A whole Brigade is billetted in the cave to-night

TCD MS 10822 folio 13 recto

TCD MS 10822 folio 13 recto

[March 29th 1917] night was rather quieter and we had no casualties.
March 30th. Went round the Companies in the morning a trip which takes me about three hours. In the afternoon I went to reconnoitre some assembly trenches.
March 31st. A fairly quiet night. A few shells landed on our H.Q. A carrying party met an unlucky shell and we had 1 killed and 7 wounded. The trenches are in places very muddy. Spent all the morning at the Brigade in a C. O.’s conference. Lunched with the 8th Bt in the caves & went round the line in the afternoon. Everything pretty quiet. We had to find a covering party at night for parties digging new assembly trenches.
April 1st. Went round at “Stand to” in the morning. All very quiet. A fine frosty morning. We were relieved by the 8/60th in the afternoon and returned to the caves. Had a large working party out at night, digging new assembly trenches. Slept very well in the quiet of the caves no sound of the guns.
April 2nd. Had a meeting of Coy Commanders to explain coming operations and to discuss arrangements. In the afternoon went out with St. Aubyn to reconnoitre dumps etc. A bitter wind – then snow. We soon became quite white from head to foot and there was about 2 inches lying on the ground. Went into Brigade for tea and as it was still snowing then, we came back by the sewers. Had working parties out again at night.
April 3rd. We have to shift from the Bluff cave into the Christchurch cave, which is much damper. A whole Brigade is billetted in the cave to-night. Our new H.Q. are not as good as the last and it drips everywhere from the roof.
April 4th. The bombardment started at 7-30 this morning. A terrific noise. The atmosphere of the caves grows worse and worse. A C.O.’s Conference in the afternoon at Brigade H.Q. which have also moved down into the cave, as Arras was being shelled. I watched the bombardment at night – a very fine sight, guns everywhere and a continuous roar.
April 5th. A beautiful morning. I came out to get away from the awful air in the caves and wandered up into the old German lines where I watched the bombardment. I could see all round in a great semicircle as far as