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Date: May 1917
Diary

Tuesday, May 1st, 1917

fine morning. sun shining all day. Fritz shelled our dugout pretty good this morning threw quite a few but no damage Party for water afternoon working party out 8.45Pm

Wednesday, May 2nd, 1917

slept with boots on 8 days fine morning sun shining. lovely just like spring. a few shells dropping this way but no damage Party went for water. curtains on our door two Fritzs overcoats

Thursday, May 3rd, 1917

fine morning sun shining fine. spring. water Party afternoon ration and working party 8.45 Beautiful day. sent daffodils in Mothers and Louies letter. Monday

Friday, May 4th, 1917

fine morning and nice moonlight nights. big bombardment last night. water fatigue afternoon 3.45Pm. working party at 8.45 came back about midnight got a good shot of rum

Saturday, May 5th, 1917

very fine morning. sun nice and warm. Fritz shelled pretty good last night. wrote letter to Aunt Annie put violets in from vimy ridge also Annie Fritz shelling pretty good this afternoon. Chalk souiver [?] Holy Bible

Sunday, May 6th, 1917

took over 60th field kitchen one French grave by Can soldier left vimy ridge last night 8.45Pm to come back for a rest got to bivoacks 10.15Pm very cold night. had to get up at 3am and go to trenches Fritz shelling us. fine morning but cold got 60th field kitchens came up to make dinner for us

Monday, May 7th, 1917

very fine morning sun bright we got to rest camp at 4Pm we are here at villers now for 6 days sent service cards to Mother and Louie

Tuesday, May 8th, 1917

got Parcel from Mother last night rained nearly all night and raining now 9am trees and grass look fine today. sent letter to Mother and May Mason thanking them for parcels

Wednesday, May 9th, 1917

revellie 6am Breakfast 7am fine morning. sun shining nice and warm beautiful sunset got letter from Mother

Thursday, May 10th, 1917

revellie 6.30 Breakfast 7am fine morning sun shining lovely Dinner 12.15Pm sleeping in Huts 260 men since Sunday air battle 6.15Pm

Friday, May 11th, 1917

revellie 6.30 Breakfast 7am very fine morning sun lovely. trees and grass nive and green left villers to go to La targatte, got lost 22 hours

Saturday, May 12th, 1917

got letters from Mother Aunt Annie fine morning slept in a dugout side of road. walked again very hot. got to camp about 2Pm and had to come back to base 3.30 lost 22 hrs

Sunday, May 13th, 1917

revellie 6.30 Breakfast 7am cleaned and shaved sent back to Villers to guard packs and blankets. sun very warm but fine day. Lieut Woodman Leonard killed at Vimy Ridge Free Press Apr 12/17 sent on guard at Church

Monday, May 14th, 1917

revellie 6.30 Breakfast 7am on guard at old Church at Villers. rained last night dull this morning but nice. saw in Free Press Apl 14/17 E. Martin arrived home grass and trees fine and green sun shining lovely nice breeze.

Tuesday, May 15th, 1917

revellie 6.30 Breakfast 7am fine morning. wrote to Mother and Aunt Annie. on guard at Church. sent 2 flowers to Mother picked in the Old Churchyard at Villers De Bois

Wednesday, May 16th, 1917

revellie 6.30 Breakfast 7am went to Y.M.C.A. last night heard 2nd C.M.R. Band. trombone Solo rocked in cradle of the deep with variations very good. rather dull morning. on guard at old Church

Thursday, May 17th, 1917

rained nearly all night revellie 6.30 Breakfast 7am very muddy two of us went back for rations about 3 miles to transport lines. very dull day but lots to eat got back with rations about 12.30Pm

Friday, May 18th, 1917

revellie 6.30 Breakfast 7am rather dull morning. but not raining. on guard at old Church. air battle 1.15Pm got 2 letters one from Mother 1 from Louie dated Apl 15th wrote letters to Mother and Louie

Saturday, May 19th, 1917

revellie 6.30 Breakfast 7am dull morning. went for rations to transport lines for guard at Church. six men and corporal. got back about 12.30Pm got letters from Louie. Annie. Chas Simpson

Sunday, May 20th, 1917

revellie 6.30 Breakfast 7am very fine and warm morning. on guard at old Church. built. 1811. went to band Concert last night Y.M.C.A. R.C.R. band good wrote to Mother and Louie

Monday, May 21st, 1917

revellie 6.30 Breakfast 7am dull morning but not raining. boys went up line last night. I went to service Y.M.C.A. on guard at Church. wrote letters to Annie Mabel Mason and George Kilbler

Tuesday, May 22nd, 1917

got registered letter from Mother 8 shillings and 4 pence $8.40 revellie 6.30 Breakfast 7am rained all night and morning. went for rations about 6 miles there and back wet and mud. saw graves of soldiers 7 here 6 here and 3 and 4 along sides of the roads stopped raining evening

Wednesday, May 23rd, 1917

revellie 6.30 Breakfast 7am very fine morning sun shining beautiful. too nice for men killing each other. still on guard at old Church. big air Battle about 8.45Pm

Thursday, May 24th, 1917

revellie 6.30 Breakfast 7am went for rations. fine cool morning. saw one lonely grave. by trench. Oh you see them all over the place. fine evening

Friday, May 25th, 1917

revellie 6.30 Breakfast 7am very fine morning. air battle about 5.30am. still on guard at the old Church. afternoon sun very warm and very quiet fine evening

Saturday, May 26th, 1917

revellie 6.30 Breakfast 7am very fine morning. air battle 5.15am. drove Fritz home lots of shots fired. fine all day and lovely evening. on guard at the old Church. had a good bath and change

Sunday, May 27th, 1917

revellie 6.30 Breakfast 7am fine morning. went for rations. frenchman buried in Church yard yesterday morning on guard at Old Church. went to service at Y.M.C.A. 7Pm Holy Communion 8Pm

Monday, May 28th, 1917

revellie 5am Breakfast 5.30am very fine morning on guard at old Church. 9.35am air battle out of sight fine all day nothing to report. lovely evening lots of areoplanes floating around over head.

Tuesday, May 29th, 1917

revellie 6.30 Breakfast 7am rained during night. very dull all day. on guard at old Church very cool evening.

Wednesday, May 30th, 1917

first time on wheel since leaving Canada revellie 6.30 Breakfast 7am went for rations on wheel. fine morning. got a letter from George. evening time rather dull nothing to report. still on guard at Church

Thursday, May 31st, 1917

revellie 6.30 Breakfast 7am rather cloudy looks like rain. fine afternoon. lovely evening but rather cool. still on guard at Church. lots of areoplanes overhead