May 1
Had good sleep today, O.C. Battery inspected guns and found Jardine without any equipment or mask, helmet on and raised a row, also the other two guns were the same way, Fred getting overbearing with his two stripes
May 2
Clear today, changed guard to eight hour shift, wrote Emily a letter, tired and fed with the new discipline stuff they are trying to give us, Germans shelled crossroads near us tonight, nearly got caught by shrapnel, night firing tonight
May 3
Clear and warm, received three letters, got a pair of white socks from Mt. Hamilton Woman's League, three Scots who were Hun prisoners and
disguised as German soldiers came across their lines and tried to cross the Scarpe by a bridge, two 10th Battery men were killed in running forward to an MG to tell them to stop firing on the three men
May 4
Warm day, night firing tonight, Imperials relieving Canadians tonight, going over on a raid tonight so wrote the letter first
May 5
Warm today, relieved tonight by 15th Imperial Division, walked out to Ecurie and arrived there at 3:30 a.m., raid was successful, got twenty prisoners and killed a lot by throwing a stokes bomb down a dugout full of Fritzies
May 6
Slept until noon, practiced revolved shooting in afternoon and packed lumbers ready for moving in the morning, warm today
May 7
Reveille at 5:30 a.m., breakfast at 6:00 a.m., marched off at 7:30, halted at noon near American railway troop camp, had lunch and moved again, stopped at Beaufort 8 kilos further on, moved between 25 and 28 kilos today, received a parcel from Emily with compass enclosed that she promised me a long time ago, billeted in barn
May 8
Inspection of spare parts of guns in morning, muster parade and pay in afternoon, warm today, Niles jumped on my foot while I was asleep and hurt it
May 9
Paraded sick with foot and got light duty, marched to village 3 kilos away and got a bath in the morning, was through a big French chateau, wrote a few letters in afternoon and sent B.H.F.L.
May 10
Paraded sick again and got light duty, Battery was inspected by Colonel in readiness for General Currie's visit tomorrow, walked down to Anesies Le Comte in evening and rode back on motor truck, wrote a few letters in afternoon, at 9:00 p.m. they brought out yellow ochre and told men with web equipment to put it on as blanco, nearly a riot but it was done at the end
May 11
General Currie inspected Battalion today and didn't seem very well pleased with the condition of equipment, mess orderly so I didn't have to go in it
May 12
Coy. inspection in morning, washed off blanco from equipment which was put on the other night, walked down to Avess Les Comte in afternoon, nearly got caught by O.C. Battery but he turned into a store before he got to us, American Railway Troops not far from this town, received letters from home
May 13
Was escort for prisoner who got 18 months for stealing 150 francs from another soldier, raining in afternoon so had lectures what we were to do when it came to open warfare, wrote a few letters
May 14
Usual parades in morning, warm again today, teaching new men gun drills and mechanism of gun, had a pass in evening to Anesnes Les Comte, Patty Temple had a money order cashed so we had a good time
May 15
Started out this morning and practiced going over the top and open warfare for our new offensive soon, General Currie watches us tomorrow do the same thing, we cover about 10 kilos depth in enemy country, rather tired in evening
May 16
Did same stunt as yesterday of going over the top under inspection of a lot of Generals, very hot today, back to billets at 4:30
May 17
Giving new men instruction on the gun in morning, played baseball in the afternoon and had a great game, paid at 4:30 p.m., wrote letters in evening, kicked a football about for a while, hot day again
May 18
Working on gun laying and figuring degrees right or left of RO's, Sgt. Major gave me a permanent job in the Battery orderly room as clerk for the Battery, very hot today
May 19
Making out leave list today and fairly busy with mail etc., prepared to move off in the morning to Etron, much closer to line
May 20
Marched by 8:30 until noon and reached our billets, very warm today, swim in the Scarpe River in the afternoon, received Canadian mail
May 21
Coy. parade in morning, swim again today, wrote a few letters, Dad's birthday today, played baseball this afternoon, had a good game
May 22
Warm again, played ball in evening, we lost tonight, got hit in back by ball and was spitting a little blood but nothing serious
May 23
Mechanism in the morning, raining a bit in afternoon but cleared up, our Coy. lost tonight in game against 2nd Battalion - 5 to 6
May 24
Raining hard nearly all day, lectures in afternoon, meeting in morning to talk over reports, to movie in a tent, fellows throwing soft mud at each other and Cook on my team got hit in the eye, was pretty badly hurt
May 25
Work on gun drill in morning, washed my blanket in afternoon, played a practice game tonight, Niblock and I took tripod apart and had a big job to get it together again
May 26
Church parade in morning with 2nd Battalion, no other parades today, watched ball game in evening, Germans shelling around camp but quite a ways from it
May 27
Bath in morning and change of clothes, practiced ball in afternoon, Coy. played 1st Battalion and lost, Harry Darby got hit on the chin with ball and broke his jaw, carried him away unconscious, Germans shelling about and town of Mount St. Aloix
May 28
Usual parades in morning, in afternoon cleaned up equipment for inspection to be made by Colonel on Thurs., my hut put on quarantine because Dickerson went out with diptheria
May 29
Cleaning up in morning, inspected by Coy. O.C. in afternoon, another German offensive started so guess we will soon be in the fighting
May 30
Inspection by Colonel today, played ball in afternoon, fine weather, nothing unusual to write
May 31
Gun drill, etc. in morning, 1st Divisional concert party gave a play on a little stage they fixed up, twas good and one could tell the fellows who dressed up as girls from a real girl
