Personal Diary: 10 Field Regt, ROYAL ARTILLERY, May - Jun 1940 by Major R GORDON-FINLAYSON

TNA Catalogue Reference: WO 197/91

Courtesy of Drew

 

PERSONAL DIARY of MAJOR R. GORDON-FINLAYSON, ROYAL ARTILLERY


INDEX

Composition of Battery, Officers and Senior N.C.O.s - May 10th 1940
May 10th 1940
May 11th 1940
May 12th 1940
May 13th 1940
May 14th 1940
May 15th 1940
May 16th 1940
May 17th 1940
May 18th 1940
May 19th 1940
May 20th 1940
May 21st 1940
May 22nd 1940
May 23rd 1940
May 24th 1940
May 25th 1940
May 26th 1940
May 27th 1940
May 28th 1940
May 29th 1940
May 30th 1940
May 31st 1940

June 1st to 6th 1940
June 7th 1940

 

COMPOSITION of BATTERY, OFFICERS and SENIOR N.C.O.s

MAY 10th, 1940, BAUPAUME


REGIMENTAL H.Q.
Lieutenant-Colonel H.J. PARHAM, D.S.O.
Major C.E. BARRINGTON, M.C.
Captain A.H.G. BARTON
2/Lieutenant J.A. DENNEY
B.S.M. WHITEHOUSE
Sergeant MELLOR, N.C.O. i/c Signals


51/54th BATTERY
Major F.R. HULTON (Wounded MERVILLE 27th May)
Captain J.V.M. TAYLOR (Captain and Signal Officer)
Lieutenant S.R.N. SMITH (W.L.O.)
2/Lieutenant P.H. MOIR (C.P.O.)
2/Lieutenant G.P. WHITEHEAD (A.C.P.O.)


"D" TROOP
Lieutenant J.G. MOULTON (D Troop Commander)
2/Lieutenant P.D. HORSFALL (G.P.O.) (Wounded LA BASSEE, 25th May)
2/Lieutenant STEWART (Wounded ST MAUR 21st May)
B.S.M. NEAL
B.S.M. TUSON (Missing MERVILLE 27th May)
Sergeant DALDWIN N.C.O. i/c Signals
Sergeant WOOD (No. 1) (Missing MERVILLE 27th May)
Sergeant JONES (No. 1) (Missing MERVILLE 27th May)
Sergeant CAUSER (No. 1) (Missing MERVILLE 27th May)
Sergeant COLES (No. 1) (Missing MERVILLE 27th May)
Bombardier O'NEIL (O.P.A.)
Lance-Bombardier DAVIDSON (G.P.O.A.) (Missing MERVILLE 27th May)


"E" TROOP
Captain R. GORDON-FINLAYSON (E Troop Commander)
Lieutenant A.R.M. ADAMS (G.P.O.)
2/Lieutenant J.C.P. McROBERT
T.S.M. JOHNSON
Sergeant MESSAGE (N.C.O. i/c Signals)
Sergeant JONES, S. (No. 1)
Sergeant AVEYARD (No. 1)
Sergeant LAUGHTON (No. 1)
Sergeant DILLEY (No. 1) (Wounded LA BASSEE 25th May)
Sergeant ROSTRON (G.P.O.A.)
Sergeant BANKS (O.P.A.)


"F" TROOP
Captain R.S. LAMONT (F Troop Commander) (Killed MERVILLE 27th May)
2/Lieutenant R. LAIRD MacGREGOR (C.P.O.)
2/Lieutenant A. EASTON


EFE TROOP
B.S.M. McCANN
Sergeant WHITEHEAD (No. 1)
Sergeant TURNER (No. 1)
Sergeant SMITH (No. 1)
Sergeant DENT (No. 1)
Sergeant BEAN (G.P.O.A.)


Please note that Major GORDON-FINLAYSON refers to many of his fellow officers by their initials only, so it is worth referring back to this post.

