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Date: February 1918
Diary

Feb. 2/18 -
“Pay” & I trying to get leave for Paris. Delightful weather for this time of yr

Feb. 4/18 -
Shelled around our corner during the night - “whiz bangs”

Feb. 5/18 -
Some shelling in front of 66th battery. Went up to Loos group to the 60th battery - came back over the double crossier and through Cite St. Pierre. It seemed a crime to carry on a war on such beautiful days.

Feb. 6/18 -
Made rounds of batteries in the Arras. Hard shelling in front of 61st.

Feb. 7/18 -
Our overattempt to get Paris leave curbed at Corp’s H.Q.

Feb. 9/18 -
Went back to waggon lines in a.m. & to the M.O’s meeting at Camblain Abby with Virtue. Picture on “Blood Transfusions”. In evening we went to 16th Battalion concert at Y.M.C.A.

Feb. 11/18 -
Made rounds of Batteries. The Hun very quiet - almost uncanny - no aerial activity inspite of fair clear weather.

Feb. 12/18 -
3am fierce bombardment and birrage from our guns. 300 men of 3rd & 4th batteries went over on Hill 70 front to our left - haven’t heard result yet. It was cloudy and the sky one bright glow.

Feb. 13/18 -
Eleven prisoners in last nights raid. 8 slight casualties. Calculated about 30 Huns killed.

Feb. 14/18 -
More activity today. Some shelling near here and infantry of 66th.

Feb. 15/18 -
One of our planes fell in flames just over in Hun country. Heavy shelling behind our H.Q. I went to waggon lines in pm. Splinters flying around the road - had to make detour.

Feb. 17/18 -
Sent driving hand ring to mother.

Feb. 18/18 -
Visiting General - great preparations all along the line - against a Hun offensive.

Feb. 21/18 -
Shelling 53rd Battery & at 58th position. Cpl. Wright a splinter through his stomach. [unreadable] through hell. Poor Wright died at 2:30pm at C.C.S.

Feb. 22/18 -
‘Pay’ & I expected our leave though it didn’t come. Canadian mail today.

Feb. 23/18 -
‘Pay’ telephoned to say our leave was coming through tomorrow.

Feb. 24/18 -
No more word of our leave. Martin, Pay & I rode back to an engineers camp. Coming back about dusk rode along Loretta Ridges and could see our guys flanking for miles the front - a great sight.

Feb. 25/18 -
Our leave was granted to Paris but not Nice so chucked the whole thing.

Feb. 27/18 -
Made application again for leave to Nice & Paris.

   

[Editor’s note: Transcription and transcription annotations provided by collection donor; minor formatting changes have been made to layout and to clearly mark transcriber’s annotations.]