Sunday July 1, 1917

Cold and raw

[?]

To celebrate this day an athletic meet was held by the 2nd Div, 4th Div and the General Depots. About 500 fcs were given in prizes. I was delegated as a judge and had to act although I protested.

Good sport was had.

Wrote to May

Monday July 2, 1917

Hot.

Was notified in the A.M. to be prepared to proceed to my Battery tomorrow morning

Got a haircut at the officers Club and did some shopping at the E F Canteen.

Tuesday July 3, 1917

Hot

Left Etaples at 8 A.M. and arrived at Colonne Ricourt at 11:30 A.M. Reported to O.C. Canadian reinforcements and were billeted in the town over night.

Colonne is a mining town and is as filthy and unsanitary as the average French Village.

Met 3 of the 22nd Btty boys who were going out to the Rest camp at Wimereux and got posted a little as to affairs at the battery.

Wednesday July 4, 1917

Rain in the A.M. and hot and sultry afterwards.

Started to walk to our batteries at 10.30 A.M. Got as far as Divion (4 kilos) when a motor truck overtook us. It went as far as [?]. Here we got another motor lorry which took us as far as
[?] Le Able. Caught here an R.F.C. motor which took us to Berthanval Farm at expres speed. Walked over to the battery from there. Passing thru the 17th Btty saw Jake Irwin so had lunch with him. After a good talk proceeded to our own lines and reported to Brigade in the evening.
Find my batman sick on my arrival.

Lts Burrows & Findley at the waggon lines

Thursday July 5, 1917

Clear and cool.

Burrows proceeds to battery this A.M. I stick around the lines all day finding out what is doing.

Have the mess cart go to Houdain for my kit. It gets back at 6 P.M. o.k.

Sent a registered letter to May and wrote her.

Had letters dated May 3rd 7th 17, 21 25 28 & 31 June 4, 7, 11 & 14th from May and a parcel containing Tobacco Cigarettes chewing gum, olives, Honey, Maple Sugar and sox. Also a parcel containing sox from IODE, Sarnia and a parcel of cigarettes from the Doc. Letters dated May 7th 16th 21 June 4 from Father & Mother - May 22nd from Jim and one from Bill Kennedy and two from the Doc.

Friday July 6, 1917

Looked like rain but none fell

Around wagon lines all day Walked up to Willerval in the afternoon and came back by G.S. wagons in the evening

Saturday July 7, 1917

Clear & warm.

Stayed around the wagon lines and in the evening visited Bob Baker. Got an 8" Hun cartridge case. from him.

Received a 1# Tin of Hudson Bay and parcel containing cigarettes Tobacco &c from home

Received a letter from F & M and Two letters from May dated June 18 & 21st

Sunday July 8, 1917

Rained during the night and all morning

The Battery moved out at 9 A.M. to go to Saus-en-Gobelle to the new wagon lines. The Battery position is at Loevin about 1500 yds to the Hun lines. Arrrived at the wagon lines at 3 P.M. and got things settled.

Monday July 9, 1917

Cool.

Got in at 3:30 A.M. after successfully delivering 5 guns, 12 ammunition wagons and 2 G.S. wagons at the new battery position. Had a fairly easy trip but a little shelling took place

Slept all morning and in the afternoon visited the D.A.C. and arranged for 12 loads of ammunition

Received a parcel of cigarettes from Helen. May put in some sox

Tuesday July 10, 1917

Fair and temperate.

Got in at 2 A.M. after taking 12 wagons of BX up to the guns. Had a nice peaceful trip both ways except when I took three wagons up the wrong road. Found that it ended in a narrow alley with the Souchez River in Front. Had to unlimber, unhook the teams and man-handle the rigs back so that they could be turned around.

Slept all day and rode into Bethune in the evening with Biert of the 16th Btty.

Received a parcel from St. Pauls Church. and 2 packages of papers from Father.

Wednesday July 11, 1917

Clear & warm

Around the wagon lines all day. Took out an exercise ride in the afternoon. and went up to the guns in the evening.

Wrote to the Doc, to May and to Susan Milne

Thursday July 12, 1917

Warm.

At the guns all day. The Gun positions and dug outs are the best I've run into yet and Fritz has left us severely alone, although he is putting a few behind us.

The [?] has dammed up the Souchez River and have now a swimming pool.

Had a little revolver practice in the afternoon.

3 Hun planes brought down during the day

Received a parcel of cakes from home

Friday July 13, 1917

Warm

Had two Retaliation shoots during last night. Fritz had been putting over a lot of French mortar, so we found it necessary to shut him up.

