After his 2 am return from Paris-Plage, Greg was probably glad not to have an early start. In fact, he didn’t have much of a start at all as his aircraft’s engine had an oil leak, and he didn’t fly. The big event of the day was a visit by General Birdwood, commander of the Fifth Army.
Diary
Friday July 12th 1918. Found that the oil filter on my engine was leaking, so engine was taken out of E27.
Weather pretty dud, heavy rain in morning, afternoon fine but very windy.
General Birdwood came round in the morning (commanding 5th Army) and spoke to us all. Seemed a nice chap.
Watch the Birdy
General Sir William Birdwood visited 42 Squadron at Rely, not many miles from his headquarters at Upen d’Aval, just west of Thérouanne. Michael Seymour looks at the the man and the reasons for his visit, and finds a resonance with Greg’s characterisation of him as “a nice chap”:
In other news, the day’s Daily Orders from Major Hunter report that Greg is no longer on probation but has been confirmed in rank as a (temporary) 2nd Lieutenant:
Daily Orders extract – 12 July 1918
The Daily Orders are written in their customarily elegant way. Rob (Parsons) thinks that it would almost certainly have been the Orderly Room Clerk who was the scribe. There would have been a Sergeant in charge, responsible for all the written records, disciplinary procedures etc. And then there would have been a Squadron Adjutant, possibly as a secondary duty.
To give a flavour of administrative operation of the squadron that day, here is a complete copy of the the day’s Daily Orders. Note the incorrect date on the top right of the first page. It was definitely 12 July that the orders relate to. But the clerk’s mind seems to have wandered back to May!
A day off! And a trip to the seaside at Paris-Plage that didn’t go entirely to plan…
Diary
Thursday July 11th 1918. The first of a series of tenders to the seaside went down to Paris-Plage.
I was picked out.
Tender left mess at 1.30 & owing to driver not knowing the way arrived at Paris-Plage at 5 pm.
Raining most of the way, but fine at Paris-Plage – which is quite a nice little place on the coast near Etaples. Had a walk around, dined at the Continental Hotel, & left at 9.30.
Arrived in camp at 2 am. Got lost on way home.
Paris-Plage
About a 45 mile (72 km) journey by road from Rely, and near Étaples, the town is today formally known as Le Touquet-Paris-Plage, often shortened to Le Touquet. The early years of the 20th century witnessed its development, and it became a fashionable resort for Parisians – hence the name.
‘Western Theatre of War’ map extract showing Paris-Plage in relation to Rely, Merville and the Lys Sector. Map credit: IWM/TNA/GreatWarDigital
It took Greg 3½ hours to get there and 4½ hours to get back. Not a great rate of net progress in either direction! Presumably driving was more difficult on the return journey because of a general lack of illumination in the dark. Étaples was still liable to German air raids, much as Greg had experienced when he was first posted to France – less than six weeks earlier, but an age ago:
An aviator’s life on the Western Front in 1918 was bedevilled by two factors – in addition to the small matter of the enemy, that is. They were mechanical unreliability (of armaments, engines and other equipment) and the weather. Today, Greg’s engine was better than it was yesterday, but it was another day for the weather to assert itself, as a Counter Battery Patrol evolved into a Shoot. Even fair weather can cause problems, in the form of shadows over the target, and that was before the rainstorm approached.
Log Book
Date: 10.7.18
Hour: 3.40
Machine type: RE8
No.: E27
Passenger: Lt Pring
Time: 1 hr 45
Height: 5000
Course/Remarks: CBP & shoot with 14 SB. Successful. Rainstorm. Eng better.
Diary
Wednesday July 10th. CBP at 5.30pm (1hr 45 m). 5000 ft.
Took up a shoot with 14 Siege Battery (6” Hows).
Shoot successful. Large number of W’s owing to clouds throwing shadows over target.
Archie pretty hot, unable to go over target.
Engine running better.
Two bombs dropped.
Target at L.20.a
So weather-related problems are not confined to bad weather as such: shadows from clouds over the target meant that a large number of the battery’s rounds were unobserved – hence the ‘W’, for washout. And then came a rainstorm…
Squadron Record Book
Type and Number: R.E.8.27
Pilot and Observer: P. Lt Gregory. O. Lt Pring
Duty: Art Obs 14 S.B. (6” How) on L.C.21. [northeast of Merville; see below]
Hour of Start: 5.40pm
Hour of Return: 7.25pm
Remarks:
SUCCESSFUL. Called up 5.48pm. K. 5.50. L. 5.55. G. 5.58. V. 6.45. Time G. to V. 45 mins.
