Queen Mary Hospital
Roehampton House
Roehampton
Surry
England
(Probably the address of Pop's wife, who was then a nurse in England)

Roehampton Lane
Roehampton

Mrs Gaudet
Buckland’s Hotel
Londond
(A relative living in England)

Started the day I came back from leave, December 11, 1916

Bad day for me. Left Folkestone for France at 10:30 a.m. Lunch at Boulogne. Crossed with Robertson. Left Boulogne at 3:00 p.m. and went by way of Calais and arrived in Bethune (a large town in northern France)about midnight. Put up at the hotel for the night.

Drove to Bruay with Major Brown of 73^rd . From there after lunch started to walk to Ruitz but met 73^rd men again (?) and got a lift. It took me as far as Barlin and from there I walked to Maisnil-lès-Ruitz where our unit was billeted. It was snowing and raining.

Leighton was on a course and Longworth has left for England for an operation. Found lots of mail and parcels.

Still in billets and nothing doing at all.

Inspection in morning by General Byng, Corps Commander. Had quite a long march past Ruitz and he inspected us as we marched past. Saw Wallace for a few minutes.

Parades in morning and afternoon. Gave out mother's Xmas parcels. Walked to Ranchicourt and saw General Burstall, then to Ruitz and then home here. Sent in my application for transfer to artillery. Hope it will go through. Will likely take some time.

Very quiet day in billets, just one parade in morning.

Sunday. Church parade which I did not attend as I went to Brigade Head Quarters about my transfer. Still in billets at Maisnil-lès-Ruitz, just at head of mine shaft no. 7.

Ordinary parades, still in billets.

Ordinary parades still in billets. Snowstorm this afternoon.

Still in billets. Snow on ground and quite cold. Inspection by Brigadier tomorrow but I am going billeting (searching for a place to sleep).

Went billeting to Petit Servins, passed through Barlin and Hersin. Took over the 3^rd Brigade Trench Mortar Battery billets and stayed the night with them.

3^rd Brigade moved out early this a.m. I went and met our lot a mile or so out of the town. Raining and a nasty day, fairly cold.

Still in same billets. Captain Leighton went to look over the line with the other Officer Commanding. We go in tomorrow. Raining and cold most of the day.

Pedley and Wray went in today. Not my turn. Fine day but cold. Line very good from all accounts. Holding a church service here at 3:00 p.m. this afternoon. Spent Evening with Leighton and 78^th Padres.

Raining and blowing. Leighton went up to the line. Wrote letters. In afternoon went to find 87^th infantry but they were at Camblain L'Abbe, too far away. Not quite the usual kind of Christmas. Spent evening with some of the men.

Went to Brigade H.Q. at Villers au Bois and telephoned Leighton. Then went to Camblain L'Abbe and found 87^th and had lunch with them. Jack Wallace was there, (two indecipherable words) and Major Gilday. Then walked home. Walked all the way getting a lift on a lorry now and again.

Did not do much all day. At 9:00 p.m. notified that 5 of our men who should have reported in the morning at Ranchicourt had not turned up. Went over with Sergeant Knox to find out. Its now reported that it was a mistake at their end. Did 5 hours hard walking, a good 10 miles and got back at 1:00 a.m. Night fine and cold. Did not know way but had a map.

Men paraded to Gas school. I went to Brigade H.Q. on a bicycle to arrange a few things. Nothing much doing.

Cold and raining. Did not do much today except got ready to go to trenches tomorrow. Had a bath in the afternoon. Men had a smoking concert in the evening which I attended.

Came into trenches with relief. Trenches full of water and very bad but up in the line alright. Our quarters good and gun position fine. Wray went out. Everything pretty quiet, we fired about 100 rounds.

Overcast and blowing hard. Captain Leighton went out. In afternoon, went up to front line to observe. Quite a trench mortar fight was up, over about 820 rounds during the day. Had a close shave from a piece of high explosive shell near no. 6 gun. In morning carried up quite a little ammunition with infantry carrying parties. Night pretty quiet.