 

Using Geoff's Search Engine: CWGC Results for 10 Field Regiment ROYAL ARTILLERY, 01/05/1940 - 10/06/1940

001 Link ADAMS D 818345 10 FIELD REGT 02/06/1940 ROYAL ARTILLERY ROW 2. GRAVE 3.

002 Link BAIN N 884331 10 FIELD REGT 30/05/1940 ROYAL ARTILLERY SEC. 4. GRAVE 1.

003 Link CUTLER EJ 835176 10 FIELD REGT 18/05/1940 - - 25/05/1940 ROYAL ARTILLERY GRAVE 3.

004 Link DAVIDSON J 884348 10 FIELD REGT 27/05/1940 ROYAL ARTILLERY PLOT 2. ROW C. GRAVE 39.

005 Link LAMONT RS 113131 10 FIELD REGT 27/05/1940 ROYAL ARTILLERY COLUMN 7.

006 Link MCCLUSKEY J 880243 10 FIELD REGT 22/05/1940 - - 26/05/1940 ROYAL ARTILLERY ROW G. GRAVE 8.

007 Link MEAD TA 67005 10 FIELD REGT 20/05/1940 ROYAL ARTILLERY V. B. 30.

008 Link POTTER JW 790007 10 FIELD REGT 26/05/1940 ROYAL ARTILLERY PLOT 2 ROW 7 GRAVE 9.

009 Link SUTTON SL 779738 10 FIELD REGT 29/05/1940 ROYAL ARTILLERY PLOT 2 ROW 5 GRAVE 42.

010 Link TAYLOR HG 845090 10 FIELD REGT 05/06/1940 ROYAL ARTILLERY GRAVE 1.

011 Link TUSON A 3853960 10 FIELD REGT 27/05/1940 ROYAL ARTILLERY PLOT 2. ROW C. GRAVE 40.


Please note:
On the 7th June 1940 Major GORDON-FINLAYSON states:
We find that our Troop has 13 men killed out of 60.

 

March BAPAUME rest area. FAUX VIVIER W.L. (Nr. MARCHENNES.)

1500 hours Saw first air fight, also some 12" How. shells.
1700 hours A.A. Brens fire at bombers over ORCHIES.
1800 hours (O.P. Camouflage left at BAPAUME on Exhibition O.P.)

 

0700 hours Advance Party, R.G.F., S.R.N.S., P.H.M., R.L.M., J.P.W. left FAUX VIVIER joined regimental Advance Party at BOUVIGNIES.
1100 hours Crossed into BELGIUM by road at PONT CAILLOU (RUMIGIES)
1900 hours Arrived ROSIERE, about 3 miles West of WAVRE. C.E.B. is troublesome about billets and R.H.Q. party.
1915 hours R.E. told to recce O.P. about 1/2 mile East of WAVRE.
2040 hours Bombers very active. WAVRE bombed, we see bombs falling from enemy planes.
2100 hours C.O.'s Conference at ROSIERE. German bombers very active.
2300 hours R.E. and party slept in dance hall close by FERME DE WOO.

 

0500 hours R.G.F. went out in C.O.'s car with C.O. to recce 2 forward troop positions by Chateau and BOID DIT LE BECK.
0900 hours Showed E & F Troop G Parties their forward positions.
1100 hours R.E. and party went off to look for O.P. in different area one mile East of WAVRE. Find 1 Section, ROYAL SCOTS, 1 Platoon EAST LANCS, and 2 other O.P.s, one from 16th Field Regiment and 1 from 61st Medium Regiment O.P.'s on front edge of FDLS.
1600 hours Find O.P. West of WAVRE eventually dug and used by J.G.M.
1630 hours Take FRH to WAVRE O.P. and tell him situation there.
1800 hours Quick look round Battery area.
1900 hours Guns arrived E & F Troops go to forward positions by Chateau. D Troop to main positions.
2300 hours Sleep in Dance Hall in ROSIERE again.

