TCD MS 10822 folio 14 recto
[April 5th 1917] Vimy. Everywhere our shells were bursting in a continuous stream of all sizes: the Corps on our left put up a practice barrage, a really astonishing sight and the noise perfectly deafening. In the evening we came out of the caves and marched to Dainville in order to make room for others in the caves.
April 6th. A disturbed night as we are surrounded by 15” Howitzers & 9. 2” 6 which fired all night; whenever the 15” went off, we were nearly blown out of our beds. In the afternoon we rode out to watch the bombardment. While having dinner the Boche put a few shells into the village and ruined my best pair of boots, these I had left in my room.
April 7th. After a very wet night, a fairly fine day. The bombardment still goes on and we watched it from the racecourse for a long time. In the evening we had a Concert for the men, A few shells came over, and caught some transport on the road.
April 8th. A hard frost at night but a fine morning for Easter Sunday. We move into the caves to-night preparatory to the attack to-morrow morning. It was the first warm afternoon that we have had and I was able to sit out in the garden and write letters. The Germans retaliated on Achicourt during the afternoon and blew up three large dumps of shells. In the evening we had to go through Achicourt and it was an awful scene of desolation, dead horses and broken limbers all over the road, blown up houses and houses all on fire with shells exploding every minute. We had to make a detour in the dark but the whole battalion eventually arrived safely in the caves without any casualties.There we spent a busy night giving out stores & bombs. The air inside was awful and no dry spot anywhere.
April 9th. The 3rd Division started the attack at 5-30 a m on our left and we emerged from the caves at 7-30 a.m., at which time our two Leading Brigades in our Division attacked the Harp & the Hindenburg line. We got to our assembly trenches with only three casualties. The Boche did not retaliate very much as it was raining at first and he could not see where we were. Later on it cleared up and I spent most of the day on top of the hill in the original German line watching the