Overcast and blowing hard. Infantry carrying party for ammunition all morning. Fired quite a lot. Enemy shelled Zouave Valley close to our H.Q. about 11:30 a.m. and intermittently at other times. Went up to 78^th H.Q. and saw Officer Commanding about co-operation. His trench mortars fairly active all day. Particularly around no. 5 gun.

Quite a day for trench mortars. We fired over 300 rounds and they came back pretty strongly at times with sausages mostly. Nearly got one myself during the afternoon. Was up in the front line myself most of the afternoon observing. Fired 25 rounds at a suspected sniper post. Seemed to land about the right spot. Heavies and Mediums also firing quite a bit. McKenzie came up this p.m.

Heavy shelling and trench mortar work about 7:00 a.m. Our guns quite busy. Strafe lasted quite a time and was fairly heavy. Had to go to 78^th H.Q. at 10:30 a.m. Enemy shelling very heavy on the way. Did not like it at all. Had some very close shaves. No. 4 gun knocked out of action about 8:30 a.m. Gun buried and men buried but not hurt. Enemy shelling with artillery and trench mortars very heavy till about 1:00 p.m. We got no support from our artillery. We fired nearly 600 rounds from our guns.

Captain Leighton came up yesterday afternoon. Went with him in the morning to meet General MacBrien and he went around our guns and seemed well pleased with them and our work yesterday. Very quiet day and nothing doing at all.

Fine morning. Germans started shelling and trench mortars about 9:30 a.m. and gave us hell. Nearly got Sergeant Knox and myself with a minnie in Granby trench. Nearly got one dugout. About noon dugout at no. 7 gun blown in and four men buried. Went up at once with Sergeant Knox, shelling like the devil. Got out three of them, two hurt but not badly. The other, Corporal Woodworth, was killed. Had to get engineers and they dug till 2:00 a.m. next morning. Just got to him and could see his face hard and he was dead. The whole thing caved in again and nothing more could be done.

Captain Leighton came up with relief and I came out. Fine day and everything quiet. Our artillery due to put on a show tomorrow.

Very quiet day in billets. Lieutenant Halton reported to us. Had a great sleep last night. Used Katie's eiderdown for the first time. We were supposed to put on a strafe today. Don't know whether it came off or not.

Very quiet day in billets. Raining and rotten weather. Had a good bath, the most important thing of the day.

Left for trenches about 9:00 a.m. arrived about 11:30 a.m. We started a strafe about 2:00 p.m., artillery and trench mortars lasting about 2 hours. Fritz had put over a heavy strafe in the morning just before I got in. Day raining and rather rotten. He had given us two strafes since I went out, making two direct hits on Head Quarters. One was a dud and it stood the other alright but was a bit dinged in.

Very quiet today, only a few sausages now and again. Our artillery fairly active particularly on our left. M. Halton came up today and relieved Mackenzie. Gas alarm about 5:30 p.m. but evidently a false one. Night very quiet after that except on our left where the devil was on.

Battalion relief, very quiet in the morning. About 2:30 p.m. enemy trench mortars got very active and we retaliated, also heavies and mediums. Our artillery fairly active.

Rain and sleet. Trying to spot a sniper's post and working party. Enemy trench mortars fairly active during the afternoon. We retaliated fairly heavily. Our artillery fairly active. Enemy artillery quiet. Relief came up today for the men.

Last night enemy trench mortars active for a couple of hours. Our guns replied and also the artillery. Pretty hot for a time. Rest of day fairly quiet. No. 6 gun blown in and dugout partially so. No casualties. Wray came in and Halton went out for a course. Temporary pit at no.7 gun also blown in partially and these two guns were taken ont of the line till we can fix things up.

Morning cold and misty. We were going to put on a bombardment but it was put off owing to poor observation. Pedley came in and relieved me and I came out. Very quiet nothing doing at all.

Very quiet day in billets. Cold and freezing hard. Heavy barrage by our artillery about 4:30 p.m. Captain Leighton left on leave this evening.

