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[Page 90]
we were improving the support trench during the day: after dinner they sent over some "coal boxes" & shrapnel: there were no dugouts handy so we had to crouch close to the parapet & the pellets fell within a yard of us: too close to be pleasant: knocked of 2 pm & came home: tea: packed up ready to move off to the trenches: Alf was off with a bad back but is a bit better tonight: fell in about 8pm & moved off in the rain: we took the emergency road & it was awful half way to our knees in mud all the way & stumbling into shell holes: we were mud from the knees down: got to our old position at last & took over:
Thursday April 20th
in the trenches: patchy day raining on & off & cold: plenty of work & little shuteye: they dugouts were dripping from the roof & very wet. I worked my knut & got a dozen dry sand bags: our artillery gave them a good peppering in the afternoon & our machine guns made one of their aeroplanes hop along: I was issued last night with a nice pair of mittens & they had a nice little note in them from J B Jennings, Bath House, West Hatch, Taunton, Som, & I wrote a nice reply:
Friday april 21st Good Friday
in the trenches: patchy day: raining again towards dusk: plenty of aeros about today: one of ours chased two taubes & banged away at them with a machine gun & they bolted over their own lines: Fritz gave us a rough time after dinner with his "coal boxes" & they were very close. I was on fatigue 6 am-2pm & was just starting to get some shut-eye when they came over & my dugout used to tremble: one landed 20 yards away & the dirt came right into my humble home: our artillery then gave them a nice little dose & a bit extra: this is a game of follow the leader