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

1^st Aug. 1916.           In the early morning the Norfolks came to relieve us.  My headquarters had been in the cellar at X, soon after we left a shell set all the woodwork on fire and they had to hurriedly vacate.

We moved back to Pommiers redoubt.  Our casualties were Lts. Marshall and Gossen Killed.  Capt. Nottidge Lts. Mulligan, Jones, Haye, Mattey & Roeber wounded, also 185 other ranks killed & wounded.  That afternoon some casualties occurred from shelling which was most annoying after reaching comparative safety.

2^nd Aug. 1916.          We moved back to ……

On the opposite page is a photograph of Lt Col Allason taking the sandbag wall on Angelface at the Bde Horse Show Gen Stevens judging.

3^rd Aug. 1916.           The men all had a bath and change.  Gen Turner, Gen Stephens and Gen Horne all came round with congratulations and praise.  The thunder of the guns continued night & day but we were beyond range of all but the biggest guns.  Transport left by road.

4^th Aug. 1916.           The Bⁿ moved off at 5 a.m. and marched to Dernacourt where we entrained about midday.  We detrained near Longpre and marched to ….here we stayed the night in a field, the transport arriving in time to get out our valises.

The next day we marched to Tailly, accommodation was skimpy but the situation magnificent, a chateau in large wooded grounds.  There was a small stream flowing through, not deep enough for bathing but by making shallow excavations along the bank and pegging in ground sheets a large number of improvised baths were soon made.  The rest from gun fire, the green grass and shady trees, the twittering of birds made it seem like paradise.  The suspect was at hand. 

On the opposite page is a postcard of Chateau Tailly and a group photograph outside same.

One afternoon a middle-aged rather stout French lady drove up while a boxing competition was being held on the lawn in front of the chateau.  She at once demanded to see me and for what seemed like an hour she overwhelmed me with reproaches and complaints.  I agreed that her remarks were very just but that we had just been fighting rather hard for “La Belle France” and needed some recreation.  I offered her a cup of tea and suggested that afterwards she should view “La Boxe” she agreed after some demur and quite enjoyed herself.  Finally I asked her to present the prizes and when the men gave three cheers for her for doing so she called out in a shrill treble “Vive l’Angleterre” and from that time on we could do no wrong.

On the opposite page is a group photo outside a chateau.  Probably Chateau Tailly.

Still it was not quite the same as it had been before.  We had several boxing competitions and sports, men & officers were granted 48 hrs leave to the sea side in turn there were several sing-songs, the Whiz-bangs gave a performance, there was a Bde horse show with numerous competitions in fact with fine weather throughout we had a most enjoyable time.  Training was steadily continued and a large number of Lewis gunners and Bombers were put through a course, this proved invaluable later.

On the opposite page are two photographs, one of the horse show and the other a group outside chateau Tailly.

23/24^th Aug. 1916.   We marched off at 1.15 p.m. to Longpre where we were to entrain at 5 p.m.  The trains were late and we waited weary hours in a field.  The Officers managed to get some food in a semi private house but it was 1.15 a.m. before we actually got away.  We arrived at 5 a.m. and reached a bivouac by 6.  The Bosh were shelling some cross roads about 1000 yards from us.  We moved on about 2 p.m. to another camp.

25^th Aug. 1916          We moved about 6 miles to near the Citadel.  There were very few tents available and it was pouring with rain but a large dump of empty ammunition boxes was soon requisitioned and with the aid of waterproof sheets made good shelters.

On the opposite page are three photographs of officers.

26^th Aug. 1916.         We moved on again to Broufay farm, here again ammunition boxes were in great request.

27^th Aug. 1916.         Went up with Coy Com to reconnoitre the “Crucifix” and “Assembly trench”.  Very wet day.

28^th Aug. 1915.         An aeroplane passed over the bivouac & dropped two bombs almost simultaneously an airship (sausage) broke loose and rising rapidly drifted towards the German line.  Suddenly a parachute dropped from it and swaying a pendulum the observer eventually reached ground in our lines.  I heard he was violently sick.

29^th Aug. 1916.         A sudden storm arose during the afternoon two sausages were struck by lightning and came down in flames one other was blown away, the observer came down in a parachute.

On the opposite page is a Bainsfather cartoon The Communication Trench and below two photographs..

30^th Aug. 1916.         It rained steadily all day.  I went forward with Coy Com to look at Falfemont farm but it was impossible to move up communication trenches the mud was so thick.  Two crumps dropped very close to the camp that night.

31^st Aug. 1916.         We moved forward to Silesian trenches which we took over from the 10^th Gloucesters (Col Archer Shue M.P.).  They were in a horrible state flies and filth everywhere and no shelters for officers or men.  The headquarters dug out consisted of a piece of corrugated iron in the entrance to a German dug out.  This latter had 3 beds recently constructed but the smell was musty & I preferred to sleep in the very cramped quarters above on the floor.

On the opposite page is a photograph two officers.  Oswald Beale and H Williams who died on A[ctive].S[ervice]. as a Major General.  It is recorded below Two great friends Williams married Beale’s sister.  He wrote **** when I was recovering from wounds through stomach.