Oct. 17 - All hands up bright and early, a light train was loaded with tools and then we boarded it and started for the Ypres Salient, the sector we had heard so much about. We went up about five miles to a junction "Gray Ruin". From there we branched on to the "Wildwood" line, the line we had to extend. We got to our working point about 11 p.m. The first trip out there is one that will never be forgotten. There was an artillery duel on all morning and Fritz too was busy in the air dropping bombs. Every few minutes a shell or bomb seemed to catch some lorries or guns or parties of men and send them in all directions. Something was going up in the air all the time. But everybody that could carried on as if nothing out of the ordinary was taking place. We too soon realized the situation and got accustomed to it. The mud was one of the most disagreeable things we had to contend with but saved many lives. We left for camp again about 2 p.m. and got in by four. We had no casualties.