A thunderstorm came up so rapidly that the balloons had not time to come down

TCD MS 10821 folio 56 recto

TCD MS 10821 folio 56 recto

[August 25th 1916] bably killed & George Warner wounded.
August 26th. A day of complete rest. Most of the men were completely tired out & slept all day.
August 27th. A very wet day, constant heavy showers. Towards evening there was a great bombardment between Thiepval & Posieres. Our ammunition supply seems to be quite unlimited.
August 28th. The weather is still showery. The welcome news has just came in that Italy has declared war on Germany & Romania on Austria. This ought to make a great difference & ought to speedily wind up the Balkan shows & about finish Austria. In the afternoon paid a visit to the 9.2 Howitzer battery & watched it firing. It is astonishing how far one can see the shell go after it leaves the muzzle of the gun.
August 29th. Work as usual in the morning. In the afternoon a very heavy thunderstorm came up so rapidly that the balloons had not time to come down & to my horror I saw two of them struck by lightning, which fell down in a sheet of flame; both the observers must have been killed I am afraid. Another balloon broke loose & drifted away over the German lines. All day the French kept up a very intense bombardment to