon shining at nine forty-five p.m. There were no lights needed and we made good speed to Albert in spiet of losing a cap on the way. Near Bapaume we just avoided a Mess cart. The driver was very bad and bad as he was the car felt good but when Sid took the wheel for a bit she felt a top notcher and my opinion of Vauxhalls has risen. We found on returning to the Mess a new officer named Robson stretched out on the floor.

Diary Entry - 24th February, 1918

We go to church at nine thirty a.m. and Siggers performs on the goanna playing several amens in the wrong place. After lunch I took Sgt. Head's new horse out for a trial spin but did not like him a bit - being 17 hands he has a tremendous stride and ought to cover the country well but he was too big and clumsy for me.

Diary Entry - 23rd February, 1918

Start for the wagon lines at ten thirty a.m. have a rotten ride though as Ethel being blind refuses to go along at even a walk. In the afternoon walk to Villers au Flos with Siggers to collect the pay from the field cashier.

Diary Entry - 22nd February, 1918

During the night the infantry had put up a lot of wire on Highland Ridge and also dug part of a trench and the Hun had put over a few shells at intervals, meaning to try and catch them or any movement there. It was raining in the morning but lifted at midday though a heavy mist hung about.

Diary Entry - 21st February, 1918

A high wind blowing but very clear and the Huns started shelling the vicinity with five nines and four twos. There seemed to be no particular target but he got several men in the 47th Bty. I went up to Rocket and relieved a new seven one officer. There was a wonderful light and all kinds of movement (such as trains) could be seen well back. An observation balloon could also be plainly seen on the ground north of Rumilly and should think 60-pounders could have easily reached it but did not see anyone fire at it.

Diary Entry - 20th February, 1918

Cruikshank goes to OP to do FOO and the Major with Crawley goes up to register on Le Quennet Farm, getting on to the line all right this time. In the afternoon it began to rain and in consequence things were pretty quiet.

Diary Entry - 19th February, 1918

Remain at the guns all morning. Some scouts come over very low and are fired at with rifle and Lewis guns. Siggers and Nicholson appear for lunch, the latter having just come back from a course of telephony. Major, myself and Major Claudet, who had called in, go off to the 15th for lunch and then on to an OP to the left of Rocket to shoot on Le Quennet Farm. The fifteenth registered first and, as the light was bad, took a long time. We fired one or two rounds but could not see them so eventually gave it up. The Bosche had a gun firing on our small knoll and we weren't too sure whether he saw us and was chucking over sniping rounds ort not but he persisted in putting them fairly close but the gun was shooting at a long range.

Diary Entry - 18th February, 1918

Set out for 7.0.0 post, which consists of a pill box just off Ostrich Trench in the support line. We (Crawley and self) had breakfast at five and got underway at the half hour, with Gnrs Law and Brooks as signalers. We got up about six thirty, just nice time and, as the infanteer got bored with it before an hour had elapsed, he went home. There was a lot of movement everywhere you looked and odd Huns seemed to be walking round picking up copper driving bands and shell cases - at least that's the only supposition we could arrive at. I put a piece of sand bag on the periscope and stuck him up straightaway as had heard all sorts of talk about him sniping as soon as you put your periscope up. However, he never bothered us. The Hun put over quite a number of TMs during the day and we straafed one of his emplacements with D 36 field hows. I also fired two guns on the tanks at the crossroads, one round blowing up a small dump of bombs.

Diary Entry - 17th February, 1918

Still frosty. Major, myself and Crawley (attached infanteer) walk to a rear position which we are making behind the Trescault Ridge and, after choosing places for gun pits, set the men to dig and walk to our forward wagon line, just in front of Metz. We get back late to lunch and Shapland goes out to register but fails to get through on the line. At tea time Cruikers visits us from the 6th infantry brigade where he is doing senior liaison.

