Item 07: John D. Wilson diary, 19 September-28 December 1917 - Page 87

[Page 87]

[Shorthand transcribed as follows]
I received a letter from Kitty Martin dated October 1. A few days ago. [End of shorthand]

The boys are to go over the top early in the morning. It is just a week to day since they went over before.

Friday October 12. 1917. (1166.)

I was on picquet this morning from 12 to 3. a.m. it was cold and very dark, but the sky was continually lit up with flares that the enemy was continually sending up on 3 sides of us for here we are in a horse shoe bend in the line, but at least 5 miles from our sector on the front. The flashes of our guns around also & bursting shells of the enemy also lit up the sky.

There was intermittent bombardment which towards morning increased to in intensity to drum fire and continued for many hours after daylight. At breakfast time word came back that we gained all our objectives, and were behind the enemys field guns. Our losses are said to be heavy, and red cross cars are continually coming in with wounded and returning again.

The pack stunt went out some time after I came off picquet. I woke the cook at 2. a.m. to get breakfast for them. At 10. a.m. only Ferguson had returned all covered with mud and one of his mules was badly cut by being boged in the mud among sticks. He reports the others safe when he left, but they were continually get their mules bogged. All the front is a quagmire of soft mud, and