Trenches 134-142

Sets 6h. 57m.]. AUGUST, 1915.   [Day 13h. 51m. long

THURSDAY 26. [238-127]

Half-day in trenches - Spent afternoon plotting in the General's bedroom -- 2 6" HE. shells come over at 2 pm. -- one landing directly in front & other directly behind battery 150 yds back of La Petite Mungue where we are.-- Splinters drop all around but nobody hurt-- the 3rd shot, if it had come, would have got the battery sure. The court-martial in the garden beat a hurried and undignified retreat for shelter.

FRIDAY 27. [239-126]

Baxter & I in trenches all day -- Exceedingly hot work -- Start chained compass traverse, throwing tape over traverse or chaining in rear of firing trench 'at the double'. Manage to get 100 foot chords in most places -- Pretty risky chaining down ditch of Messines Road, as raked by fire of two German high-command trenches Gen. Leckie very appreciative of the work Canon Scott tells us of his visit to Ypres and how a shell crashed through roof of crypt killing 60 soldiers sheltering there.

SATURDAY 28 [240-125] 35th Week

Half day in trenches surveying Dragoon Alley get deliberately sniped at several time -- Now expert at bobbing up & reading prismatic like greased likely lightning. Under cover I get dial approx. bearing--then Baxter holds bayonet above parapet ahead & I bob up & clamp exact bearing. Baxter takes some awful risks dashing across with the chain. Germans shelling Ploegstreet today. Start plotting map -- Make Gen Leckie sketch proposed new trench. Palethorpe of the 30th killed near me at Nellis Walk -- Got through the head by a sniper. Sniper at Romarin chez Flore -- shown draft of letter to Ade "Pour la fête de baptême ils avaient une bouteille du vin de Malage ce qu'ils boivent très rârement. [Dereunaux?]

Pailthorpe killed

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