Diary Entry - 16th February, 1918

After breakfast Siggers and I rode over to Blagny. It was a cold frosty morning, but there was a bright sun. We found the 244th Siege about half a mile outside the village in a ravine, where there were lots of heavy guns. We found Alex. He was in the best of form and, though busy shooting with an aeroplane, got someone else to carry on while he took us to the Mess. He informed us a plane had been brought down on their front during the morning and, as we rode away, we saw a Sopwith Camel shoot down another Hun reconnaisance machine. After lunch I rode to the guns on Nicholson's 17-hand chestnut called Eve, which did not like passing lorries. Found Cruikshank had gone to do a senior liaison with brigade. On my way up, I chatted with a 63rd Div artillery officer and he told me that the machine we heard on the previous night was a Gotha and had been taken intact with one officer and two or three men.

Diary Entry - 15th February, 1918

Rose at six a.m. Walked to Metz to catch a bus but I lost about twenty minutes - having discovered I had not got my box respirator, I had to return to get it. Anyway, the bus had been gone fifteen to thirty minutes when I arrived so as I had arranged to go to the wagon line for the night I set out along the road on foot, hoping to get a lorry. All the traffic was going the wrong way and I footed it all the way. After lunch, Siggers and I went out with a cook's limber to collect some angle irons for riveting the stables and we found lots of them the other side of Barrastre in an old German line. This line of trenches was full of dug outs and there were gun positions in it as well. One never ceases to marvel at the work the Germans get done. We tea-d with brigade and after dinner the Padre and Siggers played bridge there. Before dinner what sounded like a Hun plane kept circling round about Ytres, firing red rockets. There were lots of search lights trying to pick the machine up, but they couldn't. We eventually heard its engines stop and presume it landed, so reckon it must be our machine.

Diary Entry - 14th February, 1918

Remained at the guns all day. It was very misty and rather quiet.

Diary Entry - 13th February, 1918

Relieved by young Scott of 71st Battery. It was pouring with rain and continued throughout the whole day. The front was unusually quiet.

Diary Entry - 12th February, 1918

Go to Rocket OP at twelve and relieve a ranker belonging to the 71st Battery. Did some revolver shooting in the afternoon as the OP happened to be in an old crater where the Hun had blown up the road.

Diary Entry - 11th February, 1918

Pay out the men after lunch and just as I had finished the Huns hit up on the same battery again, doing little or no damage. It was a bright day and aeroplanes of both sides were fairly busy.

Diary Entry - 10th February, 1918

For some reason one Walker of D36 came up and relieved me at twelve p.m. I should not really have been relieved until the next day. On arriving back for lunch find Vosper and Siggers already started. The Huns straafed a 19th divisional battery in the afternoon, to some tune, with four twos, but don't think they got any hits. We played bridge in the evening. At least it was named bridge but we none of us knew anything about the game.

Diary Entry - 9th February, 1918

Fine, sunny day with a strong west wind blowing. Walk to Brigade and see Mills (acting Colenel in Goschen's absence). A large number of officers congregated at Brigade before I left, including Scott (of TM fame) and Heabit, the former had a great grouse about us thieving his ammunition. While we were there, Claudet rang up to say the Hun was at him with 4.2s and had blown up 1,000 rounds of ammunition, but, when the adjutant got the counter batteries, they said they were dealing with it.

Diary Entry - 8th February, 1918

It rained all day and the Hun was rather offensive and bumped HQ twice from the direction of Marcoing with a 5' 9" battery. At two, the second time, we got the 12" onto him and very soon shut him up. Anticipating more crumps at nine thirty p.m. we got the 12-inch to fire three or four rounds on him at nine twenty five, nipping him in the bud so to speak, and there was no more trouble from that battery while I was there.

Diary Entry - 7th February, 1918

As soon as Cruikshank got back from Rocket OP at twelve thirty, I set out for Battalion HQ (left) where I relieved Shipley of D36. The 17th Fusiliers were in and, as their CO Western was away, Major Hole commanded. They sent out an offensive patrol that night but the Hun was not to be found in the post where they thought he was and nothing happened. HQ was a comfortable spot in a sunken road with good roomy dugouts made by the Australian tunnelers. The Hun crumped us at nine fifty, putting one right on top, but it only shook things about a bit.

