TCD MS 10822 folio 7 recto
[Jan 10th 1917] has been shelled so much lately. Men’s billets there are very good but Officer’s poor. Snowed a little in the afternoon but a quiet day.
Jan 11th. Moved over to Simencourt in a snowstorm. Fixed the men up in good billets very soon. Officers billets all occupied by gunners and their staff sergeants. We worried the Town Mayor out of his life until he turned the sergeants out of officers billets and made the gunners close up. By night we had all managed to get some kind of billets and had settled down.
Jan 12th. Started at 11 a.m. to go to Paris and arrived there the following morning at 6 a.m. after a very unpleasant journey & march.
Jan 17th. Left Paris after spending a few very pleasant days there with my mother. The journey back was equally unpleasant and I had to spend the night at Frevent. Snow was about four inches deep and all the trains were late.
Jan 18th. Left Frevent at 7 a.m. by the light railway and got to Avesnes at 8.30 where my ponies met me. A very cold and slippery ride to Simencourt. It snowed most of the day but after lunch I walked up to the trenches and then went round the line which was very wet from the melting snow. The night was very dark and quiet.
Jan 19th. Another cold day. The snow is still lying on the ground and neither side like to fire their guns for fear of giving their positions away.
Jan 20th. Still cold and frosty. The trenches are drying up nicely thanks to the hard frost, 17o of it. The flares and very lights at night have a weird effect in the snow, and almost like the Northern lights. Very little shelling on either side opposite me, though there is much activity to the South.
Jany 21st. We were relieved by the 8th Bt who as usual came in for heavy shelling as soon as we had left. I think they expose themselves more. I heard the heavy Trench Mortar working during the afternoon. ”Flying pigs” the men call them. We went back to our old rest billets in Riviere.
Jan 22nd. Still hard frost. Had much work in the Orderly Room all thefor fear of giving their positions away.
Jan 20th. Still cold and frosty. The trenches are drying up nicely thanks to the hard frost, 17o of it. The flares and very lights at night have a weird effect in the snow, and almost like the Northern lights. Very little shelling on either side opposite me, though there is much activity to the South.
Jany 21st. We were relieved by the 8th Bt who as usual came in for heavy shelling as soon as we had left. I think they expose themselves more. I heard the heavy Trench Mortar working during the afternoon. ”Flying pigs” the men call them. We went back to our old rest billets in Riviere.
Jan 22nd. Still hard frost. Had much work in the Orderly Room all the