 

0800 hours R.E. and party spend day digging O.P. in sunken road one mile East of WAVRE.
1600 hours Visit to E Troop which has position 3 miles East of DYLE now, but withdraws by night. Great noise of bombs and guns, many fires in NAMUR direction. Also refugees, civilians and Belgian soldiers all day. 5 Air Raid warnings in WAVRE, all except one bridge in WAVRE blown.
1700 hours Went back to O.P. Camouflaged it with Spider etc. Recce'd places in zone by car.
1800 hours Wood by O.P. machine gunned by E/A. We find that all Infantry except one platoon is now behind DYLE, lucky we saw LANCS again.
2200 hours Slept in ROSIERE Dance Hall again.

 

0800 hours All had retired behind DYLE. My O.P. Camouflage net and spider lost.
0900 hours Recce of an O.P. in another cutting about 300 yards West of ROSIERE Dance Hall.
Infantry R.A.P. just below us. I heard rumours about gas casualties but M.O. denies this.
1300 hours G.P.W. and self do recce of Battery position between OVERYSSCHE and BAEKENBOSCH.
1442 hours E Troop fired first rounds of Battery in anger.
1600 hours I do recce of O.P.s facing South East and found one in top of house, owners still at home, gave us beer.
2100 hours Go back to Gun position, (1st main position)
Command Post, Bomber comes low (50 feet) over us machine gunning and Bren gunner take cover in pit and does not fire.
2400 hours Slept in Command Post Wagon Lines after making hole for bed.

 

0600 hours See parachutists arrive at OVERYSSCHE.
0800 hours Go to O.P. at ROSIERE and dig in properly. Make panorama etc, see two Hurricanes shot down, 1 chap uses parachute.
M.3. is shelled while laying lines. Map very difficult to read from O.P. (1/25,000)
2100 hours Am sent to collect E Troop Tractors from preliminary Wagon Lines (where a Lysander was shot down this morning) to bring back E Troop from forward position, behind BOIS DIT LE BOOK.
2200 hours One tractor has trouble and only 4 and R.E. arrive at position. We have to make two jounreys, 3 vehicles per time as ordered by C.O. All our guns are firing D.F and H.F. tasks flat out. Enemy machine gun fire and tracer bullets at forward position. Whole troop is moved, including Trailers and 4 guns. O.P. W.T. Sets R.A.F. operators etc. Also R.G.E. and A.R.M.A. Tractors pull 2 trailers and 1 gun each and about 12 men. 99th Field Regiment lost 9 guns because they could not get their quads up to the guns because of road blockages.
2300 hours Have reached OVERYSSCHE [OVERIJSE] on way back to main position but meet J.V.M.T. with rest of our tractors etc. Road is clear so we sort everything out and he tells me to go back South of BAKENPOSCH and meet G.P.W. To be lead to MERVALS position.
2400 hours I met G.P.W. who dumped his motor bike (it conked) and he got into my truck. First shell landed near us (15 yards) No sleep.

 

0400 hours Good Troop position. Food in house. Cellars, Baths, Sleep, Chickens, Geese and pull and let go trouble with loot. Bottles broken. Wagon lines behind and to Left of Troop. W.T. batteries need charging.
1800 hours I am told to have Battery at LONE ELM fork roads at 2100 hours to follow O.C. We arrive at 2050 but find O.C. has left.
2100 hours We follow our own route and eventually catch him up in the FORET DE SOIGNES. The D.R.s left by O.C. do not say at their post until we arrive, therefore, route is very difficult to follow. Lack of sleep is telling. Both driver and self keep away with difficulty. Once we both sleep at a stop and lose column but catch up again alright.

