Busy from midnight putting finishing touches on splinter shelters

9 August [1916] Wednesday

Busy from midnight putting finishing touches on splinter shelters and bomb proofs. Enemy reply to our guns never materialized.
French bombardment of enemy positions, mainly Hill 227 and Le Grand Couronne, lasted all day. Named for patrol 8pm DOBROVICA MILL to relieve Jones.
Mail in = letters from Aunt Isabel, Kathleen and Ellen. Parcel of [?] lemonade tablets salts, and one broken bottle from Father (of A.N. stores). Parcel wringing wet [?] ham been in the deep blue sea!
Went out 7.30 pm with 8 men and found my way to the MILL by the help of a bright moon. French passed me going up to attack 227 – a brigade of them. Kings Own and E Lancs successful last night. Quiet night. Bulgars a [?]minus quantity.
Sent in my spare kit – everything except blanket, sleeping bag, light washing kit, tunic, pith and shrapnel helmets, one spare shirt, 4 pairs spare socks, I spare collar, leather waistcoat, and slippers, and what I stand up in. Probably never see any of them again.
Some shelling all night.