Transcribed
by
D.J.
Driscoll from the Battery History written by Capt S.F. Gedye M.C.
R.F.A. [TF]
War
diary transcriptions kindly supplied by J. Corsan. jon.corsan@btinternet.com
[all bracketed Italics are transcribers notes]
I must make a few notes tonight, as we have then first definite news of
what we have been prepared for, for some days. On Sunday, my leave warrant was
sent round for the 11th that is to leave that night and cross on
Sunday.
This afternoon there was a B.C.'s conference and Lane has just returned
with the news. We are being relieved on the 17th and 18th
and on the 19th we march to Aubigny and entrain for an entirely
unknown destination. In the meantime we are to complete our stores and train as
far as we can, for open warfare.
Yesterday was one of those memorable occasions that must be noted. I set
out at 9, and rode into Bethune routed Sister Jennings from her lair and we had
a cheery little lunch. After that I had a busy rush round doing some shopping I
paid the horrible price of 70 francs for a primus stove and returned in the
dark, laden with nosebags containing oysters, mushrooms and walnuts for dinner.
This is being written in the luxurious 1st class carriage of our
Aubigny was only two miles away and we got there at
We watered the horses and entrained them while the D.A.C.
[Divisional
Ammunition Column]
loaded our vehicles. We
finally moved off at eleven or thereabouts everyone having first had a mug of
soup and top hole it was to, thick pea with bully and beans rampant.
From here the diary becomes very painfully verbose on the subject of the
train journey and afterwards in the description of life in
This diary has already exceeded by a large amount the space I expected it
to occupy and therefore I am obliged to exercise the editors merciful privilege
of a generous portion of blue pencil, at the same time omitting nothing that
will help to give a true picture of the life we lived in those very delightful
days but at the same time, trying to cut out the really irrelevant. Even so,
there are many weary pages yet to wade through.
The train journey was an extremely delightful experience consisting as it
did of a very leisurely ramble through
On the 22nd we passed through
Mat and I managed to get shaved at a couple of wayside halts between 8
and 9 and at 10.30 we halted at Ville-Franche to water and feed the horses and
get bacon cooked for the men. We are now nearing
I must tell you how we are messing on the way down, our mess is in the
next truck there the batmen live and cook, and of course, our feeding hours are
ruled by the halts or slow - downs en route. We are doing very well - I laid in a
good store of tinned goods and we vary the 14 days ration of bully and biscuit
which we drew, by tins of sardine, steak and grouse pudding, fruit, tomatoes
etc.
24/11/17.
When I woke up at
It has been a perfectly wonderful day I woke at 8 just as we were leaving
Toulon
and all the morning we have been passing through the most glorious country.
Lines of hills on both sides, the crests swathed in blue mist, the green of the
palm, pines and fruit trees, the red brown soil of the vineyards and here and
there brilliant patches of autumn colouring have made a series of unforgettable
pictures.
Then at last to the sea at St Raphael and from there the scenery was a
dream of perfect delight. We saw Cannes just before daylight turned to moonlight
[there was no real dusk] There were a lot
of small booths where we halted and I made a lot of useful purchases such as
oysters, fresh fish, cooked chicken, nuts etc, which provided us with a
six-course dinner which absolutely astounded a French officer we picked up at
Cannes and took to Monaco. He pointed out the places of interest to us. Nice,
Beaulieu [and the Hotel Bristol built over a
tunnel and owned by a Bosch] He said there were 23 hotels in Menton owned
by Germans at the outbreak of war, who left at once and resumed their
commissions in the German army.
Our first Italian halt was at Berdighera just after 12. Mat
and I, anxious to record the name of our first halt rushed to the widow and were
in the act of writing down “USCITA” [exit] when some instinctive caution made us
hesitate lest it should turn out to be something embarrassing-a request not to
spit, instead of the name of an Italian town and thus we learnt our first word
of Italian on the spot.
27/11/17.
We have spent the entire day wandering round
We got to Bovolone, our detraining station at 8 o’clock last night.
Detraining was a very slow business as only three trucks could get up to the
platform at a time, and after these had been unloaded, the whole train had to be
shunted out to get rid of the empty wagons. We found Alex Leslie acting as
detraining officer.
He took us in relief’s to an inn near by, where we had an excellent
meal of sardines, vegetable soup, savoury rice, veal, cheese and fruit with a
very succulent and heady red wine for 5 lire a piece [12½p]
This inn was spotless, stone floors, beautifully white cloths, spotless china
and crockery and the people beautifully clean.
We finally detrained at one, just an hour less then the previous trains
had taken and we turned into beds in an empty but furnished house - a wonderful
old affair with stone stairs passages and floors.
We moved off at 9.30 this morning on a four-mile journey just to break in
the horses [poor old sods, they were as stiff as
pokers last night when we walked them up and down] and are spending to
night in Oppeano. The first actual impression of Italian village is very
favourable, the streets are very broad and clean and the food, if one only knew
how to ask for it, good and very cheap. To day, for instance, we had two
excellent chickens for lunch-9 Lira [a lira is
worth about 6d/13p] In
The Italian men are, almost without exception, evil looking, dirty and
unshaven and wear very weird kit, but many of the women and girls are very
good-looking, some really handsome and all very much more attractive then the
average French peasant.
The kits of the Italians are very interesting to us; we have seen very
few of the feathered Bersaglieri that one imagines are so plentiful. The
majority wear a light blue green uniform with very ugly caps that fit very
closely and have a big peak.
On most of the stations there were two or three weird looking fellows
with grey felt Napoleon - like hats and dark blue clocks, a sort of guard,
evidently [Apologies for my ignorance, O
Carabinieri, most attractively garbed of police].
Cloaks are THE things for gents to wear and all the old jigs trot about
in tweed homburgs and long dark capes and more ostentatious put a bit of their
pet goat or retriever around the collar. Makes them all look like the brigand
chorus from the “Maid of the Mountains” and they are a fearsome sight at
night.