OBSERVED:- M.C.3. M.C.5. 1 O.K. 1 Y. 8 A. 11 B. 4 C. 1 D. 11 W. 37 ranging rounds. M.O.K. sent during B.F. One direct hit on ranging pit which was badly damaged. No 1 Pit believed damaged but owing to A.A. could not properly inspect target. Shoot by P. Height 5000’.
MISC INF. 5.56pm 2-25lb bombs dropped at K.28.c.5.3. Both bursts observed. 7.5pm sent C.I. [going home] owing to approaching storm. A.A. active. Vis. good but shadowy.
Obs. By P. & O.
Successful Shoot, Despite Shadows over Target
This was Greg’s second shoot with 14 Siege Battery. This link is to the post that recounts the first, which was just over a week ago on 2 July:
The ‘G to V’ time – the time taken to range the howitzers – was 45 minutes, down from 1 hr 20 mins last time, which will have pleased Greg, the Squadron Commander and the Battery Commander. Eleven ‘washouts’ – unobserved shells – wasn’t so good, but explained by the shadows from the clouds.
Target LC 21 was in the 500 yard square L.20.a, northeast of Merville, but Greg dropped his two bombs on the other side of town. He dropped them on the Rue d’Aire going west out towards Haverskerque. The time was 5.56pm, just as he was about to begin ranging the guns (‘G’ – the ‘fire’ signal – was at 5:58pm). The battery itself was probably located a mile or two further west, near Haverskerque.
1:20,000 map of Merville dated 22 May 1918. Numbered squares are 1,000 yards across. Red markings are German trenches, tramways and other works.
One hundred years after Greg bombed the Rue d’Aire, I drove along it. I can report that the road has been repaired.
For more details on how a shoot operated, see this page:
Down for a Counter Battery Patrol, but not such an busy day today on account of the weather. Greg’s diary verdict was “absolutely nothing doing”, but his sortie involved bombing Greve Farm and a couple of shoot-ups. His threshold of what constituted “something” had obviously risen.
Tuesday July 9th 1918. CBP 5.30-8.30.
Got off at 7.15 owing to low clouds. Came down at 8.45 – absolutely nothing doing.
Went and had a look at the Hun battery I did a shoot on. Seemed to have been very badly knocked about. 4 bombs.
Unfortunately there are no photographs of the badly knocked about Hun battery, the reconnaissance of which didn’t merit an mention in the Squadron Record Book Report:
Squadron Record Book
Type and Number: R.E.8.27
Pilot and Observer: P. Lt Gregory. O. Lt Pring
Duty: Artillery Patrol
Hour of Start: 7.15am
Hour of Return: 8.45am
Remarks:
7.35am 4-25lb bombs dropped for farm at K.24.d.4.7. [Greve Farm, just on the northeast edge of Merville] 4 bursts observed, 1 on road at K.24.d.3.8 [behind the farm].
7.45am called C.W.S. X out.
7.45am sent U.L. F.R. U.D. [Unfit for counter-battery work or photography, but fit for artillery registration]
7.55am 200 rounds L.G. into Goods Station at MERVILLE
8.10am called C.W.S. X out.
8.25am 100 rounds L.G. [Lewis Gun] into CALONNE. No movement of any kind seen. No E.A. or A.A. [Enemy aircraft or anti-aircraft fire] Vis: low clouds at first, fair later. Obs. by P. & O.
Merville from a 1:20,000 map dated 22 June 1918. Each square with a central number is 1,000 yds. Credit: IWM/TNA/GreatWarDigital
Greve Farm
Greve Farm lies on the edge of Merville on Rue Ferdinand Capelle, which goes northeast towards Neuf Berquin. Here is the farm today:
Although Greg’s ‘bus’ – RE8 E27 – had had its propeller fixed, all was still not well, as the engine was backfiring. But what seems to have been the decisive factor in making the morning’s scheduled Counter Battery Patrol a washout was the weather. The day improved with a ‘jolly good shoot’ with 174 Siege Battery (6″ Howitzers) in the evening.
Log Book
Date: 8.7.18
Hour: 8.
Machine type: RE8
No.: E27
Passenger: Lt Pring
Time: 30 mins
Height: 2000
Course/Remarks: CBP. Heavy fog. Came down. Eng. Pretty dud.
Monday July 8th 1918. CBP 8-11.
