Item 01: Sir Charles Rosenthal diary, 25 September 1914-31 December 1918 - Page 114
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[Page 114]
at any time, day or night.
Col Hobbs informed me more Howitzers were being landed for us.
Friday 4th June.
I was awakened this morning by heavy gun fire. Evidently our people down south are storming the heights for a terribly heavy cannonade from land batteries and naval guns has been in progress all day. There are about 115 land batteries, and I anticipate at lEast 30,000 shell have been fired there today from 12" downwards. We have been watching the cannonade and it is difficult to imagine how anything could live in the inferno there in evidence. Major Hughes has been granted a weeks rest and leaves for Lemnos this afternoon there to recuperate on the "Mumewaska". He has had a very strenuous time.
Our men make much use of a disgusting adjective and I am always checking them. I passed a group today in an Infantry trench freely using the same word. I told them I was surprised to hear Infantry using such language. "If you had been gunners, I could perhaps understand it," I said. The ringleaders reply was "Gor Blime, we are _ _ Gunners." Then I found out they were a machine gun detachment. This note is to serve me as a reminder, for a Diary is hardly a fit place for such language.
Tonight our troops carried out certain operations. It was intended to secure and permanently occupy trench in front of "Quinns." I have no knowledge of what occurred on the Left Flank, but on the Right Col MacLagan sent out patrols, who returned in due course reporting that trenches immediately to our front were unoccupied excepting for a few men. I stayed with 7th battery till 12.30 PM. I had a narrow escape from rifle bullet wound.
I was talking to a Sergeant in No 2 gun emplacement when I felt a tap on my left shoulder. On examination I found a bullet had penetrated the collar of my jacket, entered the cloth again just under the shoulder strap and came out again about 2" further on. Went round 9th Battery position with Col MacLagan, he having resumed duty to day after a short leave. Heavy Field Artillery cannonade during the night, but the result I do not yet know.
Saturday 5th June
Enemy's Artillery opened early this morning. There appears to be a good deal of activity on Left Flank. Lieut Parker reported to me for posting to a Battery for instruction. Have sent him to 7th Battery. Had overhead cover provided to part of my "dug out". Last night secured fuze in a damaged condition from old "dug out", belonging to shell