“July 4th.

“We returned to Bilge Trench about 2 a.m.  I had a sleep in my clothes until 8.  Then breakfast.  Then a wash and shave.  I was officer of the watch during the morning.  Duty consists of seeing that sentries are at their posts, and fatigue parties at work.  Hostile aircraft frequently comes over and fires machine-gun bullets down into the trenches.  Our guns fire shrapnel at them, but I have not yet seen one hit.  Periodical shelling continues all day.  At present the Germans continue to drop shell after shell on one spot near St. Jean behind us.  They scream over us and alight on the same spot every time.

“In the afternoon I had a chat with Telfer and Beesley, and then an hour’s sleep.  Then tea.  After tea Beesley and I went up Durham Trench to Wieltje—­the strong point on our front line at present held by C Company.  The headquarters of a company of the 1/4th King’s Own Royal Lancaster Regiment is also down in the mine at Wieltje.  We went down here and saw Captain Mordecai, Agnew, and Verity.  The first had a bloody bandage round his head; he has been wounded by a piece of shrapnel, but is not bad enough to get away.  We stayed there a few minutes and then went into Dead End, the front line trench.  Here we saw Francis (who was at Scarborough before I came out, and who has just come back here again.  He was wounded out here in January in this unit) and Walsh and I sat and had a chat with them there.  These trenches are very pretty—­the parapet and parados covered with grass and flowers.  In fact they seem to have become natural features in the geography of the district.

“We returned via New John Street to our Company Headquarters in Bilge Trench for dinner.  At 9.30 I went with Captain Blamey for a stroll up Durham Trench, Armitage Trench and Hopkins Trench, out into no man’s land.  Blamey was not sure of the geography of this particular part and wanted to have a look round; so I went with him.  Then Beesley got his patrol out again.  Blamey and I then supervised a working party in Durham Trench.

“July 5th.

“All was moderately quiet until 1.50 a.m.  Then we heard rifle shots, and more rifle shots, ringing out in no man’s land; and at 2 a regular set-to began.  The Cheshires on our immediate left were making a raid with an artillery barrage.  It was quite a set-to.  Beesley got back in time.  He, Telfer, and I watched it all from the parapet of Durham Trench.  The enemy were too preoccupied to trouble to shoot us!  This went on for about half an hour.  Then the enemy retaliated in a furious manner with his artillery.  We made for Wieltje dug-out and were only just in time.  Shells were falling everywhere in a continual succession.  It was a terrific bombardment; it was the biggest row I have heard since the Battle of Messines!  After a few minutes we went and sat in C Company dug-out in the Estaminet.  Captain Andrews was there too.  Who should walk in but Gaulter, of Hut 5 at Gailes!  He is in the 1/4th King’s Own in our Brigade.  I had a talk with him.  We returned about 4 a.m. to Bilge Trench; and Andrews went back to Potijze.