Diary Entry - 6th February, 1918

Cruikshank goes to rocket OP at midday. It was misty in the morning but fined up at noon, the sun even coming out. The Hun put over a few four twos in the valley during the afternoon, otherwise nothing took place and I read or wrote letters in the Mess.

Diary Entry - 5th February, 1918

Siggers and the Padre set out for Amiens at nine a.m. to put the money in boxes and from there they were going on to Bethune to hire a piano, taking the IMS and Cannover, the interpreter, with them. I started for the guns at one thirty p.m. and lost my way coming across country to Metz, but the signboards were wrong on the cross country tracks. On getting on the ridge through Trescault, I walked into Boar Valley from there with a RE captain and thence up a light railway in the valley to the guns. Here Cruikshank was installed on his own, Shapland being away at Ballion on a four-day liaison stunt and Barrett, whom I forgot to add is on leave - he went from the wagon line early in the morning. The gun position did not look such a bad place, a good dug-out for the Mess - and the men working hard on one at the guns. It seems we are a silent battery and only fire in case of SOS or for aeroplane calls.

Diary Entry - 19th January to 4th February, 1918

The battery went up into action, relieving a section first then four guns on the 20th. I set out at six thirty for Bapaume on Ethel, arrived the club soon after seven, had breakfast and wandered down to the train. The train never appeared till ten a.m. and, although it was two hours late, it did not take long to get down to Amiens once it got underway and it was interesting going down the valley through Miraumont and Hammel country, which this time last year we had only seen from the OPs. It was all very much knocked about and one mess of shellholes, the former town must have been quite a large place, but it was merely a shambles, although the outlines of large chateaux could be picked out. Stayed at the club in Boulogne, a new institution run by the EFC and full of WAAC girls who do all the waiting. The place was packed with officers both going and coming and it was some fight for dinner. I stuck to a KRR man called Stevenson whom I found had been in Australia and knew one or two Melbourne people I knew. He was left on the wharf the next morning as was on duty and only leave men were allowed aboard. London reached at four p.m. I realised it was not Monday but Sunday so went in search of a room at Brown's Hotel Dover Street but failing to get a room went to the York Albemarle. I ran into crowds of people on Monday at the Carlyle, mostly Australian, and filled in a good deal of shopping, spending the evening at Herne Hill with Gilliard. Tuesday night I stayed at Herne Hill, then motored up to town in a Bianchi which Tom was taking to Highlands and we drove down for lunch at Highlands in very fast time. Staying a night with Barbara who, with John and Nan, all looked well. I pushed off to London on Thursday after lunch, intending to go straight up to Ely but I found Forster was in town and stopping the night so stayed in town with him, intending to go up on Friday with him. However Vosper turned up on Friday night and I stopped till Sunday morning, doing a couple of theatres with him, the best of which was Chu Chin Chow. Having left Vosper at Hammonds Court, I caught the nine fifteen for Ely, driving from Picadilly in a hansom cab. Forster met me in the Gin Palace (25 Crossley Landon) and we drove up to his wing HQ where Mim was waiting. They had a very nice house on the Ely Road and I spent a very comfortable week there, making short tours in their small car to Cambridge. Mim was looking well though as usual thin but Forster was not too bright having to retire to bed one day owing to something disagreeing with him. I was very interested in the two stations Whitton and Thetford, the latter being a beautiful ground and really model aerodrome. Capt something took me up for a flip at Whitton but it was very misty and when a Hun (new pilot) almost got us coming out of the mist suddenly we went to ground and I can't say I was sorry as it did not impress me at all except just the sensation of leaving the ground. Cambridge was very empty, though some of the colleges were packed with cadets, especially Trinity, and I don't think they would improve the inside of the colleges. I paid a visit to our old motorbike place and saw Mrs Lawrence and Lilly. They told me of Sid Bo and others who had visited them since the war and the latter said she would send me out some butter, though told her to do nothing of the sort as expect they find it fairly hard to get along with food at such a price. Left for London on Saturday evening, got a bed at Belgrave Mansions and went down to Herne Hill for an hour or two, getting to bed about one. Had quite a good trip out, meeting a New Zealander named Gilkinson on the boat, having previously met him in the club. We were going the same route so stopped at the club, our train not leaving until ten fifty in the morning. We had a topping dinner at the Criterion Restaurant on the Sunday evening. Reached Bapaume on Monday night at eight p.m., not being able to obtain a bed at the club, I set out on foot for Haplincourt and luckily got a lorry which took me all the way. Here I found Siggers and the Padre counting out oodles of money amounting to four hundred pounds, this the latter had made in eleven days with his YMCA canteen.