We trekked today at 9.30 to Arcole. Tonight I found an A.S.C. [Army Service Corps] Sergeant
very much the worst for wear lying in the gutter on my way back to the billet,
and as there were a couple of villainous looking old dagos with black cloaks
hovering round I turned out the Sergeant of the guard and had him put in the
guard room for the night. Our
billet is not very pleasant as I found the largest line in “kronks”[?]
climbing out of my bed just now and his wife are taking too intelligent an
interest in our belongings. We have therefore taken everything to our room for
the night and are sleeping on valises on the floor.
On the 2nd we marched to Pressane, which turned out to be a
topping little place. The billet includes two really beautiful daughters, the
married one being a French addition of Phyllis Dare. [Edwardian
singer/ actress 1890-1975] On the next morning I went forward
billeting and over took Ryan, Prideaux and Brooke-Taylor, at 10, we met Morgan at
Vincentina Noventa he told us the billeting area allotted to the brigade was the
worst he had ever seen and so it turned out to be. After 2.½ hours rushing
about, we found a school that would accommodate one battery, 2 farms that would
take another: We lumped all the outlaying billets together for the third and for
the fourth, the still unreconnoitred area. I drew the latter and only just as the battery was arriving, I did find a
farm that was outside the area but offered sufficient accommodation
The people of this billet were gentlemen farmers and the family consisted of a white haired mother, the son and his wife and two middle-aged and three youngish women. They were all delightful people and anxious to do all they could for us. We sat by the fire in their kitchen and with the aid of the French-Italian dictionary, my photos of Ypres and Mat’s of this family [which, by the way, has been a huge success at each billet] managed to have a very cheery evening. They described by actions and much derision, the recent actions of the Italians at Caporetto which as far as we could gather, mainly consisted in a dash for the back areas-anyway at one time, the whole family except Mother, were engaged in a panic- stricken rush across the kitchen.
We
were convulsed with mirth, yet at the same time as it seemed to be a bit of
history of our newly met allies, we tried to preserve a sadly sympathetic demeanour
and doubtless succeeded in looking completely paralysing idiots.
Until now we have been moving along the plains but today we crossed some
foothills and had some wonderful scenery.
Tonight we have billets in a large semi-furnished vacated mansion just
outside
We are frightfully excited tonight as we hear there is a mail up. The
worst of this game is we can’t get a mail or a paper, or send
post home and we can’t except very occasionally find a soul who knows
the language, we feel absolutely cut off from the world. Tonight we have heard
guns and seen the flashes so we must be nearing the line.
We left
This
morning I was orderly dog and found
it damnably cold, rising
Lane was at brigade yesterday and heard that the Austrians have
broken through near Asiago again. This is north and a little west of us. We are
waiting here for the situation to develop and under orders to be ready to move
at 2 hours notice.
There are 46 Austrian and 7 German divisions operating on the Italian
front so things look exciting. The nights are frightfully cold now and the
Italians seem to have no idea of comfort. Most of the rooms have no fireplaces,
coal is unknown and the only fuel we can buy is light wood-willow branches and
that type of stuff and they know how to charge for that too. The more luxurious
and self-indulgent villagers, when there is a really bitter night, treat
themselves to a small earthenware pan of charcoal which gives about 2
candle-power of heat, but the great Majority don’t believe in coddling
themselves to this extent.
We are still at Villaranza Farm, outside Villafranca. I went into Padua
with Matt yesterday afternoon and after making sundry small purchases, we had
dinner at Storioni’s and left soon after 8 and managed to get out by the same
gates as we entered the town by - quite an achievement in a place like Padua.
Still at Villaranza. We were told this morning that we should probably be
moving to-morrow and billeting parties have been in readiness to move this
afternoon.
We have been able to look around a bit more and observe the habits of the
people. They are very unlike the French - the men are a dirty unshaven looking lot
of villains but the women are usually spotlessly clean and often very
good-looking.
They wear the most extraordinary footgear - wooden slipper with no heels.
Whether this is on account of the shortage of leather or some other form of
economy, I don’t know, but they look miserable as they slop along these muddy
roads with a good layer of mud between stocking and clog, and how they manage to
get along without losing the clogs absolutely beats us.
For food, they seem to live on Polenta - a very heavy insipid slodge that
is a sort of mixture that would result from a cross between stodgy batter and
coarse mealy bread which is made from Maize flour. This and red wine, most of
which tastes like cheap vinegar, is their main diet which I suppose they vary
occasionally with the poultry and pigs that are kept by every country cottage.
The country just round here is all vineyards and maize fields. The vines
grow very differently from those I have seen in
The
result of miles of these fields on dead flat country is to make training for
field work almost impossible. If we succeed in finding a position, there is no
O.P. unless one scales a neighbouring church spire or, if available, a telegraph
pole. I hope we shan’t have to fight in this sort of country if we do, the
only way we shall know where the
enemy is, will be by seeing them enter the field we are in-a most unpleasing
thought.
We had orders at 6 a.m.
on the 23rd to move at 11 that morning we were very sick about it as we had
just bought our men’s Christmas dinners. The whole move was a typical staff
muck-up. We were told we were going to Camisano and just before we there, a
message came to say that billeting parties were to go forward to Presina. This
was only about 7 kilos from Villafranca but going to via Camisano, we must
have done about 15.
We
had a magnificent billet for the men - a big granary with three floors of big
airy rooms and our billet adjoined. It is a big improvement on our last place -
quite a nice little room and accommodation for all of us upstairs. On the
24th we made our final arrangements for all the dinners and were lucky to find a
ready - made cookhouse - no small consideration when there are 18 turkeys, beef,
ham, potatoes and cabbage to cook.
Christmas Day was very cold and sunless. We had a voluntary church parade
at
The officers and Sergeants went out on the famous paper - chase which grew
from a mere battery outing to a veritable meet, D battery officers and sergeants
joined us, also Ryan and Taynton who rode up just as we were starting off, to
wish us all hail.
