Item 07: John D. Wilson diary, 19 September-28 December 1917 - Page 83

[Page 83]

rugged for the first time since last Winter. To night the Brigade Transports also rugged theirs. There are a lot of Transports here (English) that have not yet started to rug their animals, although the nights are bitterly cold.

Tuesday October 9. 1917. (1163.)

There was again a heavy bombardment to the North of us last night & this morning. In fact it has been almost continuous for two days and nights.

The weather is cold & dreary. Heavy rain fell last night, and some of the men in the dug outs were flooded out. There is a foot of water this morning in some of the beds. We dug a well in the corner of ours and bailed it out every night, otherwise our bed would have been flooded. The wind is very fresh and strong.

[Shorthand transcribed as follows]
I wrote 4½ pages to my dear wife to day, letter 95 and sent it in the official green envelope. [End of shorthand]
Just before dark the enemy sent over a number of aeroplanes, but they were quickly driven off.

We are to leave this camp in the morning to go closer to the Front.

Wednesday Oct. 10. 1917. (1164.)

Revellie. 4. a.m. Feed up & get an early breakfast were the orders for this morning. Then we removed the Q. M. stores from Vlamertinghe camp to one closer to the line on the outskirts of Ypres. My waggon was loaded with picks & shovels, and 9 bales of sand bags. When we came back we carted 8 loads of other stuff a short distance.