SEPTEMBER

 

September 1^st: Workshop

September 2^nd-9^th: Ditto

 September 10^th: Returned to battery

 September 11^th: Went to gun line on right of (unclear)

 September 12^th: Quiet in early morning. Desultory shelling rest of day.

 September 13^th: Heavy gas shell strafe last night. No one gassed. Gas marks worn 1 to 6 AM.

 September 14^th: Came out of action 1AM. (unclear) in reserve.

 September 15^th: Overshadowing guns etc in gun park.

 September 16^th: Same as yesterday. Got paid (?) out.

 September 17^th: Making concert (?) here. Concert at night.

 September 18^th: Moved to Oudezeele.

 September 19^th: At Oudezeele (skulking?) we are in training (to?) Italy

 September 20^th: Still at Oudezeele. Moved at 6PM for unknown destination.

 September 21^st: Arrived at Krombeke Belgium for attack on (?) Forest

 September 22^nd: Taking ammunition up to gun (station?) in support trenches

 September 23^rd: Marking gun (station?) and getting ammo up troops and guns (unclear) in large numbers.

 September 24^th: Down wagon line. Taking ammo up to gun hut.

 September 25^th: With motor lorries (?) taking ammo up to (station?)

 September 26^th: Resting in Wagon Line. Moving tomorrow.

 September 27^th: Moving up to (?) getting ready for bombardment to start at 5 in morning

 September 28^th: Houthulst Forest taken at 12:00 prisoners 100 guns taken by us in 8 mins advancing guns out of (?). Roulers taken at 12 noon

 September 29^th: Advanced to middle of forest. A lot of Belgians & (Germans?) dead laying about

 September 30^th: Germans getting knocked back again. Advanced twice in day.

 

OCTOBER

 

October 1^st: In action about 2 kilometres of the forest. Very good country, better than country we advanced over.

October 2^nd: In action 2 kilometres from Staden. Germans withdrew in morning under heavy shelling.

October 3^rd: Came out of action at 6AM. Had a quiet time getting out. Walked through the Houthulst forest coming out saw many Germans guns and dead.

October 4^th: We are now at (unclear place name beginning with S) awaiting orders. Moving tomorrow somewhere.

October 5^th: Moved to the outskirts of Poperinge awaiting orders.

October 6^th: Moved to Ypres awaiting orders to proceed in action. Rumours of not being wanted. 

 October 7^th: Great excitement about Bulgaria walking in going in action in 2- or 3-days’ time.

 October 8^th: Testing guns for air pressure and sights. Two guns going to another (battery?)

 October 9^th: Two guns sent to C196 for training purposes.

 October 10^th: Went to Baths in afternoon at Ouderdom. Dark when we returned.

 October 11^th: Probably going up tomorrow for Battery Straffe. On a large front. Went up to take two guns up. Got back 3am.

 October 12^th: Moved into position on left of Menin Road. One gun (unclear) in shell nearly covered in mud and water. Raining hard and pitch black. 2 hours work and had to leave it’s impossible to get out. 

 October 13^th: Got shelled in night with pipsqueaks.

 October 14^th: Came in action behind communes (?) for Straffe in morning.

 October 15^th: Bombardment started at 5:30 am. (Lightened?) Menin and other villages out of range.

 October 16^th: Awaiting orders all day in position. Infantry and artillery advancing on left.

 October 17^th: Moving to Heule landed at 7am. Came in action firing on left of (Courtrai?)

 October 18^th: Advanced to outskirts of Courtrai to a large factory got bombed at night.

 October 19^th: Advanced to Heule in morning. Firing on (?) machine gun.

 October 20^th: Nearly out of range. Infantry advance through Courtrai.

 October 21^st: Out of range surrounding Battery for orders

 October 22^nd: Advancing into Courtrai to Morseele to (unclear) in action at night.

 October 23^rd: Advancing in morning. Went in action again. (unclear)

 October 24^th: In range of machine guns. Many narrow escapes through them. 

 October 25^th: Shelled at in morning. Bombarding prior to advance. Infantry advanced

 October 26^th: Went into action advanced to (unclear) infantry at east objective pulled out of action (unclear)

 October 27^th: Moved to about 6 kilometres in front of Countrai

 October 28^th: At (unclear) testing gun all day. Went for bath.

 October 29^th: Going in action 3 guns (?) tonight 3 guns (?) tomorrow.

 October 30^th: Moved to 3 guns went in action. Stopping down Wagon Line. 

 October 31^st: Bombardment in morning all (unclear) taken. Went up to gun line with message