Diary Entry - 18th January, 1918

Turned into stables early to get the horses ready for Major General Perrire to see at two fifteen p.m. It commenced raining before stables and by midday was coming down very heavily. Pinto arrived late and gazed on the horses as they filed past him on the road. It was really a waste of time as he knew nothing about them, though said he thought them looking well. Siggers in the morning had gone up with Hossack to look at the gun position and they never got back till late in the evening. I discovered at the last moment that I would have to go by the leave train as civilian trains from Abbeville were not allowed. I did not really mind as lorry jumping to Amiens is always a lottery.

Diary Entry - 17th January, 1918

Rise at six a.m. and take early morning stables. We could hold no inspection parade as it was raining very heavily and continued all morning. After lunch Siggers and self walked over to Villers au Flos to draw money from the field cashiers. In the evening go to Barrastre and hear the Dudds (17th div troop). They were simply splendid and quite the best I have seen in France. The man dressed as a flapper was perfect and she and another very good man took off Clarice Mayne and That [see fascinating explanation from dne 1 in comments below].

Diary Entry - 16th January, 1918

We were late in rising and had hard work to get any breakfast. Sanger and Peter Head were in the club. They had just come off leave. It was blowing a hurricane but luckily Siggers and self had it on our backs and got out in quick time. The news on getting back was that we were going into action on the 17th, 18th, ie one section first then the other two.

Diary Entry - 15th January, 1918

At eleven, Siggers and I rode into Bapaume, intending to try to get a car into Amiens. It began raining hard when we got in there and thaw precautions were on, stopping all lorries and cars from running, so we decided to stop there on the chance of catching something. The rain continued all day, so we decided to stay and see the pantomime and then walk home if the rain had stopped. We saw the panto. It was quite good, but the rain still continued to come down in buckets so we stayed at the club.

Diary Entry - 14th January, 1918

In the morning Barrett took a squad in physical jerks. We again chased the band up and heard them play at Rocquigny but don't think they played so well as were tired, having given shows before the one we saw.

Diary Entry - 13th January, 1918

Inclined to freeze again. The RA band played in A sub section's stableyard. There was a good gathering but it was cold standing about. Lambkin and an HLI officer came in for tea, having walked over from Rocquigny where he is attending a Lewis machinegun course. In the evening we went and heard the string and wind band play at Barrastre YMCA hut and they were really splendid and played some very well-known airs.

Diary Entry - 12th January, 1918

This appears to be a similar entry to yesterday's so possibly my grandfather has lost a day somewhere:

There was a lecture on the buffer at ten a.m. by Cpt Marshall, formerly acting captain instructing at Shrewsbury, but he did not explain it half so well as the ordinance staff sergeant did in the afternoon to our NCOs. The Colonel attended the lecture and ticked off Hossack of the 15th Bty for smoking without his permission.

Diary Entry - 11th January, 1918

A lecture by Cpt Marshall of D36 at ten a.m on the pneumatic buffer. The Colonel chipped Hossack in the middle of it for smoking, otherwise everything went smoothly. Being orderly officer, I took an inspection of No.1's boxes and telephone stores in the afternoon. We drew five quite good mules as remounts but were in need of horses to replace our gun teams in several subsections. The battery played 16th battery at soccer and won 1 nothing. A thaw sets in towards evening.

Diary Entry - 10th January, 1918

Temperature risen considerably. Everything in a very sloppy condition. Water simply pouring off the hillside above the camp. Barrett went off with a brigade party in a lorry at five fifteen a.m. to Aschiet le Grand, there to catch the train to Amiens. We played 16th battery football in afternoon, winning one nothing. Barrett got back at ten, having some excitement on the lorry in the morning, pirouetting around several times on the road, eventually missing the train and having to go by the leave train.

