Item 01: James William Dains diary, 21 November 1916-4 June 1917 - Page 64

[Page 64]

waiting knowing that at a certain time the artillery which is silent now will open with a pandemonium of terrible bombardment. It will last 85 minutes & Hundreds of guns will pour all their devilish missiles into the opposing enemy & he will reply with his own guns & hell will be let loose on the battle field.
Already two cases have come through tonight, one lad rather bad the other with a nasty wound in the leg and small shrapnel marks right up from knee to Buttock. Even in such times the Australian humour will out & that is often a saving grace among them. While this lad was being dressed one of his mates at the door of the dug out was peering in & when he saw these scars from small pellets of shrapnel, he said, "Why Bill its only a B- hornet that's stung you". Bill knew better.
Capt. [indecipherable] called in & is waiting a while. I was amused at a story he told of the humour