TCD MS 10821 folio 41 recto
[August 2nd 1916] aeroplanes are flying over us at all times of the day. I paid them a visit & watched some of the flying. They are busy every day raiding behind the German lines dropping bombs on their aerodromes, railway stations & other points of military importance. They had just come back from raids on Valenciennes & Mons where they had set some ammunition stores alight, which they said went off with loud reports. In the evening while the company went over to bathe at Bernaville, I rode over to see the 8th Bn in the next village. They were very comfortable there & there was <in> a very pretty old chateau there with a beautiful park behind. I stopped in to dinner & had fresh sole & champagne & other delicacies.
August 3rd. The weather still keeps hot. The usual running & other parades in order to get the men fit as soon as possible. In the evening I rode out to have a look at some woods in order to practice wood fighting the next day.
August 4th. A run before breakfast, then wood fighting all the morning in a pretty oak & beech wood. In parts the undergrowth was very thick, but it was good practice; the weather was cooler.
August 5th. Before breakfast we went out to see a de