Today Greg spent the day on a shoot. He was directing the fire of 99 Siege Battery onto a target in square R3, near Lestrem. His mind probably occasionally wandered to his sister Alice Gregory, whose birthday it was today
Log Book
Date: 22.8.18 Time: 17.20 Rounds Lewis: - Rounds Vickers: - Bombs: - Time on RE8s: 137 hrs 00 mins RE8: E27 Observer: Lt Hodgson War Flying Time: 2 hrs 05 mins Height: 5000 Course/Remarks: Shoot with 99 SB. Successful. R3.
Shoot with 99 Siege Battery on R3, near Lestrem
This was the first shoot that Greg did with 99 Siege Battery RGA. He does not record their equipment, but it was probably howitzers with a bore of at least 6″. [Update at 15:00: An entry in the Squadron Record Book for 24 August 1918 says that 99 SB was equipped with two 6″ howitzers.]
The target is not noted in any more detail than the 1,000 yard map square. But square R3 encompassed what looked like a small field marshalling yard where a field railway met the Lys valley main line from Armentières to Merville. The yard is hatched on the map to denote it as an ‘area of interest’ and could well have been the target.
Alice’s 27th Birthday
Back home, Alice Gregory – Greg’s sister – celebrated her 27th birthday today.