 

0100 hours O.C. misses road in forest and we all follow different routes. Eventually getting to the position near VERRIWINKEL South of BRUSSELS. A.R.M.A. does guide for last two miles, but goes too fast for my party in the dark.
0400 hours In action at VERRIWINKEL near ST. JOB. No firing. This is 5th BRIGADE check line on way to BRUSSELS - CHARLEROI Canal. Two Lysanders shot down by Messerschmitts.
1200 hours Visit by C.R.A. to D and F Troops.
1300 hours Withdraw behind BRUSSELS - CHARLEROI Canal, crossed at LOTH (instead of RUYSBROEK as arranged). I am given an R.V. and told to lead but find no one there when I get there. Also only E Troop left in Column behind me. I leave E Troop and look for R.H.Q. which I saw half an hour ago.
1600 hours Find R.H.Q. and am told to go on to preliminary Rest Area at [blank] near ENGHEIN. I get1/50,000 map from C.O.
1700 hours Meet D Troop and we go to [blank]. Are bombed and machine gunned once at GASTRE and once near POPINGHEN. March discipline in unit good, altogether awful.
1800 hours Very difficult to keep awake and follow map. Vehicles close up. No M.P.s. Good targets but we are not severely bombed. Still no casualties.
1900 hours Arrive [blank]. Get a meal of bread and cheese from Cook. Fill up with petrol. Four hours sleep.

 

0130 hours Battery moves out again to rest at POLZAK.
0200 hours Through ENGHEIN while being shelled. Long stop in it. Badly bombed earlier.
0600 hours Arrived POLZAK. My chaps ordered to sleep. Sergeant JONES knocked down gate post with his gun wheel as Germans did in 1914 says farmer.
1130 Am told to find O.P. overlooking GRAMMONT. Remote central wire a bit too short. Locals very interested in us. Got drink from PADRE MacKIE. Refugees thick, only sign of war here so far except one French plane crashed.
1300 hours Find O.P. on edge of cornfield. Dig in and do panoramas but still don't get a shoot.
2200 hours Return to Battery Command Post (at ATOIT and MONT Near FLOBECQ). Camouflage nets in bundles left burning by other unit. Few locals about. D.F. Tasks fired.

 

0015 hours Column starts for TOURNAI. We are told to join in and get to TOURNAI some how. All goes well until Infantry trucks etc begin to overtake us, then tremendous jam ensues.
0400 hours It is light and we are still jammed up in road North East of RENAIX. How we escaped bombers I don't know. S.R.N.S. and I stand most of night trying to sort out traffic and wake up drivers.
0500 hours O.C. comes back along column. Sees me and tells me to get all our vehicles out of the Column and formed up in a suitable place.
0600 hours Lance-Bombardier MARSHARLL is left to extract vehicles and send them after me. I go on and find a big wood North West of RENAIX where Column is stopped and reformed into H.Q. D, E, & F Troops. We get tea in a pub and feed men. All trucks have their rations. Saw a few Hurricanes much to everyone's delight. They are the last I see for ages.
0800 hours Start off for TOURNAI. I bring up tail of Column with S.R.N.S. One tractor breaks down within 3 mins. S.R.N.S. and I wait as it is my tractor and Gun. Rest go on. Only petrol, so we follow on, but miss turning (no maps or guides) and follow 1 DIVISION route towards COURTRAI by mistake. We pass through QUAREMORT.
0900 hours Sergeant JONES S gun swerves to avoid refugees and wheel hits trees. Axle breaks. We eventually decided to abandon it but we destroy it with crowbars etc first. Too many people about to blow it up.
1000 hours Cross ESCAUT River at KHERHOVE turn left for TOURNAI catch up S.R.N.S. who now leads. We get on wrong road and get bombed, but only nuns get killed. S.R.N.S. Driver (TLE) hits tree because he is so sleepy but is OK.
1300 hours Arrive TOURNAI. Ask for any signs of 3d but no good. Only R.V. was TOURNAI, and it is a big place.
1400 hours Scrounge and look round TOURNAI but it has been badly bombed two hours before and time bombs are going off. We wear soft caps, but quickly put on tin ones when bits of bridge (being blown up) land just behind us. S.R.N.S. and I find many roads blocked with debris, people crying and one man bats on the pavement. We haven't the heart to take food.
1430 hours More bombs going off sow we decide to move off in likely direction. Have asked many times for 3d but no signs. H.Q. at ORCQ but no signs of our [sic]
1500 hours Eventually find 5th BRIGADE C.O. I leave word on our location and go looking for Regiment (having left guns at a R.V.).
1800 hours Decide to stay near 5th BRIGADE as we can't be far out. We settle down by road side. Bren out and we decide to have one more look round before getting under cover for nigh.
1930 hours I find A.R.M.A. and rest of E Troop in great form by road side. While I am on way to 2 DIVISION. We put our two pieces together when he comes back from his recce and have E Troop complete. He leads us off to Regimetn at ERE by badly bombed roads.
2100 hours Arrive ERE and find Battery in hide by Monastery. A small pile of dead parachutists under straw on pavement.
2200 hours Met C.E.B. and F.R.H. re billets etc. Sleep in hole for valise as they bomb this little valley often. Saw two Messerschmitts, and one direct hit by a Bofors on a bomber.

