FESTUBERT Trenches 45

Sets 8h. 0m] MAY, 1912 [28th, Full Moon 9:33 p.m.

THURSDAY 27 [147-218]

Very quiet all day both sides, but continuous rumble of guns from beyond La Bassee - lie low all day - at 8 pm volunteer with [Flewin ?] for working party - Taken to Front line where the 1th were dug in - felt freezing (no [goeatcoat ?]) - and had gone knee deep in mud down the communication trench - lying in the grass for 2 hrs. Then dug until 2 p.m. on a connection trench to an abandoned German Trench - This latter literally shelled into debris and full of dead Germans exposed by shelling - Crater holes 12' across water filled -

Bright moonlight - some sniping - Germans busy [drawing ?] wine stacks ahead - [110 ?} casualties but terribly tired - ['allin' ?] in fact

FRIDAY 28 [148 -217] Scottish removal Term

At 6 pm. [Henny ?] on sentry, ducked into dugout on final shell or killed sure - I though the the 2d would get me as I had no head cover - Three shells drive right into our parapet - I nearly get it from a fragment glancing from my shovel + grazing my thumb - Dive into safety in the covered dugout (See sketch next page) [Fleiom ?], Tucker, Major Gibson + I live in this cave - most foul smelling with decayed vegetation - shell crater, water filled behind with dead mans boots + hand projecting - Lots of dead lying around unburied.

Sent out on working party again - 8 to 2 30 - [Departed ?] to lay out the Traoenses - Regiment moves out + our kits are by some fatuity piled in the road. - In the confusion matches are lit + the Germans drive in 2 shells very close.

Billetted in a shell wrecked house on the Festhubert Road.

SATURDAY 29 [149-216] 22nd Week

Two shells catch our billet - Middleton Van Dyk, Kinchin, Flewin, Guiney, Goodrich of my section all wounded + 7 others - Help Middleton the dressing station - Poor Van Dyk's jaw smashed, face cut open from nose to chin - an awful sight - streaming with blood. - More murders as we should never have been put there on a main road with every barn marked by the Germans - This leaves myself, Kenny, Tueken + Findley of the old 30th section

Flewin, the 'Major', I lunched on the grass behind the billet - Flewin got two bruises from flying [illegible] - The Major + I were showered with debris but unhurt

Big gopher holes after dinner, but no more shelling - Dressing station shelled during night - Two hit.

The three shells that cleaned up the section all struck dead for the mark.

-high explosive-

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