Very cloudy & misty, took off without bombs & went to look at the line & came back after 30 minutes.
Engine missing, seemed inclined to backfire.
6.30pm. Went up and did a shoot on a Hun battery at K.35.d.1.2
Jolly good shoot. Both pits badly knocked about, one direct hit on one, which went up in the air.
One shell dropped in the river, great big column of water about 500 ft.
The Hun battery that was the target of the ‘jolly good shoot’ with 174 Siege Battery RGA was on the southern edge of Merville, just above what is now Merville-Calonne Airport. Its position is shown on the following map, along with the positions of the house and factory referred to in the Squadron Record Book report below.
Position of battery at K.35.d.1.2 etc on a 1:20,000 map dated 27 June 1918. Each square with a number in its centre (like 35) is 1,000 yards. Map credit: IWM/TNA/GreatWarDigitalThe equivalent extract from a modern 1:25,000 map. Credit: GreatWarDigital.
Squadron Record Book
Type and Number: R.E.8.27
Pilot and Observer: P. Lt Gregory. O. Lt Pring
Duty: Art Obs 174 S.B. (6” How) on H.B. at K.35.d.10.20
Hour of Start: 6.40pm
Hour of Return: 8.30pm
Remarks: SUCCESSFUL. Called up 6.50pm. K. 6.52pm. L 6.54. G. 6.58. V 8.0. Time G. to V. 1 hr 2 mins. [time taken to range guns]
OBSERVED:- M.A.9. M.A.2. 1 O.K. 12.A. 13 B. 12 C. 1 D. 39 ranging rounds. 2 M.O.K. during B.F. [Two mean points of impact of salvos were direct hits during battery fire] Both pits badly damaged. Fire caused in house at K.35.b.5.2. Shoot by P. Height 5000’.
MISC INF. 6.50pm large fire in Factory at K.35.b.4.4. burning continuously. 200 rounds fired into MERVILLE STATION. Vis. fair. Obs. By P. & O.
More details about shoots and how to interpret Squadron Record Book reports of them:
On a murky and misty day – “frightfully dud” was the verdict – Greg was down for a Counter Battery Patrol/Artillery Patrol in the morning but signalled that the weather was unfit. He dropped one bomb, had an elevator rocking bar shot, made a bad landing and bust the prop. Then he took another machine up, but the weather was still bad.
Log Book
Date: 7.7.18
Hour: 8.15
Machine type: RE8
No.: E27
Passenger: Lt Pring
Time: 30 mins
Height: 1500
Course/Remarks: CBP. V Dud. Elevator rocking bar shot.
Sunday July 7th 1918. Wrote AD [?]. Sent field card home.
8.15-8.45 Took off with four bombs. Could only get one of them off. Frightfully dud morning, low clouds and heavy mist. Got the right hand elevator rocking bar shot. Overshot on landing & ran into some boxes & broke propeller. 1 bomb.
9.15-11.0 Took up Hutchinson’s bus with a shoot. Too dud. Good landing.
Squadron Records
The day’s flying is fleshed out a bit in the official report:
Type and Number: R.E.8.27
Pilot and Observer: P. Lt Gregory. O. Lt Pring
Duty: Artillery Patrol
Hour of Start: 8.15am
Hour of Return: 8.45am
Remarks:
8.30am 1-25lb bomb dropped at K.34.b.5.5. [Rue de Bournoville, Merville] Burst unobserved.
8.35am sent U.L. U.R. U.D. C.8. [Unfit for counter-battery work; unfit for artillery registration; unfit for photography; clouds at 800 ft] Very heavy ground mists and fog. Machine hit on elevator rocking bar. No E.A. A.A. or E.K.B. [No enemy aircraft, anti-aircraft fire or enemy kite balloons]
Vis. very poor. Obs. By P. & O.
Because there were no enemy aircraft and no anti-aircraft fire, it looks as if the rocking bar must have been hit with small arms fire from the ground. Something of a lucky hit for the shooter at 1500 ft through cloud.
Type and Number: R.E.8.2327
Pilot and Observer: P. Lt Gregory. O. Lt Pring
Duty: Artillery Patrol
Hour of Start: 9.55am
Hour of Return: 10.55am
Remarks:
10.0am small explosion at E.30.d.4.4. [La Couronne, between Vieux Berquin and Neuf Berquin]
10.5am sent U.L. U.R. U.D. C.15. [Unfit for counter-battery work; unfit for artillery registration; unfit for photography; clouds at 1500 ft] Clouds in places below 1200'. Very thick mist prevented observation. No E.A. A.A. or E.K.B. [No enemy aircraft, anti-aircraft fire or enemy kite balloons]
Vis. very poor. Obs. By P. & O.
