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.)