Duplicate loose-leaf sheets of the detailed daily war diary maintained in the field by Captain William John Noonan, 25th FAB, from 2 January to 11 January 1917
Oblong folio (210 × 340 mm), eleven sheets (nine of them are 'Army Form C. 2118' with printed columns and headings, the other two are plain paper); all contain duplicate manuscript entries (rectos only). All sheets are signed in indelible pencil by Captain Noonan; on one of the plain sheets, he has written 'Spare Copy'.
Filing holes in the top margin; a few minor chips and dogears; overall in very good condition.
Internal evidence places the 25th FAB in the vicinity of Ginchy and Le Transloy in the Somme. Routine observations (temperature, barometric pressure, ammunition expended, casualties) are secondary to the often lengthy reports of brigade and enemy activity. A typical day's work might involve the registration of new 'S.O.S.' lines ['pre-determined lines that artillery fired along if the infantry was suddenly attacked; these were aimed at areas in No-Man's Land or in the German front lines where attacks might start from', quoting Lieutenant-General Robert Dunlop on Great War Forum online]. Attempts on 2 January were 'not very successful ... These two positions of observation are under fairly heavy shell fire, which renders the condition of observation somewhat difficult, as the bursting shells obscure the view just at the time we are firing the registration rounds'. On 10 January 'Enemy artillery was more active than usual and consistently shelled ... (vicinity of Battery positions) with 5.9" and 8" shells throughout the day from 10 am to 4.15 pm at about the rate of one per minute' from the direction of Riencourt (misspelled Reincourt). That day, an enemy aircraft was also brought down by machine gun fire, 'and the aviator, who was wounded, passed through our Ambulance'. Only one casualty is recorded: 9062 Gunner Albert William Smith was wounded in action on 5 January. Captain William John Noonan survived the war, and went on to the next one as V1653.
Item #117551
Price (AUD):
$250.00