Personal Diary:28th August 1916

The Corps and Divn commanders went round our trenches at 6am. Going (SWB) had to meet them and take them round. I was left behind to meet the army commander who turned up at 8.30am. Hunter-Weston & De Lisle both expressed themselves satisfied with the work we had done in the trenches. I got up at 5.30am and met Morris (Borders) on the canal bank at 6am, I went round their bank and the canal defences. The Army Commander (Plumer) turned up shortly after 9am and talked for about half an hour. He was very pleasant. 

Got a wire about 8pm  to say Roumania had come in. COs conference at 4.30pm to discuss work, reliefs etc. Completed carrying gas up after dark, it took all our spare men, we now have 200 cylinders in place.

Personal War Diary Entry: August 13th 1916

Went to SWB parade service 10am. Corps commander gave us a very earnest sermon , and gave us to understand that all the divns in the Corps were as rotten as could be. Bobby Nickalls dined and we had a rubber of bridge. The King will see one of our battns tomorrow, along the road near Poperinghe, and all brigadiers are to go and shake hands with him.

War Dairy Entry: August 12th 1916

I was going with Welch to look at the 2^nd Army school behind St Omer, but had to stop behind to attend the breaking up day of our Divn school. Corps & Divn commanders present. After the inspection was over De Lisle had a conference at our hd qrs. At 3pm the Corps Commander turned up to inspect our camps. He spent 3 hours over it, never stopped talking, and after it was over asked me to make a précis of all he had said and send it on to him.

War Diary Entry: August 4th 1916

Bayley again turned up after dinner with Rich; the former slept here. Went in to Corps Hd qrs (about 3 miles N W of Poperinghe) with Cayley & Williams , at 9am for a conference.

War Diary Entry: 23rd June 1916

87^th Brigade relieved the 88^th Brigade in the trenches, only 2 battns went up (the SWB & Inniskillings). They each have 3 coys in the line and one at Englebelmer. The other 2 battns are going to remain in the huts in Acheux Wood during the bombardment. 

A very heavy thunderstorm came on between 3.45 & 4.15pm during the relief which flooded some of the trenches. I went to a conference at Corps Hd Qrs at 4pm and then on up to Englebelmer about 6pm. 

All the inhabitants (those still there) were being cleared out. The old woman next door was leaving a lamb behind, so I had to buy it for 5 francs. A number of dogs and cats have been left behind.

War Diary Entry: 12th June 1916

Went round the trenches at 5.30am. The rain started again as soon as I got back about 9am. The trenches were extraordinarily dry considering. Welch came to lunch. Rode into Acheux in the afternoon. De Lisle went into Marieux for a Corps conference. I went in with him and took the car on to see Kelly at Gezincourt. He has turned the corner and is miles better.

Nicolls (De Lisle’s new ADC) came with me. We bought some papers in Doullens and picked De Lisle up on the way back. Heard this is not the Russians main push but that the real one starts tomorrow around Riga. They have no gun bigger than a 6” down south. Our attack has been put forward as French nervous about Verdun.