Battalion clean up. Coys bath at ACHEUX. Colonel Forster returned & took over command of the Battalion.

During night of 19^th/20^th about 1230 am. A German approached D Coy & after being missed by the Sentry a struggle ensued & the German fell into the trench, shot the Sentry in five places with a revolver & ran into living trench where he shot dead Pte BAKER & stabbed Pte SPITTLE in the back making good his escape. Continue reading →

Quiet night & day. Our heavy artillery (6” & 4.2”) opened fire on German front & 2^nd line Trenches during the afternoon, there was no retaliation. Very little sniping. Very cold wind & foggy.

Colonel Forster went & took over Brigade. Major J.A.M.Bannerman took over Battalion. Quiet night. Enemy shelled D Coy & Seaforth Highldrs wth 5.9s. At 2.30 pm. enemy opened a heavy bombardment of trenches of D Coy & Seaforths & this continued violently till 5.15 pm. Continue reading →

Quiet night & day. No sniping . No Artillery on either side. Dull & foggy.

Germans very quiet. Very little sniping. Dull & foggy all day. Improved the wire if front of our line.

Quiet night & day. Between 5 & 6 pm Germans fired about 50 or 60 shells on our front line but only damaged the parapet. Our heavies retaliated on SERRE. Very foggy.

Quiet night & day. Foggy. Germans put up a notice in front of our wire which we obtained. Put up along along [sic] our front trench in the mist. Very little activity on either side.

Relieved 1^st King’s Own Regt. in trenches at 7.30 pm. quiet relief. ½ Coy of 8^th Royal Irish Rifles (36^th Ulster Division) attached to us for instruction.

Stormy. Working Party 557 men as usual. S.M.Beck went on leave.