A day off for Greg today, and he went to ‘Omer’ – St Omer.
Diary
Tuesday Aug 20th. Day off – went to Omer.
St Omer
This was Greg’s third visit to St Omer. The two previous occasions were here:
and here:
Monday 19 August 1918 – No Shoot To Do, Merville Liberated
Although Greg was down to do a shoot today, there was no shoot to do so he didn’t fly. On the ground, the front on the Lys sector was starting to move eastwards: on this day, British forces liberated Merville.
Diary
Monday Aug 19th. Down for shoot – none to do, so did not fly.
Merville Liberated
As the tide began to turn, British ground forces on the Lys sector today retook Merville. The Germans had taken it on 11 April 1918, the day of General Haig’s ‘Backs-to-the-Wall’ order:
Page updated 20 August 2018, 11:55
Sunday 18 August 1918 – Shoot with 524 SB (12″ How)
Today was a shoot with the big gun – or more properly the big 12 inch howitzer – of 524 Siege Battery RGA. Thirty 12 inch rounds in the record time of 1 hr 22 mins.
Log Book
Date: 18.8.18 Time: 6.20 Rounds Lewis: - Rounds Vickers: - Bombs: 2 Time on RE8s: 132 hrs 35 mins RE8: E27 Observer: Lt Hodgson Time: 2 hrs Height: 4000 Course/Remarks: Shoot with 524 S.B. 12” How. 30 rounds in 1 hr 22 m.
Diary
Sunday Aug 18th. Down for dusk patrol. Did a shoot instead, with 514 S.B., 12” How. Got off 30 rounds in record time.
Squadron Record Book
Type and Number: R.E.8.27 Pilot and Observer: P. Lt Gregory. O. Lt Hodgson Duty: Art Obs on H.B. Destructive. Hour of Start: 18.20 Hour of Return: 20.20 Remarks: S. with 524 S.B. (1-12”) on H.B. at R.3.d.58.39. [East of Lestrem] (P). Called 18.34. K 18.36. L 18.39. G 18.42. 29 ranging rounds:- 1OK, 3Y, 5Z, 9A, 4B, 7W. O.K. on ranging pit and O.K. on No3 pit by a shot at Z8 causing an explosion. Total No of rounds fired 29, av. Rate of fire 2.45. CI sent 20.7. 18.23 2EKB north of ESTAIRES. 18.30 2-25lb bombs dropped at K.36.d.1.6. Two bursts obs. 19.23 ) KK ) 19.42 ) KK ) Flashes at G.22.c.4.7 approx [West of Sailly] 19.44 ) KK ) 19.48.Three flaming onion batteries firing at G.8.c. & G.14.a. 19.58 Green Very lights from K.18.d.2.9 and L.19.a. Fires in CROIX DU BAC and STEENWERCK burning continuously. Vis:good. Height 4000’. Obs by P & O.
12 Inch Howitzer
Greg does not record whether the 12″howitzer used by 524 SB was railway mounted or static, but both of these monsters are shown in action in this footage from the Imperial War Museum’s collection:
More on the railway-mounted 12″ howitzer, made by Elswick Ordnance Company, here:
And more on the static 12″ howitzer, made by Vickers, here:
Flaming Onions
More on ‘Flaming Onions’ here:
Updated with Squadron Record Book info and corrected to say that 524 SB was operating a single 12″ Howitzer, as shown by the SRB – 28 September 2018 16:30
Saturday 17 August 1918 – Very Windy & Low Clouds
So far there have been 33 occasions in Greg’s Log Book and Diary when the weather was a significant factor. Today was the 34th, when it was very windy with low clouds, which precluded flying.
Diary
Saturday Aug 17th. Down for shoot. Dud day. Very windy & low clouds – did not fly.
Friday 16 August 1918 – Dud CBP, One Hun Seen
Fresh from his unscheduled awayday at Paris-Plage yesterday, Greg is down for a morning counter-battery patrol. But heavy mist precludes a successful outing. He sees one Hun.
Log Book
Date: 16.8.18 Time: 9.30 Rounds Lewis: 100 Rounds Vickers: 150 Bombs: 4 Time on RE8s: 130 hrs 35 mins RE8: E27 Observer: Lt Hodgson Time: 2 hrs 10 mins Height: 5000 Course/Remarks: C.B.P. Dud. Mist. One hun.
Diary
Friday Aug 16th. C.B.P. Heavy mist. Dud – one hun seen.
Heavy Mist
The poor weather doesn’t stop them firing off 250 rounds, between the Lewis and Vickers guns, and dropping four bombs. But we don’t know to what effect.
Thursday 15 August 1918 – Dud Day, Paris-Plage Beckons
Greg was down for a shoot today, but it was a ‘dud day’ – so Greg went and had a good time in Paris-Plage:
Diary
Thursday Aug 15th. Down for a shoot. Dud day. Went to Paris-Plage – good time.
