A.A. Laporte Payne letter to Muriel 29 April 1917

B.E.F.

April 29^th 1917

My darling,

Just a hurried line to wish you every good wish for your birthday and many happy returns. I am afraid you won’t get this letter on the great day but I shall be thinking of you all the time.  I wish I could be with you to give you a birthday kiss or kisses.  You are 23 now – getting quite aged!  I wish I were 23 again (don’t I sound old?)

Thank you so much for the enclosed letter which I am returning. I hope you received safely the other letters I sent back a day or so ago.  I was awfully glad to get your letter of the 24^th on my return.

Three days ago I went off in charge of a billeting party of 6 officers and 20 men with 26 horses. We travelled all one day – found lovely billets for the brigade and the next day waited for the batteries to turn up which we expected would be about 4 p.m.  We waited until six p.m. when an orderly came to say the move was off and we were to return at once.  I had to see the mayor, cancel billets, get food for the horses & men, for we had relied on the brigade coming up.  That was no easy thing at that time of day.  We were ready to move off about 8.30.  I phoned through from a town we were passing through to get permission to stay the night & so save the horses & men – the horses were very tired – it was refused and we had to push on.  We did about 30 miles and arrived at 2 a.m. this morning – I got 4 hours sleep & was up at 6 a.m. to get ready to move elsewhere.  It is now 9 o’clock, and we are just off –but I simply had to stop behind to write a line to you, darling, and send you my love and all good wishes for May 1.

I hope you are well and Mrs. Cross & that Mr. Cross is enjoying his holiday.

All my love darling & kisses (Extra special ones this time if possible)

Always your own

Archie.

Just off

SECRET                                                                                 COPY NO.

Ref: Map

VIMY 1/10,000

9^TH CANADIAN ARTILLERY BRIGADE Operation Order No 67

By

Lieut. Col. H.G. Carscallen Comdg

29.4.17

INFORMATION       1. Batteries of the Group will fire a barrage tomorrow morning on the enemy’s front system the map locations being the same as shown in Barrage Table issued with Operation Order No 66.

BARRAGES              2. At ZERO hour the group will establish a barrage in accordance with Barrage Table shown below.

ZERO                         3. ZERO hour will be 4.15 (four fifteen) a.m. April 30^th 1917.

SYNCHRONIZATION

4. Watches will be synchronized with this office one hour before zero.

BARRAGE TABLE

Battery                                    TIME                                                  BARRAGE

From   To

All 18-pdrs                  00.00  0.02      New Trench (See line 1 Barrage Table O.O. 65)

0.02    0.06      Add 100 yards

0.06    0.10      Trench (See line 3 Barrage Table O.O. 65)

0.10    0.14      Trench (See line 4 Barrage Table O.O. 65)

0.14    0.18      Add 100 yards

0.18 Onwards New Trench (See line 1 Barrage Table O.O. 65)

All 4.5 Hows.              0.00 Onwards             Similar to Barrage Table O.O. 66

RATES OF FIRE

0.00     0.18     Normal

0.18 Onwards 2 rounds gun fire

AMMUNITION

18-pdrs             “A”

H.G. Carscallen

Lieut. Col

Comdg CARSCALLEN’S GROUP

Issued at   p.m.

To all Batteries