TCD MS 10821 folio 51 recto
August 18th [1916]. The usual work in practising an attack. Two of our brigades attacked during the afternoon & reached their objectives alright, one battalion capturing 279 prisoners. We played the guards at football & were beaten by 1-0. At 9pm an appalling bombardment started between Thiepval & Posieres which lasted all night. It was the heaviest bombardment that I had yet heard. I am afraid it was a big German attack & towards dawn we could hear Machine Guns plainly which looked as though our line had been driven in.
August 19th. We received orders to be ready to move at 8.30am, as the Division were evidently nervous about what had happened during the night. It was a wet & misty morning & we could see nothing. We did not move at 8.30am but stood by all day waiting for orders & eventually the battalion left about 7pm for Montauban. I was left behind with 10 officers & a number of spare NCO’s, Machine Gunners & others to replace first casualties. Our new camp is only a mile from the old one, but we have a lovely view of the firing line from our bivouacs. The night was a very noisy one & the 6” & 9-2” inch Howitzers that are close by kept on firing at intervals all through the night..