Wednesday 1^st.

            Went to SAULTY with 8 men to set up some water troughs and connect them with a steam pump.  Came back to Beaumetz at night & dined with Col Fairclough 1/4 S. Lancs Pioneer Batt.

Thursday 2^nd.

            Went to Saulty again and finished the troughs leaving the men there at night.  Called at C.R.E.’s office and was ordered to get more men and take them to cut logs in Barly Wood.  Sent Corpl & 12 men over at night to Saulty.

Friday 3^rd.

            Cutting logs Barly Wood.  Rode to BARLY.  Went to Saulty calling on C.R.E. on route and received instructions to take all my Section (except the tradesmen working in the shops at Beaumetz) to Saulty.  Sent word to Sergt M^cDonagh who brought over the carts and men arriving at Saulty at 11 p.m.

I stayed at Saulty all night in Priest’s house.

Saturday 4^th.

            Snowing hard all day.  The men were busy sharpening tools and fixing up billets.  I moved from Priest’s house to a warmer place but I am still feeding with the Mobile Vet.  Section Officers.  Letter from Maud.

Sunday 5^th.

            Worked one party on Water Supply at Solernau Chateau this morning another party in Barly Wood cutting timber.  I rode to Avesnes Le Comte this afternoon & got a log devil from the Sawmiller there then went back with it to Barly Wood.  Letter from Frank.

Monday 6^th.

            Went over to Solernau this morning and this afternoon.  I rode via Barly to Gouy to see C.R.E. about the timber.  The logs are hard to get out of the wood as the ground is like porridge.  Snowstorm today.  There was a very good concert at Saulty tonight & I found it a pleasant change.

Tuesday 7^th.

            Went to Solernau this morning & fixed up the pumping plant.  The interpreter made pancakes for lunch.  This afternoon I went to the wood to shew the men how to get out the timber.  3 horses sick today so borrowed two from the Mobile Vet Section.

Very cold at night with some snow.

Wednesday 8^th.

            This morning I paid the men 10 fr.  Walked round to Larbret & Lakerhire getting out distribution returns for C.R.E.  A beautiful day though rather cold.  Indoors most of afternoon getting out returns.

Wrote to Rose to thank her for socks she sent.

Thursday 9^th.

.           Working on shed for Mobile Vet Sect and went to Barly Wood morning & afternoon.  Had a row with French at Sawmill who objected to us taking logs into the yard but we got there.  Sent Taylor over to H.Q. for pay etc.  Cold N. wind all day & more snow at night.  Wrote to Jack.  Letters from Home.

Friday 10^th.

            Wrote to Uncle Robert.

Cold day with more snow.  Worked on shed at Mobile Sect & in Barly Wood.  Got a new pair of horses on trial from Mobile Vet Sect to replace chestnuts evacuated.

Saturday 11^th.

            Rode to Couturelle, Coullemont & Humbercourt this morning & to Sombrin & Barly this afternoon to get information re machinery & stores.  The men were working on Shed for Mobile Vet and in Barly Wood got out poles and ash logs.

Sunday 12^th.

            Rode to Fosseux and Gouy this morning.  Saw C.R.E.   Rode to Avesnes le Comte this afternoon with Allan & La Rouge.

Monday 13^th.

            D.A.D.O.S called for me in a car at 8.30 and took me to Mondicourt to get stores then to Humbercourt to build a dam and a laundry shed which Q.M.G. wants in operation by Thursday.  Sent for Sergt & 8 men and started on the dam finishing the wood work of it and the frame of the Shed.  Beautiful day.

Tuesday 14^th.

            Finished Shed & dam today and also went to Sombrin to start setting up a pump.

Beautiful day.

Wednesday 15^th.

            Socks from Home.  Tobacco from Charlie.

Went early to Humbercourt to set up the water heating plant back to Saulty for lunch then to Sombrin and Humbercourt this afternoon.  It is splendid riding about now the roads are dry and the sun is shining.  Lot of airplanes over, both British and enemy.

