Item 06: John D. Wilson diary, 17 May-19 September 1917 - Page 57
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[Page 57]
of the civilian population. Our Batteries, especially the big guns, are severally shelling the enemy.
[This section is in shorthand]
Monday June 11. 1917.
(1043) It is cool and cloudy today, with occasional showers in the evening.
There was very heavy artillery activity last evening which gradually grew in intensity towards midnight.
Fritz put over some smoke boom & gas shells around some of our big guns before dark. A spy was caught here in the vicinity of these guns. When he was bowled out he admitted and said if he gets his way 5 shells would come over, & sure enough they did. How the spies manage to send search signals is a mystery.
Fritz put over a tremendous lot of shells in Armentieres last night and about 10 O'clock started a big fire there. Later on there was a gas alarm , we were all in bed & I was asleep but it was a false alarm for no gas came near us.
There were a lot of refugees arrived here last night from Armentieres being shelled out of their homes.
This evening Fritz put over 4 shells right over the stables & our billets. They fell in an adjoining field of corn and did no damage beyond giving a fright to those in the stables. He was evidently in search of the balloon station for theirs were in that direction & each shot got nearer to it & further from the stables. The