• Morning fine.
• Standing to.
• Jack returned from leave.
• Artillery opened up in afternoon.
• Did dandy work.
• A lot of casualities: 20^th, 18^th, 21^st.
• Retook old trench on left of Piccadilly Farm.
• Germans guessing.

• Lovely day.
• Still standing to.
• Artillery something unbearable. Awful noise.  Hell!
• Heard of victories of Russians and French.
• Our boys doing dandy work.
• Have held Germans on the left.

• Misty morning. Wet and lots of rain.
• Artillery going some.  Ground shakes.
• Took up battle positions at 3PM.
• Stayed all night.
• Had charge of Fort Murro.
• Awful night.  Snowed very badly. 6” fell in short time.
• Received letters.

• Bad morning. All snow and rain.
• Mud about 12” deep.
• Artillery quiet.
• Have taken trench back on left and one of enemy’s.
• News from Turkey-Russians doing fine.

• Snow and lots of it.
• Snow and mud awful.
• Relieved 20^th Battalion in Redoubts.
• Heavily shelled and lots of casualities.
• Redoubts dandy.
• Snowed all day.
• Received letters and wrote a few back.

• Machine gun fire on us.
• Nobody hurt.
• Snowed practically all day and night.
• Rain, and cold, and damp.
• Artillery shelled us in the afternoon..
• Nothing doing.
• Received letters and answered a few.
• Jack not well.

• Snow! Snow! Snow!
• Very wet under foot.
• Everything very quiet.
• Artillery shooting seldom.
• Very trying on the nerves.
• Artillery then going strong for 2 hours.

• Snow 8” deep.
• Jack a little better.
• Germans fairly quiet.
• Artillery going some.
• Dandy day-lots of sun.
• A few more casualties and a few more shells near.
• Bomb school closed.
• Had a sing-song in the dugout.
• Had a good spread from Y.M.C.A. Canteens.

• A lot of snow.
• Aeroplane fight-brought down one.
• Not at all bad scenery.
• Washed in the snow.
• Even oil frozen.
• Anxiously waiting for good news of Verdun.
• Quiet along our front-nearly caught.

• A little snow-things rather quiet.
• Rumours of a rest-3 weeks.
• Hope so.
• Jack a lot better.
• Recommendation gone in by Major for my crown.
• Received dandy letters from A.

• Rain and very muddy.
• A few casualties.
• Walked trenches with Jack.
• Rather quiet today.
• Left Redoubts from La Clytte..
• Relieved by 20^th.

• Had a bath.  Luck!
• Inspection by Col.
• Inoculated again.
• Aeroplanes about.
• Lots of mud.
• Sun shinning.
• Divined Service at 9AM.
• Had sentimental sing-song in Hut.
• Received letters.

• Lots of rain and mud up to the knees.
• Big guns (15”) on the go.  Awful noise.
• Had a dandy time with Sgts. Jealous and MacDonald.
• Saw some nice girls.
• Wrote home.

• Awful noise all night.
• Rain in torrents-awfully slushy.
• Clothing Parade.
• Heard of two ships sunk (ours).
• Walked over fields with Jack in aft.
• Big Fatigue at night.
• Capt. Sanders-Fly Corp.-riddled by Germans.
• Machine 4’ in the earth.
• L. M. Sgt. Marks made Lieutenant from the 5^th.

• Rather quiet all day.
• Sun shining-lovely.
• Heard of 33,000 being captured by French at Verdun.
• Acting C.S. Major.
• Artillery opened up and kept up all night.
• Received letters.

• A little rain in the morning.
• Heavy fighting on right.
• Boys out on fatigue until 2 AM.
• Wet and slossy.
• Fairly quiet on our front.
• Received letters.
• Heard Fred had come out.
• A few casualties on fatigue party.

• Colonel’s Inspection.
• Left for trenches at 4PM.
• Crossed fields and took over from 20^th at 6PM.
• Artillery fairly quiet.
• Big stuff about.
• Had a dandy spread in dugout.
• Act. Co. Sgt. Major.

• Lovely morning and had a lovely wash at Creek-nice and cool.
• Aeroplanes about early.
• Rumours about going further West from O trenches to U.
• A little artillery duel in afternoon..
• Heavy firing on right.
• Big stuff from Germans.

• Leave commencing.
• Lovely morning.
• Felt a bit disappointed at not going the second time.
• Hope to go next.
• Lads working very hard at trenches which look fine.
• Heard from H.E.V. and all is well.

• A lovely Spring morning.
• Sun is beautiful.
• Rumours of us going further West.
• Germans nervous and firing wildly.
• Guns opened u-a swell sight.
• Enemy parapets blown up.
• We had a few casualties.
• Received dandy letter from Mother.

• Delightful day.
• Aeroplanes about in very large numbers.
• Artillery going strong.
• Rain towards night.
• Artillery peppered the German line all night.
• Their trenches were smashed.
• Received letters.

• Artillery opened up at 4AM and also the French Mortar Batteries..
• Lots of sport, also rain and cold.
• Fritz rather quiet.
• S. M. Fee commenced course for Commission.
• Relieved by the 20^th
• West Yorks relieved 19^th on our right. Lost 300 men.
• Bad night to see the stretchers.

Thursday, March 23rd

• Rain and very dirty.
• Germans fairly quiet.
• Artillery fairly active.
• Fatigue parties amounting to 100 per Coy. out.
• Making second line.
• Our guns making awful noise.
• 9-2 & French .75.
• West Yorks lost a lot of men.

• Snow 3”deep-snowed all day.
• Artillery very active.
• Fatigues Parties all day and night.
• Visited by Lieut. Davidson.
• A few more casualties.
• Getting on well in new position.
• Shells dropping near.
• Received letters.

• Things about the same.
• Awfully muddy and more rain.
• Left from transport at 5:30PM.
• Slept in barn all night.
• Left and went in tent.
• Looking forward to holiday.

• Left La Clytte at 2AM.
• Arrived at Bailleul at 5AM and left at 6AM.
• Arrived at Boulogne at 11AM.
•  Boats stopped as submarines about.
• Sussex sunk and faces of lads long.

• Walked about.  Ports closed and no traffic.
• Passengers of Sussex landed at Boulogne.
• Dreary wait.  Cold.
• 2,000 other lads waiting for boat.
• Tents very chilly.

• Everybody up early and very expectant.
• Walked about all day.
• Lined up by Col. and told weather too rough.
• Extremely windy and lots of foam upon the water.
• One boat in.
• Awfully cold all night.

• Fell in at 5AM.
• Marched down to docks and took place on Victoria Maud.
• Left Boulogne at 9AM.
• Arrived at Folkestone at 11:10AM.
• Left Folkestone at 3PM.
• Arrived at Victoria Station at 6PM.
• Saw girl and left for home.
• Had a very rough journey across.

• Saw friends and purchased necessities.
• Took dog for a run.
• Saw girl in evening and went to pictures, Wood Green Empire.
• Had a little rain in morning but dried up later.

• Morning dandy and feel fine.
• Went for a walk around the lanes.
• Thoroughly enjoyed the walk.
• Had a sing-song at Finsbury Park.
• Went for a walk and missed train.  Walked home.
• Zepplins about Waltham Abbey.
• No damage.

April 1916

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