TCD MS 10821 folio 8 recto
[June 7th 1916] [coun]try on a small cross country line & arrived at the railhead for our Division at Tincques about midday. Here I found a supply lorry going to the Divisional Supply Park at Avesnes & travelled in it as far as Avesnes. Here after lunch a ASC officer took me & my kit up in his car up to Berneville where I found the Quarter Master of the 9th Bn. He arranged to put me up in a billet with the Padre for the night, as it was no use going up to the trenches as the Battalion comes out tomorrow. We seem to be in a fairly peaceful part of the line & there is not much shelling going on. A good many German aeroplanes are flying over reconnoitring, but though much fired at, never seem to pay any attention to the Guns. From a hill just behind the camp, I got a good view of the Vimy Ridge in the distance & Arras lying in a hollow about 5 miles away.
June 8th. A quiet morning. Went up on the hill behind the camp & watched the shelling on Vimy Ridge. After lunch I walked up to the trenches which were about 6 miles away to have a look at them. On the way it started to rain & as the soon became very muddy. After going through miles of communication trenches, I eventually reached Battalion Headquarters & Benson who was commanding the <Bn> took me round. It was a regular maze of trenches & our front was a very long one. I got