October 1

PT and gun drill in morning, rested all afternoon, fine weather, still in Bouvigny

October 2

Gun drill in morning and cleaned limbers, slept in afternoon, orders came to wash equipment

October 3

Wet day and misty, barrage fire drill today, rested in afternoon

October 4

PT and drill in morning, played cards in afternoon, feeling fine, have to wash gas helmet pouch and equipment

October 5

Gun drill in morning, on guard in afternoon from 4:00 o'clock, hear big shells going over, turning cold

October 6

Rained hard all day and cold, received box from Brownie, off guard at 4:00 p.m.

October 7

Very bad inflamation in arm and back, very painful, cold weather, packed limbers in morning, raining all day

October 8

Marched to Careney with full pack, terribly muddy place, started to work on Serg'ts mess, billeted in huts

October 9

Work on fatigue party, feeling sick, bad headache and rheumatism all night

October 10

Paraded sick and marked light duty, head aches yet, had good sleep, rain, camped in Souchey Valley, around Vimy Ridge in morning

October 11

Fatigue work all day, getting ready to move to Ypres, clear today, feeling better, got some Canadian papers to read

October 12

Marched to Hersin, camping in rain, camping in old building near coal mine, rained all night, good size town, broke of French money

October 13

On guard today, clearer, women and children work in the mines, movie picture in YMCA, sleep up in attic now, expect to go to Ypres or Dixmude front

October 14

Clearing today, gas drill and clean guns in morning, around town in afternoon and to YMCA, have a cold, some new officers joined us from Seaford

October 15

Gun drill in barrage fire, clear day but weather is getting cold, they issue rum now, to see movies in YMCA

October 16

Barrage drill in morning, paid in afternoon and had picture taken, move tomorrow, received box and Canadian mail

October 17

Didn't move as expected, lecture in YMCA of life of Napoleon, saw Jack Hilton of Hamilton

October 18

Gun drill, movie at YMCA in evening, bomb attack on town, funny to see people running to cellars and lights out everywhere

October 19

Got pictures but they are no good, movie in YMCA, clear day, get ready to move

October 20

Moved to Diwros, 11 kilos, sore feet, bed early, washed feet in stream, move tomorrow, clear weather, writing this in bed

October 21

Marched to E'cliene, 20 km, fine day, sore feet, in Belgium, billeted in barn, got apples out of orchard, 4 1/2 km past Lillers, have 4 or 5 day march ahead yet

October 22

Marched to Thiennes, 12 kilometres, sore feet, forced march tomorrow, cleaned limbers, Canadian mail, country flat and water everywhere, in bomb raid last night

October 23

Marched to town near Casel, 20 km, pouring rain, billeted in barn, stew for supper, bought some French bread, areoplanes drome close by, saw chums in 6th Coy.

October 24

Cleaned guns in morning, very lousy, raining tonight, saw Stringer, Edge, Cline, etc. from 6th Coy.

October 25

Cleaned guns again, French victory, down to village and saw Harry Cox from 5th Coy., cold day, wrote home, rain all night

October 26

Map reading and compass reading, told of going over the top by officers, down to village in evening, rain all day

October 27

PT and map work of ground we have to go over, paid today, clear day

October 28

Drill and lecture on new gasses and respirators, cold, to village in evening, Canadian mail tonight, map reading

October 29

Firing and testing guns, gas drill, dogs work tread mills around here and do the churning, rain tonight, found out about the 116th Battalion

October 30

PT and cleaning guns, played cards in afternoon, rain again, wrote home, leave in morning

October 31

Went to trucks to Ypres, in bombing raid all about us, heard a lot of boys killed in beds on the mud, mud everywhere, above ankles