Primary tabs
Transcription
[Page 74]
Fritz made very good use of his observation for he shelled the ammunition columns which would caused the artillerymen to spur their horses into a gallop which although very uncomfortable to them it was a great sight to see these teams of six horses attached to limbers going at full stretch gallop to & from the front line. Many field guns were also blown out by the enemy also several direct his were obtained on our ammunition dumps which would cause considerable explosions & the dumps would burn for hours. The casualties among the artillerymen were heavy & many a poor horse & mule suffering in the attempt to supply the guns with shells. We were not allowed to remain idle in this position for orders were issued to consolidate the outpost we occupied this work was carried during the night so as to avoid observation so as to conceal our positions. During the 2nd of May orders were issued for all hand to get their gear into battle order also place all unnecessary gear into our pack ready to stack in heaps at dusk. During the early part of the night the 4th Battalion arrived to releive us & this being done our company was instructed to assemble in a sunken road outside Veaux for the battalion was to act as reserves to the 2nd Division who were going to attack the Hindenberg Line at Bullecourt that night. After being releived I was told to report to Company Headquarters with full gear up where I was informed by the Company Commander that I was to start on my journey for the Training Battalion in England for six months. A sergeant out of the company was also detailed & on receiving instructions we set out for the Battalion detail camp at Rinecourt feeling very pleased with ourselves for we were missing a big stunt also with thoughts of England. Before arriving at the camp our artillery opened out with the preliminary barrage for the coming stunt of the second battle of Bullecourt which will live for ever in the annals of Australian History. On reaching the camp the sergeant & myself were allotted to a tent to ourselves then a good hot meal was issued after which we retired for the night accompanied by the rumble of the barrage which by this time had grown terrific. Next morning we were not disturbed until late but on awakening found the barrage was still raging fiercely & on getting up we found that there were several N.C.O's in the camp who were going to England with us. During the day news came through from the front line telling us that the 22nd Division had been unable to hold on to the ground captured so our battalion had been sent into the front line to help strengthen the position. Our battalion paid very dearly for this move for they experienced some very heavy fighting in the Hindenberg Line but still succeeded in carrying out the task allotted to them. My next couple of days were spent very quietly in & about the camp but during the 5th I went into Bapaume to have a look round the ruins of that city. It had been a fine big city but like all the other French towns & villages its building are jammed up close together but at this time the place could only be described as one big heap of detritus owing to the wilful distruction by the huns prior to their evacuation. I also saw the famous Town hall which had been blown down by the big timed fuse mine that had been set by Fritz for a trap but the building at this time was nothing to look at. Since the British Military Authorities had occupied the place they had had it cleaned up with all the roads & thoroughfares repaired & put into working order the most of this work being done by Huns prisoners of wars who were stationed there for that purpose. About midday on the 7th orders were issued for the N.C.O's who were going to England to get ready to move off. This was only a matter of a few minutes & when all the party fell in I found that it consisted of five others beside myself thus making six from the battalion all told.