Oct. 6: Nothing particular happened today so far, we get relieved tonight, so they say. Just at 6 o’clock tonight a regular bombardment started, lasted for about 2 minutes, shrapnel bursting everywhere, but no damage was done. Came up to our rest camp at Locre, about 6 miles from firing line, came into some fairly comfortable huts. Lost all my private belongings, razor and everything, no chances of ever seeing anything again.
Oct. 10: Went down to Kemmel made two trips to the trenches. It’s about 4 miles to Kemmel from Locre then two miles from there to the trenches we carried corrugated sheet iron and trench floors each time. Had a man by the name of W. L Woods wounded in the thigh buy a stray bullet. Got back to rest camp 2:45am all very tired, nothing to do all day.
Oct. 14 : Very quiet today quite different from yesterday. Fatigue every night to the trenches taking rations up.Oct. 16: Very quiet all day still foggy. Oct. 24: Went on guard today to relive men who had not had a bath, got finished about noon, came back and got ready to come to the firing line for 6 days.
Oct. 28-30: Rained practically all the time, dugout fell in, very cold and everybody very miserable but no more bombs thank goodness. Nov. 7: Relieved the 28 last night trenches were in very poor shape didn’t get our own blanket last night. Had a good wash this morning in hot water, always have to do so on a Sunday morning just on principle anyway very foggy today. They are sending over a few rifle grenades and trench mortars.
Nov. 14: Many happy returns on the day; it is the anniversary today what a lot has happened in the last year. Nov. 16: Went to Bailleul, to a concert this evening the whole company went down… it wasn’t too bad something to break the monotony anyway.Nov. 18: Back in the firing line once again. Germans sent over lots of whiz-bangs today, most of them fell on the supports. It has started rain again, very cold rain.
Dec. 19: In the night some time began the fiercest bombardment we have yet experienced, just one roar it was so intense just north of us at Ypres. This lasted until about 7 o’clock, then just at breakfast time we all began to cough and … we got the tail end of the gas which the Germans sent over. It was very uncomfortable while it lasted a lot of the fellows had to put their gas goggles on it has been a very active day.
Dec 24 Xmas Eve: I can’t realize it. The only thing that makes one think at all about it are the Xmas parcels. No mail for 2 days. Rumour that the shrapnel is blocked with mines. Going on carrying party to the trenches tonight. Had a tremendous amount of rain last night; it came through the roof of this shack and drenched half of us.