Friday August 20th 71 Surveyed Dragoon Alley + Boyles Farm -- Lunch with Pete [MacDonald] -- Jacket all bloodstained -- Had carried the body of Maj. Marcom To Ration Farm -- Both officers shot To pieces almost. -- While sheltering at Boyles Farm met Lieut. Fisher of the "Buffs" -- Very effable, much To the surprise of his Tommies -- Gave us afternoon Tea. -- His men called me "sir" for the rest of the day. At noon exactly the Germans on the Messines slope started hurrahing -- German snipers in our salient in front of Trench 142. -- only 120 yds from our occupied line. Much shooting at Aeroplanes -- several fragments of shell fall very close to me. Had a strong premonition I would be hit today -- Resolve that forebodings are just a mental state. 15th Batt. didnt get settled down until 930pm -- -- Many dugouts flooded. Dragoon Alley liquid mud over the boottops -- Boys have no blankets yet. Only desultory shelling -- into Hill 63+ Chateau at 630 Germans throw a few "Coal Boxes" along Chateau Ridge + set a building on fire at Neuve Eglise. 40

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