61

Trench 128 near Seaforth Ave

Ploegsteert

JULY, 1915.

Blazing hot in daytime and plagued by hordes of 'bluebottles" I am cook and obtain marvellous results by combining "Maconochie" (M. & V. Ration) "Bully Beef" & Pea-soup Tablets with Oxo thrown in for luck. Order comes to cut out niches for rifles - I get jumped on for telling Lieutenant that rifles-bayonets fixed, in niches will be dangerous in case a wiring party has to suddenly retire over the parapet - am told "Wiring parties have proper means of entrance" - Common-sense & shrapnel to the contrary.

Jack and I go rustling & steal boards from the engineers for firewood

Pretty jaded & tired on account of insufficient sleep - & can't sleep well when off guard in the daytime on account of heat & flies. Germans throw 4 shrapnel 250' to our left - Get one of our company - thru the knee - am on water fatigue & meet the stretcher-bearers parking him out. Very cheerful - "Got a Blightie one" Much fusillading on our left & right tonight.

Relieved today by 1st Brigade, and batt. put in canvas huts near Neuve Eglise. Am instructed by Maj. Peck & Capt. Morison to survey trenches - choose Baxster as assistant - Move down to dugout near Prouse Pt & draw rations from Red Cross 3rd Batt.

Get a bullet thru the hair while standing "sizing up" on the Messines Road - arrested as German spies & haled before Col. of the 8th - Insult to injury! Rustle up 6 tins "Maconochie" - Fine dugout, with a table and gunny sack doors.

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