Tuesday 1^st.

            Working on Wire this morning.  Foggy had to quit at 12. At 2.45 went up to E.2.  Essex trenches to see what was required.  Thorne & I took our sections out at 5 p.m. and worked till 12.30 under heavy fire.  Got the trench repaired and revetted.  Bed at 2 a.m.

Wednesday 2^nd

            Working at wire this morning as it was foggy, a shell dropped in my wire without exploding so I set it off with guncotton.

This afternoon we rested and at 11.30 paraded to march to K. Redan to build a new trench 300 yds in front of 1^st line.  Got the section up safely.

Thursday 3^rd.

            Wrote to Irene.  At 1.30 a.m. arrived at K. Redan and proceeded to site of new trench which we worked at til 6 a.m. and practically finish.  The rifle shots were frequent but no casualties as the Germans did not spot us.  We had to do a lot of walking about in the open and the bullets came unpleasantly near us very often.  We got back to billet at 7.30 a.m. & slept till 3 when I had to march the men out to a new piece of work, a communication trench.

Friday 4^th.

            First parade 7 a.m. took the men for a bathe.  At 9 a.m., took the men to commence work on the new Com trench and stayed at it till 4.30.  Then payed the men 10 Francs each.  There was a heavy cannonade by our batteries as many as 6 batteries of 4 guns all going off together.  The Germans got their shells close to one of our guns & it was moved away at a gallop.  Received orders at 9 p.m. to move to Gorges starting 10 a.m. Saturday.

Saturday 5^th.

            Started at 9.45 a.m. & travelled along the Amiens R^d to Querrieux arriving there at 3.15.  Stayed the night there sleeping in an Armstrong Hut.  I bought an old clock for 10 francs, as a curiosity.  The men were very tired tonight.

Sunday 6^th.

            Started at 10 a.m. and continued our march.  Stopped for lunch at Villers Bocage then on to Wargnies where we stayed overnight.

Monday 7^th.

            Started off at 10 a.m. and marched through to Gorges arriving at 12.45.  Found it a very small uncomfortable place though very picturesque.  It lies in the heart of a wheat growing section.

I have only just room to stand in my room alongside the bed.  It is the worst billet yet.

Tuesday 8^th.

            Spent the day fixing up horse lines and finding place for rifle range.  Thorne went to practice demolition.  Lieut Col. Craster, C.R.E., called and as Major was away I had to show him round.  Rather cold today & a very heavy hailstorm.  My application for transfer sent forward today to C.R.E.

Wednesday 9^th.

            Thorne & I making reconnaissance of village.  About noon Major B got orders to move tomorrow.  Snowstorm early this morning.

Worked this afternoon getting ready for move.

Thursday 10^th.

            Started at 9 a.m. and joined the 116 Brigade at 10 a.m. marching in rear of it.

Reached Thiervies at 4 p.m. very tired having done 15 miles very slowly.

Friday 11^th.

            Started at 9 a.m. & reached Humbercamp at 1 p.m. billeted with Rifle Brigade and spent a very pleasant evening yarning with the officers.

6 mile march.

Saturday 12^th.

            Marched to Pommier then on to Beaumetz les Loges leaving the Coy at Pommier, I & my Section being detailed to take charge of R.E. Park at Beaumetz.  I was the first Englishman in Beaumetz which was occupied by the French & I had a great time making them understand   A French General fixed up my billets.

Sunday13^th.

            Went round the works & got my men’s hut fixed up.  They have got the best quarters they have had so far.  Duel of airplanes over head 2 bombs dropped close to

Monday 14^th.

            A few shells came in to town & the billet first allotted me was shattered.  Several men killed.

The 165 Brigade Staff moved in to Beaumetz & I reported to them.

Tuesday 15^th.

            Gen Greene Wilkinson called to see me.  General Jeudwine 55^th Div. O.C. sent for me to ask what improvements were wanted in the trenches and ordered my suggestions adopted.  Went round the gun batteries to examine strength of dug outs left by French men.  Found them poor.  C.R.E. came & ordered me to get transport out.  Major Brown countermanded it.

Wednesday 16^th.

