Primary tabs
Transcription
[Page 53]
the night, but left us alone, intent, no doubt, on points further tack, though he was machine gunning fairly close at hand. This morning, tho' not feeling too clever, I got to work on a new canvas and made a fair start. Just after lunch 5 Huns swooped for one of our balloons but a fine barrage sent them off. Then while everyone was watching them retire, a single Hun appeared from a cloud and darting on another balloon before the Archies got a line on him, shot it on fire and ducked off. The guns put up a rattling barrage - of barks - but he was home and dried.
Bois d'Escardonneuse
23/7/18.
Yesterday afternoon kept clear and I worked up till teatime; then again until dark. I managed to cover a fair amount of ground, but was handicapped by the extreme dampness which took all the spring out of my brushes but which didn't kill the heat, so that the paint very soon got tacky. However, the colour is fairly well in my mind and with the aid of the other canvas with the careful drawing on it, I believe I can satisfactorily complete the painting. I went to bed fairly early. Just after turning in the rain came down and the French artillery woke up to some order.
Later on, very early in the morning I woke up and it' was still going; an intense drum-fire; accentuated fairly regularly with the pounding of batteries of very big guns. When they talk, the French gunners always make them speak in a decorative way. A four gun battery goes 1,2' – 1,2'. A six gun goes 1,2,3', - 1,2,3' - two separate, quick flourishes that give a finish to the performance. The rain increased as the morning wore on and whether the firing has died down or the tumultuous rain has dulled the sound, it appears to the ear (if such a thing can be said) to be much less. (Even while I wrote the above it has grown again to great volume, though torrents of rain are pouring down). I have just heard of a further success, but officially don't know anything. I am fairly down in the mouth to think I have done so little, but it's not my fault. I am afraid too that this camp won't be here for very long and so my