Item 01: Sir Charles Rosenthal diary, 25 September 1914-31 December 1918 - Page 104
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[Page 104]
divided into two Sections instead of three. We are in No 1 Section, Commanded by Col MacLagan DSO Further casualties to date in the Brigade are as follows: -
Gunner Morgan - 8th Battery - Bullet wound right forearm - April 26th
Gunner Bowles - " - Bullet wound - May 3rd
Lieut M.Clowes - " - Bullet wound right chest - May 3rd
Gunner N. Piesse - " - Bullet wound, right upper arm -May 3rd
Gunner W.C. Fincher - " - Bullet wound right leg - May 4th
Hutchinson & Murdoch reported for duty from "Cardiganshire" 4 PM.
Friday 7th May
Will now continue Diary where I left off at 4.30 PM 5th inst.
Wednesday 5th May (continued)
A momentous afternoon for Major Burgess and myself. During the morning I had instructed Major Burgess to make a reconnaissance of our trenches on the Left with the object of finding a good observation post in the vicinity of Contour 400, from which to direct fire of 7th Battery. He returned to my Head Quarters about 4.45 PM and commenced to tell me all about his reconnaissance. About 5PM a few percussion and time shrapnel shell fell around us and as Major Burgess was sitting on the floor in the centre of my dugout I suggested he had better sit close against the wall with me. At about 5.15 PM a shell struck the roof of the "dugout" in the corner and burst on entry. Both Burgess and myself were momentarily stunned by the shock of the explosion. I heard Burgess say "Are you alright Colonel", I replied "Yes, are you hurt". I got no reply but found Burgess had swooned. He had a nasty gash in his neck, another on the side of his face and his face covered with gravel and blood. I stanched the bleeding with a clean towel I had handy and sent for our medical officer. He came with his Assistants and attended to Burgess. In the meantime I discovered my own head was bleeding profusely and I also had a fragment in my right knee. I managed to get down to the Dressing station of the 3rd Infantry Brigade which was close to us. Their medical officer dressed my wounds and sent me to the Clearing Hospital on the beach. Two men (one my batman Bligh) assisted me along. In passing I want to record how proud I was of Capt Leslie and Lieut Ross with their detachment. Even while shell were falling all around them, they served their guns quite coolly, located the enemy, and wiped out two of his guns. I had to wait till 7.30 PM for