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Wutverghem En Face de Messines

July, 1915

Kennie & I sleep on brick pavement under entrance arch. Rustle a little straw, but rain drives in

THURSDAY 15 (196 - 169)

on us thru the open archway. Working Party tonight in spite of the rain. Each given a big stake on reel of wire to carry. Guide gets lost in the maze of trenches & we wander around in the mud & rain. Three interminable com. trenches. Getting tangled up with the Telephone wires & burdened with rifle, bandolier, spade & gas helmet. 'Arrive' at 1 pm & start com. trench to front line. Very near the Germans and sniped incessantly - one boy hit near me and hear 'Stretcher bearers' several times.

FRIDAY 16 (197-168)

Working party again tonight and one batch on all day too.

Got home last night (3 am) drenched & mud from head to foot, tumbling down in the pitch darkness in the Trenches. Went to sleep 'all standing' to give the mud a show to dry. Rifle in awful state. Everybody cranky & grousing.

SATURDAY 17 (198 - 167) 29th Week

Move in to front line again at junction with Seaforth Ave. Jack Enoch, Dan McGregor & I in one dugout, with hardly any head room at all about 300 yds from the German lines here. Not allowed to take equipment off, but all except one man per traverse mercifully allowed to sleep until Stand-To 2:30-3:30 am. Quietish night. Few flares and little sniping.

BC Archives, MS-0392 Box 1 Volume 4 / FRANK SWANNELL PAPERS / Diary and enclosures, 1915.