[Page 34]
1915
Sat. 5 – A lively engagement lasted 4 hrs. about 800 were killed & 1500 wounded.
Sun. 6 – Sunday. A & B Coy's charged German Officers trench at about 2 o'clock Sat. morn., lost 4 killed & about 25 wounded. Arthur Meade reported missing. To-day (Sunday) usual artillery duels otherwise fairly quiet. Our party attempt machine gun in German trench second time & Elart & Morris shot by one of our own men returning. "B" go to spell "C" return.
Mon. 7 – Turks poured shrapnel into us at 11 a.m. enfilading our trenches at Nos. 7 & 8 Observation Posts. Poor Harry Jones, McDermott & Dillon killed & 6 wounded – Forming new machine Gun Sections calling for volunteers – Ship's Canteen orders taken, relieved Bill King before dinner. In firing line.
Tues. 8 – Went into new firing line last night for 1st time in charge of 14 Platoon. Issue of 4 pkts. Wild Woodbine Cigarettes per man. We attacked on left flank early this morning.
Wed. 9 – 45th day in Firing Line. "Sandy" emptied the trench can of urine & cut up the cheese soon after – water cannot be wasted on ones hands. We all ate the cheese & raised no objections. I made some "Burgoo" out of 4½ wholemeal biscuits well pounded up & boiled with sugar – jolly fine. The last reinforcement to join my section has a pronounced habit of fingering his nasal organ & chewing the ends of his fingers. I think it must be either German "kultur" or incipient insanity. He also handles the cheese but nobody objects. Plenty of "Shrap". Reminds me of a steam laundry not far from my old diggings in London, when they used to throw the tin baths about – no plurry good.
Thurs. 10 – Rumoured that 2nd Brig. relieve us tomorrow. Made porridge out of wholemeal biscuits ground to flour in a bag – ate cold with apricot jam & fresh meat stew. Went into firing line tonight.
Frid. 11 – Moved out at 3 p.m. 8th Batt. relieved us. Camp near Shrapnel Valley. Went up under Shrap. to support 2nd Batt. on R flank, quiet night.