TCD MS 10821 folio 44 recto
[August 9th 1916] sight. After dinner we practised digging in by night.
August 10th. A change in the weather. We woke up to drizzling rain, but the weather is much cooler & the thick dust will be laid. The King passed through this morning & went up to Fricourt through Albert where there were many shells dropping. Currie came over from Corps H.Q. to tea this afternoon. The Italians are now doing surprisingly well on the Carso & it seems as if their cavalry have got through. The Russian news too is good. I heard our 1st Bn lost 15 officers the other day in ‘Devils wood’: they did very well however. The 16th Bn too was nearly wiped out.
August 11th. In the morning I was on a FGC Martial. The first one that had ever been held on an officer. The day was very damp & foggy & the view very circumscribed. There was an unfortunate accident to D Coy in the afternoon. A rifle grenade exploded at the muzzle of the rifle & killed two men & wounded an officer & seven men besides. Had a good swim in the river. We are to move early tomorrow morning towards the Somme battle. Heavy firing all the night.