Item 03: James McCall Young diary, 6 August 1918-6 August 1919 - Page 21

[Page 21]

Tuesday Sept. 17th
Two of our fighting planes came down near our lines through engine trouble. Sid Slatter (Saddler) came back from leave. On the move again, packed up and on the road 1-30 p.m. Went through Hancourt and Flechin, while we were hung up on the road Fritz started shelling near us, made us a bit windy. We camped in a gully in some scrub. There is a Heavy (9"s) just near us.
After dark Fritz came over and dropped bombs all round us. Then he started shelling us with H.E. and Gas shells. Killed 15 horses and wounded six. Two of them were just alongside our humpy. Then the rain came on, it was quite a peaceful night.

Wednesday Sept. 18th
Up at 5-30 a.m. raining heavy. Another attack was made on Fritz at ten past 5, we left the camp at 8 a.m. to go to the new forward position. Along the road we passed some dead Fritzs and large batches of prisoners. Pulled the guns out at 10 past 9 and went forward to within 300 yards of the front line. As we were going forward a shell burst near us and killed one horse and wounded another. While we were waiting alongside a hedge one of Fritz's planes came over and destroyed two of our baloons. We burnt one of his. Just before dark 10 of us started to walk back to the wagon lines, we got lost and had to take cover in a shell hole as Fritz started dropping bombs very close to us. After a lot of useless walking we reached our lines and as we were putting up our tent it started raining, rained solid for about an hour. Slept like a log all night.

Thursday Sept. 19th
Didn't get up until 8 o'clock. Put in the day patching up harness that had been destroyed by shells the night when the horses were killed. Two more horses were wounded while taking ammo' up to the guns. I got four letters from Aussie. Had a quiet night, the first night for over a week that we havn't had a visit from Fritz with his booms. The Saddler Corp. came back from hospital.

Friday Sept. 20th
Eight years married to-day. Had a quiet day. Another visit from Fritz during the night with their bombs,