.NzE.MTE4MTY

18 Feb & March (28 to 1) 28 Monday (59-307) 2nd & 3rd Months 1916

Fighting for Douaumont continues

Lydd marks Grag & Robinson 97% Hays 4th 93 degrees Warring 10th 82 degrees Bewlay 15th 80% Mahony 71 degrees Myles 82 % - With Colonel on Satellite to StackRock Port - Inner Fort 1852, outer (brick) 1870 - occupying whole of small rocky island Stay to sinner with Dr. Popert Col. takes me out on rabbit hunt. Still no Canadian mail.

29 Tuesday (60-306)

Lull. Germans entrench on the Poivre Hill On Duty - New telephonists and much trouble getting messages through. 300 men at Dale (50th Prov. Bn. Welsh) hardly drill at all - kept on fatigues - am told hardly any of these men could stand even a short route march.

1 March Wednesday (61 - 305)

Lull - Mutual Shelling St. David Need Draft No. Fl. T 1203 being Jan. 16-31 - Ration allow@1/5 1-2-8 [Pound sign] 3-2-8 Jan. 16 - 31 [ditto marks] Field allow@2/6 2-0-0 Forwarded to Cox's even dale Go to West Blockhouse for 9.2 drill Battle of Verdun looking a little more cheerful. Spend evening playing draughts with Jones & listening to tales of the Colonel's wild & riotous youth "seeing life"

BC Archives, MS-0392 Frank Swannell Papers

Box 1 Diary and enclosures, 1916 Volume 5