Tuesday July 5th/15

Battalion marches thru Steenwerck, across the frontier into Belgium. To Plougsteert ("Plug Street") of the Tommies) - Billeted in the "Piggeries" - a model farm - supposed to belong to King Albert - cement floor, pens, & feeding troughs - Four Canadian privates put in the space of one Flemish pig, Got bedded down at midnight, but floor unconscionably hard & of course no blanket.

Beautiful wooded country around here - cut everywhere by reserve trenches, barricades, and barb wire -The Chateau de la Hutte on the hill back of Hyde Park Cor. - knocked all to pieces

Our machine gun officer struck by a stray bullet near Piggeries road, at Estaminet - dies at dawn - all in Estaminet put under arrest on account of blaze seen arising from chimney -- Explained later as caused by fat overturned in the stove

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