Wrote AD [?]. Sent field card home.
So there was time left for correspondence. Not sure who “AD” is – or even if it is AD. If it were AG (which is just possible), it could be either Alice Gregory (Greg’s sister) or Albert Gertrey (Greg’s fellow student from flying training in Yatesbury).
Greg was down to do a shoot but it didn’t happen, presumably because of the weather. The only flying was a brief joy ride with an infantry officer in the evening. A good opportunity to catch up on correspondence.
Log Book
Date: 6.7.18
Hour: -
Machine type: RE8
No.: E27
Passenger: Inf. Chap
Time: 15 mins
Height: 2000
Course/Remarks: Joy ride.
Diary
Saturday July 6th 1918. Wrote Home. Down for a shoot. Too dud all day, but took up an infantry officer for a joy ride in the evening.
An early start today: a 4:00am take off for a dawn reconnaissance/counter battery patrol, which saw some action. Greg obviously enjoyed himself.
Log Book
Date: 5.7.18
Hour: 4. am
Machine type: RE8
No.: E27
Passenger: Lt Pring
Time: 2 hrs 15
Height: 5000
Course/Remarks: Dawn CBP. Good time.
Diary
Friday July 5th 1918 Dawn Counter Battery Patrol. Took off at 4 am just before daylight.
Went over to Estaires, saw a train standing by Estaires – pulled off the bombs & missed it by about 100 yards so turned to let observer fire 100 rounds into it. Train moved off Eastwards.
Half an hour later saw a lorry moving up to Merville. Dived on him & let him have 50 rounds from the front gun, then turned and observer gave him 100 rounds, after which the lorry ran off the road into the hedge. Fired off the rest of the rounds into Fritz’s huts around Merville.
Got seven Archie holes through plane.
Archie
With seven holes through the plane, Archie (anti-aircraft fire) was definitely pretty hot. Archie explained here:
Squadron Record Book extract for 5 July 1918 (1). Click for larger imageSquadron Record Book extract for 5 July 1918 (2). Click for larger image
Duty: Dawn Reconn:
Hour of Start: 4.0am
Hour of Return: 6.25am
Remarks: 4.20am cloud, suspected gas, drifting Eastwards over L.9 & 15. 4.20am fire L.5.a.4.3. 4.25am train in L36a. 4-25lb bombs and 100 rounds Lewis fired at it. Bursts seen 100 yards S. of train which proceeded East. 4.30am sent N.D. 4.35am C.W.S. sent X. 4.40am sent K.K. 4.45am train proceeding East from ESTAIRES. 4.48am lorry at K.24.d.5.7 proceedings towards MERVILLE. 150 rounds fired at it from both guns. Turned off the road into the hedge. 4.50am K.K. flash in M.2. 4.55am trains at LAVANTIE and BAC ST MAUR. 4.55am A.A. firing from K.22.c.8.4. 5.0am C.W.S. sent X. 5.10am train in A.13 proceeding East. 5.15am 1 E.K.B. N. and behind ESTAIRES. 5.20am and 5.45am explosions at L.5.c.7.7. 5.25am explosion at Q.30.a.5.2. 5.40am C.W.S. sent L.C. No flashes seen in that zone. 5.45am train at BAC ST MAUR. 5.50am train at G.32.c proceeding towards ESTAIRES. 6.5am 1. E.K.B. S. of ESTAIRES. 250 rounds Vickers fired into various targets including houses behind MERVILLE. 400 round Lewis at various targets. A.A. normal. E.A. nil. Vis. fair, ground mist. Obs. By P. & O.
So it was a busy patrol, but also evidently an exhilarating one – “good time” was the verdict.
Today was, unusually, the occasion of a whole-squadron mission. There was a “hot-air” bomb raid from which all returned but, alas, the intended target got away.
Thursday July 4th. 1918 Hot-air bomb raid on Fritz’s back area.
Someone reported lorries – consequently squadron goes over to bomb them.
None seen. Archie jolly hot. Dropped bombs near Estaires & fired off all the rounds into Fritz’s lines. Quite a good show, everyone returned.
