TCD MS 10821 folio 26 recto
[July 4th 1916]
spent a very pleasant evening there. They had a delightful walled in garden full of roses & fruit.
July 5th. A few shells were sent into Arras, but they passed over us. In the morning I was on a Court Martial & after lunch I walked up to our new trenches to have a look at them. The trenches were very muddy after the rain, but seemed to be fairly quiet. The poppies everywhere on either side were lovely. In the evening there was quite a good regimental concert in the theatre.
July 6th. Our short period of rest is over & we are to move up into the trenches tonight but to a different sector. Where our company will be is supposed to be fairly quiet & this time we have to remain in for nine days. I had a good bath in the morning & after lunch walked over to see the 8th Bn : I saw Verdant Green, Maurice Crum, Frewer & Nixon & several old friends. After tea I walked back to our billets, just in time to avoid a downpour of rain, which lasted for a couple of hours & made the communication trenches very wet & unpleasant. The relief was completed by 11.30 pm & I then wandered round the various posts which took me till 1am & very wet it was.
July 7th. The weather is still very bad, constant