September 1

Musketry and PT, marched to Etaples and back this afternoon

September 2

Canadians beat Yankees at ball, sports in afternoon, wrote letters home, didn't get up for breakfast, first fine day since arriving

September 3

Marched to Etaples and back, picked out for draft for front, issued new parts of equipment and ammunition, 120 pounds

September 4

Inspected by C.O. in morning, packs awfully heavy because of ammunition, air raid on camp tonight, 6 killed, 17 wounded, saw bombs

September 5

Rested today, left Camiers at 5:30, Etaples at 7:00, hot dusty march, stopped here all night in rest camp, tent leaked

September 6

Left Etaples at 7:15 a.m., arrived Colonne at 2:00 p.m., slept in barn tonight, dirty town and people

September 7

Left Collone at 10:00 and marched to Bouvigny, hottest and hardest march I ever did, 25 kilometres, joined Coy. tonight, village all destroyed

September 8

Inspected by C.O., only six miles from line, very sick all day from eating bully beef yesterday, biliousness

September 9

Very weak today and bunked in ruined houses, fired M.G. on ranges, can see Lens, very heavy bombardment

September 10

Cleaned guns in morning, cleaned limbers, bath parade in afternoon, the weather fine, feeling much better, wrote home

September 11

On guard today, heavy firing, easy day

September 12

Rested all day and saw Lens and Vimy tonight, received a letter dated April 1 and one from Bob dated May 2

September 13

Gun drill, through Aux Moulette and other ruined villages, saw battery of 8" howitzers in action firing around Lens

September 14

Fatigue work, easy morning, fair weather

September 15

Saturday the same

September 16

Cleaned guns and packed limbers, marched to trenches and taken our position by 9:30, shell fire, take turns in firing MG, good dugout

September 17

Not very heavy shelling in daytime but bad at night, machine gun bullets sweeping a few feet above head, fair weather

September 18

Fritz put a lot of big shells within a few feet of dugout, awful concussion, gas shells last night, we fire into Lens each night

September 19

Areoplane fight today, fed well every day, awful lousy, raining tonight, on ration drawing party, tired, rained

September 20

In heavy shelling last night, carrying water for use this morning, SOS call tonight and had to stand by, firing 3,500 per gun per night

September 21

Areoplanes active, big gas attack tonight and could hardly breath, wind changed and cleared it away, down in deep dugouts

September 22

Tired out, haven't slept over two hours at a time since coming, fairly good food and good weather

September 23

SOS call today, Fritz put up a heavy barrage fire, on carrying party of ammunition, 3,000 rounds, fire 3,500 per gun per night

September 24

Big shell blew up gun position, shells bursting all about me and machine gun bullets going overhead, had broken fuses, gas attack

September 25

Firing at aeroplanes today, nerves all unstrung and very unsteady, fairly quiet night, dug new position

September 26

Firing from new position, MG bullets only a few inches from head, a lot of stoppages in firing

September 27

Three British balloons shot down, 2 Fritz planes shot down, relieved at 9:00 p.m., walked through town with shells bursting all around, 2 hit, not serious

September 28

Long march to billets last night, bath and good sleep, wondering how we got out alive, feeling fine, fine weather

September 29

Cleaned guns today, nothing to do the remainder of day but write letters

September 30

Inspection of guns by COC, areoplane fight above us, walked to Mazm Bush and saw a lot of old 205 Battalion in 4th and 5th Coy. and 54th Battalion, it was a real old boys reunion, like long lost brothers and talked over old times and things that happened