Item 03: Fred Harold Tomlins war diary, 4 September-18 December 1915 - Page 17

[Page 17]

16.9.15
Thurs 16th
(Sent Cable of Congratulations to Meg & Steve)

A barge loaded with 500 shells was hit by a shell coming into shore this morning early & the lot went to the bottom of the sea, most of the cases the shells were in burst open & were floating about when we got up; enjoyed a dip while down for water although the morning was on the cool side the water was warm; We have had 14 or 15 English lads attached to us all the time we have been here & they had orders to move this afternoon. They could not understand us firing in the trenches without orders when we saw a target & they said they were sorry to leave as everyman done what he thought right here without going to an Officer to find out, they were mixed with our lads in the trenches one morning & Col. Meredith went along the trenches, no one took any notice of his presence & the Tommies said if it was their Col they would have all been Court martialled.