The
four Hares [Lane, Matt, Major Anderson and
Brooke-Taylor] had 12 minutes start and then we set off - it was a most
sporting course. We went over a few
fields and then crossed the Brenta [Graham
nearly lost his horse in some soft mud there]
Unfortunately the paper gave out about halfway and the hares had to wait for us to come up. We finished the
course following them and got back about 4.30 having had a most priceless day.
The C.O. came to see the start and wished us good hunting and the field looked
very well moving off-8 officers and 24 other ranks.
Then the dinner started at
The C.O. came in to wish them all a merry Christmas and told them that
the Canadian corps was so bucked with the work we did in our month at Vimy that
the G.O.C. wrote a letter to Fanshawe, our G.O.C. congratulating him on the
great improvements made in the trenches, gun positions and wagon lines.
Lane
asked the C.O. to stay to dinner with us in the mess and he was on it like a
leach [H.Q. had had their Christmas dinner on the
24th ] We had a very excellent little dinner and the C.O. thoroughly
enjoyed himself and tactfully left soon after 9.30 p.m.
We
then stated carols and joined by D battery officers at about 10. made merry
until 12. As the din got rather deafening about halfway through, I endeavoured
to control the musical programme but however, when I announced the next item,
every one sang the song they liked best and the row increased steadily.
An order came round on the 26th to say that B.C.’s and one officer per
battery would go with the C.O. on a reconnaissance of the forward area. A
typical remark of Rudkin’s was included “It is suggested that rugs be
brought as the lorries will not be steam heated”. We set out at 8.30 and rode
up to brigade where a light Italian lorry was waiting to take us on.
The scenery was really gorgeous - first the small hills through which the
road got gradually steeper and more winding until we got to Crosara, a little
village at the foot of Caina. We got out there and climbed up a mound about
150ft higher and had a look up one of the valleys, the view was really grand -
first, the foothills grass covered and green, and behind them, first the rocky
slopes and then the snow-covered peaks.
After that, we went up a petrifying mountain road to Rubbio. It was a
succession of hairpin bends with sheer precipices with nothing to stop
our little lorry from dashing over the side. At one bend the lorry stopped, and
when the engine restarted, the lorry slipped back to about one foot from the
sheer edge - most of us fainted.
Rubbio
is a picturesque little village of stone hovels at the top of
M. Caina which is the lowest of the peaks in the immediate neighbourhood the
first real mountain after the foot hills. We passed the snowline about
Fontanelle, a village that lies in a pass between four snow-capped giants. When
we got to Rubbio, we walked up to the actual summit and looked at the line of
trenches allotted to be held by our infantry.
I believe it was made by the Italians and is certainly a magnificent piece of work-8ft deep and the sides entirely revetted by stones, Not exactly from the fighting point of view - no firestep and in places a lot of dead ground in front. Still, they are very narrow and a protection and the idea is to protect by a line of outposts unless the worst comes by which time no doubt, our people will have made the necessary saps.
The
view was fine from there; on the left, Boldo, a big fir covered mountain, a
distant snow covered one in the centre and Campolonge, another fir grown height
with several houses on it, and then Monte Grappa, the predominating peak, behind
it.
The sun came out while we were there and everything looked simply great.
It is difficult to understand the methods of fighting in this sort of country.
It is absolutely impossible for anything other then pack animals to move off the
one or two main roads that run over the mountains and if the road was minded and
kept under shrapnel fire, it seems impossible that any advance of any size could
take place.
After seeing our line we retired to our lorry for a sandwich lunch.
Morgan suggested to the C.O. that some of us should walk partway down and
Rudkin agreed, almost too readily although we didn’t notice that at the time.
He told us to walk as far as Tortima or Crosara and he would wait for us .
None of us are likely to forget how Prideaux trained us all to rush to
the middle of the road on seeing an approaching lorry, and, assuming the
attitude of mannequins demonstrating how very “directoire” the newest model
gown might be, shout with one voice ”Vichentza”. Once again we struck an
Italian lorry and did the 27 Kilos in less then ¾
of an hour. We were rather tickled, during dinner at the thought that three
Majors, the Adjutant, one Captain and three senior Subalterns should be lost by
the O.C. Brigade.
Wilson and Morgan left early next morning to attend a court martial at
Yesterday, the Major, Todd and I went up to the mountains for further
reconnaissance. It was bitterly cold until we had passed Marostica and got into
the foothills - hoar frost and very thick mist. But as soon as we got into the
mountains and above the mist it was glorious.
After leaving the C.O. and lorry at Tortima, Lane, Price and I went on to
reconnoitre some battery positions round Rubbio to reconn a retirement track. It
was warm as warm as summer and we all sat down round a haystack for lunch.
To-day I was orderly officer- frightfully cold at early morning stables - the breaking of ice on the water-troughs cracks the ice and your very soul as well - the horses very rarely want a drink, either. In the morning we went out on driving drill.
The owner of the field tried to dissuade us from going over
some clover roots that were frozen hard, which Lane wanted to drive over and
after trying to argue, Lane, deciding to put his ears back and have a pop at it,
said, with many gestures “ Signore, er-la- non buone a preseta - pour
cavalla” although I couldn’t have done myself, it was such an amazing effort
that, regardless of the proximity of the battery, I lay back on my horse and
shrieked with laughter.
We had an order round to say that the C in C [Gen
Plumer] would inspect the 48th D.A.
at 3.30 p.m. on Monday, so great was the cleaning and polishing on Monday morning. I
was still in bed with a fairly healthy temperature. About 2.30 when the battery
turned out , it had been snowing heavily for an hour.
The Major, Pepper and Rook had go up the mountain and point out our
positions to the C.R.A., so Watt was in command with Matt and Fisher as his
satellites. They waited about ½ mile from
the saluting point the snow fairly covering them up and then some time after the
hour for the inspection, a captain rolled up in a car to say that “ owing to
the weather” the inspection would not take place that day.
Owing to the weather! It was all right to turn out all the divisional
harness and ruin a weeks work on it to say nothing of the men, but brass on hats
is so easily damaged these days. To cheer them up too, the car with the Union
Jack rolled past as they were waiting.