Hot-Air Bomb Raid
In what sense is Greg using the phrase ‘hot-air’? Full of sound and fury and signifying nothing, as the Bard had it, because the intended target wasn’t found?
Possibly. But I get the impression that Greg may have meant that the air was ‘hot’ because of all the aircraft, engines and bombs. In other words, he may have been conveying a sense of excitement rather than futility. In support of that theory, there is a later diary entry (for 21 July 1918), when he said that it was very windy all day and that he ‘hot aired’ it up into the atmosphere to do a shoot. Against it, I have found no mention of that sense of the phrase in the reference works and websites that I have consulted. Any useful further information will be rewarded with an honourable mention.
Header image: 42 Squadron Record Book extract for 4 July 1918
After two days of shoots, it was back to a counter battery patrol today, for which an entry in the Squadron Record Book is available. So we can see just what Greg and his Observer saw during the patrol. The entry in his diary doesn’t cover everything that was worth reporting officially.
Later in the day Greg paid a visit to two Siege Batteries. These were the batteries that he had been shooting with on the previous couple of days. A good time was had by all. Well, perhaps not quite all…Greg was well and truly taken for a ride.
Wednesday July 3rd. CBP 5.30am.
Bomb rack jambed – had to bring bombs back.
Fired 200 rds Vickers all over QB zone.
Sent an NF on guns firing at K30b2.4.
Saw several huns.
Two came very close, could see black crosses on tails.
Napier & Bonner had engine conk & crashed.
Went to see 14 and 145 SB.
Both had been good shoots.
145 people said theirs had been “the best for a few months”
Counter Battery Patrol/Artillery Patrol
Today’s counter battery patrol is the first for which not only Greg’s log book and diary are available but also for which we have the official report in 42 Squadron’s Record Book. So here is a more detailed look at what Greg saw and did on patrol that morning. He was sending signals of features of interest every five or ten minutes. The Squadron Record Book entry is hard to read, so a transcription is given, along with some interpretative notes.
Squadron Record Book
42 Squadron Record Book entry for 3 July 1918. Click for larger image.
Type and Number: R.E.8.27
Pilot and Observer: P. Lt Gregory. O. Lt Pring.
Duty: Artillery Patrol
Hour of Start: 6.20am
Hour of Return: 8.40am
Remarks:
6.30am E.K.B. S of ESTAIRES. 6.40am sent 2 R.E.A. K.D. 6.55am sent K.D. N.F. K.30.b.2.4. Battery silenced. 7.10am sent 3 S.E.A. L.C. 7.15am fire Q.4.c.5.5. 7.20am 2E.K.B. S. of ESTAIRES. 7.30am C.W.S. sent Q.B. No flashes observed Q.B. 7.35am 2E.K.B. E. of ESTAIRES. 7.40am fire at K.24.c.4.3. 7.45am fire Q.36.a.8.2. 7.50am 3 E.K.B. N. of ESTAIRES. 8.5am C.W.S. sent Q.B. No flashes seen in Q.B. Obs. Fired 100 rounds into MERVILLE. Pilot 200 rounds into buildings in Q.B. A.A. normal. E.A. active. Vis. poor very cloudy. Obs by P. & O.
Translation of Remarks
The map extract below shows the zones and map references mentioned in these interpretative notes.
Remarks:
6.30am E.K.B. S of ESTAIRES. [Enemy kite balloon south of Estaires]
6.40am sent 2 R.E.A. K.D. [Two reconnaissance enemy aircraft in zone KD (Merville)]
6.55am sent K.D. N.F. K.30.b.2.4. Battery silenced. [Signalled: in zone KD (Merville), enemy guns are now firing at map reference K.30.b.2.4 (east of the town centre). That 'zone call' elicited a response (from the British artillery, probably) that silenced the enemy guns.]
7.10am sent 3 S.E.A. L.C. [Three scout (fighter) enemy aircraft seen in zone LC, which is east of Merville]
7.15am fire Q.4.c.5.5. [There is a fire burning at map reference Q.4.c.5.5, which is southwest of Merville]
7.20am 2 E.K.B. S. of ESTAIRES. [Two enemy kite balloons south of Estaires]
7.30am C.W.S. sent Q.B. No flashes observed Q.B. [Central Wireless Station requested aircraft to investigate zone QB, south of Merville, but no flashes (which would indicate guns firing) were seen.]
