• Received raincoat and present from ladies.
• Rained the whole day-a few inches deep.
• Returned to Reserve

• Stayed at Reserve until 4PM
• Worst walk I ever had to Huts at La Clytte
• Waist-deep in mud.

• Awful weather-all rain.
• Received letters and parcels
• Naval guns barked often.
• Fairly quiet.

• Continuous rumble all day.
• Very wet and plenty of mud.
• A few casualties.
• Held in readiness.

• Artillery simply awful
• Went to Bailleue with Sgts Jealous and MacDonald
• Had a dandy time.

• Acting Sgt Maj. all day
• Wet all day.
• Parades morning and night.
• Received parcels from Mother and girl.
• Had a jolly spread.

• Left for trenches at 8AM
• Took over same line
• Up to knees in mud and water
• Rubber boots and waders issued
• Extremely uncomfortable
• Dugouts all fallen in.

• Terrific cannonading on right and left
• Our part of the line fairly quiet
• Wrote letters home.

• Plenty of rain and mud everyway
• No places for the lads to sleep
• Received letters
• Rained practically the entire night.

• Rain once more
• Whiz bangs  too numerous to count
• Busy all day and night
• A few more casualties.

• Rain causing parapets and dugouts to fall in
• Terrific bombardment-4 hours.
• A few casualties

• Rain all night
• Absolutely rotten weather
• Dugouts fell in
• Preparing to leave trenches

• Left trenches at 4 AM
• Took over guard with Platoon at A La Brasserrie
• Plenty of rain
• Received letters

• Very cold and damp
• Rather quiet
• Saw old pal Jack Fee

• Very frosty and cold
• Bombardment from 4 to 8 PM
• Advances somewhere
• Received letters

• Left trenches for guard at A La Brasserrie
• Not at all bad
• Took over myself
• Plenty of rain
• Dugouts bad. Repaired all

• Nothing unusual
• Received letters
• Rained heavily
• Wrote letters

• Rumours about leave (only rumours)
• Nothing unusual
• Left for Eastern Redoubt
• A good place

• Weather fair but damp
• I am 26 today-peculiar kind of Birthday
• Received dandy letters from Ada
• General Turner visited us
• Brought down aeroplane.

• Nothing unusual
• Rumours of a counter-attack & taking two lines from the Germans
• Received parcel from Ma

• Awful artillery fire
• Fatigue parties running
• Inspected by General Brigadier Rennie
• Aeroplane brought down-Major and pilot captured

• Nothing unusual
• Received letters & wrote some home
• Left Redoubt for La Clytte
• Arrived at 7AM

• Fierce bombardment all day and night
• Heavy frost
• Half a house blown away
• Lost 8 men Transport and two horses

• Had a good day’s rest
• Took command of Company N.C.O.’s practice.
• Officers at meeting
• Had a sing-song at night.

• Went to Bailleue with Sgts Jealous and MacDonald
• Had a good time
• Route march, and then rest
• Received letters and answered them

• Left for the trenches
• Dugouts rotten
• Good work done on new line

• Received letters
• Lost 1 officer, 8 men, a few wounded
• No rum
• Lads talk, bad job

• Lovely morning
• Germans quiet
• Afternoon hummed hymns
• Shells about just before dusk-Hell!
• Wrote letters

• Relieved by other half of Company
• Took command of half Company in support.

• Fearful bombardment-awful noise
• Shells dropping 20 yards from us-8 into Dickebusch Lake.

Note:

Many of you have probably noticed the reference to "girl" throughout this diary.  She is mentioned again this month on the 6th.  This "girl", as most of us have guessed, was his sweetheart and when I asked Cliff about this, he responded with a photo of Lou and his "girl", Hilda, whom he eventually married.

Click for December 1915

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