 

0700 hours Officers Mess made in Monastery. Clean up and Maintenance. All are fresh and fit, few planes about. None of ours no casualties yet.
1500 hours C.O.'s Conference.
1630 hours R & G Parties go to recce O.P.s and gun positions. I find O.P. at ST. MAUR. Gun position at GUIGNIES (916256)
1700 hours T.A.M. killed at ST. MAUR. I send him back to M.O. at R.H.Q. on M.3.
CWGC :: Casualty Details
I go back after recce, collect M.3. got to ST. MAUR, see C.O. tell him about T.A.M. and go on with recce. See R.S.L. looking for forward position just North of WEZ-VELVAIN (925265) West of MERLIN.
1800 hours Eventually decide on an O.P. and fit pit already dug about 100 yards behind selected place. We occupy this by day (L/T only). No signs of Infantry who seem to be about 1,000 yards in front. Our O.P. is very exposed and frequently shelled. M.3. and R.E. both hit, but not put out of action. O.P.A. nearly hit just beside and 18-pounder troop. No machine guns or bombs except stray bullets.
2200 hours We go out to look for a proper O.P. Site very difficult in half light, talk to another O.P. Officer and have long walk down towards WARNAFFLES Farm (942285). (1/25,000 64 SW). Find a big shell hole about 12 feet across at 932275 on top of hill and decided to use it as cover. Also can hide spoil in it and pile more on the existing heap.

 

