Item 06: John D. Wilson diary, 17 May-19 September 1917 - Page 59
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[Page 59]
anti air craft artillery took [indecipherable] their billets.
Later in the evening he put over 6 more, the last two falling where we were lined up at the cook house for tea.
The last shell fell within 60 yards of us. There was a scatter and a shower of earth fell over us. Orders were given to remove all horses out of the stables which we did in quick time & took them half a mile up the road to another stable.
As we were going up shells were bursting around many of them being shrapnell shells & bursting high in the air, one very close to the baloon. A stream of women & children followed us up. We came back for tea leaving a picket with the horses. By this time the schrapnell were bursting short of us falling about Erquingham. He had a balloon up observing his shots. Our big guns are now busy replying and I hear no more of the enemies shells from that direction S. of Armentieres.
Tursday June 12. 1917
(1044) Fine & warm to day. There was another terrific bombardment of the enemy by our artillery last night which continued with varying intensity throughout the night. From a point South of Armentieres Fritz this morning shelled Bailleul with a long range gun; the shells passing right over our stables & billets. He is evidently in search of our aerodrome