TCD MS 10821 folio 19 recto
[June 25th 1916] onto our trenches.
June 26th. The bombardment to the S[outh] continued all last night & throughout the day. The whole air quivers with the sound of constant explosions. At times to the North near Vimy there is a great bombardment but it does not last so long. The day was rather showery & the wind very changeable. It has been so ever since we came in & has been of no use to us. The poppies are wonderfully pretty in the communication trenches & in some of the deserted trenches: they hang right down the sides. Towards evening the rain set in steadily & it poured a good part of the night. There was a little shelling in the evening & machine gun fire otherwise the night was quiet. There was a great bombardment going on near Vimy during the night & the flashes from the guns & the lights from Star shells & [?] pistols made a wonderful display. To the S[outh] the great cannonade continues with redoubled intensity all day & all night.
June 27th. The trenches were in a horrible state at the early morning stand-to arms & I did not enjoy floundering about in the mud. The day turned out fairly fine with showers but there was a steady Westerly wind. Our trenches were filled with gas cylinders & as the wind was at last favourable they were to be let off at 3 pm. I hate the game as it seems a mean