OLD DIGGER'S DIARY

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 109, 10 May 1941, Page 5 (Supplement)

OLD DIGGER'S DIARY

Serques Lumbres., September 10. '17. The division is resting in billets west of St. Oraer and the 12th Company is in a big group of buildings and very comfortable. But I left La Motte with great regret, and tbe interlude was one of the plcasantesc that I have experienced. The battalion was still in the line on the Warnave when I joined up again on August 27, but there had been nothing exciting happening since I left. We were relieved by the Sth Division at the end of the month, and after a fatiguing route march arrived at Lumbres. A happening of note was the inspection of the picked platoons by the G.0.C., Sir Douglas Haig and Winston Churchill. We look upon this as being rather ominous, as it usually means a trip over the top. This was right, and during the days that followed the companies practised the new attack. The German defensive system has proved very effective, and to combat the "pill box" strong point the heads have altered the form of attack. Sections now advance in file instead of in extended order as hitherto and frequent halts are made to enable our artillery to knock the stuffing out of the pill box defenders.

2nd Army Bombing School, Terdeghem, September 28. As I was picked in the B team to stay out of the assault, the heads decided that I should improve the shining hour by becoming a qualified bombing officer. f arrived there and found a very varied assortment drawn from many regiments. Our instructor was a grey-haired Canadian sergeant, who was thoroughly capable. We were taught all that there is to know about bombs and their effects. Eecke, October 9. Back once again with the battalion. . It was a joy to rejoin the lads and the battalion is terribly bucked. A victory such as the brigade won at Gravenstafel brings great elation in its wake, and everyone was excited and had stirring iaies to tell. On the 10th. we were told to stand by to be ready in case of emergencies. Consequently, on the 11th, we marched from Eecke and entrained for Ypres. We disembarked at the latter city and marched through it. In the evening we halted just behind the old British front line. In all my travels I have never seen anything to ecjual the mud and water at present in this salient. I don't know whether the soil is clay or loam, but it has the consistency of glue. Our company, the 12th, received orders to move out before midnight. We walked around all night, lost, and just before dawn found our

destination, a big pill box. Here we camped, or rather chose a spot as dry as possible, for shelter there was none. The major told me we were in reserve to the second brigade in the stunt. At 0.30 a.m. all our guns opened up and the air was heavy with shells, the gun flashes showing up brilliantly in the darkness. Ahead the 2nd and 3rd Brigades were moving up to encounter hopeless obstacles. The barrage I heard later turned out to be a fiasco, due to several reasons, the principal being that it was insufficient to cut wire. As a result, when the infantry reached the wire, they were unable to penetrate, and fell thick and heavy under the fire of the Boche machine-guns. Two hours later the attack petered out. Late in the morning I went up with a party along the No. 5 track, a single duckboard walk which serves the Gravenstafel locality. I passed field guns the hubs of whiclwere sunk deep into the siune. Men were struggling to improve the platforms of theu- guns, Due it was a .hopeless business, and a large proportion of them were out of action. Soon the walking wounded came dribbling back, and their tale was one of stark disaster. The Dinks on the left got it in the neck right from the start. The Hun was registering well with artillery, and the machinegun fire was heavy and took a terrible toll. Some of the Rifle Brigade had got up to the north of Peter Ban, but the isolated groups were digging in, as it was hopeless to go

EnEX-ROSKII.T, R.S. CT.UB. May 10 (to-night).—Progressive 500. May 12 (Monday).—Flag 500. May 13 (Tuesday).—Bowls, club night, finals champion drawn pairs. May 15 (Thursday).—Club old-time dance. May 16 (Friday).—Office, library, club games. Executive meeting 7.30 p.m.