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chemical in the helmet got into my forehead & burnt it into little sores: bullets were flying everywhere with shrapnel & "coal boxes'chucked in for fun: we acted as reserves & had to stay there till next morning: after 8.30 pm the fun seemed to quieten a bit: previous to that it was bedlam rifle & machine gun fire adding to the artillery: The attack seemed to be on the 20ths front:
Saturday May 6th
cold day with occasional shower early in the morning "standing to" as reserves: as we had rushed off without overcoats it was some cold & rained a little: about 3 am we marched out of the trenches up to the engineers dump & took tools down to the 20th then acted as their reserves for a while finally reaching our billet about 5.30 am: I picked a bunch of forget-me-nots for Ethel on the way back: heard that the 20th were knocked about a bit & that young McNiel was killed: after my job was through I turned in about 6.30 am & got up at dinner time: laid down again till tea: poor old Taffy got a rough time with his "joke": after tea some went on fatigue (Bill worked his nut) had to sleep with equipment ready at a moments notice
Sunday May 7th
cloudy day with occasional shower: up at 7 am & breakfast: Communion in officers mess at 8 am done my job & then dinner: went to the 20th billets to see how the "boys" got on: Sun Woods & young McNiel killed: Morris, Annesley, Braddock, & two other Lithgowites wounded; I am to write to the Misses McNiel a letter of sympathy: Rogers, J Marshland & Jack Schulstad just scratched a bit: Jim & I had a cup of coffee & biscuits