55 Neuf-Berquin to Billets La Maison Blanc

27th, Full Moon 4.27 a.m.]     JUNE, 1915.     [2nd, Sun rises eh. 50m.
SUNDAY 27  [178-187]  4th after Trinity

at Neuf Berquin -- church, old mill shelled by English 7 German officers at our billet 10-14 October -- French at Merville, English at Hazebrouch -- 32000 Germans German machine guns in

MONDAY 28 [179-186]

granary windows -- 75 m.m. guns threw 40 shells into the farm -- round holes -- through door. -- one shell exploded in kitchen midden & another in chimney. Told that 600 Germans buried near burnt farm close by. Move out 8 pm & march to old billeting area. -- Sleep with Dan McGregor in waggon box -- very cold & stiff Visiting old friends all day -- made very welcome everywhere

Wrote Noakes enclosing duplicate copy of will

TUESDAY 29 [180-185] St. Peter

Usual parade, but with Findley go to Steenwerck & review acqaintanceship with the Touquets, Olivers . Mme Chieux & Jeanne & old M. Charles

Battalion Parade with usual medieval drill & respirator & helmet inspection -- Told no retirement allowable on account of gas

WEDNESDAY 30 [181-184]

Writing letters all my spare time today. Write Mitchell to ascertain the steps necessary to take in order to obtain a commission in the Imperial Army Obtain correspondent for Ada in the person of Mlle. Alida Bouquet -- a refined well educated girl of about 18 in the Bureau de Poste. (See photo pge 42) Got me in wrong with Ada as she forward a letter from me thru the French P.O , in which I had told Ada the girls in Flanders were homely as mud fences Alida slipped a note in with my letter & enclosed her photo. She was pretty!

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