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Festubert - May 20 - 1915

[29th, Sun rises 7 h 45 m.

Sunday 24 [24 341] 3rd after Epiphany

- Crossing ditch going back noticed a Kiltie lying in the water

- Found afterwards he was wounded, thought we were Germans & so kept quiet.

Monday 25 [25 - 340]

Germans shelling the road so we hit for the British Trenches. Worst sight of all in the half light - Blown to pieces - sand bags & odds & ends of humanity - stumbling along, catching ones feet in the dead men's accoutrements - Some of the relieving battalion tried to hit back with us - we were ordered to block the way with the bayonet, but they ran around us - We wanted to shoot.

Tuesday 26 [26 - 339]

4 Arriving at the trenches we had held for two days found our supports had used our greatcoats as roofing for new head cover & rifled our packs. Found Lieut. Morton's greatcoat & revolver undisturbed, brought it out.

At the back line ran into a wounded 15th man, helped him to the dressing station. He fainted directly he got there

Wednesday 27 [27 - 338]

- Head and leg with shrapnel - Got back & found the adjutant ladling out rum - Gave me half a mess tin lid full - never tasted it, hardly, but it picked me up

21st Couldn't sleep so went between lines and rustled up new equipment from the British dead of the unsuccessful charge of a week before - "Gordons" & "Scotch Guards" - Chucked away my Ross & picked up a Lee-Enfield - Got a Glengarry too - German dead of last autumn still floating in the ditches - Got a long bayonet from a dead Gordon. Took about six dead Scotchman to equip me completely with what I had lost in the charge

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