Saturday July 15, 1916

We roused up at the princely hour of 7:30 a.m. Did squad drill in the morning and about 2 hours in the afternoon. In the evening we were moved across the road to the regular huts of the 26th shaped like this [Here there is a tiny sketch of a long low barrack building] and holding 24 men. I was in a fatigue party sent after meals today and in the barn on a stretcher was a dead soldier, the first one I have seen. He was a 26th man. All our dead are brought away back here to be buried for reasons of health.

The 26th came back today for about a two weeks rest after a 17 day spell in the trenches. There is only a skeleton of the battalion left, even with our draft additions. I am in B Co. 5th platoon. In place of the 60 men of a platoon, we only have 16 men and one sergeant and one lance-corporal. No. 5 platoon is a splendid bunch of fellows, very chummy, like a big family of brothers. If anyone gets anything from home it goes around as far as it will.

The 26th came in about 2 a.m. Sunday morning, and about 3 a.m. we all had a good feed of bacon, bread and butter and tea. About 4 we go to bed again.