Everything was horribly slippery & muddy

TCD MS 10821 folio 50 recto

TCD MS 10821 folio 50 recto

[August 15th 1916] I tore my puttees & breeches badly from all the barbed wire that I kept tumbling over while walking about. Our guns never stopped firing the whole night, thousands of shells passed over our heads & must have given the Boche a most unpleasant time. His retaliation was poor but he sent up some wonderful firework displays. Just as we were leaving a few more shells came over & some very nearly caught us again later on the way home, coming very close to us & right on the road that we were going. Everything was horribly slippery & muddy as it was raining steadily the whole night & we were all dog tired by the time we reached camp at 5am.
August 16th. A quiet day after the nights work. In the evening I climbed up King Georges Hill & watched the battle together with the Padre. I hear that we may have to attack Givenchy in two or three days time.
August 17th. The usual work in the morning. In the afternoon I wandered up King Georges Hill & beyond & watched a great bombardment going on all around. I also found a German pistol there. In the evening there was a terrific bombardment going on all round: a constant [?roar] of guns.