The Major’s party had a bad time too. The snow caught them up in the
mountains and the lorry had no anti-skid chains. They came back at a snails pace
but between Santa Luca and Marostica, they had to jam on the brakes to avoid a
lorry in front and the roads were so glassy that the rear of the lorry swung
round and finished within a foot of the edge. It was such a near thing that they
all made a leap for it. Poor old Wilson who was sitting in front, got out and
came round to see if they were all right and got caught between the lorry and
another which was coming behind them and skidded onto them - he got rather badly
crushed - head cut open and collar bone broken; they got doctors up from
Marostica and a stretcher and he has gone to C.C.S. The rest of the party got
back at
Yesterday was one of the battery’s most historic days.
It snowed hard until
They left at
This they did and finally got back about
A little later, a note came down to say that B battery would go instead of us, of course they couldn’t get away by 8.15 either - one section was shod by noon and the rest passed up about 5.15.
On the 17th we went up to Poianella for another tactical exercise. The thaw was just setting in and the roads became almost impassable, but we only stuck one bad bit of road just before Grantorto. We got to Poianella just after 2.
I wrote and told you what a quaint affair it was. The mix-up caused by
the enemy wearing soft caps as their sole distinguishing mark from the
tin-hatred attackers was one of the most priceless things I’ve heard of - the
deploying of a vanguard to capture a strong force of the enemy and surrounding
the 5th Sussex Pioneer Battalion assembling for a footer match is worthy of
punch. [http://www.punch.co.uk/]
About
We expect to move to our new area near
Jan 30 /18.
Yesterday I rode in to Castelfranco with Matthews to buy things for the
mess. It is another little walled town but all the shops are outside the town
wall. The place is bombed pretty often like Cittadella and
Later.
We arrived to-night about
We have settled in here quite comfortably. All the billets are excellent.
We are sharing a big house with D battery and have separate messes and three or
four bedrooms apiece. On the 31st of January with the usual energy, I arose at
6.45 and rode in to the canteen before brekker to buy mess stuff and superintend
purchase for the battery canteen. After brekker I procured enough oil-drums from
the A.S.C. in the village to provide ovens for the battery and mess. On the
second day here, I rode into
It is bombed nearly ever night and is also within gun range. From what I
saw of it, it is only slightly damaged but practically all the civilians have
cleared out and only about four shops are open so it feels rather like a city of
the dead. The streets are absolutely silent and felt horribly cold although it
was a glorious afternoon. Water is the great difficulty here.
Practically every night, we have Austriaco planes over bombing
There has not been a lot to write about lately. I went up with Todd one
day to look at the battery positions for one of the reserve lines near Villorba.
We are expecting to have orders to start building there very shortly.
We have now had orders to move back to St Brigida
to-morrow. It is not far from Campigo where we stayed the other day.
We arrived at St Brigida yesterday. It isn’t a village only a
collection of a few farm buildings mainly filled with refugees – and thousands
of children. Our mess is in a poor ramshackle old house in a bare room with a
brick floor and plaster walls.
We have been in our new home at Torreselle for 24 hrs and are feeling
quite settled in. quite good quarters and practically all the horses under cover
at night.
The Major and Wat went up yesterday to calibrate our guns in the line.
Todd took them up at 6.30 and the Major motored up. They are attached to the 5th
Div while they are up there.
Feb 20/18.
The Major and Todd got back last night. They had a very successful shoot
and found the guns shooting splendidly in fact, they calibrated all six guns in
just under a 100 rounds. While they were away, we had instructions to send up a
working party to build positions and Matthews has gone up with 25 men to-day.
Meanwhile I am left as the only Subaltern in the battery with the pleasant
prospect of orderly dog every day.
In action at last. We had orders to move up from Torreselle
at
The Major and I were bound for the position and
Fisher came up to guide the teams back it was a topping morning for the road; a
bit cold to start with but about 8.30, it was glorious. We came up through
Castagnole and Pozana and got to the wagon lines of B/76 Bde about 11.30. After
lunch, the Major took six mounted men up to the position and six of the working
party came back.
I set off at 5 with the guns. As the Huns have a nasty habit of
coming over in planes at dusk and machine-gunning the traffic, we opened out to
a good interval and had some rifles ready for any rash aviator that came to
close.
Yesterday morning I had a look round the position - it is quite excellent
- an old Italian 4 gun position in a hedge but the Austrians discovered it and
sent over about 20 rounds and rumour has it that the Italians were last seen
going at the all out for Padua.
The country here is rather extraordinary - dead flat
all round until you get to the Montello, which is a long low mound, rather like
a very much elongated Brean Down, two-thirds of which is on this side of the
Piave and is held by us and the other third is on the other river bank and is,
of course, Austrian. Although far from being a mountain, it overlooks the whole
area here; from all positions you can see it and a huge white building at the
south of it called San Salvatore. The place has hardly been touched - I was
looking at it yesterday and thought I spotted a hole in the roof otherwise it
looks perfectly sound. Our heavies are dealing with it on DerTag [the
day] I hear. The country is even
flatter than
The quiet on this front is simply too amazing for words, for hours on end
there isn’t even a rifle shot to be heard and if more then 20 rounds came over
it would mean an S.O.S. Our heavies cough up a few weary rounds after breakfast
and lunch and the Bosch sends over an occasional round of their combined
shrapnel and H.E. 4.2, and generally lands in the middle of an empty field.
The rain arrived on March, 1st detonating the proximity of a British
offensive. It
really leaves no doubt about the matter at all. The powers above do not work for
us in the matter of weather. It has been getting steadily wetter for some days
and now the Piave, which could be waded when we came into action, has risen
three feet and is swirling down carrying with it the preliminary foundations of
the bridges that the R.E.s were preparing for the show. The attack, after
several postponements was to have come off at dawn to-morrow but we heard at
The barrage, which we worked outlast night was a bit of a brute. The
general scheme was that at
As soon as they had consolidated these positions and were assembling to
push on to their final objectives, a daylight parachute rocket will be sent up
which opens disclosing the French flag. As soon as this is seen, the C.R.A. will
fix ”X” hour. That is, the moment for our barrage to start to cover the
final advance.