Diary Entry - 9th January, 1918

As the General was to honour us with a visit, we had stables at ten a.m. Everything was looking spotless when Saunders arrived about ten forty-five a.m. but he took a very hurried glance round, remarking on the brilliance of the harness, the Colonel was poking his nose everywhere and asking me all kinds of strange questions about horses' hoofs, Nissan huts, et cetera. It snowed all the afternoon, ending with a rise in the temperature at seven and consequently a thaw. The Colonel gave a short lecture in the evening in 71st Bty Mess on the 7.0.0 and his duty, it mostly referred to the incidents of the 4th when our barrage was a bit late in coming down owing to communications.

Diary Entry - 8th January, 1918

Another bitter night and I failed to keep the cold out of my bed. Being orderly offic,r awoke at six a.m. to the crashing of bombs not far away north of us and, as the fall in was about to go, a wretched plane flew right over us - at least he seemed directly overhead by the noise - and dropped six bombs not two hundred yards from us. The men stampeded up the hill after the first three, so, not quite knowing what to do, I shouted, 'Lay on your stomachs.' It was all over very quickly and the trumpeter sounded the fall in about 15 seconds after the second lot had burst. We heard afterwards that one infanteer was badly wounded. In fact, he got his deserts as had a large brazier burning merrily in the open. It had frozen again in the night and the place was one sheet of ice, making it awfully slippery. That evening Siggers and I dined with McKenna and we arrived just before the Colonel and Adj left to dine with General Fanshaw at the Corps. Goschen offered me a job as intelligence officer - or in other words General's ADC - but I refused, not wanting to leave the battery, having been with them so long. It rather made my mouth water though as it is a thoroughly cushie job with little or no work to do and thoroughly comfortable quarters guaranteed.

Diary Entry - 7th January, 1918

Lambkin goes off early in the morning on a Lewis gun course, taking a party of men from the brigade with him. It had rained all night and was still drizzling in the morning, every drain was choked with water, all the snow having melted from the surface. In the afternoon, ride over with Siggers to Ypres to the RE dump to try to draw material. We obtain a chit for the majority of the stuff and put it on two BS wagons which had arrived before us. On the way over, Ethel, being rather fresh, pitched me off the little devil, put her head down and pig rooted, properly taking me unawares. I shot onto her neck and could not save myself so fell clear on the off side not hurting myself in the slightest.

Diary Entry - 6th January, 1918

Lambkin, Siggers and I went to church in the village, held in a YMCA tent, a very cold looking spot. The whole tent was bristling with ice as it was still freezing and bitterly cold with a fair west wind blowing. Armytage, Siggers and self stayed for communion and there were about ten men as well. In the afternoon we had the wheeler working in the hut, putting up screens to keep the draft down. We also put two tents, one over each end of the hut. This also helped to keep out the gentle zephyrs that usually blow between the inside lining of the hut and the roof. All this work made the hut ever so much warmer and we knocked all the forebricks out of the stove, greatly improving it too.

Diary Entry - 5th January, 1918

It was very cold in the Nissan Hut during the night and I could not keep my feet warm at all, practically shivering all night. Our stove gave out so little heat that I went down to McKenna's hut (veterinary officer) and spent the evening there. Siggers and I walk up to the spill heap behind Hermies in the morning as all BCs were to meet the Colonel there at ten thirty a.m. I was still bitterly cold, though the sun was shining weakly and we walked each way, a distance of some [illegible - possibly 9] miles in all. The business was not long in being completed as it was only a matter of choosing perspective gun positions in case of a retirement.

Diary Entry - 4th January, 1918

There was great heat in the morning about the guns opening so late and apparently an old Corps General was in the trenches at the time and became rather heated about it all. Anyway, it is rumoured that the Hun took all our posts. The Major waits till two for the relieving OC but as he had to catch a train at Bapaume to go on the BC's course to England left me to hand over. The relieving Captain and his subalterns arrived at three p.m. and did not seem very enthusiastic about anything. They never expressed any pleasure, taking over such a good position, so, as soon as Lambkin had come down from the OP, we set off for the wagon lines, eventually getting a good lift down on a motor lorry.

