TCD MS 10821 folio 12 recto
[June 15th 1916] Most of the churches & the larger buildings have been ruined by shelling, but looking down the streets casually not much damage is apparent.
June 16th. Another cold morning. There was not much to do, as the men are not allowed out by day. I explained the scheme to them & what the work is that has to be done each night. In the afternoon I went into the town, past delicious lime avenues & had a good big bath. There is very little shelling going on & the streets give one the appearance of a quiet cathedral town, many miles away from the war whereas we are here only a few hundred yards from the Boche lines. There are many nice gardens hidden by high walls & full of roses, which seem to thrive in this soil. After dark, I had to arrange & marshall my parties for carrying “accessories” up to the trenches & I did not get back till 2.30 am. It was a bright moonlight night, but with a cold wind & I did not enjoy the long wait. There was a big rat that amused me for some time, hunting for food all round where I was sitting. It was a quiet evening with but little shelling: occasional bullets whizzed overhead & flares were going up on all sides.
June 17th. I did not rise early after our nights work, though the guns were rather more active than usual in the