This will be recognised by the attackers by the increased rate of fire
and each battery will fire one round of percussion before going on to the usual
low airbursts. When the final objectives [which are not a
mile from the river bank] have been taken, we lay our guns on a S.O.S.
line all round the captured ground and our people hold the ground for 8 hours.
It is a big show and on the day, a barrage will open from the Vigor on
our left to
That is the scheme as it stands [postponed]
at present. Owing to the extraordinary idea of fixing the offensive at a time
when the wet season is, apparently, always in progress here, every stream and
ditch is filling rapidly and it looks as though the whole show will definitely
be off.
We were to have relieved another battery to-night on the Montello but
very urgent
Of this, there have been some vague rumours lately and the Italians are
preparing for a big Bosche drive from
Major Wilson was struck off the strength a fortnight ago and everyone was
hoping that Ryan would get his Majority.
He has thoroughly deserved it - ever since Browne was killed, he has
commanded the battery on and off - six months before Wilson
came and several times since.
[Major Pridmore was killed
shortly afterwards to be replaced by Major R.A. Corsan.]
This perfectly priceless army of ours has changed its mind again. Last
night, we had 24 ammunition wagons and 9 G.S. to clear out the ammunition; they
took away 3200 rounds, rather more then half our stock and to-night a paper has
come round giving a modified form of the scheme so we shall probably have to get
it all up again.
And that after my having to get up at 7 this morning to have the whole
battery out camouflaging tracks which were pretty bad on the soft ground. They
had to cut about two cartloads of turf and a lot of grass and these with the
assistance of Maize stalks, which grow in the majority of the fields round here,
hid the worst of the damage. When I broke them off for breakfast there were still some light tracks,
hardly enough to cause a rut in the turf but quite enough to look dead white on
an aeroplane photograph and give away the position.
I had the brilliant brainwave that if these were brushed over, they would
be quite invisible. So, after brekker the battery made unto themselves each man
his besom broom and swept the field. The result was pretty effective but they
made a quaint picture.
On the 11th, I went on leave with Taynton from Istrana. Leave was quite a
long outing from
Returning from leave.
We caught the 6.59 train on sat. from Vicenza to Tavernella and I was
lucky enough to spot one of our corporals on the station and he told me our
brigade was in the next village, with the aid of a lorry, I arrived at the mess
about 9 a.m. and found Matt alone in his glory. The whole D.A. are in the one
village, Montecchio Maggiore and is
a long straggling affair with a priceless range of billets.
Real spring had arrived since I went on leave and
the exercise rides in the morning were glorious - all the young greenery,
mingled with the almond blossoms looked delightful. The village is among the
foothills and right above the village are two ruined castles which legend
ascribes to the families of the Montagues and Capulets. [Romeo
and Juliet]
Lane was in command of the brigade and all our other officers are away on
sundry jobs so Mat and I are running the battery. On Sunday, there was a Div
Arty church parade with the G.O.C. and C.R.A. present. It was followed by a
presentation of the
Yesterday Lane took the B.C’s up by lorry to see how the
battery positions were progressing. It was a jolly interesting day. We
went up via Vicenza,Thiene and Chiuppano and then, at Caltrano, began to climb the mountains. It was the usual type of winding road, but the scenery was much
finer then on the Rubbio road,. We passed into the area of pine forests which
was really lovely.
Our position is at Boscon, Just in front of a large quarry and right in a
pine forest. A lot of the trees have been cleared away in front and we are virtually
in the open and the pits look right down on the Asiago Plateau.
The gunpits are made by cutting down the lighter pine trees and fixing
them on to other growing trees to form an overhead framework. Then branches are
laid across the top and round the sides which makes a very excellent camouflaged
cover. The men are living in rough shacks and we have a big cave in the quarry
for shelter in time of need.
I came up yesterday to spend a couple of nights with Fisher on the
position, we lorried up and got here about one. As usual, it was raining - it
practically always is up here. You leave the plains in a
loud of dust and get up here to find it either raining or hailing and
after spending a day slopping about in the sludge you get back to the plains to
find it as dry and dusty as ever. Yesterday afternoon, after looking round the
position with Fisher, we went up to an O.P. on Kaberlaba that has a fine view of
the plateau from this Western edge of Asiago to Albaredo.
It was most interesting to get a panoramic view of the whole area. This
morning we went down to have a look at the road forward, we called in at battn
H.Q. and got a pass to go out in front of our own wire and strolled out into No
Mans Land. It is the most amazing thing in the world this war in the mountains.
There are a few shell holes and the road is in perfect condition. It is
camouflaged up to a certain point by us, then there is a gap about 100 yards and
the rest is screened by the Austrians.
We went up to a farmhouse called Bassastoc, which is just this side of
the Austrian wire. It is held by them at night or was until a few nights ago but
we found it empty when we got there.
On the way back with, we meet Major Corsan and Carter who were going
about with hands on revolvers as the Company commander told them the Austrians
had been mooching about last night. It was really
rather funny, because although we had our revolvers, it would have taken at
least a minuet to get at them and by that time I don’t suppose we should have
needed them.
Got back from the position last night and found the Major back from
Brigade and Rook from leave.
We hear officially that we are relieving the 23rd Div, next week. In some
ways it won’t be at all a bad game to go into the line again - the 23rd
positions are quite good and the scenery priceless. The slopes of the mountains
are covered with pines, the ground is very rocky and in most places,
moss-covered. The drawbacks are the continual rain and the awful clambering up
and down the rocks. Where ever you go it is bound to invite some stiff
mountaineering: in fact, in the words of Bairnsfather “It’s too -------
corrugated”.
April 25/18.
We left our priceless billet at Montecchio on Monday the 22nd [i.e.
the Major, myself and the right half battery] and trekked through
We left next morning for the position at 9.30 in lorries and got covered
in dust in the first hour. As we got further up we met the clouds, as usual, and
before we got to the position it was hailing in some form.
