see
the Brigadier, who was very nice, and attempted to solve all my
difficulties. I then had dinner with Carroll and Brand, and returned
to the trenches, and so to bed.

This morning I wakened at 7-30 Tempest came in, laying claims to my
dug-out, claiming it for Barker, but we said "No." Breakfast at 8-0.
At 9-0 I prospected with Wilson-Jones and found a topping place for a
new emplacement, which we set up forthwith, also making on the other
two new ones. Lake and another man came to lunch. This afternoon and
evening we have been doing more work on the emplacements. I am getting
a bit tired of these trenches; they are much too dangerous, and I hate
suddenly having to crouch against a traverse when a big shell comes
and crouches on the other side of it. I shall now retire to my little
couch. Good-night, Mother dear.

June 1st. Working all day on emplacements, putting headcover on, &c.
This evening, about six o'clock, I was called upon to reply to German
trench mortars, but just as we had reached the bottom of the
communication, they opened gun fire on the communication trench,
wounding several men, while we lay at the bottom of the trench, while
they whizzed over in sort of sheets of shells. They soon quieted, but
one burst was enough. I went down to the front line about 10-0 to look
round, and coming back they were unpleasant again--big stuff too--but
to our left. The shells are something terrific here; I think it is one
of the hottest parts of the line.

June 2nd. Working all day on emplacements. In the evening we were
called upon to retaliate for German mortars, and pumped hell into them
for a few minutes (excuse the word, it is the only one I can think
of), and soon shut them up. I was relieved by Carroll.

June 3rd. Went up to the trenches, to see how the emplacements were
getting on, with Kitty. In the evening the Tyneside Scottish relieved
us, going up to the trenches at 2-0 a.m. instead of 2 p.m. We had an
awful crush of them in our mess for several hours, and I had great
difficulty in pushing them off up to the trenches. I took them there
just to be in time for a terrific bombardment on the trenches, whilst
the Germans tried unsuccessfully to raid our trenches. They used tear
gas on us, sent over in shells, and it makes you weep. When I returned
they were shelling near our billet, and we had to spend the whole of
the rest of the night in the cellars, and only got to our bed at about
6-0 in the morning.

J