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[Page 78]
Erquinghem-Sur-Lys
1/6/16
cooks had hot tea ready and the men had some before they turned into bed at 4 am.
On the way out we could see the captive balloon being hoisted into position and I thought that she was tugging a bit. Next thing she at broken away and our antiaircraft guns started blazing at her in order to prevent her drifting over to the Germans. The three airmen descended in parachutes – we saw the whole occurrence. The parachutes just appeared like big umbrellas in the air floating softly sideways down. The men were suspended to a bar underneath and one was rocking terrifically from side to side. Some of the men said this man lost his grip and they saw him fall from midair.
The balloon had meantime drifted towards the enemy lines and the flaming cores of our bursting shells showed up bright in the black clouds surrounding it. Eventually one seemed to take effect and our last view of the gas bag it was standing on its end and some of the fabric appeared loose. Aeroplanes were very active.
The Rolanderie Farm passed on the way down has been a very fine old place indeed. On the fatigue each man was put on piece work and was allotted a digging task of 1' x 5'6" x 2' to excavate, lay cables and then fill in. This with the march of 10 miles in all constituted our nights work. Flares brightened the scene and an occasional overshoot bullet came thudding with nasty force into the bank near. All the men growling like hell.
This afternoon the enemy were successful in bringing down one of our aeroplanes. They also got the balloon and blew out 3 guns in a battery just before we passed the place they were at. They also got 15 casualties from the same shelling and generally it seems to be Fritzs day out.
2/6/16
3 am. Am just going to bed very tired. Even at this late hour it is quite light and the birds are still singing.