Carried on two shoots on a Strong Point and an O.P. Got 6 directs hits on the Strong Point and 5 on the O.P. This was in the afternoon

Received a box from home posted June 20 and a letter dated June 24. also a letter from May dated June 24

Saturday July 14, 1917

Rain early in A.M. but hot the rest of the day.

At the battery in the AM. In P.M. went around to Brigade to see Clair Ryley. In the evening came up to the O.P. to releive Manning. Burrows came up also to keep me company.

Received a parcel from May containing Canned stuff and chocolate and Fudge.

Sunday July 15, 1917

Rained heavily all night but fine in the day time

At O.P. all day getting acquainted with the front.

Carried on a couple of shoots on the enemy trenches.

Wrote to May

Monday July 16, 1917

Fair and warm.

At O.P. in the morning. In afternoon carried on a shoot at 28 Bttn O.P. on Trench Mortar and machine gun emplacement.

The Hun shelled the battery heavily during the morning but outside of disturbing the landscape in the vicinity of the battery he did no damage.

Received a letter from May dated June 27th Wrote to Father & Mother.

Tuesday July 17, 1917

Warm.

Carried on several shoots during the day on T.M's and O.P.'s. Good luck with the shoots

Was releived by Manning in the evening and came down to the battery.

This Front is the hardest one yet in which to locate points but there is lots of Targets and hence good sport.

Wednesday July 18, 1917

Raining nearly all day.

Shot up a few trench Mortars and machine gun emplacement during the day.

Wrote to May

Thursday July 19, 1917

Warm and sultry.

At the Battery all day and in the evening went up to the H.Q. of the 18th Battalion. Found that the O.C. Lieut-Col. Jones was my one time mathematical Master at Sarnia Collegiate. Also found Jimmie Bell was a Captain in the Battalion. The rest of the boys seemed to be a good bunch of scouts

Friday July 20, 1917

Hot.

Got to bed at 7 A.M. after spending all night in communication with the Front line. The Hun was continually worrying the infantry with Fish tail TM's and Rum Jars. so several times I sent thru' a call for retaliation. It was a strenuous night.

Got up at 12 noon and hung around H.Q.

Saturday July 21, 1917

Hot

A repetition of [?] on preceding page.

Was relieved at 7 P.M. by Thompson of the 15th Btty so returned to the battery.

Sunday July 22, 1917

Hot.

The battery was heavily shelled by 4.1s for several hours today. No casualties thanks to Fritz's concrete work.

In the afternoon went up to the O.P. to releive Burrows while he went forward to shoot up some TMs & M.G.E.

Fritzs was whizz-banging the O.P. so had some trouble reaching it. We did the last 100 x in records time between salvos.

Wrote to May

Monday July 23, 1917

Warm.

At the battery in A.M. In PM went with Mukle to Battalion O.P. to register on some barb wire we are scheduled to cut. Found that other batteries were firing at the point so called the shoot off. Afterwards wandered around hunting for a position to which to move the battery in the event of this coming "show" being successful.

In the evening releived Burrows at the O.P. for a 72 hour shift

Wrote to Father & Mother

Tuesday July 24, 1917

Warm and sticky with a heavy fog towards evening.

The Bosche started a "show" on our front about 1 A.M. which lasted till 3 P.M. S.O.S. calls went up and our artillery joined in. Hell was let loose. Had to stay up till it was over.

Today has been exceptionally quiet - calm after the storm.

Wrote to the Doc & to May.

Wednesday July 25, 1917

Rain during the night and in the A.M.

Went to Left Battalion O.P. to register on wire along Cote trench. Afterwards went back to O.P.

Received 2 letters from May dated July 1St & 4th and one from F & M dated July 1St

Thursday July 26, 1917

Warm.

At O.P. in A.M. At noon went to Left Battalion O.P. and observed for a 500 rd shoot on coke Trench. After it was finished came back to the battery

While there shot up a screen which had been worrying the infantry.

Received a parcel from May containing six ([?]) Cigarettes ([?]} and Cakes.

Friday July 27, 1917

Warm.

Put in 500 rounds into Contract Trench during the day.

At the battery all day - no hostile shelling near us

Saturday July 28, 1917

Warm

At Battery all day.

Shooting up trenches MGE and T.M.

Sunday July 29, 1917

Rain in A.M. - dull all day

Was at the Battery all day. Put over about 600 rds on Trench Destruction and other targets

Monday July 30, 1917

Rain during the night and in A.M.

Shot up part of Commotion Trench and some "Fish Tail" emplacements

The Hun put a few 4.l gun shells in rear of us in the evening.

Tuesday July 31, 1917

Rain

Received a letter from May dated July 8

At the guns all day