Fine day. We are still hanging on. News has been bad & we’ve lost some ground.

Fine morning. Bttn prepares to move up into line (close support)

Capt COCHRAN wounded. Two horses killed. I go back to transport to look after Runners. Chaplain returns from leave but I don’t see him. Have a nice bath & change. Tres Bien. Good sleep.

Wet morning, very heavy rain, cold again we get prepared for Bttn to be relieved by 1/R I Fus [Royal Irish Fusiliers]. Take over Dingwall Camp in No Mans Land (Laurent Blangy). Bttn relieved at night. Relief complete about 2.0am. 1 man killed 3 wounded. Not much sleep.

Fine morning again very hot. Capt EVEYARD buried about 11.30 am we attend his funeral & make a fair show. Quiet night. Buy some Bonbon Fins in Aubigny. Tres Bien.

Fine morning. Bayonet fighting competition on all day. Won by 2^nd Sea Hls [Seaforth Highlanders] we get 3^rd place. Ind Rings first, Trench attack then pointing & last the attack. Very nice time for it but not well run. Capt EVEYARD (?) badly wounded & dies later in the day. Heavy gunning at night.

Fine day. Heavy Gunning from early morning all day. The Div attacks early morn, and we hear all sorts of rumours, but nothing definite. Turn in about 10.0 pm. Hostile aircraft come round & drop 5 bombs in vicinity of camp. No damage here. Later more bombs dropped, 12 I count, but they are farther away. Not a good sleep.

Fair morning, we get plenty of shelling but hang low. Brig. Gen. visits us about 12.0 noon & gets killed just after leaving, bad luck. Rain in afternoon. Just before 5.0 pm S.A. Bgde [South African Brigade] & 27^th Bgde move forward to attack under barrage but are again held up with heavy losses. Hang on to front line which we had consolidated. Get orders for relief but it doesn’t take place, we stop up all night. Fritz makes an awful mess of the village – it’s unrecognisable.

Fine morning, much air activity, we prepare to move at 8.30 am, move forward in fours to BROWN LINE where we wait until 11.20 am. Receive orders to attack Chemical Works & Greenland Hill. Zero Hour 12.0 noon. We move up to jumping off point NE of FAMPOUX. 3 Bosche aeroplanes come over very low force one of ours down & then watch us. Order of Battle C.A. Hd Qrts & B carrying. Fritz puts a barrage on the sunken road & we lose heavy. Bgde moves to the attack but held up by M Gun Fire. Hd Qtrs receives heavy dose of shelling & I lose 1 Off killed (Lt DEVIS) & 8 OR wounded. I mount the parapet with C.O. & Adjt & get through it alright but what a time. No rest and not much to eat only Bully & Biscuits. Hd Qtrs established in quarry which is heavily shelled & we move in the evening into a cellar in FAMPOUX. Good work done by LCpl SIVITER B Coy who is killed later. Get a nice revolver from a dead German but ASHBOURNE loses it for me taking it down. Shall never forget this day to my sorrow. Lt DEVIS & Lt JEFFERY killed, two of our best officers.

Comments: Bad management. Bgde sent forward to attack strong position under 18 pounder Barrage, Machine Guns on embankment, in Chateau, Stn, cottages & Inn. No chance for the men, but they went forward well. CO & Adjt fine, no shirking, also Lt. DEVIS.

Very raw misty morning, mist thickens later. Heavy bombardment about 1.0 pm. Bttn. finds 300 OR for working party at night. All return safe. Rain at night.

Fine morning. White hoar frost, not so cold. Arty [artillery] active on both sides. Fritz shells on front line with heavies. Sgt CLEMENTS 4 OR killed, 2 OR wounded. Bttn relieved by HB [Household Battalion] in front line & support. We move back into reserve at Asquith Flats. Relief complete about 1.0 am. Enemy artillery active. Turn in about 3.30 am. Good dugout. AMMNTN [Ammunition] Dump at PLATEAU blown up by bomb.