0200 hours We are digging O.P. at 932275. Spoil from trench hidden in shell hole and under debris from shell burst. Surface soil collected from Fields and sprinkled on top of new earth.
0400 hours It is light and we are caught with a maintenance man in O.P. He is kept until line eventually goes dis and then sent out.
0600 hours Very heavy shelling and we think that our camouflage is unsuccessful and that we are to be shot up, but we sit very tight and all is O.K.
0700 hours We are a bit foxed for a latrine as we can't go out into the open.
0800 hours Wire is frequently cut by shell fire, I look for break but cannot find it then UNDERHILL goes out and is shot at. L/T and W/T both very bad. Batteries need charging and wires always out.
1000 hours Silent registration and Panorama done by BANKS. We have big and small periscopes, both very useful.
1100 hours We see two enemy horsed Batteries and company of Infantry marching in Column, but are forbidden to shoot. Particularly upsetting as I can identify a Windmill beside them on 2/25,000 map.
1115 hours As not allowed to shoot for fear of giving away our positions. Waste of good targets.
1200 hours Heavy fighting going on in CALONNE. We see attack by Bosch and tommy guns and also by CAMERONS, but targets are too close and indistinct to shoot at, even if we were allowed to, several carriers running about, enemy artillery and mortar fire very heavy.
1300 hours An enemy sniper was reported in Woods behind O.P. yesterday. This is evidently untrue.
1400 hours An 18-pounder Troops 115th Field Regiment 200 yards behind us gets hell but shoots very well, heavy casualties to vehicles and men. They are in full view from enemy O.P.s at MONT ST. AUBERT.
1430 hours Few air burst ranging series by Bosch.
1445 hours He has road South from ST. MAUR absolutely taped. T.A.M. was killed there, 926275.
1500 hours Shell lands a few feet in front of periscope as I look through. I never heard it but am covered with earth and nearly knocked off my feet. We sit tight several times, but heaviest shelling is at dawn and in evening.
1600 hours New L/T batteries brought up to us as old ones are run down, and telephone line broken. (Earlier I had said that no one was to come within 500 yards of the O.P. by day for fear of begin spotted, this was a case of breaking the 500 yards business, as we had no communications).
1700 hours Situation reports have been sent several times. Also spoke to C.O. on W/T.
2300 hours Am relieved by J.V.M.T. He is two hours' late. We go back to R.E. and J.G.M. leads us back through WEZ-VELVAIN (full of corpses) to GUIGNES 18 lbw and 6 inch Hows have evidently had a badd time but stuck it well.
2330 hours Arrived GUIGNES. Sergeant MESSAGE and Gunner FOOTER had big meal ready for R.E. party. All are very thankful to be back. Sergeant MESSAGE and I dig holes to sleep in and sleep till 1830 hours.
2345 hours I find WORCS returning from front line having left it in charge of guides only.

 

0800 hours We are woken by shells arriving just down the road. Go to Mess to feed and see E Troop for first time or what seems ages. All are well dug in and ready for anything. Plenty of ammunition.
1000 hours I relieve F.R.H. in Command for a bit in morning, while he recess unsuccessfully for a forward positions. J.V.M.T. reports from O.P. that he doesn't expect to return as he is being shelled heavily, then communication goes and we wonder if he has been hit.
1200 hours F.R.H., P.H.M. and I have good lunch of cheese, beer and biscuits, loot from local houses.
1300 hours G.P.W. and I told to meet C.E.B. to find position in rear. We meet C.E.B. at TAINTIGNIES (889258). We find position just North of PETIT RUMES and got on with survey etc.
1500 hours Are suddenly told by C.E.B. to leave this new position and survey etc and go back to meet him in BERCU 846233 (Frontier Post).
1515 hours Luckily I always keep all my kit on my truck, but my maps and board are with J.V.M.T. at ST. MAUR O.P. In my haversack I still have my ORCHIES maps and am able to carry on alright. We go to BERCU via POPLARS (8732) RUMES - LA GLANEE across frontier into FRANCE to BERCY. The poplars were a problem of map reading which had puzzled me all winter from the grand stand O.P. on the frontier. The problem was solved that day.
1900 hours Arrived BERCU. We find fizzy lemonade in pubs.
2100 hours C.E.B. and 30.46 party eventually arrived. C.E.B. tells me to go to CAPPELLE to get survey data from IORA. (Smee) but he is not there. I go back to 811238 by JENECK and meet C.E.B. again, he shows me one troop position and an area for the others, G.P.W. and I eventually find two places for E and F Troops at CUVIGHNIES F Troop as forward.
2200 hours I went to BELLE PORTE cross roads for Battery. F.R.H. arrives but thought guides were to have been at BERCU.
2330 hours Lead guns to gun positions.

