Very heavy artillery bombardment on both sides. Frightful.
One shell ploughs up ground at side of dugout whilst we are asleep. We decamp.
Archives for March 2017
Friday 30 March 1917
No entry.
*Infantry in touch with whole German front from Arras to six miles south-west of St. Quentin.
Thursday 29 March 1917
2:35 to 3:15 am & 4:20 am. A most Hellish fiendish bombardment is in full swing during early hours. Neuville St. Vaast is heavily shelled with 8” & 5.9” shells. Machine gun fire appalling. Many fires reported at back of enemy lines.
Wednesday 28 March 1917
– fine, cold
PPCLI make a raid @ 5 am.
Fearful bombardment continues. Enemy retaliate. Vimy Ridge with Ecole & La Folie Farm are being pulverized by our artillery. I go to the Crater also Subway & to 11 Bde. Area.
In afternoon there are many air flights. Both sides patrol their own lines, then dart forward when opportunity offers & do battle. Enemy has much faster machines than ours. One of our battle ‘planes go over his lines decoyed by an enemy ‘plane painted red. He is set upon by 3 others & forced to descend. His machine bursts into flames 500 feet up & lands in German line N. of Vimy.
Tuesday 27 March 1917
– snow flurries
Many air flights.
Enemy has a plane painted red & manned by a skilful pilot – a daredevil.
I go around the trenches to estimate damage.
Enemy shell Neuville St. V. unmercifully. The whole village is enveloped in smoke. A dugout containing C.M. Rifles is penetrated by shell. Kills 10 & wounds 12. Other casualties.
Enemy also shell Mt. St. Eloy & Berthenval Farm. An armour piercing shell is discovered (Blind).
*The Red Baron again?
*C.M.R. = Canadian Mounted Rifles
Monday 26 March 1917
Absolute murder is going on on our left which changes afterwards to our lines.
Our artillery pulverise Vimy Ridge all day doing great damage. PP’s make a raid but lose 1 killed 1 missing & 4 wounded.
Make another later & also fail to get a prisoner.
Sunday 25 March 1917
Tis Sunday & we don’t know it. All day long & into evening there is very heavy shelling. We have the upper hand & shell him along the line as far as the eye can see. I go to Empire Redoubt. Narrowly escape a shell which burst close to me.
Pont St. a good trench now a broken mass & all in the course of an hour. Previous to this I had walked down it when the 1st shell struck it with a passion.
Two red machines up today but they do not engage ours.
Heavy bombardment on our left @ 8 to 10 pm.
*A “redoubt” is a fort or fort system usually consisting of an enclosed defensive emplacement outside a larger fort. It may be constructed of earthworks, stone or brick. And may be a permanent structure or a hastily-constructed temporary fortification.
Saturday 24 March 1917
Enemy aeroplane painted red shoots down one of our ‘planes & later on we shoot down one of theirs. The red ‘plane is manned by a dare-devil Hun. Much shelling & some very near to us.
I go the tour of trenches and tunnels.
42nd lose 3 men killed & many wounded when covering a working party on crater.
*It is possible that the red aeroplane was flown by Baron Von Richthofen, The Red Baron. There are reported “kills” credited to him in the area during this time – at Vimy, Oppy, La Neuville, Givenchy, Lens. Draycott names him as the pilot in his memoir.
Friday 23 March 1917
– snow
Enemy blow up a mine near Durand Crater at 3 am. Concussion shakes our dugout severely. Crater is 175 yds. long by 50 yds wide. We consolidate.
John Davies PPCLI killed by sniper.
*Large craters were formed when tunnels with a large chamber at the end were dug under the enemy’s lines, packed with explosives and tamped off to contain the explosion. The mines destroyed the defenders and their fortifications, allowing the infantry above to advance over no-man’s land without the usual devastating casualties. The underground war was a strategy of both sides, and tunnellers had to take precautions to avoid those from the other side digging in their direction.
Thursday 22 March 1917
– snow
Snow on ground in morning.
We pack draughting necessities for […] the front line. In afternoon I go with Armourer Sergt. Major in side car to Carency. Enemy shelling it. Lovely town but much shelled & totally destroyed. Enemy shells destroy a cordite dump causing a huge flame to rise. The A.S.M. & I take risk on road back – a shell burst 25 yds. on our right. Back to V. au Bois safely. At 4 pm Sergt. M. Doupe, Collins, Wilson & self go to the front line – quarries poor accommodation.
*”Draughting” is the English spelling of “drafting” or technical drawing.
**Armourer Sergeant (usually attached to the unit from the Army Ordinance Corps) is the technician responsible for the repair and maintenance of the unit’s weapons.
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