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[Page 37]
| 1917 | |
| May 10 | battery on our left. About 4.15 he started to put shells right into the camp. We were all ordered out of the camp on to the open fields at the back of us. We lost no time in making away from the danger spots. We were at last receiving our baptismal fire. I must say that the experience is anything but nice. But I am not very much afraid. I thought I should be much more nervous of it than I am. A shell landed into a tent of newly arrived Pioneers who were having tea therein. It killed 9 men outright and wounded 8 others. This happened about 25 yards from our dug-outs. Things have grown so hot from a shelling point of view, that our O.C. Major Greenaway, has given orders that we move further up to a more sheltered position ahead of the batteries. We are moved up to an old ruined factory or domicile, it is hard to distinguish which, which gives a better air of protection than did the rat-holes in the ground which were covered with a sheet of iron, which might just as well have been a newspaper, and which we inhabited until just now. The evening was spent quite peacefully, to the accompaniment of the booming of hundreds of guns which were fired incessantly for two or three hours. I was rocked to sleep by the rhythm of their maddening roar, and when they ceased firing about 10 I awakened to wonder at the silence, the awful horror of the silence that seemed to reign in our eerie-like abode. Slept all night on a concrete floor and came through it very well, all things considered. |
| May 11 | Spent day in our new quarters awaiting orders amd shaping things to more comfortable conditions, if that is possible. With the incessant detonation of the guns, the old place seems to rock and one is almost afraid that the ruin will fall down around us. Was detailed to help with construction of the kitchen as we are evidently going to remain here for some little time. Sections 1 and 3 ordered to the support line to carry on the work of construction of dugouts. Fritz got busy and put some shells into the A.M.C. Tents and hospital. Heard that his stumt had accounted for 23 casualties. Spent evening writing letters. Turned in early. Artillery opened out with heavy barrage soon after and got up to watch the awe-some spectacle of all these myriad guns despatching their grim messengers of death over to the Hun lines. The noise is indescribable but manage to get to sleep in spite of it. |
| May 12 | Rose 6.30. Bright day. Sections returned from line. No casualties. Got word that last night's stunt resulted in our side gaining their objective. But at what cost. Got news of Duncan Woolley's death. |
| May 13 | Rose 6.30. Fine day. Fritz still busy. Worked all day filling in crater at intersection of roads which he was responsible for when evacuating this portion of |
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