Another heavy barrage this morning. Turned out to be a raid by 2^nd Division. Wray came out and McKenzie went in. Very quiet day in billets.

Very quiet day, still in billets. Lots of snow on the ground last two days.

Had to move our rear H.Q. to hut no.1, a darn cold spot and weather cold with snow. Went to Brigade H.Q. in morning.

Parade for presentation of honours. General Officer Commanding presented Military Medal ribbon to Sergeant Knox, Corporal Lambert, and Privates Calverly and Halcrow. Did nothing else all day but sit around the fire. Go to line tomorrow to relieve Pedley.

Came in to relieve Pedley. Weather cold and ice on trench mats, making walking bad. Everything quiet. Been so for some days now. Left Petit Servins at 9:30 a.m. Arrived at trenches 12:30 p.m.

Fired about 10 rounds last night at snipers post. Little strafe in the morning about 9:30 a.m. We fired about 50 rounds. Corporal Ewen killed by shell just outside of H.Q. dugout, the only shell that came near there at all. Fired about 75 more rounds in the afternoon in retaliation.

Very quiet Battalion relief on. We did not fire at all. Wray relieved McKenzie. Saw aeroplane fight during the afternoon. One came down in flames, not sure whether ours or theirs. Enemy fired a few rounds of shrapnel during the night.

Relief did not come up as men in quarantine. Day quiet and very little shooting by our guns. Enemy did a little shelling during the night.

Day quiet. Went to conference at advanced Brigade H.Q. Nothing much doing. Both sides did a bit of shelling and Trench Mortar work.

Fine and clear. Got after sniper at Kennedy Crater. Moved two guns up and had a telephone in front line connected with guns for registration. Registered each gun separately and then gave 100 rapid and gun crews took guns back. Everything seemed to go up. Things certainly flying for a bit. He came back with Minnies but did no damage. No other firing. Enemy did a little shelling.

Kaiser's birthday. I was relieved by Pedley about noon, up to that time nothing doing. Our people expected Huns to bombard us by way of celebration and we had orders to retaliate at once. Only it did not come off while I was there. Came out by Hospital corner and Carency and got a ride on a lorry most of the way. Had a long chat with H. Staveley.

Spent in billets, nothing exciting. February 1^st went to Barlin with Wray for a bath.

Relieved Pedley everything fairly quiet. Picked out position for our guns for raid to come off Sunday. Pedley and both crews remain in.

About 1:00 a.m. this morning, fired 20 rounds at working party reported and 20 more later on to cover raid of 72^nd at 4:30 a.m. which was not a great success. Rest of day fairly quiet except for readied (?) location on Kennedy Crater for raid in evening. About 9:00 p.m. we covered right of 10^th Brigade raiding party with four guns. Fired about 350 rounds. Raid a big one and very successful. Retaliation very heavy but slow in coming.

Morning took 4 inch stoke up and showed them the ground. Put in our guns and registered them. Had 14 guns = 7 of our own, 4 from 10^th and 3 from 11^th. Our men ran them all. Raid at 2:00 p.m., fired about 1400 rounds. Halton shaken up by a shell and one man bruised later by an explosion of one of our own bombs. We had five men wounded just outside of Head Quarters.

Very quiet today and fine and clear. We did not do any shooting. Stood by at night to shoot on relief of machine gun post but it did not come off.

Very fine and clear. Gas alert on. Examined all helmets. Went over line with Brigadier and Colonel Kirkcaldy of 78^th. We did no shooting at all. Enemy very quiet.

Fine and clear. Gas alert on. Spent morning arranging for shoot on sniper's post. At 3:00 p.m. shot on sniper's post near Ersatz. Fired about 140 rounds. Some hits but shooting erratic on account of wind. Otherwise day very quiet.

Day fine and very quiet. A fire started in the Head Quarters dugout about 9:00 a.m. and set off a bomb (mortar bomb, artillery shell or hand grenade) that had evidently been built into the wall. It killed my batman Wilson and cut Lieutenant Wray badly about the face, not sure if his eye is injured. Pretty close shave all around.

