TCD MS 10821 folio 24 recto
[June 30th 1916] every minute. We had three listening patrols out & an officers patrol, but they did not see or hear anything.
July 1st. A very quiet night to be followed by a strenuous day. In order to frighten the Boche we were told to send over a smoke cloud, which he would imagine as a gas cloud. We were given 500 phosphorus bombs & 500 smoke candles, each company & over three divisional fronts the smoke cloud was to be let loose. It was a most extraordinary sight to see the stream of smoke flowing over towards the Boche lines: it started first on our right & then crept along towards us. For an hour we kept the cloud of smoke up & the Boche bombarded us with every kind of gun but most erratically, while our guns & trench mortars replied at the same time. I think we really frightened him. It was however only a demonstration & to make him put on his gas helmets, as often there is gas mixed with smoke. The real attack is taking place further S[outh] & we had a message to say that it was going on successfully & that we had taken three lines of trenches. We had intermittent shelling from the 5.9 & 4.2’s all day, but our retaliation was good & we had only four casualties. We were to