Item 01: James William Dains diary, 21 November 1916-4 June 1917 - Page 31

[Page 31]

to Houplines & took over the stock of Canteen & the Coffee stall, got back about 4 oclock. Went to Cemetry.
Bible Class tonight 12 present, one reported wounded.

Thursday
Went to Houplines today. Houplines is in a very battered condition. It is difficult to find one house that has not large holes through it. There are traces of hurried flights. Furniture, Books, beds have been left by the occupants. Babys toys, perambulators & other Childrens things tell their tale of tragedy. I was through a mill evidently a woolen mill. It is a very large place with machinery that must have cost many hundreds of thousands of pounds. I was down in the Trenches today. There was a bombardment on & the crash of guns & screaming of shells were terrific.
The furniture of the old places at Houplines is used for firewood. I saw the leg of a table & part