Frank Swannell Diaries: Part I
ms0392b01v04e084.jpg
Revision as of Aug 29, 2015, 1:37:08 PM edited by 65.61.234.59 |
Revision as of Aug 29, 2015, 1:53:57 PM edited by 65.61.234.59 |
||
---|---|---|---|
Line 3: | Line 3: | ||
At work at 4am making firing cover & grassing glacis--Bill Guiney who sleeps next me Takes my Turn at sentry as he & Kennie think I need next on account of my crack on the head & ration-packing | At work at 4am making firing cover & grassing glacis--Bill Guiney who sleeps next me Takes my Turn at sentry as he & Kennie think I need next on account of my crack on the head & ration-packing | ||
Thursday 20 [140-225] | Thursday 20 [140-225] | ||
− | Under heavy shell fire most of day--we being within 300 yds of German advance Trenches & directly behind Ger. comm. Trench which Germans snipers creep Stench here awful at times--Are partially enfiladed Casualties to 4pm. 29 in company--3 killed--Elliot struck with shrapnel & [?] 5 Times--Morton a nervous wreck--struck in back about 2 pm--Van Dyke struck over eye by spinning splinter while observing for sniper-- | + | Under heavy shell fire most of day--we being within 300 yds of German advance Trenches & directly behind Ger. comm. Trench which Germans snipers creep Stench here awful at times--Are partially enfiladed Casualties to 4pm. 29 in company--3 killed--Elliot struck with shrapnel & [?] 5 Times--Morton a nervous wreck--struck in back about 2 pm--Van Dyke struck over eye by spinning splinter while observing for sniper--[A?]Shell fire very bad 6-8 pm--Never though to see it through |
Friday 21 [141-221] Easter Law Sittings end. Oxford Easter Term ends | Friday 21 [141-221] Easter Law Sittings end. Oxford Easter Term ends | ||
− | Charge ordered 815 pm--Crossing Germ. Communc. Trench & German machine guns | + | Charge ordered 815 pm--Crossing Germ. Communc. Trench & German machine guns train on us & mow us down--I rush 50 yds then fall flat besides Hammond--shot Thru leg--Poor Milburn (Plat. Sargeant) leading Killed almost instantly-->M.G. Traversed 1. my life saved as I tripped in Milburns equipment & fell on my face. Bullets clipped the high [group?] Pitched on his face & gave a kick or wo--We cross back Thru. shell gap in communication trench & prepare under Corp. Carr to advance along it--[?] so--& start to dig in (now dark) Carr gets it in the hip & Jack Bradbury & Chapple--Lieut. Wallis finds us, orders us in the communication trench & to cut rampart down for rifle fire then we are told to move along & connect with the |
+ | Saturday 22 [142-223] 21st Week Oxford Trinity Term begins | ||
+ | 13th (5th Royals) Are stopped by wire barricade & 250' of trench blow to pieces and heaped with dead--Cut gap & crawl thru one by one under bad fire & start to dig shelter trench to span the gap--Got down three fee.--Wallis in altercation with O.C. of 13"--who says his battalion cannot retire "We have held it with 40 men for you & you have 500" (Continued beginning of book) Page 8 | ||
+ | Today, Saturday in the 3rd line--all Friday we are half dazed & most of us cannot sleep--Doubtless reaction from the terrific shell fire. In eveng 22d move to Essars-Les-Bethune |
Revision as of Aug 29, 2015, 1:53:57 PM
Festubert 42 (continued p. 8) May, 1915 At work at 4am making firing cover & grassing glacis--Bill Guiney who sleeps next me Takes my Turn at sentry as he & Kennie think I need next on account of my crack on the head & ration-packing
Thursday 20 [140-225]
Under heavy shell fire most of day--we being within 300 yds of German advance Trenches & directly behind Ger. comm. Trench which Germans snipers creep Stench here awful at times--Are partially enfiladed Casualties to 4pm. 29 in company--3 killed--Elliot struck with shrapnel & [?] 5 Times--Morton a nervous wreck--struck in back about 2 pm--Van Dyke struck over eye by spinning splinter while observing for sniper--[A?]Shell fire very bad 6-8 pm--Never though to see it through
Friday 21 [141-221] Easter Law Sittings end. Oxford Easter Term ends
Charge ordered 815 pm--Crossing Germ. Communc. Trench & German machine guns train on us & mow us down--I rush 50 yds then fall flat besides Hammond--shot Thru leg--Poor Milburn (Plat. Sargeant) leading Killed almost instantly-->M.G. Traversed 1. my life saved as I tripped in Milburns equipment & fell on my face. Bullets clipped the high [group?] Pitched on his face & gave a kick or wo--We cross back Thru. shell gap in communication trench & prepare under Corp. Carr to advance along it--[?] so--& start to dig in (now dark) Carr gets it in the hip & Jack Bradbury & Chapple--Lieut. Wallis finds us, orders us in the communication trench & to cut rampart down for rifle fire then we are told to move along & connect with the
Saturday 22 [142-223] 21st Week Oxford Trinity Term begins
13th (5th Royals) Are stopped by wire barricade & 250' of trench blow to pieces and heaped with dead--Cut gap & crawl thru one by one under bad fire & start to dig shelter trench to span the gap--Got down three fee.--Wallis in altercation with O.C. of 13"--who says his battalion cannot retire "We have held it with 40 men for you & you have 500" (Continued beginning of book) Page 8 Today, Saturday in the 3rd line--all Friday we are half dazed & most of us cannot sleep--Doubtless reaction from the terrific shell fire. In eveng 22d move to Essars-Les-Bethune