TCD MS 10821 folio 48 recto
[August 14th 1916] mechanism explained to us. We then visited a 9.2” Howitzer battery, much bigger & clumsier Howitzers than the latest pattern 6”. After seeing them we went to some enormous craters N[orth] of Fricourt, they were quite 60 to 70 feet deep & we went round the old german lines there & inspected some of the dug outs. The number of observation balloons we had up today was 28 & I could count actually 7 German ones besides. I am told that the reason we have so many up at a time, is that the Corps commander likes to see them up & that a good many of them go up empty. After dark we had a wonderful display of Bosche fireworks again, all colours & also a kind of golden rain. The firing round Thiepval & Posieres was very intense all night.
August 15th. A showery night followed by a showery day. Today is my birthday & it proved an exceptionally unpleasant one. The day was uneventful, but at 6.30 pm I had to parade with a fatigue party of 300 men to go & dig a communication trench through Longeuval to Delville Wood. The distance to where we had to begin work was over six miles & the men were laden with rifles & ammunition, a pick & a shovel apiece & some sandbags. The tracks were very slippery & what with