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Date: June 1916
Diary

WAR DIARY
1ST CANADIAN SIEGE BATTERY.

1916
June 12 Battery at Newbury,. Advance party under Capt. Dobbie left for France.
The guns were sent forward under Lieut. Weldon.
" 13 Newbury Battery getting ready to move, packing stores, etc.
" 14 1 a.m. left Newbury via train to Folkestone, arrived, in Boulonge at 2 p.m.
Marched to St. Martins camp.
" 15 Took guns and stores off ship and loaded them on trains, finished in six
hours, said to be record time, Guns sent up the line with a party under
Lieut. Trenholme by train, caterpillars in charge Lieut. Nesbitt, A.S.C.
Left at midnight.
" 16 Remainder of Battery left in lorries from St. Martins camp to report to
H.A. 15th Corps.
" 17 Arrived at our position near Meaulte at 9.30 p.m. Took over two guns
from the 12th Siege Battery R.G.A.
" 18 Two of our own guns arrived at position at 6 p.m. Worked all night and
mounted A & B sub guns.
" 19 All hands hard at work fixing up battery position.
" 20 First round from B sub gun fired at 6 p.m.
" 21 Capt. Dobbie registered the four guns on School Houses in Mametez from
the O.P. in Durham trench.
" 24 Started bombardment at 2.30 a.m. Battery fired 800 rounds. First pay day
in France.
" 25 Registered No. 2 gun on Willow trench. Still on bombardment. Weather
rainy.
" 26 Started bombardment at 3 a.m. firing on Bulgar point, Bulgar trench and
Mametz trench, 800 rounds.
" 27 Started bombardment again at 3 a.m. firing on Mametz, 800 rounds.
Weather rainy.
" 28 Started again on bombardment on trenches near Mametz, only 200
rounds fired, Weather rainy. Six inch How. Battery near us shelled with
gas.
" 29 Bomd. A.B. Stweart killed by premature from 60 pdr., behind us Buried
the same day in Military Cemetery at Meaulte.
" 30 Again on bombardment 400 rounds fired (W.H. Dobbie, Capt.)

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