Very fine day and quiet. Working on our dugout. Pedley came up to take Wray's place. Very quiet on both sides. Night before last, 38^th shot a Fritz just outside our wire, part of a patrol. They put him in last night (buried him). Heard that Wray's eye is alright.

Fine and quiet. In afternoon, we fired about 130 rounds at snipers post opposite International, good effect. Intended to fire on Hun relief on left sub section (?). But owing to Patrols and working parties of ours, we did not do so. Our artillery very active between 7:00 and 8:00 p.m.

Very quiet all day. Overcast. A very heavy enemy barrage on left sub sections about 8:00 p.m. Our guns replied and our artillery retaliated heavily. Very few casualties in the 78^th who got the worst of it.

Overcast and cloudy with a little snow. Our artillery fairly active. We fired at snipers post opposite International. Silenced him for the time being.

Raid by 10^th Brigade last night or rather 4:00 a.m. today. Very successful, 1 officer and 50 other ranks taken prisoner. Heavy barrage, our guns took part and fired about 600 rounds. Today very quiet. Captain Leighton came up for a few minutes. Day fine and warmer than we have been having.

Very quiet day. A few sausages near no. 5 gun for which we retaliated. Artillery normal on both sides. Captain Leighton came up and we are fairly tense preparing for a show.

Quiet day, working like the devil preparing for a show. Have to put in 21 guns right up and prepare ammunition and register the guns as our barrage is to be close to the raiding party and a very delicate one.

3:00 a.m. this day the 72^nd put on their raid. We fired 21 guns with our own personnel, firing over 2000 rounds. Infantry reported barrage excellent and they were not fired on at all going in. Our party took 11 prisoners and bombed dugouts and found quite a number of dead in the trenches. Raiding party had three casualties, all wounded, two of them slightly. We had no casualties except one man slightly scratched but still on duty. I came out to billets after lunch and was relieved by McKenzie. Morning was quiet.

In rest billets. On 19^th a raid by 78^th. We operated about 20 guns, firing about 2000 rounds.

Came into line to relieve Pedley. Spent rest of the day registering guns and preparing for raid. 38^th and 78^th raided at 5:30, we ran 16 guns firing about 1700 rounds. 11^th brigade ran 4 guns on left and 10^th two on right. Enemy retaliation fairly heavy and raid successful, all parties but one getting in (i.e. into enemy trench). No prisoners brought back. Quite a few killed and dugouts bombed.

Quiet except Huns put on a strafe about 3:00 p.m. and another about 6:00 p.m. Our artillery retaliated heavily. We fired about 70 rounds from 3 - 4 guns. Had to send for rations to Advance Brigade Head Quarters. No mail. Very short of candles (to light dugouts).

Day fairly quiet except for Hun strafe about 3:00 p.m. Our guns did not fire. Our artillery active. Received operations order in evening concerning raid.

Day quiet. Prepared for raid and set and registered our guns. German strafes in afternoon and very heavy between 6:30 and 7:00 p.m., making direct hit on our dugout with High Explosive. (indecipherable) put up his S.O.S. (a rocket flare).

Day quiet except for occasional artillery on both sides. Our planes up and flying very low. Work repairing one dugout which was pretty badly bust up. Pedley came up today. Wind not right for raid.

Quiet except for the odd shell. One of our guns and ammunition blown up on left last night, no crew with it luckily. Wind no good for raid.

Day quiet except for occasional shelling. Decided at midnight to pull off raid early tomorrow.

Raid this morning. Two waves of gas at 3:00 and 5:00 a.m. Our guns took part in barrage to cover infantry. Fired for 10 minutes. No.4 gun hit direct and Sergeant Knox, Welch and Naffin killed. Retaliation heavy and gas not a success and raiders suffered pretty heavily. Fritz seemed to be ready. Rest of day fairly quiet. During night enemy made a direct hit on our Head Quarters with high explosive. No one hurt.