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Date: August 1918
Diary

August 1

Fine weather, relieved tonight by Imperials at 11:00, marched to light railway 4 kilos away, came quite a long way on it, 16th Btn. also relieved by Imperials

August 2

Marched out 7 kilos after getting off railway and arrived at Liencourt at 8:00 a.m., slept three hours, paid at 1:30, packed limbers after and got a new uniform too, expected to move off tonight to entrain for Belgium maybe but didn't go, had a little feed of eggs which I got from French people

August 3

Bath this morning in a town nearby, cleaning guns and getting stores ready again for the line, got all ready tonight to move off in the morning, raining

August 4

Breakfast at 4:00 a.m., marched to railhead not far from St. Pol, distance of 16 kilos, left on train for unknown destination, 40 men in little car, our limbers and horses also came on the train, rode twelve hours and stopped at a place until transport was all unloaded

August 5

Marched remainder of night and arrived in a town about 50 kilos in rear of Sorssowis, first idea nay of us had of where we were, slept until 5:00 p.m. and marched out up a very steep hill with full packs and then took trucks

August 6

Travelled all night on the trucks, got off about 16 kilos past Amiens, marched again for two hours and stopped in a field and told to make ourselves at home, had a sleep in the morning, raining in afternoon, nothing to eat today

August 7

Good sleep last night under a bush, remainder of Coy. went up the line but I and several others were told to stay in case of casualties and have to replace them, moved in evening to a village near Amiens, hundreds of tanks, guns, calvary and troops moving up all night, attack is made in the morning on a 4.0 mile front, the above orders are cancelled so I guess I go over with the others in the morning

August 8

Hundreds of prisoners and our wounded coming back, balloons moving up as the advance is made, Canadians advanced 10 miles today, 3rd Brigade went over first, 1st Brigade went through them and then 2nd Brigade went through them, very tired tonight but no sleep

August 9

Moved forward this morning, found a lot of souvenirs, quite a few dead laying about, captured guns, MG's laying all over, Germans running all over, good sniping but don't know whether I hit any, hot day, advancing across open field with no cover

August 10

Moved forward today as Canadians advanced again, joined other gun teams tonight Arnold killed and Frost shot through stomach so he will likely die, troops have lots of souvenirs, told we have to go over again tomorrow but just before dawn orders came to stop where we are

August 11

Hot day, had a snooze in morning, I have a ring worm on my neck and it is spreading to my chin and forehead, Germans counter attacked tonight, Royal Scots got cut up yesterday for want of support, first sleep today since the 7th and am tired with marching and fighting

August 12

Fairly good sleep last night on some sheaves of wheat, Imperials went over to straighten the line, hot weather, balloon came down in flames tonight

August 13

Weather still warm, tested gas respirators today, Sgt. Cook and McNulty went on pass today, artillery taking up positions near us, received Canadian mail, two of our planes came down, one in flames, other forced down

August 14

Filled belts during day, coming away from limbers, Niblock and I found a tank shell (6 lbs.) and he examined it, took it to some artillery men to get them to explain it, he accidentally dropped it and it exploded nearly blowing his foot off and another fellow's leg off, both will lose their legs

August 15

Had to dig an anti aircraft position today near some of our artillery, saw a lot of the boys who were slightly wounded at Passchendale, they came back from the Blighty and the base

August 16

Bombed last night, fairly good eats, Germans retiring on a 35 kilo front and Canadians are going forward again and helping out the French

August 17

Advanced two kilos beyond Roye, Germans using naval guns for long range shelling, fine weather

August 18

Went back a ways today, others had a bath but I didn't and am nearly eat up with lice, sores on face healing up

August 19

Weather cloudy and raining a little in evening, received six letters today, they took my destination on pass down today so will likely be going in a week or so, marched back tonight and stopped in a woods six miles back of the line, 1st Brigade moved back

August 20

Warm, parade in afternoon to get a list of the shortages in equipment, etc., Fred went on a five weeks course

August 21

Pay parade in the morning, received some mail today, clear moonlight nights, Imperials went over at 2:00 a.m. by moonlight and went 7 kilos deep

August 22

Very hot today, cleaned guns, etc. in morning, moved tonight at dusk and marched until 1:30 a.m., stopped in a woods about ten kilos from Amiens, everybody tired out from the long march

August 23

Hot today but cloudy and likely to rain in evening, marched off again at dusk and stopped about five kilos from Amiens, in a big school house, the whole Battalion was in it

August 24

Had a few hours sleep today, didn't move, stayed in all day and all night

August 25

Stayed in school today and moved at night, marched nine miles and got on a train at 6:00 a.m. after loading limbers, horses, etc.

August 26

Travelled in the box cars and got off at Savoy Barlette, about 20 kilos from Arras, 3rd Division went over at Monchy and went seven miles deep, took trucks close to Arras, stopped in a field for a few hours, nearly froze and later marched into Arras, stopped in an old hospital

August 27

Had a fair sleep today, moved off in afternoon and marched to Tilley Woods near Monchy, stopped in a trench for the night, raining hard and very dark

August 28

Raining today, made a shelter out of some sheet iron, moved tonight and move forward, stopped in a field and had a fair sleep

August 29

4th Brigade went over and got badly cut up, wrote a couple of letters today, went forward tonight, going over in the morning

August 30

Barrage started about a half an hour before daylight, the going over wasn't too bad but after we got there at noon, Fritz counter attacked and put up a heavy barrage on supply line, I was in charge of the team and stopped in a support trench, we got blown out of it and moved a little further off, Heinie spotted us and shelled again, one struck the pardo and killed Howell, wounded Kelly, Riell, Phillips and myself, leaving Jardine and Cook to carry on, carried out by four German prisoners and then by ambulance to Arras and then to a hospital near St. Pol, bad wound on my left leg below the knee

August 31

Leg awful painful this morning, can hardly move it at all, 1st Brigade got very heavy casualties yesterday, driven in ambulance to hospital train and arrived at Boulogne at dark