Alfred George Richardson’s Diary September 1916

HEDAUVILLE.

Friday 1^st September 1916:     Cold, windy day.  Tons of mud in lines.  Couldn’t keep warm.  Weather “no bon”.

Saturday 2^nd September 1916: Wet, cold day.  Delivered 266 A, 38 AX to C/247 batty at 6 pm.

HEDAUVILLE.

Sunday 3^rd September 1916:   Terrific artillery bombardment, followed by infantry actions.  “The Glorious 3^rd Sept”.  49^th Divisional infantry opposed by a stubborn resistance.  Failure in front of Thiepval. – Hot shop.

Monday 4^th September 1916:  4 am to B/247 – 400 A.  3 pm to B/247 114 A, 38 AX.  Heavy day.

HEDAUVILLE.

Tuesday 5^th September 1916:  Showery.  Artillery fire terrible beyond words.  Went to “Tykes” at night.  Splendid performance.

Wednesday 6^th September 1916: 456 A, 152 AX to A/247 at 8.30 am.  Many Boches aeroplanes visit us.  Two (2) bombs dropped on dump.  3 men slightly wounded, 4 horses wounded one having to be shot.  Got there practically first.  Pieces of bomb as souvenir.

HEDAUVILLE.

Thursday 7^th September 1916: A quiet day.  Fine weather; gun fire never ceases.  Tremendous “straffe” at night.

Friday 8^th September 1916:     Delivered 304 A, 76 AX to C/247 Battery at 7 am.  The Boche sent 16 balloons over our lines with newspapers containing slanderous matter etc.  Got one as souvenir.  Anti-aircraft fire at them.  Great joke.

HEDAUVILLE.

Saturday 9^th September 1916: Rose at 7.30 am.  Fine day.  Heavy Artillery bombardment never ceases.  Received 684 A 228 AX from 49^th Dump 7 pm.

Sunday 10^th September 1916: Rose at 7.45 am.  Glorious day.  Great artillery duels.  456 A 152 AX to A/247 at 1.30 am.

HEDAUVILLE.

Monday 11^th September 1916:  Fine day.  Artillery at it in early hours.  Nothing doing rest of day.  Busy with nominal rolls of sect etc.

Tuesday 12^th September 1916: Delivered 228 A 76 AX to C/247 Batty at 1.30 am.  Glorious morn up.  Very fine but ghastly sight over        towards THIEPVAL.

HEDAUVILLE.

Wednesday 13^th September 1916: Cold morning, early on.  Received 228 A 228 AX from Dump at 6 pm.

Thursday 14^th September 1916: Delivered at 11.30 am to A/247 Battery: – 228 “A” 172  “AX”.  “Heavy” artillery duel.  Nothing doing   much at MESNIL.

HEDAUVILLE.

Friday 15^th September 1916:   Awfully cold morning.  2 Boch aeroplanes over, but no bombs.  Fine in middle of day.  “Heavies” at it all        morning, great artillery duel.

There are no further diary entries after 15^th September 1916.