48

Givenchy

June 1915

To Vendin church for mass. To church at Choques with Green. Leave in afternoon for trenches along Aire Canal - horribly hot -arrive 8 pm

Givenchy Trenches

In sandbag trench here 100 yds from Germans - Their trench black, white bags with iron plate loopholes - Only 7 in our section & the Major, Tucker & I in a 20' length between Traverse - Every other man on guard all night & one per length during the day - This meant we got 4 hrs on & 2 off at night & 2 on & 4 off all day. All hands in addition standing too 8 to 9 & 3 to 4 am. Have one small dugout into which two could hardly crawl. Considerable sniping, but Germans afraid to shell our trench. Flares all night & trench bombs.

Awfully hot day & short of water - Our artillery shelling over out heads just missing our parapet - One of our shrapnel bursts short & kill a 13th Sergt of Machine Gun. Regular labyrinth of trenches here - High grass between us & the Germans. 40 foot shaft & tunnel being run towards the Germans

All but sentries sent back to next line & our artillery badly burst up the German trench - Kennie & I in a communication trench - Terribly hot & no water for 14 hrs - Our fellows firing incessantly all night to keep the Germans from fixing their wire

I am on fatigue 8 pm - 12 - digging firing trench across salient of our line which it is feared the Germans have mined - German trench bomb bursts 12 feet from me & we get sniped at.

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