As you walk into it, there is about a yawning ravine about 12 to 15 feet
across and at least 100ft deep. The mess is built on the side
narrow ledge with a frame work of logs and the ravine side is walled with
split logs. The other side is neat rock and it is roofed with red tiles. The
whole thing is a triumph of Italian building but looks and, at first feels, most
uncanny.
Fisher and I are sleeping in a little hole in the rock off the mess which also leaks badly - in fact the floor of our bedroom has a hole about 2ft deep and the water that drops from the roof onto the Macintosh sheet which covers my valise drains down on to the ground, into this hole and provides us with washing water.
It hailed solid all yesterday afternoon and snowed all night. This
morning after breakfast, the sun came out and the general view was priceless;
but it is simply beastly to be back in winter conditions again in the line with
day O.P., and night O.P. and Liaison three nights out of four. Already we are
fed up to the neck, with the Asiago Plateau, it is an amazingly cold, wet and
cheerless place.
My turn for the O.P. this morning and I left the battery at
Snow is about 6 inches deep and still falling intermittently
mingled with sleet and hail. The O.P. is a hole in a trench covered with two,
sheets of corrugated iron which drip continually and it is unpleasantly cold
sitting still in gumboots.
We have a working party on it to-day - the people we relieve seem to have
no idea of how not to do things.
Last night I was at night O.P. on Kaberlaba and it was the first fine day
since we came up here. I was in great luck for although it got very cold, it
remained dry - no small consideration when you spend half the night in an open
trench looking out and the rest under three sheets of corrugated iron in the
same trench.
Dawn was a very fine sight - the snowy mountains that lie beyond the western end of the plateau and are I believe, the Dolomites, were lit up by the still invisible sun to a wonderful shade of rose which was well set off by the dark green of the fir trees.
I have had a dull job the last two days, finding out what each gun
can fire, owing to being in the midst of a forest, although we have cut down
some of the trees, we can’t cut down the lot, and consequently we have to be
awfully careful that the guns are not pointing actually at the tree trunks.
Yesterday we had first experience of being shelled in the forest and
quite nasty it was to. Several pieces of shrapnel pattered down on our roof and
a fuze landed at the top of our steps. We saw a lot of branches come down as we
looked out of our window and were real glad when our heavies got on to him and
shut him up.
It’s beastly late - in fact
First a most priceless aeroplane show I saw from the O.P. just after 2,
three aeroplane's came round the corner from Kaberlaba spur not more than 100 ft
up and skimmed over the Hun lines. they then flew to the Val d’Assa, a ravine
like pass that runs from the Plateau right back through the
The whole thing didn’t take more then 4 minutes but the Austrians never
fired a round. I’ve never seen anything like it and the background of towering
mountains made it all the more spectacular.
The 7th Div on our left were down to do show to - night and the hour of
it was to be sent in the mystic code “The car will call for you at …”
I was speaking to brigade after dinner and asked casually if they knew what time the car was calling for the Major, the padre, who was on the other end asked Rudkin who in his priceless way said “ Oh, the Prince of Wales hasn’t made up his mind yet.”
The sequel took place about half an hour ago when brigade had me out of
bed twice with utterly unimportant messages. Lane was also rather fed up and so
decided to counter attack and sent through
to the Adjer [Adjutant] “ Please don’t
bother to send the car I’d rather walk” Five
minutes later the reply came back “The Prince of Wales will
be delighted to hear it” By
the way, the Prince of Wales passed
our position a couple of days ago.
Rain has set in again and it is coming down cats and dogs. Wattie came up
from the W.L. to look round and stayed the night so we were a cheery little
party of five.
There is a great deal of talk of the offensive coming off shortly. Its
objectives are I believe The Plateau and the first line of mountains beyond. As
the weather has broken again, it is very likely to come of soon and as usual, we
are advertising our intentions well in advance; the heavies are crumping daily
and we are wire cutting.
The Italians did a rather priceless thing the other day, brought up a
heavy gun on a railway mounting from
We are really having a very easy time of it at the moment orders for the show are coming in steadily. We shall move on May 27/18.
We completed the relief and lorried down to the W.L. on the
22nd. The heat down there was very great after the mountains. In the evening we
lorried into Thiene for dinner - a merry little party of seven.
On the 23rd, we set out at
The next morning we moved of at
Our billet was at a big farm called Oltr’Agno, about 2 miles out of
Montecchio.
We only had one night there and moved off at
We had a jolly good turn out and the battery looked well as it moved out.
Prideaux came to see us off and some of brigade H.Q. staff
came to wish us luck as we passed. It was a perfect night and about
We stopped about
This trek became bit monotonous though about 4 a.m.
and by
The worst of horses in this hot weather is they have to be watered about
every two hours and it means continual parades for the men. We arranged to move
on for the
This time our luck was utterly out, it started to rain just as we set out
and developed into a series of heavy thunderstorms that lasted through our three
hours on the road. Result - everyone soaked through and the harness ruined.
When we got in, it was more or less dark and the accommodation regards
horses and harness, very indifferent.
May 30/18.
We heard on the evening of the 28th that we were to be relieved here on
the 31st by the 106th battery, 7th Div. It really is a damnable shame that the
staff should work with absolutely no consideration for the units.
We have had four days of hot, tiring trek down here and long hours of
cleaning up to be ready for the re-opening of the school next Monday and now the
whole thing is washed out and we have to trek back into action.
We are all feeling absolutely fed up, not only at missing what should
have been a very delightful month, but at this eternal messing about and
muddling that is part and parcel of the British Staff.
We left the school at
The gunpark was in a big field and
all the harness was in priceless condition and the sunshine showed the whole
turn - out up to the best advantage.
My section was in the rear on the march and as I watched the battery move
out in column of route, I nearly forgot myself and shouted “Ooray” - it
looked such a ripping good show.
During the evening, which Matt, Little and myself made into quite a
historic occasion, we met a very interesting Yank officer who is attached to the
Italian army. We taught him quite a lot, or at least he said we did. The next morning,
I set off at
The Major of this bty is Abell, whom we have met up here before. The
officers quarters, which I arrived at first, are very comfortable. I sleep very
soundly in a wood-sided cubical on a wire-mattress and the mess which is at one
end of the same hut, is quite baronial.
