Item 01: Sir Charles Rosenthal diary, 25 September 1914-31 December 1918 - Page 308
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[Page 308]
Loan car arrived from "K" Supply column. Halford and I went as far as possible on the Peronne Road in order to see the country around Le Transloy. A very desolate waste, ground nothing but shell holes. Hope to later ride through to Peronne.
Tuesday 24th April
With Halford had a day round the front line. We motored through Beugny towards Lagnicourt. Here we left car and proceeded on foot to Eastward of Lagnicourt where many Boche victims of 15th April still lay unburied, affording food for cats of the village. Thence onwards to Norueil and to high ground 500 yards Eastward, where we get a good view of every front line and wire. Then on to sunken road leading from Norueil to Longatte. At the highest point of the road one gets a magnificent view of Bullecourt, Mendecourt and Riencourt, and it is from this spot that I hope to watch the attack, now postponed from 27th to 30th inst. Called on Col. Waite and Col. King. Picked up car at the Sucerie and returned home at 4 PM Major Bates at conference at Corps HQrs.
No news of Cherisy attack, or of French operations southward.
Wednesday 25th April
"Anzac Day". What memories it recalls. Two years have flown as on wings. With Capt. Forrest and Lt. Ashe our Signal officer I rode to Peronne. We passed through the villages of Baulencourt, Le Transloy, Sailly-Saillisel, Rancourt, Bouchavesnes, Mt. St. Quentin on the way to Peronne. and on the return journey came through Clery Sur Somme, Maurepas, Combles, Guillement, Ginchy and Guedecourt. We had a most interesting day, especially in the country where the French fought so bravely in the early stages of the Somme battle last year. We brought back a few French bayonets and a rifle, besides grenades as souvenirs. Particularly interesting was the ride through Guedecourt and across Stormy Trench, which is so definitely associated with the 4th Aus. Division. Peronne is prettily situated on the Somme, but has been much damaged, principally by the Boche when evacuating. The whole country from Baupaume to Peronne is a wilderness waste, the result of continuous heavy artillery bombardment, and one can well imagine how glad the Boche soldiery must have been to evacuate this zone and get to a new line in open and undamaged fields.