38th_War_Diary_Complete

Instructions regarding War Diaries and Intelligence Summaries are contained in F.S. Regs. Part II. and the Staff Manual respectively. Title Pages will be prepared in manuscript.

WAR DIARY or INTELLIGENCE SUMMARY. (Erase heading not required.)

Army Form C. 2118.

Page 7-

38th Canadians

Original Confidential

War Diary for month of April 1917

Place -- Date -- Hour -- Summary of Events and Information Remarks and references to Appendices " 8

Trenches 1917 Ap. 6 cont South, the same thing happened again, apparently. We are not sure however of the nationality of the second machine brought down.

At 8.15 pm last, the enemy sent up a green flare which, in five minutes was replied to by his Field Artillery, which opened up on the vicinity of our front line for five minutes. This was repeated several times during the night. At 10:30 pm, he sent up a golden spray and his artillery opened up on our front line, supports, and Zouave Valley. This lasted until about 11. p.m. Some of these shells seemed to fall in his own front line. During the night at intervals, he shelled the vicinity of GRANBY DUMP. At 1.35 am a rocket was sent up which broke in a number of golden stars. This was followed by a rocket breaking into two green stars. In about five minutes from his first rocket his fire opened on "no man's Land" and his own front line. This was repeated at a later hour and his firing was stopped apparently by a rocket which broke into a string of green stars and

2449 Wt W14957/M90 750,000 1/16 J.B.C. & A. Forms/C.2118/13.

Instructions regarding War Diaries and Intelligence Summaries are contained in F.S. Regs. Part II. and the Staff Manual respectively. Title Pages will be prepared in manuscript.

WAR DIARY or INTELLIGENCE SUMMARY (Erase heading not required.)

Army Form C. 2118.

Page 8

38th Canadians

Original - Confidential

War Diary Month April 1917

Place -- Date -- Hour -- Summary of Events and Information Remarks and references to Appendices 9

Trenches 1917 Ap. 6 cont. floated until it burned out. There was very little machine gun fire by the enemy last night with the exception of his firing on our aeroplanes. His aeroplanes were inactive yesterday afternoon and evening, though our machines crossed his front line frequently. This morning, however, about 10.30 after two of our machines had patrolled the BOSCHE line for some time, one of his machines suddenly darted out and shot it down and it fell in flames. This apparently happened again a little farther south with another machine. With the exception of these incidents, none of his machines were seen.

This morning about 11.30, a Bosche was seen walking towards MONTREAL CRATER and when first noted was in the neighbourhood of s.15.a.4.3. apparently on the west side of the junction of CLUTCH and CYRUS Trenches. He made his way eventually to Sap. Bl. and walked in. He was wearing his mack and carrying his rifle. He was a man of small

2449 Wt W14957/M90 750,000 1/16 J.B.C. & A. Forms/C.2118/13.

Instructions regarding War Diaries and Intelligence Summaries are contained in F.S. Regs. Part II. and the Staff Manual respectively. Title Pages will be prepared in manuscript

WAR DIARY or INTELLIGENCE SUMMARY. (Erase heading not required.)

Army Form C. 2118.

Page 9

38th Canadians

Original Confidential

War Diary Month April 1917

Place -- Date -- Hour -- Summary of Events and Information Remarks and references to Appendices

Trenches 1917 Ap. 6 cont stature, about 5 ft. 3 or 4 inches, probably weighing about 185 pounds, fair complexion and sandy mustache. He belonged to the 11th Bavarian R.I.R. A very noticeable fact was that although this man walked in the open for at least fifteen minutes, apparently not one shot was fired at him from his own line. His clothing was in good condition, but he was very muddy. RBO'S

do 7th Battalion in lines as previously stated.

With the exception of a few quiet periods, our artilery has been active continuously for the past two and a half hours on the enemy's support and rear lines also on his wire entanglements. Satisfactory results noticed from Sap. B.I. The area principally fired on was the east half of S.15.a. Both our heavy and medium trench mortars fired again today on the same areas. Much debris was thrown into the air, apparently from Clutch trench. Our Brigade Machine Guns were active last night with indirect fire. Our Lewis guns did not have any targets, but fired

2449 Wt W14957/M90 750,000 1/16 J.B.C. & A. Forms/C.2118/13.

Instructions regarding War Diaries and Intelligence Summaries are contained in F.S. Regs. Part II. and the Staff Manual respectively. Title Pages will be prepared in manuscript.

WAR DIARY or INTELLIGENCE SUMMARY. (Erase heading not required.)

Army Form C. 2118.

Page 10

38th Canadians

Original Confidential War Diary Month April 1917

Place -- Date -- Hour -- Summary of Events and Information Remarks and references to Appendices 11

Trenches 1917 Ap 7 cont but fired some indirect bursts.

At various times during today, our planes have patrolled over the enemy's front line and rear areas. Not much activity from him in this regard. The enemy's artillery was particularly active during last night at various times, and during today, principally on Zouave Valley. The direction from which his shells come has been as usual, northeast and southeast. Ersaty C.T. still continues to receive his attention as well as Wortley. Our front line s.24.b.8.2. to S.14.c.8.8. and Sn?argate support line has also been fired on with whizbangs. We have again noticed him using a small shell, which upon landing makes very little report and a little smoke. This may be a penetration shell, exploding after driving some distance into the ground. At 5.15 am he put up a white rocket followed by a green rocket breaking into red. This was followed by a very heavy bombardment of his own front line and

2449 Wt W14957/M90 750,000 1/16 J.B.C. & A. Forms/C.2118/13.

Instructions regarding War Diaries and Intelligence Summaries are contained in F.S. Regs. Part II. and the Staff Manual respectively. Title Pages will be prepared in manuscript.

WAR DIARY or INTELLIGENCE SUMMARY (Erase heading not required.)

Army Form C. 2118.

Page 11

38th Battalion

Original Confidential

War Diary Month April 1917

Place -- Date -- Hour -- Summary of Events and Information Remarks and references to Appendices 12

Trenches 1917 Ap. 7 cont "No Man's Land." About 10.30 this morning a plane was seen opposite our front, but did not approach our line. Fewer flares were noticed last night than usual and were fired from his support line and further back. RBO'S

Trenches 8 Batt. in trenches as per above. The day was an extremely busy one for all ranks, preparing for the morrow. Our artillery has been very active the last twenty four hours, apparently on schedule shoots. No barrage was put on. About 15 rounds of ehavy Trench Mortars were fired this morning to the neighbourhood of Cyms and BABY Trenches and the Craters in S.15.a. Our Vickers Guns were fairly active during the night. Our planes have been fairly active during the day and between 9.30 am and 12 noon patrolled our own lines.

The enemy Artillery has kept up a fairly active fire during the day, covering Zouave Valley and our Support Line. A fragment picked up was stated to have been a portion of an 18 inch shell. During the night, on the signal, the enemy put a

2449 Wt W14957/M90 750,000 1/16 J.B.C. & A. Forms/C.2118/13.