Cocks letter diary, 1916-1919 / Verner Cocks - Page 217
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[Page 217
Y.M.C.A.
At the Front, France
No 43
1.
13.6.1917
Dear Mother.
I have much to say this time if the censor will let it pass (& I see no reason why he shouldn't) so much in fact that I don't know where to start. It all occurred in a few days & I was in it from start, so will just quote my diary.
For a couple of weeks we had been going to the trenches daily building dugouts & dressing stations preparing for the stunt which we all knew was coming off but when we had no idea until a few hours before. We were all puzzling out & offering theories as to when "XY" night was to be & what would be zero time. During the fortnight the preliminary bombardment was going on & steadily increasing daily until it developed into a continuous roar & nearly all the time we were working under shell fire. The quantity of guns & ammunition was stupendous & it was dangerous to walk about or near "dumps" as Fritz might lob a shell any moment into them. Well at last we received something definite & on 6th June at 7 pm we left the M.D.S. & proceeded up the line to an old farm for the night. Other parties of our boys were sent elsewhere. On our way we passed through a village very knocked about & absolutely deserted.
Earlier in the afternoon Fritz shelled the road & made an awful mess of it particularly where he landed in a shell dump & knocked the missiles everywhere. Shellholes were everywhere & very big. Passed through gas emanating from recent holes & had to put on our masks - but it was only tear gas. Arrived at the farm 8.30 pm. Fritz has started to