This was a delightful spot, and we could just hear the rumble of the battle in the east. It usually grew very loud at night. There were the ordinary duties of the day to be done. First thing, I bathed in the river, which was a matter of a few yards away. Suttie, Siggers and Hoyland went into Amiens before lunch.
In the afternoon, the officers left in brigade had a game of cricket, finishing the evening with a bathe. I must mention that we slept in the open with no cover, as I had done since leaving the battery. On Monday, I went to Amiens with Cruikshank. Bailey also went with Todd, the OCs all having gone up to look at the positions we were to take over. Amiens I found very dull and returned soon after four. The OCs returned about seven thirty, with stirring tales as to our positions and also with the sad news that Mowbray, Major of 16th Bat. and formerly Staff Major, had been killed – a direct hit with an 8 inch. Orders were that we moved off for Bray at seven forty p.m. on Tuesday.
this is the first mention, I think, of 2Lt Ernest Alec Watson Cruickshank (who appears in the 48th Bty photos), South African, joined up 1914, commissioned 26/5/1916 and presumably on his first posting as an officer.
ReplyDeletedne1 - If you go right back to the very beginning of this weblog, in a post called 'Some Pictures', he appears - although I will have to change the spelling of his name, which I thought was 'Cruikshanks' there.
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