7.35am 2 E.K.B. E. of ESTAIRES. [Two enemy kite balloons east of Estaires]
7.40am fire at K.24.c.4.3. [There is a fire burning at map reference K.24.c.4.3, northeast of Merville]
7.45am fire Q.36.a.8.2. [There is a fire burning at map reference Q.36.a.8.2, south of Merville]
7.50am 3 E.K.B. N. of ESTAIRES. Two enemy kite balloons north of Estaires]
8.5am C.W.S. sent Q.B. No flashes seen in Q.B. [Central Wireless Station again requested aircraft to investigate zone QB (south of Merville), but no flashes (which would indicate guns firing) were seen.]
Obs. Fired 100 rounds into MERVILLE.
Pilot 200 rounds into buildings in Q.B. [south of Merville].
A.A. [anti-aircraft fire] normal.
E.A. [enemy aircraft] active.
Vis. [visibility] poor very cloudy.
Obs by P. & O.
Map Extract Showing Principal Zones and References in Squadron Record Book Entry
Merville and surrounding area, showing zones and map references referred to in Squadron Record Book entry. Map credit: IWM/TNA/GreatWarDigital
Bringing the Bombs Home
No doubt a returning pilot would prefer not to have 100 lbs or so of high explosive fixed underneath his aircraft when he landed. So Greg probably paid extra attention to making a good landing. But it should be safe enough. As explained on the RE8 page linked below, the aircraft carried Cooper bombs. The detonator of the bomb was only exposed to the firing mechanism after the spinner in the nose rotated a plate. So in principle the bomb could not be activated unless it had fallen through the air. It was that which would cause the spinner to rotate. Nonetheless, who wouldn’t be a little more careful to land nicely?
There is no further mention in Greg’s diary of Napier and Bonner, whose engine ‘conked and crashed’.
Visit to 14 and 145 Siege Batteries of the Royal Garrison Artillery
‘The closest personal touch’
Greg had his first visit to artillery units later in the day. He visited the two siege batteries that he had had shoots with on the previous couple of days. They were 14 Siege Battery (6″ howitzers) on 2 July 1918 and 145 Siege Battery (8″ howitzers) on 1 July 1918. The authorities encouraged visits such as these. In fact, the General Staff’s booklet Co-operation of Aircraft with Artillery (December 1917 edition) [S.S. 131] said that visits should take before shoots, rather than after:
The necessity for the the closest personal touch between the Royal Artillery and the Royal Flying Corps cannot be too strongly urged.
A new observer should spend two or three days with a battery before he commences to range guns, and should see it firing with aeroplane observation. Similarly, Royal Artillery officers should, if possible, spend a few days with their corps squadron… [SS 131 p19]
Well, it didn’t happen in the prescribed sequence for Greg. Quite possibly, though, the 30 minute test flight with the ‘Art. Chap’ on 2 July 1918 was part of this programme of ‘the closest personal touch’.
Taken for a Ride
In any event, it was very probably on one of these two visits – and I would guess the first of them, which from the sequence in his diary looks as if it was to 14 Siege Battery – that Greg had something of an adventure. Rob Parsons (Greg’s son-in-law and my stepfather) recalls the telling of this story as follows:
It was arranged that Greg should visit one of the artillery batteries that he would be spotting for, in order to appreciate what it was like to be dependent on the information from the aircraft. It wasn’t long before he realised he was being subjected to a jolly jape, but he accepted that as a temporary 2nd Lieutenant faced with battle-hardened veterans he had to grin and bear it.
Greg was welcomed courteously by the CO, who insisted that in order to observe the battery in action it would be best if he was mounted on a horse a little distance from the guns. He would find the additional height an advantage, he was told. He explained that he had never been on a horse, but the kindly CO assured him that it was a docile old thing which would stand there placidly with Lt. Gregory on top.
All of which proved to be true…until the guns opened fire and the docile horse bolted in the direction of the enemy trenches. As he described it, he was conscious that there were gaps between the horse and Gregory, and Gregory and his tin hat, and that these disappeared and reappeared with ever increasing rapidity as the horse accelerated towards the relative peace of no-man’s land. Eventually he got the beast under control and managed to turn it on a reciprocal course. He returned it undamaged whence they had come. Naturally the whole battery was convulsed with mirth, but they parted on good terms, and to quote a character as yet undreamt of, “It was a grand day out”.
‘All’s Well that Ends Well’, that’s what I say
So Greg returned unscathed. Any wounded pride was no doubt soothed by the emollient words of 145 Siege Battery, who said that their shoot had been “the best for a few months”. And he probably was glad of a drink that evening.