Diary Entry - 3rd January, 1918

Early in the morning a subaltern arrives with a section of the B battery 78th brigade. The Major goes to the wagon line at ten to arrange things there before he goes on the BC's course. This subaltern whose name was Godsal and who had been up at Trinity in 1912 proved a terrible talker although otherwise he seemed quite a good chap. The Major comes back about four and I go up to OP at four thirty p.m. to do till dinner when Lambkin relieves me. As I leave the Mess hear a lot of enemy fire and on breasting the crest the SOS goes up at several places but on rushing with the telephone to the wire find we are dis [?]. The artillery were quite twelve minutes before they opened fire but eventually they received the order from brigade. We found our wire was broken inside the insulation. It was rotten luck as had been firing over it about one p.m. I forgot to add that soon after breakfast the Huns came over to bomb our back areas and one was hit by our anti- aircraft, evidently a splinter put one of its engines out of action, it being a Gotha. It promptly wheeled round and made for home, planing lower and lower as it came over the brigade. Of course, we all got onto it with machine guns and rifles and gave it volleys of ammunition, without result. However it probably fired some rounds during the chaos and one bullet hit Hewitson who was standing in 15th Bty position, specator to all his men's efforts to bring the Hun down. It was a painful wound and smashed his arm. So we got him, right away, to the dressing station. The Gotha eventually fell just over the Cambrai road and received marked attention from the 41st Bde.

Diary Entry - 2nd January, 1918

Come down to breakfast at seven a.m. and go on to Flesquiere OP. The light was fairly good in the early morning but snowstorms kept blowing up and it became very patchy. However, while it was good I registered a copse with a section and placed it where I thought it was in the Hindenburg line. Captain Hewitson, the Major and Lambkin came up - the latter had a try on a house near the Sucrerie, but he was very slow and I could not see what he was hitting. His exhibition just showed up how very little a subaltern coming out from London does know, even with the training he gets these days. There is no doubt experience goes for a lot in shooting. Soon after they go in it becomes very thick so I come in at four thirty p.m.

Diary Entry - 1st January, 1918

A hazy day, nothing doing all day, go up to the OP in the evening.

Diary Entry - 30th and 31st December, 1917

I have lost run of these last days of the year.

Diary Entry - 29th December, 1917

The Major went down to the wagon line soon after breakfast. Lambkin was at the OP, but it was very misty and he could not see anything to shoot on. The Hn was somewhat quieter and did not strafe our front as much as he has been doing just lately. The aeroplanes were very active, at least the Huns were, and one flew over just as our wagons arrived at the guns.

Diary Entry - 28th December, 1917

A very cold day with east wind blowing and the snow drifting very badly. Before lunch Lambkin, Vosper and I went up to the crest OP. I registered a house on the Cambrai Road for calibration purposes. After lunch, in the teeth of a young gale, Vosper and self walked up in front of the spoil heap to look for a forward gun position and we prospected two good positions, one in a sunken road, and the other on the side of a bank but slightly in view of Bourlon Wood.

Diary Entry - 27th December, 1917

Vosper and I walked to the OP, taking our lunch up and having it there with Nick. As soon as the small meal was over, we registered the house at the corner of Graincourt with all guns. The Hun was very active, bumping our line in enfilade with howitzers and high velocity guns, also firing on a new bit of trench we are building round Flesquiere.

Diary Entry - 26th December, 1917

A cold east wind blowing, Cruikshank and the Padre go off to the wagon line soon after breakfast, the latter on his way for leave. A very quiet day.