            General McMahon sent for me for a report on Howitzer epaulments.  C.R.E. came twice today.  I took charge of the town pumping stations petrol and steam pumps.  Got in a lot of stores & divided them up amongst Inf & Artillery.

Thursday 17^th.

            Went round Beaumetz with Interpreter locating buildings for demolition.  Then to the Major.  This afternoon I rode over to Monchiet and Gouy.  Saw C.R.E. and adj’t D’Aeth at the last place then rode out to the batteries on the Arras R^d to choose place for Signals Dugout.  Received & issued a lot of stores.  Had a row with officer of 7^th King’s Lpool who was helping himself to stores.  Made him put them back.  Brig Gen Wilkinson sent for me at night to report on supplies.

Friday 18^th.

            Gen Greene Wilkinson sent for me to Basseux so I rode over this morning but found him gone.  His Staff Capt wanted me to go & report on some trenches.  Busy day loading & unloading stores.  C.R.E. wired to me to go & see him which I did at 7 o’clock.  He told me Gen Jeudwine would not agree to me going as infantry man but they would transfer me from Major Brown & make me Field Engineer as soon as another Lieut could be secured.

Saturday 19^th.

            Handed over care of stores to the 1/4 South Lancs Pioneers Battⁿ II Lieut Walmsley taking charge.  Arranged a church service for the men for tomorrow.

Rode out with Sergt M^cDonagh to find timber for trench boards & found a lot.  Stayed in at night writing.  Zeppelins over.  Heavy cannonade.

Sunday 20^th.

            Church parade at 9.  Sent off a party to the Gunners and one to demolish houses.  This afternoon Sergt McDonagh & I went round the works.  Fixed up billet papers & sent them in to Coy Hdquarters.  Wrote to Frank.

Monday 21^st.

            Went round the batteries this morning.  This afternoon went to Gouy to get plan of beehive dug out.  At 9.30 p.m. Adjt came for me to go and fix up a water plant.  Took 12 men & tools & worked all night getting home at 6 a.m. but finished the work.

Wrote to Maud, Dauberry John.

Tuesday 22^nd.

            Snow today.  Did very little this morning as I was very tired.  The Section was on Dugouts, Duckwalks and collecting timbers.  78 Duck Walks up to now have been made.

Wrote to Gerald.

C.R.E. wrote for statement of my experience as C.S. for the Chief Engineer 7^th Corps so I sent him my history since 1893.

Wednesday 23^rd.

            Got wire telling me to report to CR.E.’s when I got there I was ordered off to Solernau to make arrangements for getting water out of a deep well.  Found a most interesting lot of chambers and stairways cut in the chalk under the Chateau.  The stairs went away down below water level which was 54 feet down.  Went on to Couturelle to advise the Col of Wessex Fld Ambulance about some work he wanted done.  Reported to C.R.E. on the way home.  Freezing hard at night.  Lots of snow fell today.

Thursday 24^th.

            Very cold.  Went to Gouy this morning & had to wait all morning in C.R.E.’s office.  This afternoon I went to look over the Artillery dugouts we are building.  Drew Fr 100 from Field Cashier.  Wrote to Gerald for ****.  Wrote to Irene at night.

Friday 25^th.

            Rode to Fosseux this morning to arrange for a water supply.  A wet miserable day.  The men were busy at trench boards and on the signal dugout.  Called at C.R.E.’s office on my return.

Saturday 26^th.

            Company H.Q. and N^o 3 Section came over today and the same old worry of faultfinding recommenced.  The Major has been very nice to me since he has heard I am leaving him.  Went to Gouy this morning.

Sunday 27^th.

            Took the wagons to Gouy & sent them on to Mondicourt for R.E. stores.  Back to Beaumetz to see the gun dugouts.

Monday 28^th.

            Rode to Gouy then by MT to Mondicourt for water troughs but could not get any, so I took the MT to La Herliere where it got stuck in the snow and I had to walk home 8 miles or more to Beaumetz.  1^st Field Co marched in tonight.

Tuesday 29^th.

            Went to Gouy this morning then to within 4 miles of Arras to report on some dugouts that were falling in.  This afternoon I was busy with a model machine gun emplacement that was ordered by the General.  Major Brown & the others marched back to Grosville.