The draw back is that there are rather a lot of duties. Owing to the fact
that the guns are about 800 yards from the mess, one officer has to stay on the
position and sleep there: we have to man the O.P. all day from dawn to dusk,
liaison comes every other night and night O.P. every sixth. Not really very
strenuous but not quite so good as
the wonderful convenience of the last. The night O.P. and Liaison are both
nearly an hour’s walk away downhill [which means
a beastly trudge back at the end of work]
The O.P. is marvellous - perched at the top of the three very tall fir
trees and nearly at the top of the
mountain.
It has been rather interesting day. Yesterday, an Italian battery up by
our detached section, about 5000 yards away, went out. [came
out of action] Their guns were prehistoric weapons - without buffers and
muzzle-loaders. To-day another battery came in [or
tried to] with fairly modern guns [105mm.]
. They arrived about 8.30 and camped outside our mess. About 3 this afternoon,
they started to get the guns up the steep rough track that leads up to the
position.
They had 8 horse teams of poor little thin beasts that, incidentally, had
not had their harness off or been watered since they arrived. The row as each
gun moved off was simply deafening. The officer in charge yelled out “Avanti,
Presto” and every gunner instantly burst into shrieks and yells as he pulled
on the dragrope; the drivers joined in at the same time lashing and spurring and
the poor little horses either leapt forward or back as their degree of fright
affected them.
[hoss
shay; The deacons masterpiece a poem by Wendell Holmes]
I am now perched in the tree O. P. that we use for the night work. It is rather a unique place on the top of
Monte
Lemerle. It is built between three trees and has a little flight of steps
leading to a small platform and finally, at the top to the O.P. itself, there is
also a reception-cum-boudoir hut at the bottom.
There are rumours of the much-delayed and mucked-up show coming off soon
in a moderated form. Anyway the 7th, whom we relieved 10 days ago are up in
action in forward positions and we expect orders to move in to ours any day.
June 15th 1918. is a day we shall remember all our lives. On the evening
of the 14th, we had a chit from Brigade to say that the Austrian offensive was
opening the following day. Rather a disturbing message but there had been a
previous false alarm in March, so after seeing all was in readiness, we turned
in as usual. Little was on duty at the battery. Rook at liaison and the Major
and I at the mess hut.
At
When we had got about 100 yards on our journey, a hut which contained a
petrol dump about 300 yards away blazed up lighting up the whole area. Half
asleep, with gas tickling our throats, we staggered up the slope and got to the
guns absolutely whacked.
All communication was cut in the first five minutes so we hadn’t the
remotest idea what was going on and could only keep a sharp look-out for the
S.O.S. rocket. Meanwhile, the Hun was keeping up a very heavy
bombardment of our whole area. Bar cross roads and roads, no particular targets
seemed to be engaged, but the whole was a gigantic area strafe with every caliber
and with assorted H.E. and gas shell.
There was a thick mist hanging over the whole Plateau which lasted until
10, so we sent every man except one per gun pit into the dugouts and kept a
sharp look-out for the S.O.S. rockets.
About 8, I went down to the hut for a shave and Webb gave me some
breakfast. It was fairly quite down there, but as I came back, they reopened on
the track and I had to beat it into the wood on one side and scramble up over
the rocks to the position.
From there, I went on to the O.P. about 10 to relieve the Major. I stayed
there the rest of the day, resolutely declining to be relieved - it was far too
interesting, and had a most amazing day.
One position I cleared the gunners out of - they rushed into dugouts in
the railway embankment. After an hour they came back and I cleared them out
again. This time they cleared right away and didn’t return. Nearly all our
batteries couldn’t keep communications with there O.P. s owing to the
bombardment and those like ourselves who had only a short line had more than we
could tackle.
The Bosche came over in bigger numbers about
From my tree O.P. I saw the terrific effect of their
17.inch bursts, They were shelling the road in front and below us and after some
of the bursts, I saw as many as three fir trees spinning in the air at one time
in addition to huge lumps of rock.
Our telephonists were simply magnificent all day. They were out repairing
wires for 21 hours right through the shelling and they kept the O.P. wire going
all day and the visual station to Brigade.
When I took over from Lane in the morning the Hun had just removed one
rung from our tree ladder and all day one had the Bairnsfather feeling that if
another and more successful round came “ How the H - - L are we going to get
down?”
Our only casualties were five men wounded in the mule wagon-line close to
the mess.
The general events of the day were that the bosches got into our front
line about
Our [A
bty] position is rather along way back for a field battery - about
3000 yards from our own front line - so we were miles out of the way of the
Austrians but some of the batteries who had moved forward to their forward
positions for our offensive, had an exciting time. ‘C’ battery had to take
their breech blocks and clear out and help the infantry man in the support line.
When they got back to their guns yesterday morning [16th]
they found the Austrians had not scuppered them, but an Austrian had turned in
with his boots on, in Leslie’s flea bag and put on a pair of his socks,
leaving his own behind.
Everything is still fairly quite although there is rumours that the
Bosche is preparing for another smack here.
Poor old Fanshawe has gone home over this job. One of battalions was
absolutely caught napping on the day of the show. He has had the division
practically from the time it first went overseas and there is no doubt his is
the credit for a lot of the reputation that the 48th has.
At
the end of April 1915. the command of the 48th Division was taken over by
Major-General R. Fanshawe, C.B., D.S.O.
Firstly, Colonel Rudkin has gone - ostensibly on a month’s leave, but
we hope and believe, for good and thus goes one of the most amazing characters
we have met in the war. It is an almost impossible task to criticise him.
Brilliantly quick and perhaps Also, very clever, he was entirely inefficient, he
has inspired many stories that have gone the round of the division, in which he
was a universally known figure - How else,
for no two officers of the brigade could be together without some new exploit of
his being discussed.
