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Surveys Dragoon Alley

Note: Friday 20th last time I saw my old transit man Peter A. McDonald - rose to be Plat. Sergt. in the 15th - killed Sept. 1916.

Get most of detail along front line - not much sniping at - position I have just sketched at Dragoon Alley gets shelled 10 minutes after I have left. 16th relieved & go out. 14th &15th come in. Meet relief on Seely Ave. & have to climb on parapet to let them pass - 15th fine lot, ploughing & sliding in the muddy CT. in great good humor - many packing boxwood for cooking - I wander into Imperial trenches at Boyle's farm - sentries take me for an officer & "Sir" me! Capt. Markham 16th Sig. Officer & Gibson do of 15th killed by a shell as we are going out. More shelling every day now.

One of our aeroplanes hit - engine stopped - but vol planes down behind our line. Sky a long trail of white puffs from Boche anti aircraft shrapnel. General Leckie examines sketches and talks of ordering a transit from Canada. Baxter & I go to La Petite boutique on the frontier road (Romarin). Flore much relieved to find some of her farm standing "Jins" us up to coffee - Jeamette has a Belgian 1 sou piece for me.

Flore Dereumaux wrote me for several years after the war.

Trenches still very muddy - myself too.

Finish up Dragoon Alley trench - nasty job as trench is in bad repair and Fritz has a mighty good chance to nail us - Baxter runs the tape out along the traverse, then we "clear" it as well as we can without exposing more than our arms - then I pop up and read the bearing. Baxter holding a chain-pin or bayonet up as a foresight. Fearfully muddy and foul smelling here - cows killed by shell I think.

If the General puts me out with a transit, it'll only last a few hours - and I want an abnormally long diagonal eyepiece or I'll last "quick" too

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