Diary Entry - 25th December, 1917

Lambkin and I set out for the OP at seven a.m The light was very good in the early morning but it blew up for snow and there were some very bad intervals. Of course, during the shiny moments the wire went. We managed to register one gun on the corner house of Graincourt and at twelve p.m., Lambkin having a good idea of the front, I came in during a young blizzard, arriving for lunch and in time to go round the dinners with the Major. The men's dinner looked very appetising and they all looked very comfortable in the cupola Mess erected at their end of the mine. Cruikshank and Nicholson who had arrived on the previous day off leave turned up for tea, the padre also joining us a little later. Our dinner was very good. The turkey bought at a fabulous price in Amiens was cooked to the minute by Gnr. Alcock and we were all very comfortable, with a good fire going. We all sat round a blazing fire after dinner and sang lustily till midnight, the Major leaving us early in the evening to go to infantry Bde HQ on a liaison ob.

Diary Entry - 24th December, 1917

A mild misty moring, the commencement of a thaw. We spend the day in getting into our Mess and driving forward from Hermies on a GS wagon for Christmas and eventually had the best fire I have seen out here, in the new Mess.

Diary Entry - 23rd December, 1917

A shocking cold night with temperature ten degrees below freezing point. I go to OP at seven a.m and there spend a bitterly cold day. Observation was only just possible to Graincourt and I tried to shoot a gun on the left hand house on the sunken road but the light was very bad. I also checked a few rounds of D36 as they had to strafe a TM emplacement.

Diary Entry - 22nd December, 1917

A splendid bright sunny day. It began to thaw a little but froze again in the evening. The Major set on zero during the morning, correcting the line of some of the guns. A gun was brought up from ordinance during the morning and Sergeant Harwood and Gunner Cox were unlucky in being wounded at windy corner in Hermes, being taken straight to the dressing station and then away. The wounds were not very serious in both cases, being in the leg, and caused by a 4.2 high explosive.

Diary Entry - 21st December, 1917

I go to the OP at seven a.m. but it was very misty and at twelve, on enquiring from brigade whether I could come in, got an answer in the affirmative and came in for lunch, but we had to man the crest OP in the afternoon. As we came in, the Hun started to pipsqueak the position and we were lucky in getting to it during an interval as he began again soon after we got back. No material damage was done. We retaliated on the Hun with 12 rounds gunfire, the whole brigade firing, and he did not bother us again. Barrett goes to the wagon line as he is to go on a course of physical training on 24th December so he misses Christmas with the battery.

Diary Entry - 20th December, 1917

A misty, cold day, with a strong, bleak wind blowing from the east. Still freezing hard. We concentrate the work on the Mess end of the mine and get four sections of cupola well-covered in. In the afternoon Vosper and I visited the battalion and then went on from there to the front trenches and machine gun emplacements to see if we could gather any information as to where our bit of front could be seen from. We never learnt any more than we already knew and eventually turned home down the Havrincourt Road after having rather an anxious time with our own machine gun bullets which were just clearing the crest by inches.

Diary Entry - 19th December, 1917

A misty,cold day. Barrett goes to the OP but could not see anything for the fog. The men carried on getting the cupolas covered and had about six feet of chalk on them by the evening.

Diary Entry - 18th December, 1917

A hard frost and very cold morning. We carry on with the work in the position and get six sections of cupola sunk down into the ground at the men's end of the mine. The miners start driving a 9-foot chamber downhill to meet the other shaft and all that comes out goes on top of the cupolas.

Diary Entry - 17th December, 1917

I go up to the OP near Hesquiers at seven fifteen, walking via Havrincourt down the sunken road past what was our old wagonlines then into the trenches. It was snowing and blowing a young blizzard when we set out and continued all day. As a result of this, we saw nothing. The signaler and self half stood and sat in a mine shaft used by the infantry who used it as a cook house, so we were kept warm by the fumes and smoke from it, which at times almost gassed us. We came in at one thirty pm as it was still snowing hard and, as we approached the guns, the Hun shelled the position and vicinity with pipsqueaks. One gun was unfortunately pitching in the right end of the position and the first round got Gunner Watts of E subsection. He was in a very bad state and before he reached the dressing station died. That same evening we located the battery and the whole brigade kept shelling him in turns through the night. He answered the first burst of fire but was completely silenced by crashes of fire in return and I think he must have had a very thick night of it.

Gnr. Watts - killed in action
Gnr. Sharps - wounded in action.

