"Mary R."
The following special order of the day was published on the 9th May:
May 1918.
"I wish to convey to all ranks of the Royal Regiment of Artillery my deep appreciation of the splendid service rendered by them in all stages of the Somme and Lys battles since the opening of the enemy's attack.
"The difficult conditions imposed by a defensive fight against greatly superior numbers have been faced with the same skill, courage and devotion to duty which characterised the work of all branches of the artillery through the offensive battles of 1917. With less constant and loyal co-operation on the part of both field, heavy, and siege batteries, the great bravery and determination of the infantry could scarcely have availed to hold up the enemy's advance. The infantry are the first to admit the inestimable value of the artillery support so readily given them on all occasions.
"The knowledge possessed by each arm, doubly confirmed by the severe tests already passed through successfully, that it can rely with absolute confidence upon the most whole-hearted and self-sacrificing co-operation of the other, is the greatest possible assurance that all further assaults of the enemy will be met and defeated. I thank the artillery for what it has already done, and count without fear of disappointment upon the maintenance of the same gallant spirit and high standard of achievement in the future.
"D. Haig, F.M.,
"Commander-in-Chief British Armies in France."
Lieut. J. Owen was wounded on the 10th May by a shell that entered his dug-out at Sailly au Bois.
June 1918.
During May and June there was not much activity on our front. We got many warnings from prisoners and other sources of the imminence of a further offensive, and on the 26th May especially an unusually severe bombardment, extending to the back areas, seemed to presage a fresh German effort. Nothing however came of it, except that on this latter date a big attack was started against the French near Reims. Our Headquarters came in for a good deal of unpleasant attention, chiefly from a high velocity gun firing from near Bapaume which bombarded us with especial intensity on the 18th and 19th May, and on the 9th June. We were also considerably annoyed by bombing aeroplanes at night, and early in the morning of the 17th June several bombs fell very close to the chateau in which we lived. One bomb on this occasion burst ten yards from a small shanty in which two men were sleeping. Fortunately the inside of the hut had been dug down about 2½ feet, and the men were lying below the ground level, with the happy result that although the hut was blown to fragments the men inside were absolutely unhurt. The batteries were subjected to a good many bombardments, but generally without much effect. D/310, however, had an unfortunate experience on the 11th June. A 5.9 shell penetrated one of their dug-outs, going through 12 feet of earth before it burst and killing all the six men who were inside it at the time. Major Foot, who commanded this battery, was at the time studying the duties of Brigade Major at headquarters, and I may mention here that, in order to have understudies always ready to take the place of any Staff Officer who might become casualties, there was generally a Regimental Officer attached to my headquarters to learn the work. We had a good many officers in the Divisional Artillery who had been trained in this way, and who were quite competent to take on the respective duties at a moment's notice. Majors Eeles and Foot, and Capts. Archer and Middleton did particularly good work of this sort at one time or another.