The 1st Australian Siege Battery of six 8 inch howitzers, in position at Birr Cross Roads, during ...

The 1st Australian Siege Battery of six 8 inch howitzers, in position at Birr Cross Roads, during the ranging of the battery preparatory to the further attack on Polygon Wood, on 28 September, following which the guns moved forward. The Battery evacuated the position on 29 September 1917. On the morning of the attack at about 0530 hours - half an hour before our zero at 0600 hours - the enemy heavily shelled this position; hit luckily without material damage to the guns; but four of the personnel were wounded. This was caused as the men were proceeding from their dugouts to the guns in order to open the attack barrage. The officer standing between the first and second gun is Lieutenant W. W. Whittle, Royal Australian Artillery, a section officer of the Battery. The No. 2 man beside No. 2 gun is 518 Gunner Harold Alexander Triggs, killed by shellfire 5 July 1918 when the same battery was in action near La Motte. This is an original Paget Plate negative. The same image is available in colour and is held at P03631.200.