 

0100 hours I sleep on straw and valise in outhouse in E Troop position. One gun has big Gold lion in the pit, loot.
0800 hours R.E. goes off to find O.P. at BACHY Station in a house I had recce for C.R.A. during the winter, so we had no more trouble with recess.
1000 hours We are very unpopular with heavies, who have a 6" gun in station yard, during an air raid. I unfortunately, set a light to a 25 lb charge.
1100 hours Told to go to O.P. at HAUTE HOTEL. No enemy about. This is part of 1 DIVISION's Winter Line. Big house is obvious O.P. and had lines in it from winter, but it is too obvious for my liking. Do extensive working but decided to risk the house. We find oven, knives and forks, clocks, spades, wire cutters etc. Use W/T only.
1200 hours Quiet day, panoramaing, cooking, digging, watching planes. I fire at my first plane with rifle.
1400 hours Meet Frenchmen who are taking over this line. They want to know why more pill boxes have not been built. One produces a handkerchief made of Bosch Parachute Silk. Very quiet afternoon. No shelling, one bomber shot down about a mile behind us.
2300 hours Am told to return to Battery at OUVIGNIES and find them on way out to AUBERS near ARMENTIERRES. We are told it is a Court Martial offence to sleep in our trucks while on the move.

 

1000 hours After driving all night, led by someone who does very well or is very lucky with traffic, we arrive at AUBERS. Have to drive on pavements and in a cornfield to get past traffic james. Masses of vehicles on move but well spaced out.
1400 hours No guides, meant to have been provided by J.A.D. so we just follow on E Troop and G.P.W. arrive in ARMENTIERES. Few bombers about but all locals very happy and going on as usual. I leave Troop just behind i.e. North of Station and go back towards AUBERS. I find R.S.L. and A.R.M.A. by Indian Monument. A.R.M.A. goes back to get E Troop and brig it to Wagon lines at PONT DU HEM, 7 miles North of LA BASSE.
1500 hours Conference with C.O. Near Wagon Lines. Only one 1/50,000 map for regiment. We are support. 6th BRIGADE in a small advance to gain contact. F.R.H. given two troops of 30/46 and one of ours. But it all goes wrong and J.G.M. in T gets no fire for R.W.F., W/T had also.
1700 hours X (FRH) T(JGM) and R.E. go to VIEILLE CHAPELLE where R.W.F. H.Q. is. T goes off with carriers, K & R.E. go with R.W.F., C.O. and catch him up at CALONNE, via LA FOSSE, LESTREM, MERVILLE, and T roads 401378, to CALONNE. BEACH had been in MERVILLE yesterday but is not there now. He is found in CALONNE.
1800 hours See three French tanks which have been knocked out by 2 lbs by mistake. W/T very bad R.E. relays orders for T but our troop is not in action and O.C. 30/46 has taken back his own troop, therefore we have nothing.
1900 hours O.C. takes my truck and puts me in his X and tells me to go on and find C.O. of R.W.F. while he goes back to sort out the Battery. I am very angry and say goodbye to my kit except Great Coat and torch. Machine gun and Anti-Tank bullets are coming down road round next corner, so this move is not popular.
1915 hours A Sergeant in the R.W.F. warns me against going in a truck as his chaps have just been hit there. I met the Sergeant again on DUNKIRK beach. I meet Second-in-Command of R.W.F., who says stay with him as T is with his C.O., R.E. relays orders from T to Batteries.
2100 hours Three real Hun Prisoners arrive in CALONNE - SUR LA LYS. R.W.F. doing great work. These are the first I have seen close up and are big well fed chaps of 22 to 27.
2200 hours We go on with H.Q. Company and then in front of it towards ST. FLORIS. We meet T (?.G.M.) at 234378 we see fires in ROBECQ and ST. VENANT direction. We decide best to go back to Battery at PONT-DU-HEM Wagon Lines.
2300 hours While talking in road enemy harassing fire comes over at CALONNE Station. Creeping up road towards us until two shells land with a rush beside us, about 20 yards but plus. We dive in a ditch very wet and dirty, X driver says it it the first shell. [sic]
2330 hours Back at Wagon Lines. Very good meal by Sergeant MESSAGE and M.3. Liver and Lamb brought in truck from BELGIUM. I find an old map of this area 6" scale with last War trenches on it.