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[Page 16]
23 April, Sunday
Go out of the trenches today. It is, strange to say, a fine day too. We badly wanted to dry our clothes but have to carry wet blankets [indecipherable].
24 April
Get up at 3 a.m. Move into the trenches at "Jocks Joy" to do engineers fatigue – that is pumping water out of the trenches and putting down new foot boards. We move out at 2 PM covered with mud and very tired. High explosive shells drop very close to us wounding several men on the left of where we are working.
25 April – Anzac Day.
Fall in at 9 AM with 3 others out of the Platoon for bombing instruction. Bathing parade in the afternoon. When getting to our billets after 4 days in the trenches we are marched in batches of 50 to an old dye works 5 miles behind the firing line. I enjoy a hot bath and change of underclothes. As we are marching back the Germans shell "A" Coys billet. One shell strikes the farm house setting it on fire instantly. 214 shells fall on the house and the paddock behind it.
Wednesday 26th
Fine. No. 4 on guard and fatigues. Bombers return to billets for instruction. Have a look at the remains of "Coys" billet – Enemy shell Armentiers – we retaliate vigoriously.
April, Thursday 27th
Came into the trenches at about 3 A.M. with the Grenadiers Division. During the evening our artillary showed "Fritz" the correct way to bombard the trenches. Fritz sent [indecipherable] tried to show what he had learned and returned a shower of iron rations which we didn't appreciate. Also had a gas alarm. No casualties.
April, Friday 28th
Am observing from 12.30 a.m. to 1 a.m. Stand-to from 3.30 to 4.30 A.M. Fine day.
April, Sat. 29
Beautiful day. Very quiet until 4 p.m. Have been asleep on the fire step since dinner time.
One of our planes is up and Fritz's shrapnell is bursting above and below but never very close to him.
The 'Coal Boxes' are going over head with a sound like the steam out of a 'loco', and exploding about a mile behind our lines. Fritz is evidently feeling for our artillary – or fallowing a paddock for next year.