Paris-Plage
In contrast to today’s unexpected bonus outing, Greg’s previous trip to Paris-Plage was on a scheduled day off, and rather chaotic because of a driver not knowing where he was going:
Wednesday 14 August 1918 – Bomb Raid and Dusk Reconnaissance
For only the third time, Greg was assigned to take part in a bomb raid. The previous occasions were 11 August 1918 and 4 July 1918. To round off the day he went on dusk reconnaissance and found two batteries firing.
Log Book
Date: 14.8.18 Time: 10.25 Rounds Lewis: 350 Rounds Vickers: 150 Bombs: 4 Time on RE8s: 126 hrs 45 mins RE8: E27 Observer: Hodgson Time: 30 mins Height: 3000 Course/Remarks: Bombs & ammunition.
Date: 14.8.18 Time: 19.15 Rounds Lewis: 150 Rounds Vickers: 200 Bombs: 4 Time on RE8s: 128 hrs 25 mins RE8: E27 Observer: Hodgson Time: 1 hr 40 mins Height: 4000 Course/Remarks: Dusk reconnaissance. 2 NFs. [Twice, the signal for 'guns now firing' was sent.]
Diary
Wednesday Aug 14th. Two jobs. Bomb raid in morning & dusk reconnaissance. 2 N.F.s sent.
Tuesday 13 August 1918 – Wireless Failed
Following on from yesterday’s unsuccessful shoot with 213 Siege Battery South, another shoot with the same battery was scuppered by a wireless failure.
Log Book
Date: 13.8.18 Time: 15.10 Rounds Lewis: - Rounds Vickers: - Bombs: - Time on RE8s: 126 hrs 15 mins RE8: E27 Observer: Lt Hodgson Time: 1 hr 50 mins Height: 7000 Course/Remarks: Shoot with 213 SB South. Wireless failed.
Diary
Tuesday Aug 13th. Shoot with 213 SB (South). Wireless failed.
Wireless Failed
This was the first time that Greg recorded difficulty with his wireless. In contrast, there were (so far) some 20 instances of engine trouble and three instances of camera trouble.
Monday 12 August 1918 – CBP and Shoot
The two principal activities of Greg’s time with 42 Squadron came together today, with a counter battery patrol in the morning and a shoot on a target near Neuf Berquin in the afternoon.
Log Book
Date: 12.8.18 Time: 9.15 Rounds Lewis: 300 Rounds Vickers: 200 Bombs: 2 Time on RE8s: 123 hrs 00 mins RE8: E27 Observer: Lt. Hodgson Time: 2 hrs 30 mins Height: 4000 Course/Remarks: C.B.P. Very misty. U.L. U.R. U.D. [Weather report: unfit for counter-battery work, artillery registration or photography]
Date: 12.8.18 Time: 18.20 Rounds Lewis: - Rounds Vickers: - Bombs: - Time on RE8s: 124 hrs 25 mins RE8: E27 Observer: Lt. Hodgson Time: 1 hr 25 mins Height: 6000 Course/Remarks: Shoot with 213 SB South. L21. Unsuccessful.
Diary
Monday Aug 12th. Two jobs. CBP in morning & shoot in evening.
Shoot on L21, near Neuf Berquin
L21 was a map square ENE of Merville, near Neuf Berquin, on the road to Estaires:
More on counter-battery patrols here:
And more on shoots here:
Sunday 11 August 1918 – Bomb Raid and Shoot
Two outings today: a bomb raid, and a shoot with 323 Siege Battery with whom Greg hadn’t worked for almost a month.
Log Book
Date: 11.8.18 Time: 11.15 Rounds Lewis: 300 Rounds Vickers: 200 Bombs: 4 Time on RE8s: 117 hrs 25 mins RE8: E27 Observer: Hodgson Time: 45 mins Height: 2500 Course/Remarks: Bomb raid. Very hot & bumpy.
Date: 11.8.18 Time: 17.10 Rounds Lewis: - Rounds Vickers: 100 Bombs: 4 Time on RE8s: 120 hrs 30 mins RE8: E27 Observer: Hodgson Time: 3 hrs 5 mins Height: 4000 Course/Remarks: Shoot with 323 SB on Q6. Successful.
Diary
Sunday Aug 11th. Up twice – bomb raid for 45 mins in morning & shoot with 323 on Q6 in evening, successful.
Bomb Raid and Shoot
It wasn’t often that Greg went on a bomb raid. But it was this morning’s duty, and possibly carried out in support of initial ground operations in the Lys sector that were part of the Allies’ ‘100 Days’ Final Offensive.
323 Siege Battery (6″ howitzers) was previously a partner for Greg on a shoot on 17 July 1918. Square Q6 is south of Merville, on what is now part of Merville-Calonne Airport:
More on shoots here:
Previous shoot with 323 SB: