French Batteries and British Batteries appeared from nowhere

10th August [1916] Thursday

King failed to relieve me 4am, so returned direct to camp 5 am.
Lay up part of the morning and slept.
Today the artillery, French and British, have had the greatest beano of their lives and given us the finest spectacular display conceivable. The French infantry attack on 227 successful last night, British move on left also successful. From 5.30 am to 10 am all guns in position played hell with the Bulgar positions. British Batteries, Howitzers, and 10 pounders dashed into action ahead of the infantry line, French infantry swept across our front in waves carrying all before them. Bit by bit the guns moved forwards one by one. French Batteries and British Batteries appeared from nowhere in particular and got into action behind ridge after ridge – while all the time the unceasing thunder of the long range guns deafened us. At one critical moment the batteries round me (4 guns) were firing at the rate of 450 shells an hour – and there were upwards of fifteen batteries! All the enemy positions were wreathed in smoke. The day was with us – the sun behind us showed every detail of the enemy position and rendered observation a pleasure and forbade him to observe us. The roads behind were alive with new batteries racing up, ammunition columns and a few ambulances.
By ten am the first Bulgar positions were in our hands in ruins, and then fell a silence for the midday rest for gun horse and man. At 4 pm the inferno again commenced directed against the 2nd line. Hundreds more shells and thousands were fired on the scrap iron heap that yesterday had been a fortified position. Against the last of the high Belashitza mountains our guns played, while the Bulgars could hardly reply. Night fell and four miles in depth of Bulgar lines were in our hands at the loss of 20 French and one or two British! Such was accuracy of our fire that the Bulgar batteries never found it possible to shoot back with effect.
At 7 pm I was ordered out in full pack to help the guns to dig in on the old Bulgar line. Under cover of darkness 1/3 of the regt went out by platoons. I found my lot near the village of VLADAJA and throwing out my protection worked on the gun positions till 3.45 and then under cover withdrew to the position the Battalion was to have occupied last night, for it was under orders to move when I left it.
Have written this up this fully because of the great interest it had for me – my God the gunners were pleased with themselves – and rightly.