Item 06: John D. Wilson diary, 17 May-19 September 1917 - Page 99

[Page 99]

To day I received a letter from my sister dated April 17, 1917. It was not correctly addressed for the envelope had not the number of my Battalion or it.
Today with Len Sherham we pulled down a dug out that was used for storing artillery shells. We wanted the iron to make a roof for a fodder shed for the horses. We got 17 sheets half width.
I saw a fight in the clouds between enemy aeroplanes and some of our own. None of them came down.
My sister says in her letter that my brother Willie is a bombardier in the artillery and at the time of writing was still in Victoria.
I wrote to my sister to day, and also sent away a number of whizbangs.

Saturday June 30, 1917, (1062.
A wet miserable day. It was drizzling all the morning and commenced to rain very heavy about10.30 and continued until the afternoon, when it cleared. My tent being the mess cart cover the rain came through it like a sieve. Most of the other improvised tents shared a similar fate. However we managed to keep our blankets dry by means of the water proof sheets and a few rain coats. We had dinner in the rain. The cook had a big job to keep his fire alight, He managed to boil enough water to make tea.
There is very heavy and continuous artillery bombardment North East of here. The little brook that runs past here known as the river Douve is running a banker.
I saw a paper today. A large force of Americans have landed in France. There is a great scandal about the treatment & neglect of 7 wounded returning on a troop ship from Messopotamia.

Sunday July 1, 1917. (1063.)
A cold wet miserable day.