Walford: Tuesday. I had been at D36 O.P since the previous evening, doing Liaison officer. The trenches were in a frightful condition owing to the heavy rain. From eight to nine in the morning Bosche shelled the O.P with 5.9s and we all retired to the dug out. It was rather a nuisance as I had just spotted a battery firing and was trying to place it on the map. Coming back from the trenches, I came down New Gate and the water almost came over the tops of my field boots in places. On reaching the Mess, (guns), found it in a shocking state, water having poured into it. The occupants had dug two large holes to take the water.
Bee: The afternoon turned out quite decent - bright, warm sun. Bromley, Claudet and I went for a walk, first to the second divisional battle station in front of D 56. They have some very fine dug outs there, with plenty of cement on top. We met Major Carrington who took us to some O.Ps where you get a good view of the country the show is to come off over. There was one place we got a magnificent view from and that was the 5 bores' O.P. It has been a machine gun emplacement and is very safe and very comfortable. You can see from Serre [?] on the left, right round to Stuff Redoubt, also Posuire [?] Beaumont-Hamel is right below you and it looks a regular fortification and, to my mind, will be worse than Knipval to take. We went back by D36 and had tea with them. Tonight is to be the first time of bringing ammunition to the guns by train. The line stops 400 yards behind our position and we have small trolley lines laid on from there. It ought to be a great saving in horse flesh, if the Hun will only leave the line alone, but I have my doubts. The mine for the last part of the journey is a 3-coupled motor, armour clad. The line of course is just laid over the surface and can't go very fast.
No comments:
Post a Comment