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
