A midday counter-battery patrol in cloudy conditions revealed Merville being shelled. Nothing unusual there, you might think. But now the town was in British hands and was being shelled by German artillery. Another sign of the turning tide.
Log Book
Date: 23.8.18 Time: 11.20 Rounds Lewis: 200 Rounds Vickers: 300 Bombs: - Time on RE8s: 139 hrs 30 mins RE8: E27 Observer: Lt Hodgson War Flying Time: 2 hrs 30 mins Height: 5000 Course/Remarks: C.B.P. Fairly dud. Cloudy.
Squadron Record Book
Type and Number: RE8 27 Pilot and Observer: P. Lt Gregory. O. Lt Hodgson Duty: Artillery Patrol Start: 11.20 Return: 13.50 Results and Remarks: 11.55. UL UR UD. [Weather unfit for counter-battery work, artillery registration or photography] 12.00. MERVILLE being shelled by enemy artillery. Called up C.W.S. [central wireless station] with TP, L30 [Estaires]. L30 kept under observation, but no flashes seen. Visibility poor. 12.55. C.W.S sent GC [3,000 yd square east of Estaires]. No flashes seen. Two barges in CANAL at L 35 b 2.9 & L 27 d 8.5. 13.45. Large fire in BUILDINGS at R 27 c 1.7 AA nil. EKB nil. Vis: poor to fair. Height 1/4000’. Obs by P&O 300 V.G. [200 rounds from Vickers gun] & 200 L.G. [200 rounds from Lewis gun] into BUILDINGS L 34 [la Gorgue] from 1800’.
Merville Shelled
The various locations in the Squadron Record Book entry are marked on the following map. They show that enemy activity observed by 42 Squadron was now decisively moving eastwards. But the shells still fell on Merville.
