All the notebooks were written on the right hand page and additions, photos, cartoons or other documents were added to the left hand page.

Book 3.

This continues directly from the previous book.

the trenches for an officers’ bomb-proof. 

29^th March     I now started all spare men on digging out places for proper Bomb-proofs for the men.  Nine Ten were made in all to hold 20 men each.  They were right under the crest of the hill and safe against anything short of a howitzer.  No more trees were allowed to be cut down and I arranged with the French to stop their men from doing it also.  We also worked during the night at a supporting point in the wood but this proved very disappointing owing to water lying a foot below the surface.  Very few sandbags were available for building up parapets and these were required to build out to the right of 49a.  A boggy stream caused great difficulty here but some progress was made.  We were warned that the Germans were preparing a gas attack on a large scale but it seemed incredible.  A number of their aeroplanes were very active again, the first we had seen for some time.

The ridge behind us was shelled as usual and a few shells fired into 51.  I arranged for all the corrugated iron and timber to be brought away from there at dusk and again at dawn, this proved invaluable for the new bomb-proofs.

On the opposite page is a sketch map of the location showing Hill 60, the trenches and Zillebeke.

It was most fortunate this was done as shortly afterwards the Huns heavily shelled 51 now abandoned.  This was twice repeated during the day.  Our men were delighted with themselves sitting in perfect safety watching the “Hate”.  We were again rifle grenaded but had no means of reply.  Two men were badly hit.  It is the horrid feeling of being left in the lurch while in England it is “Business and Pleasure as usual”.   I had another talk with the French Commandant and stayed by special request while they were handing over from one Bⁿ to another.  It was very well done.  Splendid large scale maps showing every French and German trench were handed over.  Between the French and German trenches there were a large number of Frenchmen lying where German machine gun fire had caught them two months earlier in an attack.  There were more aeroplanes about again.

I walked with Neville to examine the trenches we had made in the wood A, passing up a glade behind 49 I looked back and saw the German trenches only 100 yards off.  It was broad daylight but fortunately no one was on the look out.  We were in full view for about a minute.

31^st March.    There were the usual hates during the day.  I took some photos of the trenches and Bombproofs and the work was completed so that the relieving troops could enter by the new comⁿ trench instead of using the French one.  In case of attack two if possible should always be available, one to evacuate wounded the other for reinforcements.  That evening we were relieved and marched back through Ypres to our old camp.  Here some new huts had been built for the Officers and the ground was quite dry and green.