Just one story must be related to show his very unorthodox method of
conversation. Just after pith helmets were issued [and
the effect on almost any well known face was not as a rule very becoming] Will
Todd heard someone shouting “Hi” several times very loudly, from a car. Not
thinking it could be intended to attract his attention in the summary way he did
not at first turn round but finally, seeing no one else about he stalked up to
the car with much outraged dignity to find Rudkin ensconced therein “Oh Todd,
its you is it” he remarked adding quickly “I did not recognise you, you look
such a damn fool in that hat !”
There
was a small raid by the 7th Div at Canove two nights ago in which we took part,
5 prisoners and over 30 killed, mainly by our barrage. The raiders casualties
were two slightly wounded - not even hospital cases.
The 48th D.A. were covering the 7th infantry and they simply overwhelmed
us with compliments. The Infantry Brigadier paid a special visit to the C.O. to
tell him that the barrage was perfect. The O.C. raiding party’s expression was
“ Every round was in the right place”
We have just heard the sad news we are moving out of here to-morrow, the
30th and July 1st and exchanging positions with the 7th D.A., who are coming
back to cover their own infantry. It is very sickening the just as we get
towards the end of work on a position, we are moved.
The
war is operating again. I had just turned in at
I think it quite likely that the old Hun, is rather expected to attack at
dawn in the morning and as he has done a but of registering this evening, it
sounds possible. We hope not, of course, but if he feels he must ‘ave it,’
why, the sooner the better.
July 1st, or Wind-Up Day, is happily past. Entirely thanks to some
half-baked deserter, who said the offensive would probably be resumed between
June 28th and July 1st, the British [and I
dare say the others as well] staff rushing in circles, saying
“ man all O.P’s and liaison for 24 hours - man battery positions
night and day - and if you still have any officers left who are not working 24
hours a day, make the them do something and keep on the alert for 24 hours”.
This we accordingly did and I went at
On the night of the 1st/2nd, I was at our night O.P. and had a fairly
good time considering. It was quite warm and clear and the Italian searchlight
played on roads and tracks every hour which showed them up wonderfully clearly.
On the 2nd/3rd, I was at liaison with a very weird crowd of the 7th Division.
Another battalion was doing a raid on their front at
On the 4th, Matt and I moved to our new section position which is on
Malga Passa about 1000 yards from the front line.
The outgoing battery left the ammunition in a disgraceful state -
practically nothing cleaned, sorted or even-under cover and we have got a big
piece of work in hand. The C.R.A., I.E.F. is a very fine gunner and General but
has a kink on the subject of ammunition and I expect a stormy time if he comes
before it is put right, but I am prepared for him with figures and details of
what we have done since we came in and if he doesn’t have something nice to
say before he goes he’ll be a proper swine.
Our O.P. is fortunately only 5 minutes from the position and we manage to
relive one another at mealtimes.
Our staff is surely the most credulous in the world. Officers leave was
stopped because some mangy Hun said the offensive was about to be resumed. Well,
the other day, another deserter came in who said that numbers of others would
desert if our continual gunfire ceased occasionally. Result - a silent period
was ordered - and commenced the night before last. As no deserters have yet come
in it is being prolonged for another 24 hours.
The deadly silence both day and night is absolutely uncanny yesterday the
Hun got so nervy about it that he put over quite a lot of stuff early in the
day, but finding we were not retaliating, he shut-up and has evidently decided
to be thankful for the temporary respite. But for the fact that we still have to
man O.P’s it would be very delightful for us . The effects are rather quaint
though the infantry, who generally curse us for stirring up trouble have the
wind up to the back teeth ever since we shut-up and spend most of their time
standing - to for a raid.
I have just heard that I may be getting a week’s leave at Sermione soon
- it is a little place on
Just had a message from Brigade to say that Sermione is Nahpoo [not on] for “Lieut Gedge”
- he is bearing up under the staggering blow.
I was at the O.P. this afternoon when a terrific thunderstorm started and
our trench O.P. leaked the devil. I stood dodging the drips for about an hour,
when a wonderful thing happened - group rang up to say I could “come in”.
This is the 102 Brigade, who are extraordinarily considerate - our own
brigade might have expressed formal regret to my B.C. had I been drowned in our
O.P., but consider the personal
comfort of a mere subaltern - well, I hope they know more about war than that!
Spending another night at the O.P. I have just relieved my feelings by
writing in a letter to the Adjutant reporting on the state of the O.P. It really
is disgusting - the floor is a mixture of wet
slime, old sand bags and tins, there isn’t so much as a box to suit on, and
the smell is putrescent.
I saw Alec Lee just as I got here; he was on his way to dine with a B.C.
who used to be his O/C.
I had quite an exciting day yesterday - twice while I was at the O.P.
they shelled that part of the trench and cleared me out.
As if that weren’t enough, we get coveys of brass hats who come and
wave maps about on top and point down with walking sticks and shriek “Oh yes,
there’s Asiago”.
In the code of the moment, we are not allowed to refer to the
Austrian’s fearsome 17 inch gun by name , but have to refer to “Beetle”.
Hayley arrived at the O.P. the other morning looking a little wan and I enquired
what was wrong and he said in a most
pathetic way “ Why, I was only just sitting down to my breakfast, when Beetle
came and settled on me”.
We are probably moving the section in a few days. The C.O. has
chosen a silent position for defense which is at the top of the hill from
our O.P. The guns will on the fringe of the wood just out of sight of the Bosche
although with out flash-cover.
In addition to that Matt and I have to take under our wing a position for
an Anti-tank gun down in front of Kaberlaba which the pioneers are building. As
this can only be worked on at night, and we have to go down most nights to see
things are going on correctly, the C.O. is going to take us off night O.P. and
we are frightfully bucked about it.
July 19/18.
Matthews and I visited the anti-tank position last night. We had a
further proof of the C.O.’s commonsense when we looked in at H.Q. on the way
down. He explained the orders we had received. He thinks, as is obvious to any
practical mind that tanks are utterly unlikely in this very rocky country but
orders are orders.
The position is in an old disused trench on a forward spur and very close
to the front line.
The staff have ordered 1000 rounds per gun, but as he says it’s a