Chapter 19: THE LAST HUNDRED DAYS

On the early morning of August 8TH, what eventually proved to be the final offensive of the War was launched. Throughout the night we laid down intermittent harassing fire, then a 0400 hours on the morning of the 8TH, the whole front erupted. For ten minutes our field guns were laid on the SOS (Defense Lines) the, firing three rounds a gun per minute, we raised our sights one hundred yards every three minutes. We had spent hours working out the directions - lines and elevation - for each gun. There were intermediate objectives, the attainment of these by our infantry being signaled by flares. When the men of the Manchester Regiment, followed by the Loyal North Lancs reached their final objective for the day, we were firing at between nine thousand and ten thousand yards, beyond the limits of our 4.5" Howitzer battery ("D" 112 Bde.) This was a spectacular success, almost a text book operation. We had casualties, of course, some among the guns.

A gas shell burst about five or ten yards in front of the Command Post. we were covered with debris and as the gas from the shell erupted, the top of my head was splashed. I think that for an instant the gas was in liquid form. Very fortunately I had the mouthpiece between my teeth and my eyes were shut when this happened. As my eyes were now gummed shut I didn't know much of what then took place, but knew I was taken by stretcher to the field Dressing then the Casualty Clearing Station.

As this was the start of a big push, the first casualties were being routed right away to Britain, thus leaving space in France for ensuing ones. I know that I was evacuated by ambulance to Etaples, my eyes still gummed shut. I was worrying about my eyes sight, but here to my great relief, they bathed my eyes for what seemed half an hour, my eye-lids parted and I could see again quite well, with just a little nick at the outside of my left eye. It is a truly awful feeling that one may have been blinded for life.

At Etaples, I was placed in a hospital train. I went by hospital shop to Southampton and then by train to Exeter. Here I was back close to Topsham Barracks where I had been an Officer Cadet, reporting there just a year ago.

There was very little wrong with me, except for permanent hair loss on the top of my head, so I was able to transfer to a convalescent hospital, at Moffat Hydro, sixteen miles from my hometown of Lockerbie. After another two weeks of rest, I wrote to The War Office and asked for transportation back to "C" Battery. I was directed to report to the Railway Transportation Officer in Edinburgh where I was issued a move order and I boarded a train for London, then from Victoria Station to Folkestone. The next morning I was back in LeHavre at the Reinforcement Camp. Not wishing to be posted elsewhere than my old unit, I boarded a lorry heading to the vicinity of the 25th Division without reporting in and left the camp without being missed. After the lorry driver dropped us off at the unloading point, I checked my valise into the YMCA and took just the essentials with me and headed off in the direction of the last place "C" Battery had been reported being.

Being a Gunner officer it was no problem hitching a lift from an ammunition wagon and in a short while I encountered my Battery on the road headed for a new area. Due to BSM Wilson being on leave I didn't know one officer and the acting Battery Commander, question my right to be there at all. However the Major MacKay was still recovering from his wounds, Captain A. E. Hansen had been invalided out and subsequently died and Lieutenant F. M. Norton was not around when I showed up. However, Brigade Major, Major MacLeod, was still around and was delighted that I had the initiative to find my way back on my own. He tactfully assigned me to the "D" Battery (4.5 Howitzer.).