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[Page 37]
3rd August While at the Trench Mortar School we made a patent elevating arc and also Lt Pinder invented a patent clamping wheel wrench. We were able to watch much firing but were called away the day before we were to fire ourselves owing to the idiocy of Captain ASHER.
We returned to the remainder of the Trench Mortars who were at HERISSART.
4th and 5th Nothing
6th Left HERISSART for Albert in lorries and bivouacked outside Albert
7th Took over two Heavy French guns from the 2nd Division. Walked all over the battlefield of Pozieres walking over the dead and also some of our own Engineers who had been killed in the sap of the night before. This was rather a shock to some of the men who had not seen dead men before. I left a party of men to go on digging the Heavy gun pit.
8th to the 10th Nothing
11th Captain ASHER wounded at the chalk pits. Men are doing well at the gun pit and have it well forward, it has been considered in possible to get the Heavy gun up to the pit when it is completed, I do not think so however and am going to try.
12th Sgt. RUSSELL DAVISON shows himself cool and collected under fire and is doing some very good work. The gun has been got to the pit by Davison and a fatigue of about 60 men from the 49th Battalion and the Pioneers. The gun was carried under shell fire to the pit and the men working on the pit gave a cheer when they arrived and spoke very highly of their work. Casualties 2041a Gnr TURNER G.T. shot in the rump.
13th Promoted Temp.Captain. German balloons up. Rumours received that the Huns are massing for a big counter attack. We are making attacks every day and the losses must be very heavy. The lAHORE DIV. offer to do anything for me so as to help to get the Heavy gun in action.
Note Pozieres, CONTALMAISON, LA BAISSELLE,OVILLERS are in absolute ruins and nothing but a heap of debris is to be seen. The country around is simply one mass of shell holes. Dead are to be seen everywhere unburied just as they have fallen as it is impossible to bury them owing to the continued shell fire. On taking over the 2nd Div. many of the Medium Trench Mortars were buried by shell fire. Our Artillery are continually shelling with guns from 18 pdrs. to 15 inch. In SAUSAGE GULLY the 16 pdrs. are practically in the open and only a few yards apart and they keep up an incessant bombardment.