Thursday 16^th.

            Rode to Gouy this morning & on to Beaumetz to get the missing parts of Sombrin pump.  This afternoon I rode to Barly Wood.  There was a lot of shooting at airplanes to-day.  Sent Major Brown the Lodging fuel & light allowances claims for Jan, Feb & March.  Mine amounting to £14-1-11.

Friday 17^th.

            Went to Barly Wood this morning and to Sombrin this afternoon, another beautiful day rode two different horses from Mobile Section.  Phone C.R.E. about Bastier pump parts.  Went to bed early.

Saturday 18^th.

            Letter from Charles & from Home.

Hydraulic tables from Gerald.

Rode to Gouy this morning.  Drew 75 francs from Field Cashier.  Saw C.R.E. & got orders to go to Mondicourt this afternoon.  Went to Mondicourt for stores got back at 5 p.m.  Good concert at night by Div Theatre Co.  Fine morning but slight drizzle this afternoon.  Good bath tonight.

Sunday 19^th.

            Rode to Barly this morning and to Sombrin & Barly this afternoon.  Spent some time in the wood.

Monday 20^th.

            Rode to the wood this morning & this afternoon I spent some time in the Sawmill and then rode to Sombrin.

Letter from Irene.  Wrote to Irene.

Tuesday 21^st.

            This morning I rode to Solernau, Humbercourt & Coullemont, found a gravel bed at the last place.  This afternoon rode to Coullemont & Sombrin to see how pump was progressing.

Wednesday 22^nd.

            Rode to Solernau this morning and spent some time at the Sawmill.  This afternoon I went to Coullemont and Sombrin.  Capt Trenchard of 147 A S Coy came to see me about taking over water supply.

Thursday 23^rd.

            Wrote Home.  Wrote Can Paymasters.  This morning I rode to Barly to receive some horse troughs then rode on to Avesnes le Comte to buy nails got back at 12.45.  After lunch rode again to Barly to set men working at the pump.  An unexploded German bomb fell in Chateau garden & was reported to me so I went and found it was sunk too deep to be worth excavating & filled in the hole it made.

Friday 24^th.

            Snowing and blowing rode to Sombrin & Barly also to Solernau & Humbercourt, very tiring day.  Started Sappers working in Barly Sawmill and sent up a load of Beech logs to Barly.  Had tea at the Chateau.

Saturday 25^th.

            Letters from Mrs Yolland & Maud.  Wrote to F.L. Davis & Mrs Yolland.

Met Capt Trenchard at Sombrin and settled question of troughs.  Then rode with him to Humbercourt, Coullemont & Couturelle and had lunch with him.  Got home about 4 p.m.

Sunday 26^th.

            PAID MEN.  Snow.

Rode to Couturelle then to see Capt Trenchard.  This afternoon rode to Gouy & had tea with C.R.E., met Major Brown there.  Went for walk with C.R.E. to look at some wells.

Monday 27^th.

            Took men over to Gouy to set up a pump.  Got the well ready today and hauled the pump to the site.  Went to Solenau this morning.  Had tea at Barly hospital mess.  Snow storm.

Tuesday 28^th.

            Got the pump set in by noon at Gouy.  Then rode on to Barly to look up a well there and arrange for a new pump.

Heavy snow storm.

Wednesday 29^th.

            Met Interpreter at Barly at 9 a.m.  Went to overhaul steam engine and find out price then inspected Barly Sawmill and arranged for my men to take it over.  Went on to Gouy.  Stormy day.

Thursday 30^th

            Letter from Home.

Rode to Barly and then on to Gouy to build Gassing Hut.  Had lunch with C.R.E. then rode to Barly and worked at pump.

Fine day but cold wind.

Friday 31^st.

            Letter from Maud.  Parcel from Mrs. Yolland.

Rode to Gouy this morning to see Gassing Hut finished then on to Barly to work on new pump.  Went to Barly again this afternoon got the suction pipe set.  Sent my bank book off to Cox this morning.  Fine day.