TCD MS 10822 folio 31 recto
[Aug 19th 1917] some thirty three casualties of which ten were killed. Our dug out is a wonderful place very wet and very deep. Two pumps are kept going all day and night to keep the water down and the atmosphere is appalling. We had not so much shelling during the day and only fifteen casualties but many narrow escapes. Numerous ammunition dumps of ours were blown up during the day. from 5 a.m. -7 a.m. we had a two hour bombardment of the German line, all the guns on the Army front firing, it was a fine sight. During the night many German aeroplanes came over and bombed the camps behind.
Aug 20th. A very disturbed night, as we were alarmed four times by gas and had to put our respirators on. It was quite like being on a ship, the pumps working with the swish of water, the distant shelling sounding like the propeller and the nearer shells like heavy seas breaking on board. Men were coughing and sneezing and being sick all round. The only thing missing was the motion. I went up to our new Bt H.Q. at 5 a. m. and had a quiet journey, though the smell of gas was very bad all the way and most people were wearing respirators.
Aug 21st. During the night we relieved the 9 R.B. who were in the line in front of Westhoeck. We had a disturbed night in our dug out owing to the whole of the Ox & Bucks coming in and losing their way. We left at 3-30 a. m. with all our Headquarters and had not gone half a mile before we ran into a barrage so we changed direction and ran into another. Eventually by halting frequently and many detours we managed to avoid the barrages and reach our new H. Q. under the Menin Rd. Finding that the relief was not complete, I went off to Westhoeck to see Company Commanders to enquire how they were getting on. Awful journey then over swamp covered with shell holes full of water. The smells were horrible, dead horses and Boche everywhere and the most awful scene of desolation. There is not a blade of grass or a leaf within a mile. Not even on the Somme was the country laid to waste as in this place. The day passed fairly quietly without much shelling but soon after dark we had a very rough time and many shells landed on the roof of our