Diary Entry - 16th December, 1917

The officers all arose at six a.m. as the staff expected an attack and we were to be ready sitting on the triggers. It was very hazy all day and so we took a rest at the guns, having done a fair amount of wandering one way and another in the last few days. After lunch it clears a little so Major, Barrett and self go up to the front crest and have a short joy shoot then we go round the old Hun trenches and find a whopping big 10-inch minnie emplacement. We brought back a sniper's suit of armour which we were all rather taken with as on swinging a pick hard at it we could only raise sparks and did not succeed in denting it.

Diary Entry - 15th December, 1917

A sunny day. Major goes up to the OP after breakfast to join Barrett, who had gone up early in the morning. The OP was just north of Flesquiere and meant that we had to maintain about four miles of wire. The Hun seemed to choose the country the line went over to fire on and consequently we were only through for a few minutes during the day - he broke it as soon as we mended it. Major came back about one forty-five p.m. and sent me up to the rear crest to register the guns on zero and calibrate on a house on the Cambrai road, he coming up to join me a few minutes later. It was a perfect light and we just finished No.6 as it grew dusk.

Diary Entry - 14th December, 1917

A very hazy day. Vosper and I arrange to go to battalion with Major Claudet at eleven a.m. Battalion was reached without incident and we found them very crowded there. At their directions we set out for the front line, down the main road, but, just as we were topping the crest, Claudet and I jibbed at going down the road for about a quarter mile in full view of the Hun, so we turned back and up towards a trench running over the crest of the 47th Div's front. We found, as is usually the case, the men very ignorant about their front, so we blundered on till we reached an old Hun 5.9 gun position, now occupied by our Stokes guns and they directed us to Company HQ. While inspecting the Hun gun and shells, Claudet and I lost Vosper, taking the wrong turn in a trench, and eventually reached Company just after Vosper left. We were directed to our division from there and had to proceed over the top, as the trenches were not joined up. Neither of us liked this but we wasted no time over it. We eventually found our own division and spoke through from Company HQ, telling our people to fire on SOS lines, three or four bursts battery fire. When we sallied forth to observe our rounds, the Hun started bombing our post just about 20 yards down the trench and, amidst the bombing on one side and one of our guns – No. 2 - dropping short, life was not extra pleasant. It was almost dusk when this was over and we walked along the front line to the canal and came home along through No. 7 lock. I found on reaching home No. 2 gun had the wrong range on, having put on 3,800 instead of 4,800 s,o as the No. 1 was a young NCO, we let him off with a strafe. On reaching the Mess found Vosper had only just got back, he having seen the shoot from the OP and nearly received the shorts on his own head.

Diary Entry - 13th December, 1917

Have rather a cold night in a small cubbyhole behind the parapet and am roused at five forty-five by a lot of our guns firing and, on getting up to investigate matters, find the Hun is taking it all very quietly. About six thirty a.m. the signaller comes up to tell me we are expecting an attack at Bullecourt, just to the north, a deserter having come over in the night and told us. Everything quietened down by seven fifteen a.m. I did not get away till eight fifteen a.m - the seven o'clock seemed to be very late in reaching the OP, or else the brigade signallers were too lazy and did not let me know when he had arrived. They knew I was putting in a strafe about them and probably were retaliating.

Diary Entry - 12th December, 1917

Start for brigade OP at five thirty a.m. with two signallers and an intelligent infanteer from 99th brigade HQ. We had rather a difficult walk, crossing trenches and wire in the dark. The latter is very difficult to see against the brown soil. The light was fair throughout the day and plenty of movement could be seen on the German side, also a TM firing from Kangaroo redoubt. We fired a few rounds HE bursts of fire on them and they stopped movement and all. Towards dusk a few machine gun bullets began whistling over the crest, very persistently We left after a burst of bullets at four thirty p.m., carrying two stoves. We had not gone very far before we had to fall flat for the machine gun bullets. However we soon got over the crest and away from the bullets. Then the fun commenced. We got into a maze of wire and trenches in the dark and eventually got into the canal by the ramp and walked right back through the cutting to the railway bridge. It took us two and a quarter hours to come back and we were just about beat having crawled over so many trenches and through so much wire.