Author: Stuart

The Poet

Poetry

You ask what my soul does away in the sky,

I inwardly smile but I cannot reply;

Like the peach-blossom carried away by the

stream,

I soar to a world of which you cannot dream.

Li Po A.D. 705-762

The Somme, May, 1916 – June 1917. Part 1

Research

On March 27th an advance party, under Lieut. Aston, left Bristol for Southampton, embarking on the commandeered L.S.W. Rly. “Hantonia” at 1 a.m. on the 28th for Le Havre, which was reached after a severe crossing in a gale at 3 p.m.

After a day’s rest at No. 4 Rest Camp at the docks, the party entrained for Rouen, where the day was spent until 4 p.m., when the party left for Abbeville. From here, and by short stages through Doullens, Puchevillers, Bouzincourt, the party arrived at Albert, where strangely enough it was billeted at 76” Rue d’Amiens on April 2nd.

Without delay the advance party set to work on a position in the rear of the railway cutting west of Albert, at a point flanking both sides of Hennencourt-Albert road, with the Albert-Amiens road on the extreme right. During the next few weeks, while awaiting the arrival of the main body of the battery, guns and stores, the advance party made dug-outs and prepared the gun emplacements.

The main body of the Battery left Bristol on the 31st March and embarked at Southampton for Boulogne on the S.S. “Lydia”’ together with 69 Siege Battery, commanded by Major H. G. … Read the rest